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    Nora Lee's

    3.4 (330 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Nora Lee's Photos

    Business Info

    NORA LEE'S ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Nora Lee's

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    Blackened chicken with mashed potato and hush puppies. Took it half way through eating. Very good!
    Iris Z.

    The food and service were great. We had Patty. She was inviting and gave great recommendations. I really enjoyed the blackened chicken. It was cooked to perfection, meaning it was tender and not dry. The seasoning was well balanced-- not too salty, and very flavorful. The complimentary bread basket was also great. The outside crust was a little hard and dry but the inside was pillowy. The Cajun butter paired perfectly with the bread.

    Crab and artichoke dip
    Sam H.

    Good - the place is super cute- service was great - 2 pm on a Wednesday. My friends love this place and rave about the food. The crab dip is very good - shareable for at least three people. See picture. Bad - no Tonic for a Gin and Tonic, the Gumbo was sweet and no friend green tomatoes. Other - the captain crunch chicken fingers are too sweet for my taste but my friends love them. I hear they have live music - maybe I should go back and try again.

    Caesar salad with grilled shrimp.
    Dorene R.

    Lunch with friends on a Saturday and the place was virtually empty. Parking is usually a challenge due to the area. I didn't want anything spicy so opted for a Caesar salad and grilled shrimp. My friends each ordered a wrap sandwich with sweet potato fries and one with french fries. My one friend ordered a fruity cocktail. The food was good. I like my homemade Caesar dressing and my shrimp was of good quality taste & texture. The place is very dark and antiquated. Decorated with Mardi Gras decor. The place was clean and the staff was friendly. The food came out in a timely fashion. My salad was $20 plus tip. I only had water and it was clean, clear & cold. My friend said her cocktail was good and their wraps were large and tasteful. Looking at the menu I honestly wasn't overly impressed with a lot of the offerings. Too many dishes smothered in gravies. I've dined in New Orleans and other Cajun style restaurants. So perhaps I'm being a bit snobbish with Nora lees. It appears it is well received in this area. I have mixed feelings about it. Oh and it states on the menu no check splitting!

    Outside
    Myra C.

    Came here because the tavern a few doors down was filled for the night. The decor is dark and dreary. Over the top NOLA theme. Lobster ravioli was too sweet. Not much crab on top, maybe two tiny lumps. I don't think the raviolis are hand made. Catfish wasn't crispy enough, heavy breading. Red beans and rice- the biggest disappointment. Tomato overpowering. We are from the South and have never had cheese on red beans and rice. pass. Veggies were over cooked and mushy. The rice tasted like Uncle Ben's. The salmon was ok but not worth the money. The food is overpriced for the quality, like $20-$50 per dish! It was packed, so some people like it.

    Catfish
    Meg H.

    3.75 stars Cutest restaurant decor I've seen in a while. Great vibes. We got a few apps to share which were amazing. Loved their hush puppies! My salad was meh the only reason I gave 4 stars. Would love to go back and try something else.

    Shrimp Jambalaya
    Melinda S.

    We made reservations for a Saturday night. I was looking forward to eating here because I've lived in Delaware for years but never got around to trying this place. The atmosphere was exactly as most have described in the reviews, a dark dated, want to be New Orleans vibe. Not bad, kinda cozy. We got seated right away by our waitress. I ordered a mojito, it was one of the worst mojitos I've had. Club soda and lime was all I could taste. I prefer to taste a little bit of sugar in mine. I gave it to my husband to drink. I ordered one of their craft beers - much better. As we sat waiting for our food, we noticed how "active" the staff are. If they are not rushing around to their tables then they are hanging around chatting in their "outside voices" they are extremely loud. We could hear the bar staff all the way from our tables. The waitress talk to each other as if patrons are not sitting right there (using fowl language and all). Very off putting and annoying. Don't get me wrong, they are friendly, just not the most professional bunch. I ordered the shrimp Jambalaya. My husband ordered the andouille meatloaf. I have to say, presentation is everything to me. It's true that we first eat with our eyes. They missed the mark on presentation. Everything just seemed so clumsy and sloppy. Drops of old bay around the rim of the plate is very elementary and basic. If the food itself looks good, you really don't need to do that. The food was not bad, the flavor wasn't bad but it just wasn't good enough to bring me back. Overall, not a terrible experience just a tad bit disappointing. If they tighten up on their New Orleans menu and have it taste more authentic and tweak the staff a little, they could be an awesome establishment.

    pretzel tenders
    Emily M.

    Such a fun spot!! This place is SO cute. The food is out of this world and not what anyone could expect but SO good! They have such a unique menu that is New Orleans inspired. - Blackened Scallops - Coconut Shrimp - Pretzel Breaded Chicken Tenders with Chocolate or Home Made Honey Mustard - Captain Crunch Chicken Tenders with Vanilla Sauce The inside is a very New Orleans vibe (the most you can get in DE). There is a lot of options and a lot of flavor here!

    Blackened crabcake with chips
    Jen B.

    Kind of a mixed review here. Great selection of beers and great menu choices. I did get the crabcake and it was pretty cold so it's hard to really review. However, the sauces were amazing which gives me great hope. I'll have to go back and evaluate again to update my review.

    Cajun shrimp and grits
    Patrick L.

    My quest for the best eats and dining in Delaware has led me to Nora Lee's restaurant. I was looking forward to this spot because plenty of locals have raves about their food so I wanted to see what the fuss was about. Off the bat, the service was on point. The staff is very friendly, attentive, and accommodating. I was a bit skeptical when I heard of this place because it was supposed to resemble authentic New Orleans ambiance and fare. The restaurant does a great job with the aesthetic for sure. The drinks were delicious, very flavorful, and made perfectly. My fiancée had a mojito which she said tasted refreshing. The restaurant starts you off with bread which was covered in garlic butter. For the entree's, I had a filet mignon (cooked medium rare) covered in demi glaze, wrapped in prosciutto, and blue cheese crumbles. My fiancée had shrimp and rice which had a very flavorful cream sauce to compliment it. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting the steak to look the way it did in terms of presentation. It just felt like everything was thrown together on a plate with no rhyme or reason. I wasn't a big fan of having an entire steak coated in demi glaze as I feel I'm use to having it gently coated or spooned on so it doesn't overwhelm the dish. The mashed potatoes and vegetables were okay, thought the potatoes were a bit too lumpy for my liking but that's my own personal opinion nothing to hold the against them. The steak was a decent flavor even with everything added to it. This is definitely a case of simplicity beats everything. Where they lost me at was shortly after my fiancée ate her food, she was feeling ill. As we were driving home, we had to rush back to the house and she felt worse and as of this moment is recovering. Her food literally made her sick to her stomach. Unfortunately she only had a couple of bites and we ended up throwing the food away. I would have likely tried this place again and looked at something else to eat but it may be a while before that happens. Great service and the drinks were good but not impressed by the main entrees. Update: it's the next day and now I'm feeling sick to my stomach. I don't think I'll be coming back here.

    Crawfish bisque
    Lilly B.

    I've been to Nora Lees quite a few times and it's always an experience. This time wasn't the best but it was still decent. I ordered club soda and it tasted like drain water. The table bread is always good with the spicy dipping sauce. The hush puppies were over fried and kind of dried out. The soup was OK but it was advertised as a bisque and it definitely was not. The stuffed mushrooms had crab in the caps which was delicious. There was an extra charge because Crab is in shortage. Definitely some ups and downs with this experience!

    Outside patio- private cabana
    Ashley E.

    I'm reviewing Nora Lee's as someone who has been to New Orleans with the understanding of a restaurant who is doing New Orleans cuisine in Delaware, and I would say they do a pretty good job. Atmosphere is definitely New Orleans. I love the bar area and restaurant. We chose to sit outside on the patio that offers "private" cabanas. Both of our drinks were good. The Hurricane tasted pretty typical and was good. Spicy jalapeño margarita did not hold back on the spice which was nice. I'm someone who loves spicy food/drinks, but with all the seeds floating in my drink I did fear for heartburn. It was fine though. Food was good and had lots of flavor. I loved the gumbo, chicken sausage was good and had enough spice. Anything voodoo on that menu is going to be VERY spicy but good. Just be mindful. My husband had the meatloaf special that came with voodoo pulled pork on the side. Meatloaf itself was so good. I don't think the plate even needed the pulled pork. It was a lot of food. I got the oysters. This is probably my minor disappointment. The oysters were very flat and somewhat dry. I have never never seen flat oysters before. It looked like they smashed them before frying or chopped them up and made them into sort of a small patty. They tasted good but I wasn't a fan of how they were cooked. I will definitely go back again and try other items on the menu.

    Hazelnut Crusted Crab Cakes

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    1 year ago

    Awesome Cajun good and service. Always go for the crab bisque and voodoo crayfish tails. So yummy

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    2 years ago

    My favorite restaurant in New Castle!! The ambiance makes you feel like you're in the French quarter and the food is fabulous!!

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    1 year ago

    Love Love Love!!!! My favorite place to eat. The food is yummy. The vibe is super chill and the waitstaff are always so nice and helpful.

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    The food is amazing and the staff is awesome! Their drinks, appetizers and entrees are so authentic and SO good! Highly recommend!!!

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    Ask the Community - Nora Lee's

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    River Rock Kitchen

    River Rock Kitchen

    3.7(72 reviews)
    5.0 mi
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    While staying in the hotel we were lucky enough to get up early and have breakfast before our big…read moreday at the Point-to-Point at Winterthur. Amanda, our server, was a ray of sunshine and was especially attentive to our little one. she has a grandchild and relished the special time our daughter had while eating away from home. The layout is pretty basic with a series of long high-top tables with a few lower tables to boot. I asked for a spicy Blood-Mary and that's exactly what I received ! Well done! Other breakfast items came as ordered and all of the food was very good . Prices were fair and we really enjoyed our time there and whenever in the area would definetly return.

    We stayed in The Westin for a week and ate here a few times. We ordered room service and ate in the…read morerestaurant as well as just had drinks at the bar. The food is delicious and seasoned very well. It was better than many of the offsite restaurants we tried. Everyone there is so friendly and we got to know many of the servers, bartenders, etc. Kudos to Tiera, Victoria and Amanda who are all awesome! During our visits, we had the pan seared salmon, grilled pork chop, crab eggrolls and fried mozzarella. The salmon and pork chop were delicious! The eggrolls had a great crab flavor and a sauce that had a slight kick. There is inside and outside seating. I recommend River Rock Kitchen if you are staying at the hotel or in the area.

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    River Rock Kitchen - Crab and corn bisque

    Crab and corn bisque

    River Rock Kitchen - Pan Seared Salmon

    Pan Seared Salmon

    River Rock Kitchen

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    Jessop's Tavern - Red, White, & Blue

    Jessop's Tavern

    4.1(453 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Limited nearby street parking in this historic area. Enjoyed the bar seating on a wet Saturday…read morenight! The menu is more modern American than colonial era. Liked the crab pot pie. The barman was social and efficient. My friendly seat mates picked up the tab for my root beer. They are regulars and recommend the Pilgrims Feast and any pot pie

    During a day of exploring New Castle this past weekend, we had lunch at Jessop's Tavern. The…read morerestaurant has a ton of history - it's located in a building originally built in 1674. It's been many things in its history, but it's been Jessop's Tavern since 1996. (The family who owns the restaurant named it after a cooper named Abraham Jessop, who lived and worked in the building in 1724.) The restaurant has a great menu of food (including dishes inspired by the cuisines important to New Castle's early history: smorgasbord, a Dutch-inspired pot roast, etc.) and an incredible list of beers (200 Belgian beers, 20+ Belgian beers on draft, and more). We shared the Jessop's Tavern Crab Dip (served in a sourdough bread bowl) for the table, and I had the New Sweden Meatloaf for my entree (meatloaf with a vodka cream sauce and lingonberry preserves). I also had a couple of colonial ales - Washington's Porter by Yards Brewing Co. (I liked it so much, I had two). The service was good, and the ambiance is great: full of colonial charm. I'm sure there are other great places to eat in New Castle, but eating at Jessop's Tavern is a special place to grab a meal if you're spending the day exploring New Castle and learning about its history.

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    Jessop's Tavern - The bar

    The bar

    Jessop's Tavern - Fish & Chips

    Fish & Chips

    Jessop's Tavern - Sign outside

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    Sign outside

    Nora Lee's - cajun - Updated May 2026

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