From the moment my cousin and I walked in, I felt at home at Nora Lee's. Their New Orleans/Spooky aesthetic is right up my alley. We were immediately seated, and that's when we were introduced to our server, Patty. Patty is AMAZING. Not only is she gorgeous, but she took GREAT care of my cousin and I. I've only been to Nora Lee's once a long time ago, as I'm from out of state, so Patty had some great recommendations for me. I settled on the Filet Tips & Tortellini which is a dinner special, and HOLY COW was I NOT disappointed!!! It was truly one of the best meals I've had. Since we came pretty late, Patty didn't have a lot of tables, so she was able to chat with us here and there, and that made our experience even better. She also made sure our drinks never hit half way, which was a definite plus. I wish I was local, because if I was, I'd definitely become a regular here, even if it was just to grab a drink at the bar. Thank you Patty, for a wonderful experience!!! read more

Nora Lee's - Dinner Special: Tortellini with Filet Tips! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

Service horrible over priced food rude staff....Food safety issues.... Went to a large dinner party that had a buffett ...food was cold staff MIA They did not keep the food warm did not replenish anything and provide zero table service for drinks ...not sure how they stay in business.. Would not recommend for dinner or an event read more

Talk about pleasantly surprised!! My boyfriend really wanted to try this restaurant as he loves cajun food (though it's not my taste). I thought we'd still give it a try. First- the bread they brought to the table was different and good. The butter didn't have a whole lot of flavor but it was different than any other kind of complementary bread I've been served. I thought it was yummy! The service was great- 10/10. Our waitress was super sweet & very quick with anything we needed My boyfriend got the gumbo, crawfish bisque, and the bananas fosters (which was enough for 2 people, at LEAST!) I got the southern fried crab cakes- 10/10. Hush puppies were great, mashed potato's were great, and the crab cakes as big as they were believe it or not, mostly filled with meat!! Only reason I didn't give it 5 starts is because my drink was great. Key lime martini with Rumchata in it isn't a good mix and it curdled. Other than that, I will be returning!! read more

Nora Lee's - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

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. read more

Nora Lee's - Blackened chicken with mashed potato and hush puppies. Took it half way through eating. Very good! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

Not bad but not good. Everything was sweet, not spicy. It wasn't New Orleans. Something different. Fine but not great. Beer was cold and staff was friendly read more

This place has really gone downhill. The food and service were both terrible. The dishes had no flavor, and the jambalaya was completely wrong -- it came out looking like soup. We had to send it back twice for the same issue, and the server tried to excuse it by saying they were busy. Unfortunately, we won't be coming back. read more

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. read more

Nora Lee's - Crab and artichoke dip - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

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! read more

Nora Lee's - Caesar salad with grilled shrimp. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

See all

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. read more

Nora Lee's - Outside - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

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. read more

See all

12/13/2025 we ordered lunch. We had the worst Crab Cake Sandwich (more like a terrible fish cake), even worst Poy Boy Shrimp with more onions than Shrimp, lousy homemade Potato Chips, and mushy so-called Sweet Potato fries that did not taste like Sweet Potatoes. Will never go back. Just a waste of time and money. read more

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. read more

Nora Lee's - Shrimp Jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

See all

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! read more

See all

I enjoy it here! It's clean, the people are nice and if you live in Old New Castle or by there~~you might see your neighbor there! T's pleasant there! The food is really good! read more

This was my favorite place for Jambalaya, but last night the jambalaya was so bland and a bone was in my chicken jambalaya. Service was slow....bread was burnt...kinda disappointed since when I was here a few months back, everything was on point. read more

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. read more

Nora Lee's - Blackened crabcake with chips - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

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. read more

Nora Lee's - Cajun shrimp and grits - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

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! read more

See all

Reading reviews and completely disagree with some of the comments - my experience has always been fantastic. I love the atmosphere: the decor is unique and feels almost like a speak easy. Service has always been wonderful- the food is AMAZING! If anything- the one area for improvement is on drinks but we will always keep this in our rotation for restaurants we love to come to. read more

My wife and I were looking for a "different" type of restaurant and we found it in a delicious way at Nora Lee's. The Country Jambalaya was excellent along with the Cajun Cheesesteak (blackened steak). The latter was served with homemade chips. Additionally, the service was good and the ambiance was relaxing and quiet. read more

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

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. read more

See all

Friendly service, unique flavors and comforting dishes, and a fun/eclectic ambiance that makes you feel like you've been transported to the French Quarter. Nora Lees is hidden gem in the heart of Old New Castle. Looking forward to going again and exploring the menu more. Although, it will be hard to try something new because I'm in love with the Hazelnut Crusted Crab cakes. read more

See all

If you're looking for an atmospheric place to grab some drinks, Nora Lee's is in a really cozy, historic feeling space, with a sort of cliché touristy-French-Quarter bar motif that I found enjoyable. Sitting down for a meal however, was not quite as positive an experience. While the service was pretty good and the staff was friendly, I found the food almost entirely disappointing. The experience left me pining for my days in NOLA. We started off with gumbo and the crawfish bisque. The gumbo was just fine, but it was lacking any substance. It was more like soup with rice and a little heat, rather than a hearty stew. There was quite a lot more liquid than there should be. I did really enjoy the crawfish bisque though. It had a nice flavor with a kick and a generous amount of crawfish. It was a little loose for a bisque, but since I don't personally enjoy the viscosity of a true bisque, it worked for me! Next, my friend and I ordered hush puppies and the Cajun pierogis for our appetizers. The hush puppies were very hard, though I still enjoyed them - especially dunked in the remoulade it came with. The Cajun pierogis however... to be honest I found that to be an odd menu choice. But my friend wanted to try it, so try it we did! And it was, odd. They tasted and looked like the pierogis you buy in the frozen section at the supermarket, prepared with an excessive amount of Cajun spice. Literal clumps of spice everywhere, which was quite unpleasant to bite into. As for our meals, I ordered the fried oysters, which I did really enjoy. The fried oysters were fried well, no sog, and the remoulade went nicely with that, too. The BBQ chicken po' boy my friend ordered however, was especially disappointing. When you go to a NOLA inspired restaurant, there's a few menu items you expect to be done really well. Gumbo for example, jambalaya, and definitely the po' boys. It fell short though, with no discernible flavor that really stood out. The bread to filling ratio was very off as well, favoring the bread. My friend barely touched her sandwich, and ended up just picking on the insides a bit, as there wasn't much else she found enjoyable. Though the homemade chips that came with the sandwich were nice, at least! The desserts might have been the most disappointing of all. I ordered the bananas foster, and it wasn't cooked...? It was raw bananas chopped in pretty big chunks, over ice cream, with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top. I asked the waitress why they don't cook the bananas, and she said "that's just our special way of doing it here." The literal definition of bananas foster is: "bananas COOKED in butter and [usually brown] sugar, then alcohol is added and ignited. The bananas and sauce are then served over ice cream." Not only is bananas foster cooked, but it's flambéed afterwards. You can basically say it's cooked twice, even. And you throw raw bananas on top of ice cream and call it "special?" While the service was pretty friendly, this honestly felt like an insult to my intelligence. There was nothing special or creative about this, it was lazy. Call it a banana sundae with caramel sauce, because that's what it actually was. Don't mislead your customers. My friends S'mores pie was also pretty bad. She could barely eat it or get a spoon / fork into it. She ended up just picking some of the marshmallow off because that's the only thing that wasn't hard enough to crack her teeth. Maybe it's a frozen s'mores pie that they throw marshmallows on top of, and maybe it didn't thaw out enough. But between her inedible pie and my chopped bananas a la mode, there was no apology or attempt at reconciliation which is what I think bothered me most of all. While I am a bit frustrated with how the experience ended, I hope this review can be taken constructively, because that is how it's intended. I liked the staff, the space, and the bar, and according to my friend the food used to be good years ago. I will gladly frequent if things should change! read more

Nora Lee's - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

Went here for my birthday celebration on December 16 with my family and friends. We were a group of 10. My husband and I ordered the fried catfish. It was ROCK hard and had no flavor. They took cooking the fish hard to the NEXT level. It was horrible. The vegan taco chips were too hot.My family that had the blackened catfish was disappointed too. It was burnt. The family members that ordered the salmon said it was ok. Im not sure if we will return. Disappointed in Deleware!! read more

What a wonderful place!! The drinks are top notch, the service is very attentive and fun! And the FOOD!!!!!! I had the andouille meatloaf and it was off the charts!! So juicy, and with a nice kick to it!!! Some of the best mashed potatoes I've ever had, and tremendous sauce for the hush puppies!!!! Can't wait to go back! read more

Nora Lee's - Andouille Meatloaf, hush puppies, garlic mashed potatoes - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

See all

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

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.

1) All dishes either lacked flavor, were cold, or tasted, quite simply, bad. The crab dip was cold and I was concerned about food safety. The jambalaya tasted bizarre, and the chicken was chewy chunks. My party of 3 all agreed that the food was mediocre at best, and we left without taking more than 1-2 bites. 2) The service was generally poor. One of my friend's dishes was forgotten, and it took another 10-12 minutes for them to bring it out while we waited. When we discussed the food not tasting very good, the manager indicated, "this is how Cajun food tastes and how we do it here" and "this is your own opinion that the food tastes bad." There was no effort to reconcile or work with our party. Mind you, the restaurant was also empty. 3) Nora Lees is a cool and fun building, with a nice location in old new castle. Despite this strength, the quality of the food and service was so poor that we will not be returning. read more

Stopped in because the other place down the street was busy. The staff was friendly but you can tell they're very disorganized. Too many hands behind the bar, the coconut shrimp breading almost had a dough consistency. The kitchen must not be very well ventilated because you could see a smoke haze through the Resturant. The ambiance and decor looks dated. Pretty disappointing experience overall. read more

We love Nora Lees! They have great drinks and great Cajun food ! Also the waitstaff is awesome ! Patty is lovely , whether she's waiting on you at a table or serving drinks at the bar! She is always so sweet and in an amazing mood ! 5 stars for Patty ! read more

Not looking to travel to Bourbon Street? No need to with Nora Lees. Excellent Cajun cuisine with a friendly staff, charming cozy atmosphere make Nora Lees a great place to enjoy a taste of Cajun food without traveling. Fair prices make them a nice affordable option as well. From the jambalaya to the po boys to the chicken nachos everything is worth coming back for. read more

Horrible. Took the waitress 20 maybe 25 mins to take our order, took about 45 mins maybe an hour to get it. When we asked her how much longer our food was going to take, because at this point I, not my dad didn't want our food. She went to check, she came back and said "it's coming up right now, do you want me to box it up for you. If i wanted it to go, I would have ordered it to go. Got our food. Wasn't very good. Mine was luke warm, sent it back. Did t want anything to eat anymore. I ended up leaving. Then they STILL charged my sister a $37 gratuity. I DID NOT EAT or drink anything (I had water, that was tap by the way) that was my first and last time coming here. read more

Finally got to dine in here after trying takeout years ago. Dining in was a great experience. My husband and I came in for a weekday lunch. We were the only table and they gave us a cozy corner to sit in - which felt great on a windy day. We started with a bowl of crawfish bisque to share. My husband ordered a key lime pie martini and I had a mojito. Both of the drinks were tasty! My mojito was so smooth. For our lunches, my husband had jambalaya and I had the buffalo crawfish po'boy. We also each ordered one more drink, my husband a hurricane slushee and me a purple zydeco slushee. I loved both of these - the purple one is really unique! I'm glad we had the second drinks and that we chose slushees. My po'boy was huge. To the point that I couldn't pick it up, close it and take a real bite! Lol. I just kind of ate the buffalo crawfish off the top with a fork and asked for a side of the blue cheese that comes on it for me to dip into. It came with house chips and I dipped those in the blue cheese too! Their house blue cheese is really good. I will say, though I loved my crawfish, I enjoyed my husbands jambalaya more. That said, the chicken was very tough in it, though flavorful. A few pieces were too tough to actually completely chew and swallow. We'll definitely return someday! read more

See all

My new favorite cajun restaurant in Historic New Castle DE! They have a cajun cheesesteak on their lunch menu. I love Historic New Castle, Nora Lees, the two Crawfish appetizers we got, my liscio's roll and the blackened meat. The cheesesteak maybe had too much cheese or needed meat to be chopped so cheese had more surface area to clinch to. We will be back for the Tuna cheesesteak. read more

See all

Came here with a large party for a birthday dinner. Our party was seated in the backroom where the HVAC was definitely not working properly. Upon arrival, it was blazing hot but thankfully one of the staff turned on the AC, which then turned it too cold for some of the guests in our party. There was no middle ground for the temperature, at least in the backroom. The staff was very attentive and patient as we ordered appetizers, drinks and entrees sporadically due to the different arrival times of our party. I ordered the Blackened Chicken, which came with mashed potatoes and hush puppies. The dish was very flavorful and reminiscent of New Orleans flavor. My wife got the crab cakes, which were absolutely huge. They were a little pricey ($40), but one of the better crab cakes we've had in the Delaware, Maryland and Virginia area. Being originally from Philly, the area reminded me of Old City except with less traffic and more parking. read more

Some fine New Orleans/south Louisiana food. Jambalaya and gumbo are my favorites. Also, cool atmosphere. read more

Nice enough spot but service staff not very attentive with a limited drink menu and if you're looking for authentic New Orleans Fare, keep looking. Blackened, yes but not New Orleans. read more

Not giving 5 stars because all we had were a few beers and burgers and reserve the last star for a full experience. However, it was great. First restaurant meal since pandemic started. We chose to sit outside which was comfortable and shaded on an extremely hot day. Beer and water were cold, service was great and the burger was excellent. read more

Nora Lee's - Outdoor seating under a personal gazebo - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Castle, Delaware

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