While visiting New Orleans and looking for a place with great food, attentive service, and a quick turnaround, this is definitely a place to visit! We had Boris as our server, and he stood out from the very beginning. He was not only pleasant and attentive, but also extremely knowledgeable and made excellent recommendations. What really impressed us was that he took our very specific order without a pen or paper--he memorized everything perfectly! The food came out quickly, and the entire staff worked together seamlessly. It was truly a great dining experience from start to finish. And the desserts were to die for! I highly recommend trying the gumbo, shrimp platter, bread pudding, and chocolate mousse. Everything was delicious. The only downside is the parking. Street parking is available, as well as paid parking options, but it can be a little challenging. Overall, a wonderful experience with great food, excellent service, and a fantastic team. Highly recommended! read more

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Stumbled upon Zesty Creole while visiting New Orleans. It was a highly recommended restaurant and thankfully it wasn't too far from our hotel. Service was great. The restaurant is not huge but has plenty seating for any party. When we came in, we thankfully had no issue being sat and was immediately served. The restaurant definitely gets busy but the service moved quickly. Food was great! We ordered the trio and another dish. Food came out quick and fresh! read more

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Stepped in for a quick appetizer and dessert while on a girls trip in October 2026. Opted for the fried green tomatoes, and of course, the beignets. Both were lovely! Fried green tomatoes had a very nice thickness to the cut a good breading that was not too thick and not to thin- stayed well adhered to the tomato. They arrived piping hot, but ever so delicious. The beignets were light and fluffy also piping hot and fresh made to order. I am not a beignet connoisseur by any means however I prefer them light and fluffy versus dense and heavy. These were very good and I certainly got back to get more. The atmosphere is simple, casual. We were able to be seated immediately. This was less busy than some of the other restaurants, but certainly good. Service was exactly what I needed-not over the top and not too little. read more

Zesty Creole - Fried green tomatoes - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Cozy casual spot. Overall good food and service. The appetizer platter had some great crispy fried green tomatoes, alligator bites and boudin balls. The jambalaya had al dente rice, flavorful sausage, and lots of chicken and shrimp. Overall it was a tasty well seasoned dish. The bread pudding we were told is house made. It was really delicious, sweet, sticky, gooey, and bready. read more

Zesty Creole - Jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I decided to try Zesty creole for lunch and I had the following items: lemon drop (5/5; sweet balanced satisfying), beignets (5.5/5; omg these were amazing. Clearly fresh; they came out hot w plenty of powdered sugar and a few blueberries. They were sooo good. Not overly sweet. Both crispy and pillowy. Wow. Highly recommend. They might be better than cafe du monde). Creole étouffée (5/5; really good and generous portion. Full of shrimp and crawfish. Very satisfying roux. Could have been a bit spicier but I love spice. And you must eat this with the biscuit!! I made the mistake of not doing this til the end ). Overall, a great experience. This place has more of a cafe vibe which I liked, and the music is impeccable! The service was quite good; Everyone was attentive and friendly. Give this place a try! read more

Zesty Creole - Creole étouffée - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Vacationing to New Orleans and was on Canal Street. Had a taste for fried green tomatoes. We ended up feasting on a little bit of everything it seemed. We tried the shrimp and grits, the trio, catfish Poboy and the Caesar salad was to die for. Food was tasty. read more

Fried green tomatoes were really good with sauce. Gator sausage was a little mild spicy and tough. Very large portions. Would have preferred cheaper prices and less food. We had a larger group but the waiter did separate the tickets. Service was good. No real complaints, but would prefer to go somewhere else and try something new. All po boys are fried and al a cart. read more

Zesty Creole - Fried green tomatoes - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Seated fast, nice ambiance, great service. The sampler of red beans, jambalaya, and étouffée was absolutely delicious and filling. Chocolate mousse cake was surprisingly amazing. Definitely one of the top spots though it seems a bit unassuming. read more

Zesty Creole - Sampler - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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The service was very prompt, and the food was absolutely delicious! We ordered the Taste of NOLA, the gator po'boy, the appetizer sampler platter, and the crawfish ettouffe. All of it was delicious and some of the best food we've had in the area. I haven't seen anyone mention their banana foster cheesecake, but it is to DIE FOR! It is well worth going just for the cheesecake! read more

Zesty Creole - Appetizer sampler plate and gator po'boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I was in NOLA for Essence Festival and wanted authentic food and saw this restaurant had strong reviews. They weren't wrong! My shrimp po boy was so good and the bar tender was also very friendly. The po boy was so good, I decided to order alligator bites to go for a snack later. The bites weren't as good but I would definitely recommend trying out this spot! The restaurant was pretty full during the afternoon so I just sat at the bar. It was a nice experience. read more

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True rating: 4.5 The gumbo was great, given it was my first time having it. The gator bites were a curveball and surely exceeded my expectations. Docked for: Service was slow (for me). No true attention to customers. Sitting for over 20 minutes and no order taken. read more

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I ordered the beans and rice and it came with pieces of sausage and a biscuit which was a traditional New Orleans dish and it was a solid dish. Good and flavorful. No complaints at all! read more

Zesty Creole - Rice and beans with biscuit. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Listen, this place was so good, we ate here twice. The first time I had the shrimp and grits. The next visit I had catfish and grits. Both were a 10/10 I definitely recommend. It's a nice atmosphere on the inside. The biscuit was really good too. On our second visit the waitress spilled a glass of water on someone in our party. She immediately apologized and said she had put in for a free dessert and it would be out soon. Just before taking our plates, she asked if we wanted dessert and we said no, because we were full. If I would have ordered a dessert it would have been their bread pudding. I told her the meal if the person needs to be compensated. She said she put in for a free dessert. I stated her meal needed to be compensated to which she finally said ok but would have to rate the dessert off. That was fine because we had no idea what dessert she was bringing. She compensated the meal and all was well. I will definitely return. read more

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The service was pretty good, the wait staff are attentive & helpful. The place looked clean and i liked the art work on the walls. Food wise the water tasted a bit funny and so did my sweet tea but my options for self were limited, my friends enjoyed their drinks. Now I only did the appetizer of red beans and rice since I don't eat seafood but it was alright. My friends felt there food was on the salty side. I would suggest trying them for yourself & seeing how you feel. I wouldn't mind trying there breakfast menu. read more

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We sat at the bar and the service was great. Food came out within 10mins I had the shrimp creole and the man had the blackened alligator. I was not impressed w the hubs "blackened alligator" as it doesn't say this is a sausage on the menu and it's a blackened alligator sausage. Yuck. He was fine with it but he also hadn't ever had it. My shrimp creole was good but the shrimp were fairly small and didn't seem fresh. Of all the places around to have these dishes, this isn't a place we would return. read more

It's located right in the tourist trap section but has great reviews. Gumbo was terrific Biscuit was superb Jambalaya was good (not great) Etouffee was weak and flavorless The waitstaff was nice but it's not a place I will repeat. read more

Zesty Creole - Hurricane - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Amazing food! What a chill atmosphere! Service was spot on. I did taste of NOLA. So much food but SO goood. Sone the the gumbo and loved it. Went here off of Yelp reviews. That's Yelp! Always the next! read more

One of the best places we ate at during our trip! The service was amazing -- all 3 servers we had were super friendly and attentive. We ordered the shrimp and grits and the étouffée, and both were sooo good. Honestly 10/10. Everything was full of flavor and absolutely hit the spot. Definitely one of our favorite meals from the trip and a place I'd totally come back to! read more

Zesty Creole - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I started with an order of Beignets, delicious and pillowy soft. Followed up with the Shrimp and Grits. Very tasty shrimp served with creamy grits (forgot photo). This is a must for breakfast read more

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Have you ever gotten a food coma 20 min into your meal?! Yeah, the crab cakes and gumbo (not pictured) had me so stuffed. I was expecting tiny appetizer portions but they were not playing around here. Gumbo: A cup full of gumbo gave me a warm welcome to NoLa. This hearty stew has various protein: chicken, shrimp, and sausage! You can't forget the holy trinity too.. onion, celery, and bell peppers. Each spoonful was a delicious surprise. Crab cakes: These were my absolute FAV. Not greasy or too bread-y. The crab and breading made the perfect pair and the remoulade reminded me of a fancier version of In N Out animal style sauce. Don't get me started on the green tomatoes! Apparently they are more acidic than red tomatoes but I couldn't tell due to the fried breading and rich remoulade. read more

Zesty Creole - crab cakes with fried green tomatoes - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Diner like atmosphere. A lot of options from breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was in a rush to eat, I was going to get take out but my food came out quickly. I ordered a cup of coffee & eggs sandwich. All very tasty. Excellent customer service! read more

Zesty Creole - Menu - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

We were only in New Orleans for a short time but wanted to try a little bit of the things this city is known for in terms of food. So when I saw this place had a sampler plate for jambalaya and gumbo and red beans and rice I knew I had to try it. All of the food we got was really tasty and within walking distance of our hotel. The biscuit is homemade which I thought was a great touch!while we didn't try any desserts, our waitress also informed us the banana pudding is also made in house. Our server was super kind and had some great recommendations. Would highly recommend people come here to get all the classic Cajun/Creole foods. Plus no reservations required! read more

On a rainy night, not in Georgia, but in New Orleans, Louisiana, I was going to a private party in the French Quarter where I knew that I wouldn't be able to eat much of the wonderful food because I am gluten intolerant. I was hungry and had interacted before I went to New Orleans with a person connected to the Zesty Creole. This restaurant got good reviews, but I was a little skeptical because it was on Canal which generally caterers more to tourists. I sat at the bar and had a wonderful conversation. A gentleman who came in next to me told me he had eaten at this restaurant five consecutive nights. That was rather intense, but we shared a conversation about music and I ordered one of my favorite dishes in New Orleans, which is gluten-free: SHRIMP + GRITS cheese grits topped with grilled shrimp and creole sauce, but without the fresh buttermilk biscuit. I was apprehensive because I've always had the cheesy type grits and these came with the wonderful grilled shrimp resting comfortably atop a pillow of grits rimmed by a zesty marinara sauce. I really don't know how comfortably the shrimp were resting, but I was surprised at each bite by the zesty sauce combined with the grits. This was very tasty as each bite was somehow unexpected. One would think after eating half of this very large bowl that I would get used to this style of prep for the grits but my taste buds were startled at each bite, touched for the very first time by this combination of flavors. Startled or not by this flavor mashup, I enjoyed it and finished my bowl clean even without the buttermilk biscuit that I couldn't eat. My meal was Creole and zesty, so well done Zesty Creole. read more

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Honestly this place was exactly what we needed to get a taste of New Orleans. It was so good. Gives diner vibes so it's pretty causal but they are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My favorite was the red bean gumbo. It had the most flavor although the jambalaya was not bad. The food was scorching so make sure to let it cool before chowing down. I also loved the fried green tomato. Who would have known that something like that would be so good. The sauce on the side was also good with everything. Service was ok. I wasn't impressed necessarily but it wasn't bad. We came a second time to get beignets and they were ok. Kinda small and double the price compared to cafe du monde. read more

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So much food we had to ask for take out containers. Our server was excellent. She knew we needed lots of water for the creole items we ordered and continuously refilled our cups. Such a popular place glad we got a table right away. There was a nice mural on the left wall and pretty light fixtures on the right side. read more

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The food was great, well seasoned. The service was amazing. The restaurant was cool and clean. I would recommend going there if in the area. read more

Zesty Creole - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Was super disappointed by the food here. I saw so many reviews about the shrimp and grits and decided to check it out for myself and I was pretty taken back once trying. The marinara sauce on the perimeter was very odd and flavorless and in my opinion ruined the dish. The jambalaya was decent and had some flavor that did not totally disappoint. read more

Zesty Creole - Jambalaya - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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This was our first time in NOLA and we were on day one just walking around and we were hungry!!! We couldn't think straight and just walked into zesty! We saw the menu they have posted on the window and were like crab cake eggs Benedict? Bet we're coming in here. I was surprised how fast we go sat down because how busy it was! Our waitress was sweet we didn't talk to her much though she was really busy so we just went with whatever called out to us the most on the menu. The only thing annoying was the people sitting behind us they sat there with finished plates and kept YAPPPPPINGGGGG gahhh it was so annoying. But other than that pretty good. read more

Zesty Creole - Crab cake eggs Benedict - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Wanna try Creole food, so we started here. Good reviews! Not disappointed to be here. Food is good here. I tried taste of NOLA, which is famous dish of the south. Gator bite is another one that we like. The services were nice and fast. Modern full bar as well. Good experience here. read more

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Hey friends! Short review here. The restaurant smelled like old mop water. The jambalaya tasted like Zatarans from a box. It lacked flavor and the meats did not taste fresh. I left feeling nauseous. I'm surprised this place got a Yelp reward. Customer service was okay. read more

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I had the Shrimp Creole. It was good. It came with a biscuit that all seems to rave about. The biscuit tasted like the ones they serve at Popeyes. I like theirs so this one was good too, just not amazing. Service was nonchalant and the smell in this place was off putting like a wet mop/musty smell but I was hungry. In a pinch i would revisit and try some other options, but it's not somewhere I would go out of my way to return to. read more

Zesty Creole - Shrimp Creole - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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The Highlights Taste of NOLA: If you're indecisive like me or just want the full experience, get this. It's a great sampler of jambalaya, red beans and rice, and gumbo. Shrimp and Grits: Definitely lives up to the hype. Wasn't too greasy or grainy and paired really well with the tomato-like sauce lining the bottom of the plate. Gumbo: It wasn't over-salted like many tourist spots. It was packed with a generous amount of meat and deep, developed flavor. Will definitely be back! read more

Zesty Creole - Shrimp and grits - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Everything was so good we might be back tomorrow! Pretty busy for dinner but lots of seating, so we were seated right away. Amazing service and our food came out only a couple minutes after ordering! Would recommend everything we ordered: - Taste of NOLA: great tasting menu of jambalaya, beans, and gumbo. Really liked the fried green tomato and biscuit that came with it! Really filling, big fan. - Shrimp and grits: saw lots of good reviews and for good reason. Not too greasy like other grits I've tried, and really touches your soul. - Gumbo: generous amounts of meats in the gumbo, and isn't too salty like other spots. Enjoyed this a lot. Will definitely be back if I come to New Orleans again! read more

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BL: shrimp creole must try. (I don't give 5 stars often) Place isn't ideal for large groups, lots of small tables, perfect for 2 and a few larger tables. Staff is friendly and prompt! The shrimp creole though... Wow! I haven't had something this tasty in a while - shrimp was good size, grilled to a little char and flavorful. The creole (never had before) is tomato based, saucey with a small kick and paired well with the rice and I used the biscuit to wipe the plate clean! Friend had gumbo and she said it was good. I tasted a small spoonful and thought it was good but I was too preoccupied with my dish. read more

Zesty Creole - Shrimp creole (Gumbo in the back) - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I didn't think anything of this restaurant when I walked by it (close to our hotel, non-descript from the exterior) but when I researched into the best jambalaya...Zesty Creole came up! So we decided to give it a try. We only had 30 minutes before our tour, but the food came out quick! The seafood jambalaya was well-seasoned (but not enough sausage, shrimp, and chicken) and the accompanying biscuit was perfectly buttery flaky goodness. The biscuits and gravy was flavorfully delicious (make sure to ask for sausage and extra gravy). Used a combination of Tabasco and Crystal hot sauce which is already on every table. The service was a little slow and very curt but the restaurant was full at 11:45am on a Thursday. Lively atmosphere. 2 big screen TVs. And a full bar with ample seating. I was torn between giving this place 3 or 4 stars, but at the end of the day, I'm always looking for amazing service. read more

This is a great restaurant for hearty creole food. I walked in around 5:30pm on a Saturday without a reservation and was able to get seated right away. The inside is very casual and there's big TVs playing sports on. Our waiter was friendly and gave us recommendations on what to order. The crawfish étouffée was a standout entree. It had great flavor and lots of big, juicy pieces of crawfish tail. The taste of NOLA was perfect for getting to try a bit of all the popular creole dishes. The red beans and jambalaya were comforting with just a slight kick. I also loved the fried green tomatoes. The gumbo was just ok, in my opinion, and could have benefited from a bit more spice. read more

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Vintage creole comfort food in a cozy, friendly location. We had the jambalaya along with the shrimp and grits. Totally to-die-for, perfectly spiced and tasty. We arrived at 6:15 to an empty restaurant and it was jack-packed by 7:00 on a Tuesday night. ENJOY! read more

Zesty Creole - Zesty Creole dining room. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Zesty Creole is a nice place to have a quick bite along Canal Street. I ordered the shrimp and grits, which came with a biscuit as well, the biscuit was relatively fresh, and the grits were decent once you mixed in the some of the spicy creole sauce. The shrimp were absolutely delicious and gave them a 5 star in my boat; grilled to perfection with a hint of garlic, I could eat a whole plate of them. Definitely recommend stopping by as they have a very diverse menu. read more

Zesty Creole - Biscuit - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Wanted some good Cajun food and this place didn't disappoint at all. I'm not a huge fan of fried green tomatoes but this was outstanding and very memorable. Got the appetizer sampler and the Nola sampler and both were great. There's not one thing I can even gripe about because it was all outstanding and our service was outstanding because the waitress was very kind and on very efficient read more

Zesty Creole - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This place was amazing! Hands down probably the best meal we had on our trip. The service was top notch even though they were busy. read more

Zesty Creole - Shrimp and Grits and Pork Chop - Cajun/Creole Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana