French Market Grille

Such an original place. New Orleans and Jazz vibe with a great Po Boy. Had the cajun catfish and they offer augusta’s local beers.

French Market Grille is a real local treasure. It is one of the «mother ship» places to go if you visit our area and it is a repeatedly enjoyed favorite of most locals. Nobody I send ever gives me anything but rave reviews. There is something there for every taste and style. The big-​time favorites are going to be the gumbo and the stuffed trout. But, try other things on the menu. Their steak items and all the seafood dishes are especially good. Deserts are also very good.

The only good thing about this dining experience was our server. Although not very attentive, she was pleasant. The menu was misleading and the food was a huge disappointment! We ordered crawfish for an appetizer, they were mediocre. The biggest let down was our entrees. I ordered the crab a la Charles and it was a nasty flat crab cake with a side of over cooked rice. My boyfriend ordered the shrimp and grits and it was just that. Plain and simple, no flavor, no nothing! At first I thought our expectations were too high then again with a name like French market grille ya might expect it to be better than a trip to Long John Silver. We paid for our meal and jolted out of the door.

I came in for Happy Hour, so I cannot speak to the food in this review. It was mid-​week, and as a fan of Surrey Centre, I heard FMG had a decent happy hour. If I recall correctly, it was B1G1 on well drinks (and possibly house wines?) and discounted beer specials. The environment was okay, but I think I waited around 30 minutes after my last round to see anyone to ask for my check. Granted, I had nowhere to be, but… I *was* the only one at the bar. I did not see how busy the dining area was (as I was on the far side of the bar), so perhaps the staff was pulling double-​duty? In the grand scheme, it was a minor hiccup, but a hiccup nonetheless. I am curious to see how their menu is (as I once ate at their other location a long time ago), and I do not think this experience will keep me from returning in order to try some vittles.

I use to love this place when I use to live in Augusta. I came in today with my husband after not eating here in two years and the food was awful! I ordered the crawfish pie and It tasted frozen and mushy & then I ordered the shrimp po boy and the shrimps were not seasoned and were bland. My husband ordered the crawfish etoufee and he said it tasted old and it was like someone just put hot sauce on the top. We won’t be coming back!

Absolutely Delicious! Excellent service, Highly recommended! We had a party of12 and EVERYONE was pleased with there meals.

Great food. I was a little hesitant because the reviews are less than stellar but glad we went! Crab cake to start was delicious and the seafood crepes and honey pecan chicken were amazing. My mouth is watering thinking about it! We sat in the bar area and had a very nice and helpful waitress. It was happy hour and it was buy one, get one free wine! We split bread pudding for dessert that was underwhelming after all the other yummy food.

Took my g/​f here for her birthday. My impression (based on reviews and pricing) was that this was a more… upscale restaurant. We dressed it up a bit. Turns out, anything goes! I saw a range of «just out of the auto-​shop» to full on suit and tie. Most were khakis and a button up. The atmosphere was kitchy New Orleans. I liked it.
The food was really good. I have read a few reviews complaining that the food is «not fresh» or «nothing to write home about», but personally I feel it met my expectations. We had a variation of foods and they were all delicious. Maybe the crab didn’t walk itself on to the plate before we devoured it, but my taste buds had no idea.
The real high point of this place is the service. Our waiter, Desmond, was incredibly friendly, professional, knowledgeable of the menu, and attentive. People in the customer service industry should all take lessons from this guy. Absolutely amazing. High five, Desmond.
Give it a try. Maybe you’ll think it’s awesome, maybe it’ll impress your date. Maybe you’ll get Desmond and have your bar for customer service raised to unattainable expectation levels, ruining any other restaurant experience for you for the rest of your life.

My one star is not meant as a critique of the atmosphere or staff as they were both friendly, warm, and inviting. The restaurant is clean, service is prompt and it does seem to be a popular place to go eat.
All that aside, the reason I rate this place a single star is based on food quality and price. I’ve been to a few creole/​Cajun restaurants in Chicago and some in Louisiana, as well as fresh seafood restaurants along the east and west coasts, so I have a good idea of what Cajun food tastes like as well as fresh sea food. Unfortunately this place ranks as only average in Cajun/​creole and a poor in terms of freshness. My wife, kids, and I all ordered separate menu items all containing shrimp and it seemed to have been bought frozen and precooked. When you can go across the street to the grocery store, and buy a pound of fresh uncooked shrimp for 18 $ why do you charge 17 $ for an entrée where you use less than ¼lb of precooked previously frozen shrimp.
My wife and I are lamenting the fact that although we are living in the south, and not too far from the ocean, there is not a single restaurant in town that can compare in food quality and taste to what I can buy and prepare myself from Publix.
My family definitely enjoys eating out but, sadly, this will not become a place we plan to frequent.
…also Mexican restaurants… why is Chili’s the only decent place to get chips and salsa in the whole town?! What is going on Augusta!?!

Not impressed. Too expensive. Came for our anniversary and we’re just going to go to Taco Bell afterwards. We paid $ 40 for an appetizer and a shared meal. What we got, we were expecting something totally different hence why we shared it. Will not be returning. Our waitress wasn’t very friendly but we understand she was busy as well. We will still not be returning. Expensive food doesn’t mean it’s worth it. Don’t bother with this place. It’s expensive and you don’t get what you pay for!

I can’t believe they can get away with charging such high prices for terrible food in general let alone calling their food Cajun & Creole. I have had several bad to mediocre meals here thinking it has to have its good reviews because of something. However I have realized that people here in Augusta we so desperate for truly good fine dinning that they have convinced themselves that the food is acceptable just because of the high price tag.
Please save your money and look elsewhere. I have had some good meals at a few fine dinning places here in Augusta and also some mom and pop home cooking little shops. Please please realize that high prices do not equal good food. To me this restaurant feels like I am at a cheap car dealership trying to pass off a piece of junk as a limited addition release.

I really enjoy the French Market Grille. I couldn’t say their food is the best in the world, but I can say it is consistent and the service is friendly. I had the combination platter with red beans and rice, seafood gumbo, and jambalaya. I highly recommend going on a Saturday and getting the shrimp and grits. Get the grilled shrimp if you like that style. The cheese grits are so tasty.

The French Market Grille was the perfect choice for spending my 27^th Birthday Dinner! Our waitress was amazing. I had the oysters Rockefeller for an appetizer then the tenderloin for my meal! Everyone enjoyed their selections as well! Absolute perfection.

Amazing! What culinary delight. Certainly wasn’t expecting the intensive flavorful Cajun delights in Augusta. So far from the French quarter.
I stArted with rich flavorful gumbo and a side of hot crusty bread dippable in the rich brown roux. Followed by a crisp salad with tart tomatoes and mild blue cheese crumbles and basalmic dressing on the side
The main course did not disappoint Spicy BBQ shrimp. Butter garlic creole seasoning and cayenne. The Kris Pinot Grigio was paired perfect

Really good food! I have come here twice– once for jambalaya and once for red beans and rice. Both times have been during lunch and both meals were part of their lunch special: meal, salad (get the avocado dressing!), french bread, and a tea/​soda. This place has been recommended to me by many locals so it seems to be a popular spot. Looking forward to frequenting this place more often!

New Orleans, Bourbon Street. It’s not a place easily forgotten. This is the ONLY place that makes me FEEL like I’m there. Chuck runs a high quality operation with authentic Louisiana cuisine the Crab Chop, Gumbo, Chicken on Spinach, and fresh bread they serve to every table are all on point. Honestly there isn’t anything on the menu I’ve tried that hasn’t been A+ and high quality. All these years… no scrimping on quality nor quantity. The atmosphere and food all roar NO. Please do yourself a favor and check it out it you haven’t already. This main location packs something that the West location cannot compete with at all. Come to this original location for the full monty.

Tried it out while in Augusta for the Masters. Got to say it was not worth the hype. Menu limited and overpriced for what we got. Décor was garishly New Orleans, not «authentic» NOLA. And be very careful if you are allergic to shellfish — the smell of crawfish was overwhelming.
However, on a positive note, the Happy Hour prices were good. I’d say just go get a beer & go somewhere else for dinner.

I just don’t see what all the fuss is about. Having two locations lends an air of confidence and a packed dining room is good to see but perhaps it’s really location that makes this place popular because the food was just so-​so.
Our service was outstanding and our server was warm and hospitable without being fake. The homemade salad dressings were a swing and a miss, the crab cakes were mostly breadcrumbs and the po boy was very plain, while their jambalaya left me searching for black pepper and spices I wish I had in my purse. No amount of Tabasco could have saved this dish.
I’ve had better in chain restaurants.

It was a fine dinner. The wait staff were very attentive but not over-​bearing. We went New Years Eve at 7:15pm and never felt pressured to eat and get out.
The food was very good. I had the blackened seafood platter and everything tasted fresh. 2 people had the blackened filet. They thought that it was seasoned a little too much and completely over-​powered the meat. One peso. Had the salad with shrimp. The shrimp were a little limp and tasteless.
All in all a great dinner.

Ambience. B
Service. B
Food. A
Price. A
Friendly service when entering. Decided to sit at bar, but against that idea next time as if it gets busy; He’s making drinks and also serving. Could take awhile getting attention and food. Just get his attention if you need to anything. Nice and friendly server though.
Nice toasty Bread is warm with pats of butter on request.
Oyster artichoke chowder. Very thick and rich. Found a few fibrous pieces of artichoke that I couldn’t chew… Spit it out or you’d «choke!‘
I noticed that the soft shell crab po boy was not on menu so queried the bartender and said the menu had changed, but would ask the kitchen if soft shell crabs were still available. Which they were! It’s my favorite po’boy in Augusta and my go to for this southern delicacy.
The crab was nicely battered and fried with shredded lettuce and tomato.
I’m still a fan and will always return.