Belle’s Diner Nola

Had a good lunch here, started out with a good shake. Service was on the ball. Good, little diner in a happening location.

this is a pretty great place, the food is absolutely amazing. i recommend the roast beef debris fries and patty melt. do know that the food can be a bit salty but the food is still great!

This diner was awesome! We had catfish, shrimp, crab cakes, jambalaya, bisque and clam chowder.
It was delicious and cooked to perfection.
This will be one of my go to eateries in N.O.

After our awesome Unilocal event here, I couldn’t wait to get back to Belle’s Diner.
We stopped in on a rainy Saturday and we were immediately seated. Joe was our waiter and he couldn’t have been more fantastic. The first thing I did was order a milk shake and he suggested I try their brand new pecan pie shake– a man after my own heart. I gave him the green light as I looked over the menu.
I went into Belle’s thinking I was going to get some breakfast, but after I saw a club sandwich on the menu, I decided to go with that. This huge sandwich came topped with more fries than I could ever eat in one sitting. While the sandwich was definitely good, I wouldn’t say it was the best I have ever had. The pecan pie shake, however, was AMAZING! It tasted just like pie and was topped with whipped cream and caramel and I will be getting it again when I return!
Joe was fantastic. It was a busy Saturday and he never stopped. He took the order, made the shake and split his time between many different tables and always checked to make sure that we had everything that we needed. He was the waiter from heaven.
The décor of Belle’s is SO me: pinup and WWII everything! You feel like you have been transported back to the 50’s and the oldies playing on the radio are a nice touch. My only complaint is that the ac isn’t that great and the place gets warm when the doors are closed. I don’t think that can be helped– it’s a small place, but I wanted to mention it in case you are someone who «overheats» easily.
Belle’s is a perfect spot if you are spending the day Quarter hopping or just shopping around at the French Market and need a good bite to eat for a reasonable price. They serve breakfast all day, so I am going to try some French Toast when I go back.

Cool diner atmosphere with good prices for the French Quarter. They offer a military discount which is always appreciated. This place has a good burger and they offer a lot of breakfast items along with sandwiches, milkshakes and desserts. Definitely a nifty spot to grab a quick bite in the Quarter that offers good value for your money with friendly service.

The setting is an old 60s diner which is cute. The food was okay and there are a lot of Southern options including chicken and waffles. We were there for breakfast and all four of us enjoyed our meals but it was nothing to go crazy over. I had the biscuits and gravy which had homemade biscuits that were good. We also tried the chicken and waffles which were good but again not outstanding. The service was lacking as well. Our server was not very attentive. While I wasn’t overly disappointed I wouldn’t go back.

Went in because we were at the market and had a few non seafood folks in our group. We sat at he bar (group of 10) and everyone loved their food. One of the cooks offers me chicken and waffles w bacon in the waffles. Totally hit the mark. Recommend this place for easy and good food.

I’am heaven they got chicken and waffles, one of favorite foods. Love this pleace, LOVE NEW ORLEANS !!!

I really want to love Belle’s. I loved the Unilocal event held there. This is not a review of the event, this is separate. Read to the end for a funny story related to my check-​in comment.
Anyway, it is a rare treat that I actually make it into the French Quarter for much of anything, but I like to go in order to better advise friends/​family and others on where to go and what to do. I walk in from the Decatur Street entrance today, and a pretty lady I initially thought was a customer greets me and directs me to a table. She was not wearing a name tag, or a uniform similar to the wait staff or kitchen staff of a black polo shirt with the Belle’s logo on the breast, but after being seated, I did see her helping other customers and busing tables.
A few minutes after being seated, I was greeted by my waitress who did not give me her name and asked for my drink order. The table I was sitting at was unstable and rocked badly. I ordered the strawberry milkshake with vodka, and was also given the barely an inch of leftover as well as the shake. It was good, but nothing to write home about.
I was hoping for the fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich someone else had posted a picture of, but they did not have it on the menu so I ordered the biscuits with sausage gravy and scrambled eggs. The eggs were spongy, the biscuits had a sausage patty inside with a yellowish gravy on top. I was expecting the gravy to be the white gravy with the sausage bits inside. The biscuits were a rock. HARD.
While I was eating, I was looking around, the only other table that was occupied was right next to me. There were dishes on other tables being bused by the lady who looked out of place. The waitress helping me and the waitress helping the other table were eating burgers and fries at the counter, and looked perturbed every time someone came in. The waitress who was serving me was talking about her baby and how she missed the first time the baby sat up on her own because she was at work. A guy came in that the waitresses evidently knew and ordered a milkshake. A waitress made it and walked it out to him across the street at the French market. All while helping other customers, eating her own food and handling money. With no hand washing that I could see.
I came up to the counter to pay as my waitress had her back to me while she was eating. They had a sign up that they offer discounts for military and Veterans, so I asked for my discount and she asked for no proof that I was a Veteran at all. As I was leaving, the out of place lady pointed out the restroom and was shocked when I said I was leaving.
Funny story time unrelated to the restaurant itself. The table next to me had a 20-​something male, two 20 something females and a mother type lady. The guy was holding hands with one young lady while they were dining and sitting close like they were intimate. After their meal, the gal whose hand he was holding and the mother figure said they were going to go across the street to shop at the Market while the other two were paying, The two left and the guy and the other gal start kissing and looking at their phones (one Facebook, the other a chat message) for a few minutes. I was amused and saddened by the looks of the situation.

This is a great breakfast spot in NOLA. Decatur Street is so charming, and this diner has a 1940’s theme that’s a fun escape from the usual. We ordered chicken and waffles, biscuits and gravy, and a seafood omelette. The chicken melted in your mouth, the seafood was fresh, and the coffee was some of the best we’ve ever tasted. Top that with great service; we felt very well cared for.

Legit fn food!!! Cookies and cream shake. I had 3 meals… Chicken and waffles, decatur salad and the sliders. Will come back for the great service and fun atmosphere. Really enjoyed the lighting and soft seats. Thanks

What a great find! Very cool retro looking diner. Really clean. Really attentive wait staff. Food was excellent. Breakfast and burger options. You are on vacation, order the fried PBJ! Atmosphere is very nice, played vintage music. Will stop here again on our next trip down.

Excellent food and the orange crushes are tasty. Their beans and rice with the gator sausage is incredible as well as all of their breakfast options. We ate here nearly every morning during our four day stay in NOLA. Highly recommend it and the staff was awesome. Very personable and a fun atmosphere.

This is a cool diner that serves breakfast all day but we weren’t really in the mood for breakfast so we ended up ordering the seafood gumbo and my boyfriend ordered the Catfish Poboy. They had lots of tasty drinks to pick from like Southern Punch, Pimms Cup and Orange Crush. The waitress was really nice and recommended their infamous King Cake shot while we waited for our food. I had been thinking about trying that King Cake shot for a while since everyone was saying it was sooo good. Well once again my fellow Unilocalers didn’t let me down, it was delicious! It was so cool looking, it had purple, green and yellow sugar on the rim and the actual shot was a pinkish color. It was amazing! It tasted just like king cake! I actually savored it and drank it in 3 sips. Unfortunately it was the best thing I ordered. My gumbo had a good flavor but I don’t know where the seafood was hiding. Maybe it was the very last bit of gumbo in the pot or something because I saw little pieces of something that might have been little mini shrimp but that’s about it. I tasted the Catfish Poboy and it was also good but I wouldn’t come back here to order it again or anything. The only thing that I would come back and order is the King Cake shot. I think we just ordered the wrong stuff, we should’ve ordered breakfast food because their breakfast looked really good and it seems that that’s what everyone likes. Too bad we weren’t in the mood for breakfast food at the time.

My husband and I stopped in for milkshakes after walking around the French Quarter. Not impressed. Here’s why:
1. Asked for water with milkshakes, never delivered
2. Charged $ 6.00 for a shake and did not give us «extra» in a cup like 99% of diners I’ve been to.
3. Instead of giving us the leftovers the waitress filled a to go cup and drank it herself! Not kidding! She sat at the counter drinking it and never came back to check on us!

This used to be the Magnolia Bar & Grill, but has been converted into a vintage inspired Mom and Pop diner. The food is still yummy even though I only had the dessert.
The fried PB&J was divine. I couldn’t finish it and gave half away to my mom. The sandwich was fresh from the fryer and the peanut butter was burning hot. I let it cool for a bit before digging in. It paired nicely with the Abita root beer.
Overall it was a nice experience, and I’ll definitely bump up my review if I ever go back and eat a full meal.

King cake shots… nuff said.

Had the blackened chicken Caesar salad and loved it! My mom had the patty melt and she said it was delicious. Really cute inside and very friendly staff.

My experiences with Belle’s have only revolved around king cake. Our group first stopped in to get a king cake shot (which I drank as a miniature cocktail) and it was delicious, with a hint of cinnamon and a thick milky taste.
We paid at the register and were quickly on our way.
A few days later, I stopped in again on my mini king cake quest (no luck!). While they only had full-​sized options (would not fit in carry on), the super nice manager suggested a stop down the street to a bakery. They weren’t open unfortunately, but that was my fault for not giving myself enough time to search prior to my flight out.
They definitely host a hospitable environment — right across from the French Market for easy access — so I’d certainly return to try their regular menu on a future visit.

Three words: King Cake Shot
If you go into Belle’s Diner for no other reason (like I did), go in for this shot. It has all of the king cake goodness, but in alcoholic liquid form.
Actually, the menu did look good. There was a cheese and ham omelet called the pig cheesy. I love food puns.
And it had an adorable diner motif. Plus the bartender was super nice. I kind of wish I had something else while there.
In any case, you really can’t go wrong with the King Cake Shot and the diner is conveniently located across from the French Market.

I found this place by accident and I’m so glad I did! I originally had breakfast planned at another place but when we arrived it was closed on Tuesdays. Our next choice was Coop’s but it has a strict 21+ rule, since we had kids that wasn’t going to work. We looked across the street and found Belle’s Diner.
The place is a nice break from the fancy pants places we have been going for the last week. This place hit the spot, good diner breakfast! The staff is super nic and fast. Food was hot and fresh. Pancakes were light and fluffy. The fried PB&J was something new for us but it was Yummy!

From out of town. Sometimes you get lucky and find a place that just serves great food and the workers are good people. This place is special and recommend it wholeheartedly! Will be back every time am in town.

Great place with very good service. We had breakfast here on Sunday ¹¹⁄₂₉. Very good food. Outdoor seating, not crowded.

An unexpected delight — my wife and I were searching for a breakfast-​serving restaurant open on Thanksgiving day (other than Café Du Monde) — and found Belle’s highly rated. With no expectations, we were quite impressed with our order of ‘cheesy’ omelette (very fluffy eggs), breakfast po-​boy (with perfectly seasoned hash-​browns), and Cajun Bloody Mary. Service was excellent and friendly. Although we don’t normally frequent diners, particularly those located in tourist red-​zones, Belle’s (for what it is) made for a perfect (and filling) brunch.

The service was great. We ordered the special turkey sandwich, fried pb and j sandwich and chicken and waffles. The turkey po boy was just not good. Needs texture or something. The turkey was less than special and the dressing not good. The chicken and waffles were very good. Particularly the fried chicken. Pbj Fried sandwich also quite good.

Excellent service! I liked this place even before I had my first bite. We sat at the bar and got to watch the cooks hustling out the breakfasts as fast as they were being ordered. I had a veggie omelet made with egg whites. You’ll pay an extra $ 3 for that but the place is reasonable so it’s no big deal. The meal was most excellent. Omelet was stuffed with veggies and some cheese, not skimpy on the veggies like some places. The hashbrowns were perfectly browned and would’ve been fine by themselves but I couldn’t resist the urge to drown them in some Louisiana hot sauce. Everything was perfect! Now someone needs to roll me outta here.

Really enjoyed our «After the Saints Loss — Breakfast for Dinner» at Belles. We used to go here when it was Magnolia Grill. It was a NICE CHANGE! Mag Grill used to have lotsa fun staff drama (EEK!) and something always came out wrong with the order.
The waitstaff was professional and friendly at Belles. I ordered the BLTE (over-​easy fried egg!) It came with fries and wasn’t too expensive. The bread was thick and toasted perfectly. It came with an avocado mayo spread that added a nice touch. Delicious!
My hubs got the club… amazing amount of meat and really fresh.
The décor hasn’t changed much, but still has the fun 1950’s diner feel with some new additions. The chairs and booths are both very comfortable.
One of the nicest parts is that you can walk through the restaurant (from Decatur to the French Market) without having to make the block.
Great little quarter spot, will def go back often!

We did not plan to come here, but when we found out another restaurant was 21 and over and our 7 year old couldn’t get in we quickly Unilocaled and found Belles. From the outside it didn’t look like much, but inside was completely different. It was so bright and clean, and it smelled delicious! Our server was incredibly attentive. He even sat down to explain the menu and answer questions. The drinks were delicious. The food was really great! We had the hamburger, crab cakes, club sandwich, gumbo and corned beef sandwich. If you are looking for a solid meal, this is the place to come! Oh, and the prices are great!

I only gave this place a star because that is the lowest you can give on here. Went to eat here with my brother on our last day in New Orleans before heading to the airport. We were really excited to eat since we hadn’t eaten breakfast yet. All I can say is we experienced some of the worst customer service we’ve ever had. And that’s saying a lot since we’re originally from Atlanta, Georgia. First, our orders were placed late and it took a good 40 minutes for the waitress to let us know that our order at been placed late. Then the food arrives but we get way more food than what we ordered and it wasn’t even our correct orders. We agreed to eat the food because we were starving but we definitely won’t be returning here. We didn’t even get a discount or anything. Terrible.

We stopped in for lunch after exploring the French Quarter Flea Market and were not disappointed. We ordered the crab cakes, debris fries and Decatur Salad. The crab cakes were wonderful! Crisp and full of flavor and I’m not sure what kind of sauce was on them but it was delicious! The Decatur salad with grilled shrimp was huge and flavorful! The Cajun dressing was creamy with a hint of spice on the back end. The debris fries were very good the only thing they needed was gravy, roast was good & very tender. Our server was very nice & helpful & recommended a great beer.

Yum o. Love this place. Fun little interior. Gumbo is the best. I walked in and got a taster cup of the gumbo just to see if it was as good as I remember, and it was!!! Dark rich roux and that makes all the difference! We ordered a club sandwich, which probably had at least ½ a pound of turkey in it, a burger, and chicken and waffles, which has a great special sauce/​syrup on it. Good stuff. Fries are perfect and made from fresh potatoes. I’ll definitely go back again.

** Breakfast All Day, people — All Day! **
Decatur St. lining the river-​walk is such a food heaven — for tourists and first timers at least. It has so much to offer for everyone. Easily a great option outside of the madness that Bourbon St. provides — easily.
Belle’s diner is an absolute diner — no frills, straight forward good food, the way it is described, nothing more, nothing less. And sometimes — that’s all you need on a Saturday morning, after a Friday night when you had so much fun in the jazzy Frenchman St and when you are not willing to deal with crazy lines outside most of the very same Frenchman St. and pretty much most eateries near Canal St. and very much all over the French Quarter. Go to Belle’s — you won’t be disappointed. Classify this as one of those safe bets that would not disappoint.
The place is quite spacious and if you choose to sit on the Decatur St. side, it is more bright thanks to all the natural light flowing in from that side. The other section is smaller and more demure. And then of course they have the long bar — overlooking the open kitchen station. Which would be my favorite space — not too hot despite the grill not far away from where you are seated, surprisingly — somehow it worked. You get to see the staff in action doing their magic at the craft they excel at.
I was in the mood for eggs. And the menu had quite a few good choices. Without confusing myself too much, I went with what sounded the best — the Seafood Omelet. I made the right choice — baby! It was delicious. The eggs were cooked to sublime perfection. The omelet was stuffed — and I mean it — stuffed — with shrimp. When the description read shrimp and cheddar cheese — I was wondering what would the split be like — how much shrimp and how much cheese? I am not a ‘stuff-​my-​omelet-​with-​lotsa-​cheese-​coz-​I-​love-​a-​gooey-​omelet’ kinda guy. No. But I didn’t bother asking my kind waiter coz I am also a ‘go-​with-​the-​flow-​n-​roll-​da-​dice’ kinda guy. And boy did the dice fall in place the way I wanted. That Omelet was stuffed with many and many a pieces of shrimp and was not at all overwhelmed (nor destroyed) with any obscene amount of cheese. I was so happy. Sidenote — the hash browns were good but tiny bit on the salty side. Obviously I didn’t move an inch towards the salt shaker.
But I was even more happy to feel — with my fork and knife — the smooth texture of the sauce. And as a first reaction, I wanted to taste it without biting into the eggs and shrimp itself. And O-​M-​G! That sauce was heavenly. It is called Crawfish, Corn and Pepper sauce. Given the option — I would rename it as — «Can I kidnap the chef who devised this recipe and hide him/​her for my personal pleasures please?» sauce! Man, these guys do not know what they have. They should advertise this Omelet as their biggest selling point. For whatever reason (best known to them) they don’t do that. But I am not complaining baby. I got what I wanted and only if I keep getting things that I want, life would be such a breeze (Ya, Drew Breese needs to take notes and stop blowing those Saints games away… well, actually, he is good, that team is in a funk — at least from game 1!).
Coming back to the «steal-​the-​chef» sauce. It was full of flavors. I splashed some hot sauce as I needed an extra doze of hot kick — but that’s me. You give me a sizzling hot dish that will kill most everyone with the spicy heat, I would add a dash of hot sauce to give it some more kick (manufacturing defect in my tongue!). But most people would not /​should not do anything to it. It has everything that will set your taste buds free. Just dissect that omelet into million pieces and dive n dig in (see the before and after dissection pictures attached). That they serve this out-​worldly dish throughout the day — I would go back to this diner in a heartbeat — just for that! Enjoy!
PS: Why 4 stars you ask? Actually — I don’t have to explain ;o) — But then again, if that was really a question in your mind given you must have made it through this entire piece of literature — I can answer that query for you. One dish cannot define a place. But I am very positive everything else here is just as good and I can’t wait to go back to NOLA and try them all and bump up that rating.

We were visiting New Orleans and needed a cool place to have lunch. We were pleasantly surprised when we walked into this little diner. Our server was great and food was super good! I had the gumbo which was great! My daughter’s friend tried the friend PB&J which was interesting but good. My mom and daughter both had burgers. I loved that they were allowed to choose how they wanted the burgers cooked instead of just having them cooked well-​done like a hockey puck! They were so good! We had great service and would definitely recommend this place to others looking for a fun lunch!

I would love to give Belle’s a great review. After all, they have a lot going for them: a great location, a cute concept & interesting menu, moderate to low pricing, and an excellent, friendly front staff. But, unfortunately they fail miserably where it really counts.
Located in The French Quarter, Belle’s is a 50’s diner/​greasy spoon styled restaurant. This in itself is not unique, as that there are two other similarly themed places (one of which has *actually* been open since the 50’s). Nor is it unique that they offer alcoholic beverages; it IS the French Quarter after all. What is out-​of-​the-​ordinary, at least for places hoping to lure those tourist dollars, is that the air conditioning is nearly non-​existent. This makes not only for a humid environment, but everything feels like it’s coated in a greasy film. Their menu is not filled with your typical burger joint offerings, I’m pleased to say. Nor is it strictly dishes associated with New Orleans. A better description would be «non-​typical Southern fare», and it all sounds enticing and delicious. Unfortunately, the cooking staff is either inexperienced or outright incompetent.
The dishes ordered (as recommended by the excellent, friendly, but exhausted waiter) were a Breakfast Po’Boy, and Crawfish Étouffee. The sandwich, according to the menu, was to be sausage, bacon, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese on a Po’Boy roll.
The bacon and sausage were over-​cooked, the eggs were practically fried (definitely not scrambled) and it was incredibly greasy (as in literally dripping with brown grease). The Étouffee tasted burnt, and the crawfish were rubbery and decidedly NOT fresh tasting, as if it had been defrosted and cooked in a microwave — possibly multiple times.
There’s a lot of good things about Belle’s, as I previously noted, and a lot to like. But putting aside the location, décor and waitstaff, if the menu offerings are sub-​par, and the environment is uncomfortable, all of it is for naught. Lets hope they make the changes needed.

Went today for brunch and the service was great. It’s a cute diner in the heart of the French quarter. Was able to use a coupon from groupon without any trouble. The Bloody Mary was one of the best I’ve had. Food was mediocre. Not too bad but not the best either. I had the chicken and waffle and boyfriend had a burger from there. The crab cake as an appetizer was my favorite from there. Can be a pain in the ass to find street parking though.

It’s your typical greasy spoon/​diner experience. The food is actually better than I expected, big fluffy omelets, generous sandwiches etc. the bad is this places although fairly new already seems grimy. I saw instance and instance of them clearing plates and never wiping down counters or tables and then guests doing it themselves with paper napkins. The service is a little all over the place with no true order or structure. And man I man is it humid in there. Water dripping from ceiling and wet floors, thankfully they put down but mats. All in all its just ok and probably nothing I will return for.