Country Flame

I did not like this place at all, for a Mexican, Cuban, Latin American and Spanish restaurant – it lacked majorly in menu options. It was just depressing; I was looking for a god Spanish dish and nothing., same goes for Mexican and etc. The service was not that great either, where I ordered and I expect you to come and check if the dish was fine, or if I need anything else., well that wasn’t done. The bathrooms are dirty and small; silverware was a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ chance of being clean or dirty. Just a pity.
I was there on 5−27−16 at pm hours.
If you want a better place you should go to Felipe’s.

I didn’t find it as bad as everyone says. I ordered 2 tacos which were really good. The order came quickly, staff was pleasant, no complaints

My first time here. Cuban sandwich– not good– it tasted as if the meat had gone bad. And before the waitress ran my card she said I had to tell her how much the tip was gonna be (ostensibly because of their new machine).REALLY not good. I told her I wasn’t going to do that, & amazingly, they were able to run my card anyway. I left cash for a tip.
And by the way, the waitress was very nice. She was just following instructions.

This place is literally a whole in the wall, and probably the most Spanish place I’ve been to here in Louisiana since we moved from NYC. The food here is definitely authentic, and not smothered in the New Orleans dirt crap they call seasoning!

I came here to get a bite to eat before work… I ordered the quesadilla. Well in the middle of taking one bite I noticed little baby roaches scurrying around the bar and even towards my food. I’m not talking one or two… I spotted about 10 of them within just a few minutes. I lost my appetite after that… I do NOT recommend this place… Baby roaches are not a good sign… especially when they’re out in full blast during the day approaching peoples food.

Really enjoyed this place. Felt right at home here. Food was excellent. The plantains the height of perfection. The service was a little slow but it didn’t even matter. Waitress checked on us frequently and we had plenty to drink and chips while we were waiting. Will visit again next time in town!

Probably the worst food ever served at a restaurant. It’s hard to imagine that anything is made fresh here. First sign was the powdered tea they served, then the jar salsa and chips our of a bag they served. Cheap store bought tortillas. We couldn’t even stomach the food.
We had to tell the server how bad the food was and we couldn’t eat. The manager charged us for half of our meals and full price for the tea and guac.

Sometimes when it’s late and you’re hungry and everything is about to close you get in a hurry and make bad decisions. This was one of those times. I’m not upset about the 1 star minimum in this case because the salsa was ok, the margaritas were ok, the refried beans were ok and the service was good. But the meal… the meal… It was probably the worse I’ve had in a decade. Got the «steak» and chicken fajitas. I swear that school lunches in Siberia have to be better. The «steak» was the toughest meat I’ve ever tried to chew, and it’s not even close. Honestly deplorable. I’m guessing they buy the lowest grade available for human consumption. Not only did it lack any semblance of tenderness, but it also had awful flavor. The chicken was only slightly better. It wasn’t as tough, but had the same borderline offensive taste. My dining partner had a «steak» enchilada and couldn’t finish it either. Instant regret and waves of disappointment as we walked down Bourbon Street. I beg you to learn from the error of my ways and do whatever you have to do to avoid the same fate.

This place is disgusting. I am from Atlanta where the Mexican is hardly ever «authentic» and it is 100 times better than this place. When you see the sign for this place run away as fast as you can. You will thank me later. I’m actually on my way out the door now!

The worst tasting, the most expensive and the longest wait for a burrito ever — ding, ding, ding — they win! The guacamole is definitely store bought — you can get better one from Costco or Trader Joe.
Imitation crab meat in the seafood soup. Few old shrimps, few pieces of fish, half of a blue crab? and plenty yucca.
We were the only two new customers besides the existing three — two nearly done eating and the other already ordered.
It took ~15 minutes for the shot of Cuban coffee, which got cold in a minute from AC. Took over 30 minutes for the burrito and soup.
Horchata is likely the Kern’s boxed one — if home made then they don’t know what they are doing, but then no surprise. It was basically milk with a LOT of sugar with barely any hint of cinnamon. I was hoping the ice will melt and dilute the sweetness but nope. Bless our waitress (only reason for 2 stars), noticed and asked if something is wrong with it, told her too sweet and she offered to get me something else.
Wrong decision to give them a try — they are mostly empty for a reason.

We took a chance on a whim stopping here on our first night in NOLA.
Experience was fair but overpriced. The portion sizes for the price were very small. Wait staff not very friendly. After we finished our meal, i noticed a sour cream container in the kitchen was sitting out and was never put in cold storage and we were there another 15 minutes. Luckily we didnt get sick.

Nothing about this place has any authenticity. Over priced food that tastes like Taco Bell.

I really wanted to like this place, but …
The Country Flame is in an unassuming spot on the corner of a building behind the Walgreens on Iberville, across the street from the Hotel Monteleone. It caught our attention as we walked by one afternoon because they were blaring Cuban music out onto the street and my husband recognized a song his dad used to sing. The menu board out front looked interesting so we came back later for supper.
There’s a certain charm to the interior. It’s a bit run down, the murals on the walls are kind of amateurish, and the décor could be better, but it looks like a family run operation and all that’s OK as long as the food is good.
We were seated at a table for two near the swinging doors into the kitchen (insert ominous music here). The service was great. My husband was happy to be able to speak Spanish to the young lady who took care of us … and everybody else. It’s a small place.
The complimentary chips and salsa were good. The drinks were wonderful. We both ordered piña coladas, and they were large and potent.
For supper I had the beef Ropa Vieja (with house salad, white rice and black beans), and my husband had the Puerco Frito (with Tostones and a couple of mystery dipping sauces).
The black beans were absolutely delicious. The white rice probably came from a box; there was something off about the flavor and texture. The «house salad» was just a few pieces of lettuce and chopped tomatoes on the very edge of the plate. The Ropa Vieja was good. Nothing spectacular, just good.
My husband was really disappointed with the Puerco Frito. The menu says that it is «delicately fried pork, marinated days in advance to ensure tenderness.» No. That’s not what he got. He got some dried out lumps of pork that desperately needed the assistance of the mystery dipping sauces to be edible.
Just as we were finishing the meal, the server went into the kitchen through the swinging doors (instead of doing what she had to do at the pick-​up window) and I got a glance at a very dirty floor and piles of boxes and equipment. I watched the door until she came back out to confirm what I saw. I suddenly regretted coming here.
It’s a real shame because everyone wants to support «that small family-​run restaurant that may not be fancy but serves good, authentic cuisine» … and this just isn’t it.

I finally tried their Cuban sandwich. It was pricy, $ 10+, but tasty. I probably wouldn’t get it again for lunch at work just because of the price, but I’m glad I tried it. In general, their prices are just too high for their food quality. I’ve got 50+ delivery menus in my folder to choose from daily, and over half of them offer great sandwiches for less than $ 8, so there’s just no incentive for me to order this very often. I do miss their flautas, which are no longer on the menu.

Absolutely amazing food!
Service was friendly and welcoming. My husband ordered the seafood soup, and commented that it was the ‘…best meal in New Orleans’. It was packed full of whole sea animals like: head-​on shrimp, crab, large chunks of fish.
Diverse menu includes vegan and vegetarian options. (I created my own plate of: black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and corn tortillas.
We ate on the two-​table covered patio. Staff was kind enough to shut off the blaring music for us.
We left stuffed full and smiling.

I’ve been driving by Country Flame every day for 6 years now and until recently, had never eaten there. In fact, as long as I can remember, there has always been a restaurant at this location; but I am unsure how long Country Flame has occupied this spot. The sign outside reads Mexican, Spanish & Cuban specialties, and since I was in the mood for a Cuban sandwich, I decided to give them a try.
I was immediately impressed on how good the air conditioner was working on this particularly hot July day, and I’m willing to bet that it was 66 – 68 degrees inside; which is perfect for me.
I was also impressed as to how clean the restaurant was, as the floors looked spotless, as did all the tables. The «Spanish» music was just loud enough to set the mood but not too loud so that normal conversations could be held.
The «old school» wooden bar was amply stocked and there was a big flat screen t.v. hanging on the wall so that you could eat or drink at the bar and still watch the tube. The restaurant seats approximately 40 – 50 people with a few additional tables on the patio; but who wants to eat on a patio in New Orleans on a hot July day? I especially liked the metal stamped ceiling but am unsure as to how old it truly is.
We were seated immediately and greeted by a cordial server shortly thereafter. In my opinion, our server could have been a little friendlier, but she was cordial at best. Not rude at all, but she was merely «all about business». She took our drink order, brought us some chips and salsa and came back to take our order; all in a very systematic approach.
The chips were definitely fresh and were almost certainly made on site, but I am not sure if the salsa was prepared fresh or came from a jar. Not bad at all, but not stellar. For the record, we ate every crumb.
I ordered a Cuban sandwich and was a little disappointed. The sandwich itself tasted very good and was pressed perfectly, but there was not nearly enough pork on it; and I left a little bit hungry. Big appetites will not be completely satiated by the Cuban sandwich, so order a side item or 2 if you are a big eater like I am.
I would definitely consider going back one day in the future, but there are so many other spots on my «places to try» list, that it will probably be a long time before I do so. All in all, this place is A-​Okay, but I think it needs a little refining for a 4^th star.

Dropped in here to get away from the crazy Mardi Gras Bourbon Street Crowd. Totally different from the Mexican/​Cuban places from Los Angeles. The food was okay for a little late night Latin food place. The chips were okay. The salsa was not fresh salsa it was from a jar. It taste like ketchup.
I had two oyster tacos with a Corona beer. Jennifer S had the Beef Nachos. She said the meat tasted like what she imagined «cat food» would taste. Monique has a beef taco. Candice had some beef thing, with rice and black beans. I had some of the beans. They were good. The food was mediocre. You gotta come to California to get some serious Mexican food.

Where do I begin…
Um — gross! My husband and I went there based on a recommendation from a local. Dumpy, expensive, bad food. Ordered the special — pork tamale. It was fatty and pork was in huge CHUNKS — flavor bad. Chicken tacos — average at best. My husband ordered the shrimp fajitas. Maybe six shrimp swimming in onions and green peppers. This sides were a tsp. of sour cream and tsp. of quacamole. The refried beans were cold — rice — OK.
Expensive and less than mediocre. We were not pleased. Our combined total was over $ 40. We would have done better getting food from a street vendor. Tucked in between strip clubs. I would recommend skipping past.

So, we stopped here twice during the four days I was in New Orleans. The first time was our first full day. We’d been out too long on Bourbon Street the night before, it was middle of the afternoon and I was starting to wind down.
Country Flame is an unusual name for a restaurant that features Cuban, Spanish and Mexican cuisine. And, I suppose this type of food is something you don’t think about when you go to New Orleans. But, the Spanish did have control of the city prior to the French, and the architecture around the French Quarter has a strong Spanish influence. So, why not?
The first time I went, I had a Cuban coffee. It was among the best I’ve ever had. Our last night in the city we decided for a late dinner at Country Flame. I had their Tamale with black beans and rice. The tamale is more of a South American version — larger than what we typically think of in the US, and it was wrapped in a banana leaf. It was quite good. The chips and Salsa they serve before you order were good — the chips were warm and the salsa had a nice bite to it. We also had an order of Guacamole which I thought was only okay — it was too smooth — as if they ran it through a blender.
But, the experience was great. The server was outstanding and made the night special.

Country flame, the little Spanish restaurant with the slightly quixotic name.
Tucked away on Iberville, this is a hidden gem that most tourists will never realize is there.
Far too many people look to New Orleans, for French food, Creole Food, or Cajun Food, and neglect her Spanish influence.
Well, not at Country Flame.
I have had so far, the Fajitas, which were very ample and incredibly well cooked, and the Carne Guiisada, which is as good as any I have had in much more upscale Spanish Restaurants in NYC as well as the Puerco Frita, delicate, tender juicy chunks of pork cooked to perfection, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.
Country Flame, you really must go there, and tell them yer Big Easy Daddy sent you.