Lakeview Harbor

If you are a fan of thick, juicy burgers in the Port of Call /​old Ground Pat’i fashion, Lakeview Harbor is a good choice. Burgers are their primary draw, but they also do well on shrimp po-​boys and plate dishes such as red beans and sausage.
It’s a busy place, properly loud in the way New Orleanians seem to enjoy eating. The décor is in a dark nautical theme, vaguely Crabby Patty but without Squidward or SpongeBob in the kitchen (or so one hopes).
The burgers are consistently four stars, approaching five. There are some days when a carnivore wants just exactly that kind of burger, and Lakeview well satisfies that craving. Everything else is good if not all that memorable.
Diner on more than one visit have had to endure Fox News on the screens, with audio on, while eating. Our dining party agreed that’s an automatic one star demerit (some wanted to take off more).

Have to agree with the other reviews about the burgers. I ordered the spicy mushroom burger and it was just awful unfortunately. The patty was extremely dry and way too firm. A good burger should be tender and juicy. The meat had a texture like it had been put into a mold and compressed or something. I didn’t even finish it. We had also ordered the fried mushrooms as an appetizer. Those were actually pretty decent. No complaints there. You get a good amount for the price. Which, is also somewhat of an issue. $ 14 for a dry burger? Has anyone else had a Port of Call burger? THAT is a pretty decent burger worth $ 14. My friend had the exact same issue with his bacon cheeseburger as far as dryness. Neither of us finished our food. Pretty bad when 2 people stop eating their entrée and keep eating the appetizers because the actual food isn’t good. As far as the service here, the waitress was friendly and did a good job keeping drinks filled and making sure we were ok. The hostess who sat us (young girl with a pony tail) didn’t really seem like she could care less. As I type this she’s just standing there chewing gum, which I think she may have braces so… from the side view it’s like watching a fish chew. So at least that’s kind of amusing. She didn’t smile or anything when we walked in, but whatever. So to recap, awful, dry, and overpriced burgers, average fried mushrooms, and «ok» service. Probably won’t return.

Based on the outside, I mistakenly assumed that Lakeview Harbor would be a tiny hole in the wall that was dark and smelly from all of the smoking prior to the smoking ban in New Orleans. Well, I was happily wrong. The windows are just tinted. The dining area and bar are large, clean, well lit and nicely painted. This is a family type place. Parking is decent, but there is parking on the neutral ground in the lot is full. This restaurant does seem to be easily accessible for handicapped.
I ordered the cheeseburger, which didn’t come with fries, but a baked potato. I got all of the toppings for the potato on the side as usual too much is added for my taste. The bun to burger ratio is perfect. The burger is substantial. The baked potato was just perfect. The service is friendly.
I have been here once or twice in the past and thought the drinks were great, but can’t remember the food, but that might be more of a statement of my past self than their adult beverages.
I do look forward to coming back.

I’m here pretty often. Below average food, but the Typhoon is just enough to get me where I need to be after a long day of work.
The ambience is cool with the Catholic league football jerseys lining the walls, and some New Orleans themed art in the dining area.
It’s cool that you can really create your own vibe with the jukebox.

The reviews are overly harsh for is what one of the best burgers in the city. Get the burger and a potato and enjoy, simple. The jukebox could use some work but that’s more a result of other patrons.

Every couple of months I like to treat myself to a Lakeview Harbor cheeseburger, which used to be sublime. Today however, my burger was ruined by a terrible hard bun which had no taste and was very dry. It was also a very weird yellow color! When I complained to the waitress, she explained that they had a new bun supplier in Kenner (!) and that there was no use complaining to the owner of the restaurant because the new buns were a «good deal»!
A good deal that ruins the whole cheeseburger experience!
What’s next? Midnight possum hunting behind the restaurant?

I have only had the filet sandwhich a couple of times and it was better the first time around. Either way the place was busy so I guess they are doing something right.

This is a tough review, as I usually put a lot of emphasis on the quality of the food in my reviews. And the fact is, Lakeview Harbor has GREAT hamburgers. But, the experience is just so awful it offsets the delicious burgers. I’ve been there many times since I was a teenager, but probably won’t go back.
Pro’s:
1) Hamburgers are AWESOME.
2) TV’s with sports on.
3) Local Crowd.
Con’s:
1) The atmosphere and overall dining experience is terrible.
2) Wait staff is slow and will disappear for long stretches of time. (sometimes up to 15 minutes or more)
3) Everything is dirty. I have a pet peeve about dirty, sticky tables. But, these tables and the floor really take the cake. There are layers of grime and filth everywhere. Like they’ve never actually cleaned the tables or floor with soap… just maybe occasionally a damp, dirty rag. It’s so disgusting that I didn’t want to touch anything.
4) At night-​time it’s so dark you can’t read the menu’s without straining your eyes. Maybe they keep it that dark so no-​one can see how filthy the place is?

We’ve been here a couple of times already. My first experience wasn’t the best but we decided to give it another chance. I ordered a cheeseburger with a loaded baked potato on the side. My wife had the mushroom bleu cheeseburger with potato. I think the burgers were solid BUT they are no Port of Call burger that everyone claims them to be. The meat was seasoned and cooked to perfection. The bun was lacking though, didn’t taste fresh at all.
I didn’t like the lighting inside the restaurant at all. The bulbs were yellow tinted and did nothing for the ambience. Another thing that I didn’t like was that they serve mixed drinks in styrofoam cups. It totally takes away from the taste of the alcohol.

Eating here was a 3 hour experience and we only had burgers. The orders weren’t all correct, which they fixed with the price. The service was friendly when talking with us, but we didn’t know who our sever was for a while and rarely saw him. In the end the food was good but the experience left us regretting our choice and deciding to never return.

Cozy little local joint. Family friendly and overall friendly service.

I had the pleasure of eating a mushroom & blue cheese burger here. It was great as was my side of spinach which was seasoned nicely. I have to recommend the mushrooms to mushroom lovers and haters alike. They are cooked with wine to perfection. The rest of my table also had burgers, buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks. Everyone left with full bellies. The typhoon, lakeview harbor’s signature drink was strong but too citrusy for my liking. Overall great food and fast service. Fully recommend to cure any burger cravings!

The absolute worse service ever. The waiter could care less if he took care of us or not. He wouldn’t come out from kitchen for 10 minutes or so. Never checked to see if we wanted anything. If you want a good burger, port of call is worth the wait. I won’t be back here for sure.

I got the spicy bacon cheeseburger (ground beef & hot sausage mixed) and it was sooooo good. It wasnt spicy but it had the best flavor. This is now my official burger!!! I got pepper jack cheese on it with a backed potato on the side (yummers; no salt needed on the potato). For a appetizer I had the mozzarella sticks which were super fresh. You can tell they make their marinara sauce fresh which makes it impossible to stop eating them. AND the service was first class!!!

There is really no reason to come to this place. They have about four draft beers and a very basic American-​food menu. The burgers are average and will cost you about $ 16 and the sides aren’t even that. It’s open late which is a plus, so maybe if desperate go here. I’ve lived in Lakeview 2.5 years and haven’t had quality service or food in all my times here. Good luck

It’s a knock off version of Port of Call. BUT NOT in a bad way. they are just as good in their own right. I really like that I can get bacon on my burger. I use the expression“knock off” because their cook is POC’s old cook (a very friendly regular shared that information with me) and they have a drink called the Typhoon which is just a less fruity Monsoon (a drink @ POC). Now the burger was very tasty. It lacks that grill flavor but overall it is still worth giving a shot. My waitress was very nice & helpful. So obviously, yes I will visit again.

This place standards have gone down tremendously. The service was atrocious. I was in the mood for a burger with a bake potato and didn’t want to fight Mardi Gras traffic. I waited 40 minutes for an underwhelming burger and a tiny bake potato. It was so dark inside that none of my picture were visible. It was happy hour, so I had the Chardonnay. The wine was flat and warm. It’s not even worth the trip.

This place has lost their touch. Had a horrible lunch there today. The cheeseburgers were horrible. My burger was not cooked medium, over done. That wasn’t the worst part. The meat had a total lack of flavor and the old charbroiled taste was gone too. My wife’s burger was not well done, it was bleeding onto the bun. Hers didn’t lack flavor. They put some kind of horrible spice or seasoning in it and again no charbroiled taste. If I had to guess I would guess there is new ownership and they don’t have a clue. Save your money! Two crappy burgers for $ 23.00 «is a crime. There are too many good burger places in town to ever waste time, hunger, and money here.

This would be the perfect restaurant for Robert Irvine to visit! There’s potential, but hidden very deep. What I loved so much about NYC is that every food establishment has a letter on it to show how they went through inspection. This place would probably get a Z… It was very dirty in there, not well-​kept at all. I really hope that mgmt starts reading reviews, bc they could save themselves if they made some changes.
The service was really bad. We waited forever for our food. And it really wasn’t memorable. If I lived here, I prob wouldn’t give them a second chance. There are several other, decent restaurants around that appreciate their customers but giving them good food in a safe environment.

Before the burger craze took over New Orleans, there were only a few dedicated burger joints in the city; and the big three back in the day (in my opinion) were Port of Call, Snug Harbor and Ground Pati.
Shortly after I graduated college way back when in 1993 (yeah I know I’m old), Lakeview Harbor opened its doors and I have been a fan ever since. This place is all about the burgers. They start with a freshly ground, hand formed USDA beef burger and grill it any way you want. I like my burgers medium rare and many restaurants will only cook their burgers medium or well done. So it’s great to get them cooked exactly like I like them.
These burgers aren’t disguised with all kinds os secret spices and sauces. The beef is delicious and it stands on its own. If you opt for a cheeseburger, you’ll get a mountain of colon clogging cheese; and I mean this in a good way. The buns may not be made by a boutique bakery, but they are always toasted to perfection. And the condiments are always fresh, crisp and ample.
I can’t recall ever getting french fries for my side item, as the loaded baked potato is awesome. A loaded baked potato includes butter (lots of it), sour cream, chives, fresh bacon bits and cheddar cheese. You can also get mushrooms, but I feel it actually detracts from the original loaded ensemble.
Lakeview Harbor also serves steaks, po-​boys, daily specials soups and salads. However, to me, this place is all about the burgers; but there are two exceptions. The first is the filet sandwich. Everything on it is the same as the burger I described above. However, instead of their freshly ground beef, they cook to order a filet mignon. I highly recommend it as a burger alternative. Even though it’s still beef.
The second exception is their pizzas. This place makes a great «old school» pizza. I’m making comparisons to Artista’s (closed) and Tower of Pizza. If you like a thick crust or pan pizza, don’t even bother, as this is a thin and crispy crust. However, if thin is your preference, give this place a try.
The main dining room is separated from the full service bar by a half wall with a mock sailboat «thingie» sitting on top. The bar is always packed, especially for college football games. I’m not the big drinker, but I’ve met friends here from time to time and we’ve always had a great time at the bar.
They’ve even recently acquired the space next door and opened up a banquet room for private parties.
This place is all about consistency. I have never had a bad burger here. In fact, the burgers here have always been hot, delicious and cooked exactly like I ordered. What else do you need?