Liuzza’s Restaurant & Bar

Everyone has to eat here at least one time. I have been eating here for about 15 years. It feels like going to someone’s house for dinner. Make sure you try the fried pickles as an appetizer.

Wow, what a disappointment. This place used to ROCK! Food was so so! I could have been ok with the food, but the service, was horrible. To the long curly haired brunette waitress, do you know the meaning to the word TIPS! TO INSURE PLEASANT SERVICE! What an attitude. I am generally a great tipper. on a $ 38.00 bill today I left you about $ 4.00. You really should have gotten less. Your attitude and non attention to Customer Service caused your poor tip. You basically worked your way down from an at least $ 10.00 tip. It has been about 8 yrs since I have eaten at Liuzza’s and now due to crappy service and less than adequate food. It will be my last. Goodbye to what once was a Great place to dine! I asked for ice water, after having to request it a second time, you brought 3 small ice cubes in a 10 ounce glass of water, the ice lasted about one minute. Too much more to even write about. she was indignified that I had to remind her. And I did order a cold beer, that in itself was a fiasco for this waitress.

Not the Liuzza’s I remember! It’s sad when you go out to dinner and it’s premade and heated in a microwave.
The chicken parmesan was over-​salted, steaming hot and dry. The classic lasagna was very hot in spots and cold in others ~ a classic characteristic of microwaved food.
The beer wasn’t in a frozen mug. Chilled, yes. But no way near frozen.
The waitstaff wasn’t attentive. They were sitting and chatting at a table near us. Never came to check to see how everything was.
This is not the Liuzza’s it used to be. I have to put it in the «ain’t dere no more» category. Sadly, we won’t be returning.

Bad food, slow service without a smile. This use to be a great place but those days are long gone. We ordered frozen beers and they were cold but not frozen like they use to be, no ice on the mugs and they were served more than 2″ from the top. Really!!! It’s a sad place to go when you remember how great it use to be

In my quest to eat like a local in NOLA, Liuzzas was recommended to me by a friend who spends lots of time in the Crescent City, It’s definitely worth the effort to get out of the tourist hubs and make it over here for a unique experience. Luizzas is really about the atmsphere and vibe, an old school neighborhood bar and jukebox joint with home style Italian cooking!
They had plenty of Nawlin’s creole influenced food staples on the special menu for jazzfest, like Po Boys & such.
I chose to sample the classic Italian cuisine that this place is known for, and sampled the lasagna, spaghetti with meatball and eggplant combo casserole, with a stuffed artichoke starter.
The stuffed artichoke was tasty, but it just consisted of a massive amount of standard Italian spiced breadcrumbs mixed with a small amount of shaker style finely grated Parmesan cheese. Nothing special. I would have liked to see the artichoke stuffed with more creative ingredients, perhaps including seafood.
The classic lasagna was just that. Flavorful comfort food to fill the void. The eggplant casserole wasn’t really served casserole style. I was expecting one of those oval casserole style baking dishes served in front of me with bubbly eggplant and cheese and creative seasoning. Instead, the server plopped a plate in front of me with spaghetti, a large meatball and some mushy slop that turned out to be eggplant. It was devoid of flavor. The red sauce was average. The highlight was the mouth watering delicately seasoned pork-​beef meatball that gave the dish some redemption.
I’m a bit spoiled as I have been to some awesome Italian restaurants in New York and Chicago and you don’t really go to New Orleans to eat Italian. I bet that the Frenchuletta is great, as stated by my fellow Unilocalers. I will make it a point to come back, even if it is for happy hour at the bar, because IMO the atmosphere is better than the cuisine
.

Great atmosphere. Very much a family Italian vibe. If it was a different cuisine I would call it divey, but it’s definitely an old Italian place that also does good Louisiana food.
I’m doing crescent city classic tomorrow so I figured I’d carb up and what better than spaghetti. My brother in law recommended this place and I wasn’t disappointed.
I got fried green tomatoes for an app. They accidentally added the shrimp remoulade and said they would only charge me for the regular fried green. Victory for me. Also recommend getting it with the shrimp remoulade now. Main course was eggplant parm spaghetti with red sauce. Delicious. When I want good Italian I’ll be coming back here.
All in all. Great food. The waiters/​waitresses were attentive and a welcoming atmosphere.

Liuzza’s is a must see, must taste New Orleans experience.
Walking in and you first are drawn to the décor.
Hmm, I’d say circa 1977.
Down to the landline hanging on the wall for the occasional phone order, just waiting for a call.
Seating is good, but tight.
The tables are a little small, but then again maybe Americans have just gotten bigger.
The service is fast and extremely friendly.
The Caesar Dressing is anchovy rich, as it should well be.
I had the Liver and Onions which was very well done.
Old style, which is thinner than I like, but still good.
Not overcooked, very tasty.
The side of rice with brown gravy is a good accompaniment.
Family friendly, kid friendly albeit still a little cramped for the high chairs but this is not a deal breaker.
The Red Gravy is dead spot on.
Dark, flavorful, one of the best, perhaps the best I the city.
If you are looking for an out of the way, tasty, dead spot on Italian meal, give this place a shot.
We’ll be going back, the food was worth the tight fit.

No no no! No seasoning bland. No flavor. No service. Three strikes for sure. If this is old New Orleans you can keep it. Everything tastes end like a greasy mess that needed salt. It’s a shame my mom used to bring the family there and I remember it was good. At least I have those memories but they have my 50 $ that we didn’t eat half. Sever clueless. So many other places to spend you cash give this place a pass and maybe we will get a good spot in that area. Bevi is a help!

I came here with a group of 10 on a random weekend when I was in town for a convention. I don’t know how they found this place but we did and it was quite the adventure. It was kind of a blur getting here but I believe we took the public transportation which dropped us off about 3 – 4 blocks away and a quick walk through the neighborhood and we were here. Not being from here, I thought it was a cool adventure.
On to the food. I asked for something that I thought would sort of represent the area and was suggested to try the fried oysters, shrimp and red beans and rice. The waitress was very pleasant and had a thick New Orleans accent. I thought that was cool. Anyway, the food was good. To me it was standard fried fare with the red beans standing out quite nicely. That is not something we have on the West Coast (except at Popeye’s). So compared to what I’ve had, I thought it was phenomenal. I couldn’t complain.
I thought the décor was charming and local, and being a tourist. I really enjoyed this place… the journey to get here, the interactions with the wait staff, and the food.
All in all it was a very enjoyable evening. It’s took bad it is kind of off the beaten path, because I really think most tourists would enjoy this place for everything it is.

I will go the extra step and say 4 stars. I havent had a bad meal here. Only problem is I get the same damn thing everytime. Meatball poboy with mozz. MMmmmmm! I have sneaked a bite of red beans before and it was good. The ice cold chalice of beer at 11am is always a joy too.
I have been lucky that I visit when the crowd has thinned out. Good thing because I take up alot of space and bumping people with my belly isnt my idea of fun. The tables are tight is what I am trying to say.
The prices are IMHO kinda high, but in this area if I am in the mood for a solid New Orleans meal and not a fancier fare down the street at Katies, its hard to pass Liuzza’s up. Its a great place to bring out of towners too because of the cool factor.

To quote Über Unilocaler Marielle S, «I was pretty torn between giving this place three or four stars, but I think I’m gonna go with a strong three.
Liuzza’s is the quintessential old school New Orleans styled establishment that exudes cool. When you walk in there’s a pretty cool bar in the 1^st room. Once you past the bar and the hostess station, there is a dining room on the other side.
I’ve been here quite a few times and my servers were always friendly and prompt. Liuzza’s makes the most out of a fairly small dining room, therefore the tables are pretty close together. Don’t be surprised if you hear every word of your neighbor’s conversation either.
On our most recent trip, we got an appetizer that I cannot recall the name of. It was a deep fried ball of rice and cheese that had lots of potential, but it had a slightly scorched taste as if the grease was a little too hot or perhaps too old or in need of straining. It came with a side of marinara sauce that was not very appealing either.
I got the ½ oyster po-​boy and a cup of chicken & andouille gumbo with okra. The gumbo was the highlight of the meal and I wished I had ordered a bowl. Although I don’t recall my server saying there was seafood in the gumbo, there was a distinct seafood taste.
My oyster po-​boy was a very nice size for just a ½ po-​boy. The french bread was toasted nicely and there was ample oysters. Unfortunately, the oysters had absolutely no seasoning this time. Perhaps it was a one time oversight, but it tasted as if they simply dusted it in flour and then fried it in that slightly scorched oil. Still plenty edible, but leaving me wanting more.
Kudos to serving the giant frosted glasses of beer and root beer, as they are a crowd favorite. Although I was a little underwhelmed on my most recent visit, I will definitely go back for another try.

Stopped here for a drink while we were waiting for our table at Katie’s for Sunday brunch.
They serve bushwackers which are refreshing and delicious and come in a huge fishbowl.
The bartender was very friendly and it was easy to get a drink.
The Saints game was also on while we were there so it was good to just sit at the bar and watch or enojy the nice day on the picnic table outside.

If you want a good New Orleans neighborhood restaurant. You can’t go wrong here. It’s got a bar in the front and is a little dated/​dingy so don’t expect some fine dining experience, but that’s what makes it what it is. Oh yeah, and the food is great! Don’t think great of the gourmet foodie variety, just really good straightforward nola/​italian fare here. Be warned everything is fried or heavy (get out the Rolaids). They do several things well — my favorites are the fried onion rings — always crisp and fast and the fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade. The fried shrimp are great. The fries are clearly homemade like your mom cut them up. The open faced roast beef, the spaghetti, the fettucini, mashed potatoes (you get the point) are all good. And as a bonus they have huge frozen mugs which always makes the brews better.

This is one of my favorite restaurants sometimes I forget how much I love this place. It ialways has great service and fantastic seafood. Get the shrimp poboy, gumbo and a bushwhacker. The end. The only negative is this place is cash only. There is an atm inside though. Right when you walk in, you walk past a fully stcked bar. Then make your way into the larger dinning area. This is one of those quintasential New Orleans restaurant. Love.

Nestled in the «mid city» area of town just 2 blocks off of Canal street, this neighborhood gem blends in with the regular homes. I used to work across the street many, many years ago and a co-​worker turned me on to Liuzza’s for the mid afternoon «attitude adjuster» cold beers. I’m talking the coldest beer I’ve ever had anywhere, period! The mugs are kept chilling below the counter and when you order something on draft, once they begin pouring the beer, an ice chip forms in your beer. Try one, they are amazing!
The food is excellent also. Traditional red beans and rice on Monday but the menu is full of classic Louisiana dishes and po-​boys. Oh yeah, the onion rings are also worth a try. If you’re looking for a place to cool your heals and grab a bite or a beer, you can’t go wrong here.

The Gumbo at the one by the race track will make you cry .it’s that GOOD! one of the freshest, best Gumbo’s in the city w a half oyster Poboy on the side… + Ice cold Dixie in a frosted glass… Love this Locals restuarant. sit at the bar for a great staff and lots of laughs…
XoXo

I was pretty torn between giving this place three and four stars, but I think I’m gonna go with a strong three.
My dad and I came here for his birthday lunch. It was pretty packed when we dropped in around one, so we weren’t quick to complain when a waitress guided us to a small table in a corner. The waiter was nice and although it was packed, he was fairly attentive most of the time. We sat at the cramped corner table for a while, and after the place cleared out, we were «allowed» to move to a bigger table. Yippee!
Looking over the menu, everything seemed like pretty «typical» New Orleans food that you would expect from a place like this. Since it seems that I am always getting the fried oyster platter, I decided to mix things up and get the red beans and rice with some hot sausage.
As I waited for my entrée, I decided to try a pile of Liuzza’s «famous» onion rings. These onion rings are supposed to be the best in the city. They weren’t bad, but I wouldn’t sit here and say they are the best. They needed a little salt and hot sauce to get them going, but they had a nice crunch to them. I do tend to prefer the rings at Felix’s, however.
My red beans and hot sausage came out and it was pretty good. The dish had good flavor and I didn’t have to add any additional spice to it. My dad got the fried pork chops, and although they looked big, he later mentioned that they were pretty thin and there was a lot of batter on them.
Liuzza’s wasn’t a bad experience. I don’t know if I would rush back, but for lunch it’s a decent choice.

«Good job, pretty Ricky!!»
Now that I have that out of my system, let me tell you why I was underwhelmed with Liuzza’s.
The onion rings weren’t salty enough, the shrimp Poboy needed to be doctored up (a lot) and the meal was too expensive. Our waiter was all cracked out and the place was packed. I expected so much more from this New Orleans institution. I’m glad I tried it but I wouldn’t go out of my way to return.

Holy cow was this place awful. Me and 4 others (with a kid) came in around 7:20 and told the wait wouldn’t be long. We were seated about 15 minutes after that. Pretty much the second our butts hit the chair they took our drink orders. We literally just sat down, but ok. This place is cash only so one of us went to the ATM to take out $ 60 but only got $ 40…went back for the rest later but the ATM couldn’t dispense it because it ran out? Weird. The lady came back again after 10 minutes but a couple of us weren’t ready and said we only needed a couple of minutes with a strong hint to come back soon. Probably about 15 minutes later, she came to take our orders and told us in a nice but firm way to decide before she has to
leave us again. This now puts us at 8:00pm.
By 9pm, we were looking at all of the plates going up at the kitchen so longingly that a guy, who we assumed was the owner, came over and told us that he’d check on our food. We were next in line. Great.
We got our food around 9:10 and had we not been completely starving, we would’ve noticed that the food was pretty terrible. I’m convinced that the fettuccini Alfredo is just garlic, the pasta with white sauce is just… cream? At least the poboys looked good.
We are here because Venezia’s was an hour plus wait but had we put in our names when we arrived it would’ve taken less time to have our food get to us.
I’ll give the food a 2 and the service a 1.

Just an FYI that the food here is still as good as ever. The gumbo actually is better than ever. I went with 2 friends for lunch and we all got the half po-​boy and gumbo and we all loved our choice. The gumbo had a great roux, stock and lots of chicken and shrimp. And of course we started off with the best onion rings in NOLA. You can’t go wrong here.