Matassa’s Market

matassa’s cares. I order wine, gumbo, etc from my
workplace often.
love the seafood gumbo! love the chicken po boy.
the last time I called they were out of the Chardonnay I wanted (btw this is for the customers you guys i promise I’m not usually a work wino) and they called me back and talked me through all their available
options, prices, and sizes. lots of places would’ve just brought beringer lol (or whatever they found to be comparable). it’s usually cheaper than Verti, although I love them too.

Not only did they charge me twice for my order (two different amounts at that!), but the owner was YELLING at me over the phone on my wedding day! He is a horribly mean man and claimed he couldn’t do a refund because he’s «not a technical guy». The food wasn’t good enough for the AWFUL experience I had to endure to get it.
I would NEVER order from this place again.

Great fried chicken… but be prepared to wait for awhile for your order… very reasonable of the area.

** This review is specifically about the Deli section **
Given the choices one has in the French Quarter for take out /​delivery — this one, easily beats the rest. And from what it seems like — HIDDEN GEM alert! The next few lines will be rather to the point without any uncalled-​for reasons or need for exaggeration. Here we go…
##**##** F R I E D C H I C K E N **##**##
(I wish I could highlight, and glorify the above line by another means. Fail!)
Anyone who likes Fried Chicken (spelled exactly like the line highlighted above), should visit this place and get a — made to order fried chicken. Yes, you read me right. The Deli section at the very back of this store — they make fried chicken on demand. OMG — that sounds like the good old MTV days when music videos were on demand. I have to use another line for this again.
FRIED CHICKEN ON DEMAND!
Yes. You don’t get handed 3 juicy pieces of heavenly fried chicken legs as soon as you ask for it and then get directed to the checkout to pay $ 3.99 (again, Unbelievable!) You go to the deli at the very back of the store, tell whoever is on shift (in my lucky case — the cutest woman ever frying chicken on demand — pic attached!) — whatever you want — I wanted Chicken Legs only — no wings, no breasts, LEGS only. And she gave me the Brightest smile of the day, brighter than the NOLA sunshine, and spent 20 minutes — possibly one of happiest 20 minutes I spent in NOLA over the last 7 days (drunken bars aside — really doesn’t count nor compare!) and made the most amazing fried chicken I have ever had in my lifetime — YET!
And I had to get a fattening side to go along with it. What do I get? Mashed potatoes with gravy, Perfect with a capital P! The entire deal $ 6 and some change. Could I get any more lucky?! The next time I visit NOLA again, my brisk legs know where to get my not so southern behind to, to get the sexiest meal I have had, made to order — in a long, long, long time! Happy and Very Lucky me!
BAD NEWS: This isn’t a hidden gem no more! Oh well, I am not selfish. I believe in sharing wealth (via Unilocal!)

This is one of the few delivery places in the French Quarter that will take a credit card over the phone so being without cash, I order often. My favorite day of the week is on Monday when they have a meatloaf special. The special consists of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, a veggie and a bread. It’s a lot of food so it’s both lunch and dinner for me at a great price.
When placing your order over the phone with a credit card, you will have to tip at that point because they are not able to run the card again. Luckly the delivery guys are always nice and prompt.

Update: There is a new clerk that has just the right attitude, Miss Kristen. She has been consistently engaging towards the customers. It is refreshing to find someone who has something personable to say to each patron without sounding rote. Good hire. And good upgrade on cheese and health beverages

Been going to this little family-​owned grocery for years, and everyone I know goes here as well. When we have parties, they deliver bags of ice for us. Who else does that! (I bet no one).
Today we had Matassa’s lunch via delivery– I had a hot sausage PoBoy, which was one of their daily specials. It was a couple dollars more than my usual one at Johnny’s, but quite comparable tasting with fresh, chewy Leidenheimer French bread and Patton’s hot sausage. It wasn’t anything spectacular or particularly memorable, but it was tasty and exactly what I wanted. It could’ve used more lettuce/​dressing. I also had a small side salad. It was $ 2.95, so ranks as probably the cheapest house salad option in the quarter. Again, very basic
And bare-​bones, but for the price, absolutely worth it.
My coworker had their lunch plate of stewed chicken over rice with peas and bread– all very homey/​comfort sounding. He said it tasted great, but nearly every other bite had a bone in it. That said, he LOVED their chicken tortilla soup. Definitely made in house, great price and portion size.
Bottom line? I’d definitely order from them again. Quick, friendly service. Decent food, good pricing. Yep.

Fried chicken is fabulous. Gives Willie’s and Coop’s a run for the $$$. The owner is famous. Ask him why. Very nice gentleman. The place would get 5* but the woman behind the deli counter was surly and rude the day we wanted a quick breakfast sandwich. Nothing quick or polite about it that day. Part of the local charm, but really no need for the bad attitude.

It’s convenient, except when they close earlier than times posted. Canned and boxed items are probably okay but the fresh pork chops I bought today were turning rotten. Looked okay until I opened the package & turned them over, actually were turning green & stunk to high heaven. I should have known better… saw a rotten green pepper in the case. Prices are high but that’s partly location.

DAILY LUNCH PLATES: e.g. MON: Red Beans & Rice $ 8; FRI: Fried Seafood $ 15;
DELIVERY: it’s a mitzvah that they haul up our steep Quarter stairwells!
FQ OLD SCHOOL: this is the hub of the real, «wired-​in» Vieux Carré experience.
I think having lived in the Quarter since the mid-​90s I tend to take Matassa’s for granted because in reality there are some services that only they provide. First and foremost: Matassa’s has SALES!!! and drop their old-​school weekly circulars in our mailboxes weekly (this is in direct opposition to Rouses on Royal that doesn’t participate in any of that chain’s specials in order to maintain tourist prices). Secondly, Matassa’s is a full grocery that delivers! You need 100lbs of ice for a party? Family unexpectedly dropped in and are demanding Mimosas? Just had minor surgery and can only eat jello or bananas AND you’re out of toilet paper? Call Matassa’s! And thirdly, they have a surprisingly good website with all the weekly specials posted.

This is a sandwich review. It’s not so much that the sandwiches are bad. Matassa’s is more a victim of being a couple blocks away from the Verti Marte, which has some amazing offerings. I tried a turkey sandwich, which was fine but nothing special. Also, keep in mind these are not po’boys. They use a standard sub-​style bread.

OK, disclaimer: I’m friends with them, and I live in the neighborhood, so delete a star if you don’t know the family.
As far as New Orleans corner groceries go, this is the classic. They have everything, and they deliver ! If it’s not in stock, they will order it for you.
Above average wine selection for a small store… comes in handy when you’re eating in the neighborhood at a BYOB restaurant.
The best, best, best fried chicken I’ve ever had, ever… really, the best. Did you catch that? Order the fried chicken.
This place also sells my household’s absolute favorite king cakes during carnival season. This year they’re featuring an amazing coconut zulu king cake that they will order for you if you call ahead.
This place is immortal, support family-​owned and support local !

For starters, they deliver anything they sell in the store — to your home, within a reasonable distance. And they’re nice. And they’re close by my loft. So, there’s that.
The place is small and a bit crowded; but so what. The prices are pretty good but not really cheaper than some other places. The quality and freshness of the food is somewhat suspect. On more than one occasion, I’ve returned home with molded cheese or canned goods out of date, and the freezer section needs some work staying at a constant temperature.
Still, the Po-​Boys are good as are many of the hot meals they make fresh. Just be sure to check the dates on the foods you buy.

We were told by a local that if you’re going to eat an Oyster Po Boy in New Orleans, then get it here since they do it better than anyone in town. We were not disappointed. My wife and I decided to share one Po Boy, a bowl of corn/​crab bisque and some fresh fruit for lunch. The Oyster Po Boy was huge, loaded with oysters! And it was amazing. Slathered in mayo with lettuce and sliced tomato. Could not possibly been any better than it was. Soup was great too + the fresh fruit was exactly that. Very inexpensive meal we won’t soon forget. Don’t be fooled that it’s located in the rear of a corner grocery store. If we travel back to New Orleans this place will be a must stop for us for another Oyster Po Boy (or 3).

A little bit of everything and a pretty good hot lunch. If you are a fat man like me, be careful of the narrow isles. Nothing like having to have the jaws of life pry you out from between the dog food and some cheap wine.

As stated in several previous reviews Matassa’s is a well-​stocked corner grocery and deli. Every couple of years the aisles get narrower and narrower. On the other hand they stock more items each time or upgrade the equipment or both.
For regulars they will special order for you or add your favorite item to the shelf, sometimes removing another lower quality product. (once they ordered a small pig for a cochon de lait I did)
Beer, wine, alcohol. Family owned, free delivery.
A neighborhood staple.

So my boyfriend has been going to NOLA for work every couple of months for the past year and he kept talking about these amazing sandwiches he was getting while he was there. This past weekend I finally got to go and have a Hot Pepper Sandwich which was one of the most amazing sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. It’s a neighborhood grocery store in the French Quarter with a deli in the back that uses the fresh produce and meats they have for sale right there in the store. My boyfriend got a Philly Cheese steak Sandwich and they guy behind the counter asked him to hand him a pepper from the ones for sale so he could make it, it doesn’t get much fresher then that!

I’ve been coming to New Orleans off and on for a decade, staying in the same place on the outer edge of the French Quarter, and somehow I never discovered this local gem – just two blocks from my hotel – until this year.
If you’ve read my review of Albany Foods and Liquors in Chicago, you’ll understand why I like this place. It is a classic neighborhood market, and like all such places, its offerings reflect the needs of both the French Quarter residential neighborhood that surrounds it, and the guests of numerous nearby hotels.
Matassa’s has everything one needs to stock a pantry and prepare any home-​cooked meal (including cuts of fresh meat) but convenience foods abound as well. It’s also a fully stocked liquor/​beer store with great prices.
As I elbowed my way down one crowded aisle, eying a shelf of Zatarains mixes, I wondered if New Orleanians really eat gumbo from box. Maybe they looked at the same way I thought Kraft Dinner in the blue box: a guilty pleasure best consumed, after a night of bar-​hopping perhaps, but a dish you knew you should make yourself. Whether homemade, or from a box, one could do it either way with goodies from Matassa’s.
The store *is* crowded. Like all good urban neighborhood markets, spaciousness is sacrificed for sheer volume of products. If you’re a large person, you’ll feel squeezed, but I’d accept that inconvenience for the selections they offer.
I didn’t try the food from the deli, but my experience in the French Quarter is that very often the storefront market delis are very good, and others have commented favorably on this Matassa’s house-​made food.
Finally, if you look at the photos for Matassa’s here on Unilocal,you’ll see a cargo bike out front. Yep – they deliver groceries by bike. I asked how customers placed orders, and the guy said «just call us up,» as if to say «how else would you do it?» I kind of had a «duh!» moment – Chicago: why aren’t your neighborhood markets doing this?

Great poboys, the seafood doesn’t get in till Tuesday so make sure to hit it before the weekend.

I don’t know who sells you your 12 packs of Pabst, but I go out of my way to buy mine form Cosimo Matassa. For those that don’t know, Cosimo was the owner of recording studios that basically recorded every New Orleans R&B hit from the end of the 40’s all the way through to the 1970’s, and he engineered them all himself.
Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Ernie K Doe, Lloyd Price, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard all were recorded by Cosimo. He recorded Roy Brown’s Good Rockin Tonight before there was even a tape recorder in New Orleans…1 take… direct to acetate… and after retiring he from music and at 85 years old, he is still at his families market. Not everyday, but he’s around. The day before Hurricane Gustav, we was behind the counter selling us our liquor.
Rouses may have a better selection and cheaper prices, but did the cashier get to ogle Irma Thomas when she was still young and very hot? I want to be looked at by the eyes thast looked at her.
Oh, and they sell plate lunches too.