Mississippi River Bottom

THIS IS NOT A BBQ JOINT! ONLY 1 RECENT SPECIAL IN MAY 2016 HAD BBQ. So we came here looking for BBQ and were completely disappointed. I had potato skins — they were fine. Friend had loaded fries and bacon-​wrapped shrimp. The shrimp smelled so bad the server nicely took it off of our bill. I just won’t take a chance with food poisoning!
Nice server.

Crawfish Mac and cheese was great as well as the deep fried soft shell crab. Nice people and good service too !!

Crawfish are good, but as a local, I wouldn’t pay $ 8/​lb when there are plenty of spots in town for $ 2.00/lb.

So… this is a different kind of place. Bar in the front, restaurant in the back on the patio. I think they are run as separate businesses. If you sit in the back on the patio, be prepared to go to the cash only bar for drinks.
The food, however, is top notch NOLA Joint good. I highly recommend the Crawfish Rangoons. The crawfish pots were right behind us & they were gearing up for a busy night I think.
Now let’s talk about the dog…
Ease up folks. He’s jovial. He wants to play. It’s one of those things you find in the quirkiness of The Big Easy. He interacted well with everyone including kids.
If that’s what gets your panties in a wad, I won’t judge you. You just need to choose a different level of establishment. I think you can call it «eccentric,» but it is not a cleanliness issue. When you are visiting «The Town That Care Forgot» please embrace the eccentricities. I mean, we all know how you got those beads. ;)

Don’t go here unless you are ok with 2 BIG dogs sniffing around your dinner! They climb on chairs, get under your feet, and nudge their heads between you and your plate! (I believe he’d are the owners dogs-​they are not on a leash and are just hanging around but no one says anything to them.) The prices are decent for New Orleans and the food is good, but portions are small. (I had a seafood platter-​1 piece of catfish and 6 shrimp with fries for $ 18) bread was $ 1.50 extra. I would definitely go somewhere else. For about the same price and food that tastes just as good, anywhere in the French quarter will give you a much better atmosphere.

Forgot our food! Waited 20 minutes to order. When we finally did, we waited over an hour for a pound of crawfish and loaded fries because the crawfish looked so good. I kept thinking «Well it’s Mardi Gras, they must be super backed up.» But everyone around us got their food! People who got there 30 min after us got their food very quickly! I asked the staff nicely about it 3 times. They kept saying «in a few minutes» BUT FOOD NEVER CAME AND WE LEFT EMPTY HANDED AND SAD. We wasted 90 minutes of Mardi Gras time with no food! Go the «Gazebo Café» instead. They served us quickly and efficiently

OK, for the record this review and the accompanying 2-​star rating are for one particular menu item and not a reflection on the rest of the restaurant or the bar (it’s one my favorites in the Quarter)
I’m sorry, but what is presented as a «Po-​Boy» at this place bears almost no resemblance to the actual New Orleans sandwich of the same name. Unless you enjoy paying $ 13+ for seven shrimp (7, I counted ‘em), served on what amounts to a glorified hot dog bun.
Man, I can’t say how disappointed I was. Cuz I really like MRB’s otherwise. Great bar for watching football games and hanging wit da locals (of which, I am one). And the restaurant does other things pretty good. They boil crawfish and shuck oysters on the half-​shell. And I used to love the wings!
This trick may work on the touristas, but I promise I will never fall for that one again, my friends.
Get yourselves some frickin’ Leidenheimers po-​boy BREAD, put a FAIR amount of shrimp/​oysters/​catfish etc. on there, dress it up nice and THEN you can start talking about having «Po-​Boys» on your menu.
Oh, and uh. THIRTEEN DOLLARS, bruh??? Come on, man.

I liked that it was dog friendly and their burger patties had good flavor. But that’s about it. We ended up sitting in the back open area, food seemed over priced for the taste and quality, and the service was very slow. Our appetizers came out WITH our meal after waiting forever for it. we didn’t get out drinks till after we got our food. The waitress kept standing there talking out loud with her friends, as we sat there waiting for her to take our order. It was okay. Was not impressed :/

Just had to come back one more time before we leave. Best charbroiled oysters in the quarter. See y’all next year.

This place is rough around the edges but has a lot of character. Stopped by before my fight on a Monday around 1pm. some of the locals were already here drinking. It’s a dive bar and they accept only cash at the bar but you can pay in credit for food. They also do not serve you alcohol at the table you have to go to the bar to get drinks! The happy hour starts early so if you have time to kill before a flight definitely check this place out. The happy hour is Monday — thur 11:30−4 on their oysters. My first time trying chargrilled oysters and they were delicious! The server in the patio works really hard and is extremely nice. Will come back next time I am back in New Orleans!

The bar here is cash only, but the prices are reasonable. The bartenders can be a bit abrupt and you will have to ask for service. The restaurant is a separate business and is very good. The chargrilled oysters are awesome as are the poboys. They don’t always have food service so you may want to check when you go in if you are there for food.

I was here on Monday, November 9, and was told that they have «The Ticket» so they would be playing the Chargers game. Most will only put the volume up if it’s a Saints game so was thankful when I walked in and the bartender said he would definitely have it on.
I have to say that this place really made me feel GREAT! Honestly! The bartender even said he was routing for the Chargers because of me (I was that excited). Many people came and went and gave me high fives and cheered the Chargers on (I was in my Chargers jersey) and it was a great feeling.
BTW, GREAT FOOD! I did not expect it! Also, it’s a very cute place! It has a very nice outdoor patio. Also, a very friendly dog. Don’t let him intimate you. Even if he jumps on you, he’s just excited!
It’s a little different because you pay for the bar separate from the food. The bar is cash only but you can pay for the food with your credit card. I didn’t mind. I think I was just so happy that they had my game on!
Thank you to MRB for making me feel so welcomed! You guys are awesome!

Wings were horrible, they were rock hard… wasn’t even sure what was meat and what was bone, yes, that bad. I didn’t come here for food though so that why I’m giving them some stars, great bar and friendly people. The oysters are great!

I wandered in on Halloween after the parade around the corner for some oysters. The bar was lively but not crowded, great rock music playing, sports on the TV. There were 2 – 3 bartenders behind the bar and they all seemed to be pointedly ignoring me, have no idea why. I made eye contact, smiled, and still they would pass me over for people just coming up to the bar, or to do nothing at all in a corner. At one point one even looked right at me and then went back to what she was doing. Don’t get it man, it was the only service I had while in New Orleans that was less than fantastic.
Finally a totally different bartender came behind the bar and got me a beer the moment she saw me. Even if you’re sitting at the bar a waitress comes around to you for your food orders and she was nice.
I got the char-​grilled and raw oysters, and the raw oysters don’t come on ice. Really odd. I get it’s kinda divey here but that just doesn’t seem good for the oysters.
It’s a fine enough place, if I were in the area I’d give it another shot.

Wandered in for a cold drink then noticed the happy hour special — raw oysters $ 0.50 each!!! Also had the boudin balls which were nice and crispy with a great flavor. This place is a dive bar with what appeared to be almost a ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ mix of locals and tourists. A find that out a smile on my face.

MRB is a cool little «locals» bar that I have frequented for the past 2 – 3 years. I have always found the bartenders to be friendly and professional. There’s an internet jukebox, and the prices are reasonable.
I have to sadly add I am crossing this place off of my usual list of places where I make my rounds, especially at night. Twice now, a self-​appointed rude as hell old drunk has aggressively been downright ugly, and he closes with some of the bartenders (he is not a bouncer). Now, I too bartend in the Quarter; I tip well, and never do I stay if they are closing or if a bartender says he/​she is closing. But as recently as this past weekend (Sept. 23), just after last call was called and we ordered our last round (and the bartender was both kind and professional in calling last call), this guy meandered over in a threatening manner and was, in short, a bully, I left. I both understand and appreciate this fella waits on the bartenders to close as my friends do for me, but NEVER would I allow my closers to behave in this way. It’s ugly. Nothing else but, and it’s aggressive, stubborn, stupid, and mean.
Once before, he started aggressively with me when the bar was no where close to closing, but he was angry that «tourists» were in «his» bar. Well, I’m no tourist and nor were any of the quarter residents and service industry people (read: tippers).
I do not allow people to speak to me in this manner, and now that it has happened twice, when all of my friends want to go to MRB, if it’s night, I will be pushing for us all to go to another one of our haunts. I hate it. I love the place, love the bartenders, but I will not put up with this out of anyone.

Bad service, mean bartenders. Ordered raw oysters and they were not served over ice?! Yes, they were room temperature. ugh totally disgusting. Drink prices are higher than most other places. Avoid

I was over charged by this place, the menu total was supposed to be around 40 dollars but the total was 69.30 dollars. We made the tourist mistake of not fact checking the prices at the spot. The receipt does not say how much every food item was so you cannot really tell how much every single item was. Tried calling this place multiple times and they hang up every time. What a shame,

Great neighborhood bar & grill, pet friendly, 2 courtyards that are kid friendly — and the best crawfish around !

This is my regular spot, and has been for many years. I appreciate the back-​of-​house attempts to get the community inside and involved with projected show screenings. I watched the entire AHS-​Coven series weekly in their rear courtyard. I have friends who go weekly for Game of Thrones.
Stan, who runs the kitchen, is incredibly kind. He’s one of those New Orleanians that you want all your out-​of-​town folks to meet so they walk away with a great impression of the city. His food is always spot on. It’s not gourmet and it’s not a hipster bar, so don’t expect pretty plating or fancy ingredients. You ask for a burger, you get a burger. Know what I mean?
I’ve had almost everything on the menu (multiple times). My favorites? Who Dat wings, Mardi Gras pasta, basic burger & fries, (love their cheese fries!), fried green tomatoes, and chargrilled oysters. Each time I get the oysters (4 – 5 times this year so far) they’re a little bit better than the last time. The only thing I don’t order anymore is their crawfish because it doesn’t include potatoes/​corn etc — but the boil is GOOD, y’all.
The bar itself is the soul of the place. It’s where I watched the Saints win the super bowl, and that’s a night I’ll never forget. Sometimes it’s got a divey feel and there will only be 2 – 3 folks at the bar. Other times there will be so many people watching a game you can’t walk through. The bartender (s) are solid. Never had any complaints — just make sure you know what you want when you walk up and if it’s busy, stick with something basic so they don’t give you the side eye.
If you walk in, and you probably will if you’ve made it this far in the review, tell Stan «WhatsNew» sent you. Cheers.

Excellent chargrilled oysters with garlic butter and Parmesan at a low price for the French Quarter.
This is a very laid back establishment. The patio tables in the courtyard behind the bar make you feel like you are hanging out in someone’s backyard. They are even grilling your oysters or boiling your crawfish right their on the patio with you.
We went back the following day to sit back on the patio to eat fresh raw oysters and boiled crawfish. Wow … Again, not only was the price fair (way below the average Quarter restaurant), the food was perfect. They get the crawfish seasoning perfecto!
Please understand, these are good people serving an awesome meal at a fair price and they make you feel right at home!

We stopped in here on a locals recommendation at the corner store. What a mistake. It was mid afternoon and the place had people, but wasn’t crazy busy. We sat down at a bar table in the front… and waited … and waited. I know this is the south, but there just seemed to be absolutely no service here and the bartender didn’t even acknowledge us.
While going to the bathroom, I noticed a back courtyard where they were steaming crawfish and outdoor tables with a waitress actually serving people, so we moved back there. The waitress was very nice and the service was great, but unfortunately the food fell far short. I asked what the recommendation would be for a great local food. She suggested the pork poboy. I’ve heard about how these are legendary so I went with it. Another mistake. The pork was dry and tasteless. The coleslaw wasn’t even seasoned or anything — I could get this crap at my local grocery store up north. Where’s the amazing sauces NoLa is known for? I had to put the fried pickles we ordered for an app on the sandwich so that it would have some taste. Really disappointed.

Cash Only local favorite in the French Quarter. Good selection of beers, plenty of room for large parties, and some southern gems on the food menu.
Great bar to watch the game with plenty of TVs and sports fans.
Dog friendly bar!
RIP JW

I loved coming here during my last new Orleans trip. We sat at the bar and had great beers and great food. Three stars because this time we sat at a table away from the bar and we had a bad service experience. There was a server that was seeing to the tables but she informed us that she was only taking food orders and drink orders were only made at the bar.
We bought s few beers from the bar then decided that maybe we would like a snack. We waved over the waitress to try and order some oysters but we were informed that they only carried them during months ending in r. I can understand the tradition of the statement but she failed to stick around to see if there were any other items we would like instead and she seemed a bit snobby that we tried to order them in the first place even though they were on the menu with no stipulations listed. We left and went to le bayou on bourbon street which is great for oysters on the half shell.

The crawfish was excellent and bf’s favorite. Other food was not so much and quite slow for some reason. Got the nachos and boudin sausage. Skip the nachos in my opinion, kind of bland. The wings I saw other people get looked really good. Boudin was ok, not quite my cup of tea. Restaurant is in the courtyard in the back of the bar and drinks are obtained at the bar.
Ratings of our crawfish adventure:
MRB
Foodfest — Bayou Barn
J’s Seafood Dock
French Market restaurant
Market Café

LOCALS are eccentric, dipsomanic, & not Coops;
GO for the ‘ersters, crawfish, & not Coops;
HERE to smoke, play video poker, & not Coops!
A NOLA NATIVE’S RANKING OF FRENCH QUARTER SEAFOOD-​ERIES:
1. GW FINS — only open for dinner so no bargains, but the finest dining alternative;
2. FELIX’S — better than Acme and no lines; fortuitously it’s across the street;
3. DESIRE — affordable, classic Vieux Carré atmosphere, old school wait staff;
4. RED FISH — Lunch Prix Fixes less than $ 20, Brennan’s quality, healthy choices;
5. CAFÉ SOULÉ — specializes in crab dishes, Antoine’s family, classic atmosphere;
6. DEANIE’S — if you want a menu heavy on fried… uh… everything, huge portions;
7. MRB — if you can handle bar smoke the oyster & crawfish specials are a deal;
8. ROYAL HOUSE — best atmosphere, outdoor seating, but touristy & a tad pricey;
DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN BEST & WORST: 9. New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood (a citywide chain; and that should tell you something about the bottom six!)
10. BOURBON HOUSE — good lunch prix fixe but the oysters are lame;
11. ACME — our classic oyster bar, but I’m a New Orlenian & don’t wait in queue;
12. OCEANA — nasty dining room, wide but insipid menu, gougingly overpriced;
13. PIER 424 — ultimate tourist trap on Bourbon, you can do so much better;
14. RALPH & KACOOS — buses disgorge snowbirds here;
15. (& Dead Last): COOP’S — there is absolutely nothing good to be said about it…
BUT I HAVEN’T BEEN BACK
The lax «hole in the wall» ambience borders on dirty. When in the Quarter I prefer «Mojo» if wanting a cheap sandwich, or «Desire» for oysters.