Ms. Hysters Barbecue

Been here twice. Both times were served food nuked in the microwave.
Today, I got the senior plate (2 ribs, ¼ chicken, two sides with cornbread.) I got the only sides they had today: baked beans and potato salad. Beans were extremely rancid. Cannot believe they served it.
Unfortunately, the beans dripped onto the ribs in the to go box. I tried to eat around it but still got sick.
Only reason they didn’t get one star was because their chicken is really good. Actually fresh and flavorful. Very tasty.
Unfortunately, everything else is old. And shouldn’t be served. Including their cornbread which was also turning.
They’ve got great flavors but this last time is the last time I’ll ever come here. I expect when I’m eating somewhere to not be served expired food. Especially when they could get business if they turned on their «Open» sign when they’re open.

The best barbecue in the world. The meat falls off the bone. Hole in the wall mom nd pop place but way more than worth it. 4 stars for the fact that Ms. Hyster isnt always there. Must go in Louisiana.

we heard the ribs were the thing to get here, so we stopped in for a late lunch today. when you walk in, you can definitely smell smoke in the dusty, cluttered dining room. but there is absolutely no one in the kitchen. the lady who was «helping out» couldn’t read the menu items and calculated the price on her phone. i read the menu item that was clearly visible above the register (and her head) to her no less than four times: «the combination dinner, with four ribs, ¼ chicken, two sides and bread, for $ 8.59. (white meat 50 cents extra)». she then disappeared into the kitchen where we could hear her using the microwave, to return and say the only sides available were potato salad, green beans, and baked beans. only to return to the microwave and boxed up my food to go. then my husband ordered the same exact thing and the same scenario started again. we then had to go to the gas station next door to get cash, as she informed me that they do not take credit cards and it would be $ 17.50. I brought back a twenty and she started looking in her own pockets for change, so i told her to keep the change as tip. meanwhile, the owner happened in on our way out. then proceeded to chase my car into traffic to haggle over the price that is clearly marked on her sign. essentially, she wanted 17 cents more for each plate. finally, we asked «how much more do you think we owe you?» her answer: «three dollars.»
now, the food. the chicken was not terrible. for being old, it was still juicy. the ribs were old and full of hard cartilage. none of it had seen a smoker. a grill, perhaps, but not a smoker. and everything was smothered in a sickeningly sweet barbeque that i could not get off my hands with mere napkins alone. the corn bread was also sweet and tasted like it came from a box. my husband said the potato salad was full of vinegar. but neither of us were feeling adventurous enough to try the baked beans.
we will not be back. ever.

Some of the worst bbq I’ve ever had. .I heard the woman microwaving all the food oh the back. .I tried it anyways big mistake it tasted old ! And turned my stomach. .Beware don’t go here. try at your own risk

This California kid has never had BBQ as awesome as this before. On a business trip and decided to stop in because i was craving BBQ. The staff was so wonderful and kind, and the food was unbelievable. The prices are completely reasonable for all the greatness you get. My favorite were the ribs/​chicken combo with baked beans and baked macaroni. I’m sad I won’t get to visit her again as I have no idea when I’ll be back in New Orleans. Thank you for my first dinner here in the city.

This is definitely a neat little joint here in New Orleans. It has the authentic ‘cue joint look and feel that everyone else in town is trying to copy. This place is also dirt cheap, and worth the trip.
NOTE: Do yourself a favor and CALL FIRST! The hours are kinda all over the place, and most folks don’t really end up on this stretch of Claiborne during lunch. If you do, just look to see if the shutters are rolled up on the windows — if they are, you’re in luck — she’s open.
One to the stuff that matters — the food…
We ordered and split the Special Senior Citizen Plate with a Sausage Link. We ended up with two Ribs, a Chicken Quarter (dark by request!), and a Sausage Link for the meats. The sides picked were the Potato Salad and the Mac n’ Cheese. We also received a nice hunk of very tasty cornbread!
The Meats!
Sausage Link — Standard, run-​of the-​mill link. I would certainly guess that they are not made in-​house.
The Spare Ribs — Definitely hickory smoked and delicious. They come sauced-​up, which is something that really separates this place from the rest of the ‘cue joints in town. The sauce is a sweet/​spicy tomato-​based sauce, somewhere in the middle of a KC/​Memphis style. Due to the sauce, the rub was hard to put a finger on it, but I would guess something simple along the lines of salt and pepper. The ribs were tender and tasty.
The Chicken — It was really tasty, moist, and overall well ‘cued. All of the meet had a nice — but not overpowering — smoke undertone of hickory. We asked for and got a chicken quarter.
The Other Stuff!
The Sides — They were good, with the Mac and Cheese hitting a creamy Velveeta note. The Potato Salad was also pretty standard. The side that out-​shined them all was the Cornbread, which was very tasty.
The Joint — This place is chock full o’ knickknacks and other stuff. If you need the latest Gospel CD (or even a vintage one), head to the left end of the counter. Speaking of the counter/​kitchen — it is huge and sadly way, way, way underutilized. This place could easily do the lunch business of the Joint with the size of the counter, kitchen, and the number of pits she has. Unfortunately, they only use one small part of the counter to take orders, with the rest sitting rather derelict. The only drinks available during our visit were water and lemonade, even though a fountain machine sits quietly behind the counter.
If this place got the attention they deserve, they would have no problem handling their growth in business. The owner is very sweet and accommodating during our visit, and I have met one of the other pitmasters a few times around town. I wish them the best, and look forward to going back again soon.

Food is GREAT! Although I’m not a fan of the potato salad because I don’t like onions and it has a lot of them. The ribs, chicken, sausage, beans, and ESPECIALLY the corn bread are all A-​OK with me. My only drawback is the place looks a little uncleanly and the guy who took my order was SO rude and unprofessional

You walk on this placed and can immediately tell its good. Def a hole in the wall and a must eat. I got their combo dinner and almost couldn’t finish. Portions are good and it’s not expensive.
This is a must for someplace off the beaten path.

The food is good and inexpensive. A super deal. The Mac n cheese is creamy, cheesy and delicious. The sweet potatoes are perfectly buttered and garnished with brown sugar and cinnamon. The corn bread melts in your mouth and the beans are perfectly seasoned. The staff are friendly, attentive and make you feel like you’re eating in your grandma’s kitchen.

I wanted to give this place more stars… Ms. Hyster was so nice! The service here was ok… the food came out quickly but there was only one person up front (Ms. Hyster) so there was no one to take others’ orders while she was in the back fixing our plates. The food just wasn’t very good. The barbecue sauce was unexceptional and the chicken was dry. Out of my fiancé’s 3 ribs, 2 were perfect fall off the bone and the other wasn’t nearly as tender. The mac and cheese was good as was the potato salad, but again they lacked any exceptional flavor. The greens lacked flavor too, even though she said they were cooked with pork. I was dying for some salt, relish, or something to make them more enjoyable. In general, if you’re in the area and want a decent meal, stop in. If you’re dying for some kick-​your-​teeth-​in bbq, head across town to The Joint. Sorry Ms. Hyster :(

Great little old school place. Feels like you’re in your grandmother’s living room. Ribs are pretty good, BBQ chicken is great. Tender and smokey chicken, delicious, unique, and yet comfortingly familiar KC style sauce. The value though is what warrants five stars.
Had the Sampler plate which was a massive amount of good BBQ for $ 6.23
That alone is worth the trip over to Claiborne and MLK.
Try ms hysters! Hours are erratic beware
Some may be turned off by the neighborhood, get over it.

i just realized somehow that i had yet to write a review for mrs. hysters… this is a shock seeing as how I’ve been going here irregularly for about 7 years now. I say irregularly just because their hours make it difficult for me to get there for lunch, but when i do i enjoy it.
prior to the storm the décor was incredibly different. if you went before the storm you know the changes I’m talking about. it was pretty bare bones before, now it’s more country themed.
I’ve never had a bad meal here. it’s the kind of cooking where i imagine they have a giant vat of green beans in the back with a big olé slab of lard and bacon just melting down into deliciousness. same goes for the greens.
I’ve always found the BBQ to be full of flavor and the mac and cheese is the baked kind you find yourself craving from a good southern kitchen. something just to even out the protein heavy other side of your tray. let’s talk about the serious food coma I’ve always had about an hour after eating here. the rest of the afternoon should be reserved for doing nothing strenuous.
don’t expect a fancy dining experience. this is a sidle up to the counter and order yourself some vittles type experience. when they call your number go get your tray and chow down. then please, for the love of god, bus your own tray just like your momma taught you. otherwise i would not be surprised if one of these women didn’t take a switch to you. also, be nice or leave, they spend all day slaving over a hot stove to serve up that BBQ your are enjoying and licking off your fingers, manners will get you much farther in this establishment than whatever wad of cash you might have in your pocket.
i do love me a true southern type eatery.
oh, and there is a tiny tiny parking lot there. be prepared to park on the street. and be prepared to be in the right hand lane on claiborne, otherwise you’re not getting over without pulling some sort of days of thunder move or ending up on the overpass.

Awesome barbecue place. Everything I’ve tried has been fantastic. The soul plates are an unbelievable deal. Multiple meats and multiple sides for around $ 10. Unreal.
The ribs are juicy. The sausage is perfectly spicy with a good snap. The pulled pork is really flavorful when topped with the addictingly good bbq sauce and some of my favorite cole slaw of all time. The mac and cheese hits your gut like a ton of delicious bricks. I’m not a huge collard greens fan as they are a little bitter for my taste, but my buddies who like them swear by these.
Just make sure you allot enough time to eat and take a good long nap. We made the mistake of trying to eat this before class a few times. Thankfully, the attendance policy was relatively lenient.
They at least used to keep strange hours (probably because of Katrina) but they’ve recently been open every time I’ve tried to go.
Favorites are: Pulled pork sandwich, cole slaw, mac and cheese, cornbread, sausage, ribs.

We almost didn’t go because there haven’t been any reviews in awhile and we thought they were closed. When we got there they had closed for abt 10 mins.
Ms Hysters granddaughter worked the register and was extremely nice. They were out of diet Coke and lemonade just didn’t sound like what I wanted but it was like crack lemonade, like a melted lemonsicle.
I went in with a lot of this info in my head. True, all the sides weren’t blow your socks off, but the ribs were freakin AMAZING and the fried chicken was really terrific.
The big deal is the Monday special, ¼ chicken and red beans and rice for $ 5.99, they were beyond excellent.

Okay, not the best. Most of what we did get was really, really dry. I brought the left overs home for my dog, she loved it.

I was really expecting GREAT barbecue, but it was just okay. The sides were pretty good. The most frustrating part is that they aren’t always open when they are supposed to be and they always seem to be out of something!
Oh, parking is a nightmare.

GREAT barbecue! I think they serve the tastiest que in the city, actually. I’m a huge fan of anything they barbecue, especially the green beans. The portions are nice and big, so there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to box some food to take home.
The draw backs are that the parking my make you nervous; and the last time I went, it was cash-​only. At the end of the day, however, these are a bunch of regular folks cooking some outstanding barbecue.

Sorry, but I’m obviously not on the 5 star parade here for Mrs. Hyster’s. After waiting around in the main room for about 4 minutes, someone finally showed up. She was nice enough about everything, but still. I attempted to order the brisket dinner, but I was informed they were out of brisket, and had been for weeks. So I ordered the sampler dinner: BBQ chicken, 1 rib, and sausage. With 2 sides, Mac and Cheese and Potato Salad.
The chicken was undercooked, a huge pet peeve of mine. The rib was good, but it wasn’t as big as I thought it was going to be considering other Unilocaler’s experiences. The sausage was very forgettable. And the mac & cheese? :Let’s just say that Loyola’s cafeteria is better.
Also, parking is difficult, forcing me to park on a not-​so-​safe neighborhood in Central City.

$ 6 gets the sampler plate which is ¼ rotisseri chicken, sausage link, 1 rib, corn bread, and 2 sides. Not a bad deal at all.
Chicken was good, rib was also good. The cashier warned that the sausage was a little spicy, so I feared for my safety when a dark red link stood before me. It was not too spicy and tasted great.
The bread pudding was $ 2 and pretty darn good. BBQ wasn’t as good as the Joint or VooDoo, this place is more of a local lunch counter that serves BBQ.
Yeah, its in a rough part of town, but that’s what makes it interesting.

First of all the food was amazing and there was so much of it that we had enough for dinner too. I knocked a star off for several reasons
1. The sides were not as good as I would have liked
2. we went during a refurbishment so it wasn’t the best atmosphere but still friendly and accommodating
3. when offered a drink I asked if it was included in the «dinner meal» we were getting and the guy behind the counter didn’t speak enough english to understand what I was asking so just said yes so I got two lemonades and in the end was charged for them when I wouldn’t have gotten them in the first place had I known.
Overall I thought the BBQ was amazing and would definitely visit again.