Saltwater Grill

With all of the great restaurants in NOLA, there is no need to stop at this one. The «crab cake napoleon» was one small crab cake with a slice of eggplant on the top and bottom, the crab cake sandwich was covered in a thin sauce that had the pre-​cut Picksweet onion/​green pepper in it… not good. That was a $ 15 entrée…no side, no nothing.
Pass on by this one!

I have visited here a few times and it’s always pretty good. The fried green tomato and eggplant appetizers are both awesome. I don’t particularly care for pasta, but the Pasta Adeline with the creole mustard cream sauce was really damn good. My girlfriend had the Riverbend chicken and it was very flavorful also (if you like mushrooms). I am most impressed with the low cost for the bill. The menu items are creative, flavorful, and affordable for a night out.
Oh and our server was very nice and efficient, so apparently they have upgraded the staff.

I went to join my mom’s friends for their weekly lunch. The restaurant is in a backwater strip mall near the corner of St Charles and Carrollton.
We all shared some corn meal battered oysters that was very good.
Our waitress told us that the mahi mahi and salmon were local. Obviously she was misinformed. Neither fish is local.
I had a shrimp po’boy which was average, nothing great. I tasted my mom’s mahi mahi which was very well done despite having been frozen. Overall the food is decent.
But the kicker was the cost. Just way too expensive, especially the fish of the day.

One of the localist eateries in our new home away from our other home so we gave it a try last night. First off, I want to let the owners know that when you call something your «house specialty» you are raising expectations. The hush puppies are not exceptional. They were dry and bland.
Second off, if you are a seafood restaurant and you’re in New Orleans AND you have crawfish, why would you only serve the crawfish in one appetizer? Maybe I don’t want fried eggplant and cream sauce with my crawfish — I just want the crawfish!
Anyway, the fried oysters were good, as was the blackened cat fish. But the sides were none too thrilling: aforementioned «house specialty» hush puppies and rice and beans. Nice vibe in the small place though and reasonable prices, plus a deal printed on the receipt for 15% off the next order means we’ll be back to check out more of the menu later.

this is a hidden place I’ve pasted several times. I just keep forgetting to walk in. I finally tried it out and was very impressed. the place is kinda small so you can hear the waitresses in the back talking but that didn’t bother me. my waitress was great and the ambiance wasn’t lacking. I had the Riverbend Chicken which is just chicken and mash potatoes with a craw fish mushroom gravy. the only downside to the visit was they sell the 25^th anniversary Abita Vanilla Doubledog but it was served with a warm glass. i asked for a cold frosted glass and was informed that they didn’t have a way to do that. my point is you cant sell beer in a glass that way its not right so it only 4 stars for now. food, service is a yes ill be back but we need to do something about that frosted glass problem lol

Let’s be honest. One of the tragedies of the human condition is imagination. We have the capacity to dream and fantasize limitless dreams and fantasies. We conjure our imagined selves to be these powerful beings without hindrance or handicap and when we are optimists and ambitious people we pursue these dreams with fervent dedication.
However, unfortunately because we are limited by imperfection we are unable to satisfy every desire dreamed. The Saltwater Grill undoubtedly was born out of this beautiful dream — day dreams of contending with the big boy Louisiana seafood restaurants and being THE PLACE for Riverebend folks to go when it’s time for that fried seafood platter.
But it will never be this if trends continue (over priced mediocre food, a basic misunderstanding of flavor, weird service, uncomfortable ambiance — read all the other bad reviews for details). When you are growing your business, your good reviews only matter a fraction of what your bad reviews are worth. Take the note, Saltwater Grill! Read your bad reviews and make intelligent changes! It seems like every complaint from the bad reviews were duplicated in our experience. That seems real lazy.
Sometimes we must take hard, honest looks at ourselves and admit that we can’t do ALL THE THINGS well. It appears as if running a restaurant is just not something the folks at Saltwater can do well.
Look– I can’t skateboard. I can keep thinking I can for the rest of my life but the longer I keep this dream alive the more likely I am to break my leg trying to do something stupid. Know what I mean?

Tucked away in an unassuming little strip mall, the Saltwater Grill does not look like much… but do not let that deter you. Nice storefront, and the interior is very eclectic and bistro like. It was raining the day I visited, so sitting outside was not an option.
Anyway– to the food. My dining partner and I split and order of the corn breaded catfish. The catfish was tender, flaky and flavorful, and was ever so lightly yet crisply breaded. I was impressed. The bread they served was also good, and warm. I ordered a cup of gumbo, and quickly wished I had ordered a bowl… it was that good.
For my entrée, I ordered the shrimp and grits. OH. MY. GOD! The shrimp was flavorful, I suspect it was grilled with bacon grease, and there were ample amounts encircling the plate. The grits had cream in them, cheese and scallions on top, with a bit of bacon crumbles. Until this point, I was not a fan of grits (having grown up south of the Mason Dixon line). I loved these. The right balance of savory, flavor, and a bit of spice in the shrimp. I cannot recommend this dish highly enough. If you decide to order, it is an excellent plate to share… or come hungry. Really hungry.
Prices were what one would expect for the quality and quantity. Service was efficient, friendly and accurate.
I plan on returning my next trip into New Orleans.

Pros:
Fast service
Fresh food
Interesting twists on Creole standards
Cons:
Pricey Po’ Boys
French fries need work (recipe? Duration?)
It’s expensive because they’re paying strip mall rent in a high-​traffic neighborhood. I can understand that.

I went here a couple years ago and thought it was pretty bad. The waiter was obnoxious, and the food was subpar. I came back only because I had a 50% off Groupon.
The waitress this time was equally as obnoxious, talking loudly on the phone and hollering across the restaurant to the other waitress about taking a cigarette break.
The menu has a great selection: normally my favorite New Orleans dishes. However, they fail on execution. The Shrimp, Crawfish and Tasso pasta had tiny frozen shrimp, which is totally unacceptable at $ 14 and at a place called Saltwater Grill in New Orleans. The fried shrimp po’boy was mediocre, but doesn’t nearly compete with other Uptown po’boy shops.
If you’re looking for a similar menu at similar prices, but much better food and relatively good service, try Ignatius on Magazine.

I wanted to love Saltwater Grill, but just didn’t.
It is very nice inside, fewer tables give it all a more intimate feel. My boyfriend and I went for dinner on a Friday and it wasn’t very busy. I noticed only two servers and both were helping each table, so I figured the service would have been a little better. One of them was very polite and the other seemed like she was having a bad night, but that happens to all of us.
Everything just took so long. Our drinks never got refilled, our food took so long and we waited 45 minutes for our check. We were the last table to come in, but it wasn’t near closing time. By the time we had eaten everyone else had gone and the servers were nowhere to be found. We just had to wait for someone to come out.
Several times the owner/​manager came by our table to ask how everything was and before we could get a word in he’d say «GREAT» and rush off.
I know one bad experience doesn’t mean the whole restaurant is bust, but the food wasn’t worth it either. All of our food was cold, our appetizer as well. I’m normally a very forgiving person, but the whole thing was just bad.

Grilled artichoke was phenomenal and the saltwater grill salad was divine. Staff was very friendly and helpful. Definitely will be returning.
Parking can be difficult at times, especially on a weekend. Sitting outside is an option but not on a summer day.

We ate there last night for the first time.
The crab cakes were done just right and sans any sauce. Lots of crab and very little filler. Grilled asparagus was very nice. The seafood platter was made up of catfish, shrimp and oysters. The oysters were flash fried and very juicy and tender. All the fried items had the same light texture with a fairly bland, light breading. the shrimp and catfish both seemed to be as fresh as the oysters.
Service was very friendly and attentive. The dining room is small and intimate.
Menu prices were very reasonable and there was enough selection to make it interesting. They even have some domestic beer for a buck. The wine prices seem to be pretty standard but a nice selection.
I’ll be back to try the shrimp and grits and some of their crawfish items. Very nice little every day kind of restaurant.

I’d rather give it a 2.5 but will round it to three for the girly’s lunch.
Girly and I were over on the bumpy-​street side of town (I know… what side isn’t?) and got hungry. When the tapas place was closed… The Latin place was packed and the Chinese place wasn’t open yet, we settled for Saltwater Grill.
The good…
The girly’s fried green tomato and fried shrimp po boy.
At 12 frigging bucks, it should have hat gold foil in the bread but she liked it. I had a bite and it was pretty good.
The fries… I asked for extra crispy and they made them extra crispy. But it’s hard to mess up fries if they are extra crispy.
The bad…
The server was nice enough but slow as ass. Really. It wasn’t busy and there were at least 2 servers and she was still slow as ass.
My grilled shrimp po boy.
First…it was bland. I mean really bland.
Second, I think the cook never heard of grilling. GRILL marks or browning are good things. Several of the shrimp I got in my three bites were still slimy and translucent… which means not cooked all the way. I’m a huge believer in cooking shrimp as little as you can in order to keep them juicy and not rubber. This person thought they were in a sushi restaurant or something.
The other bad… They are just too expensive for that level of food. I’ve had waaaaay better po boys at half their prices and 5 times faster.
I may go back someday… if the Chinese place isn’t open… and the Latin place is packed… and the Tapas place was closed. But someone else will have to buy.

This place is horrible. I went twice at its old location and once at its newer location. The service was unbelievably slow two out of the three times. I remember sitting at the bar on my second trip and staring at the bartender (there were maybe three or four other patrons at the bar, so she was not busy) for at least 5 minutes before she asked what I wanted to drink. The last visit at the Riverbend location, we sat for 45 – 50 minutes before out food came. Again, they were not crazy busy, so it made no sense. Damn near everything on the menu is fried, and the food is just not very good.
My boyfriend always said that if you see a lot of old people and not many younger ones eating at a place, you should turn around. Their tatsebuds don’t work anymore, so you know the place can’t be any good. I agree. Both are true of Saltwater Grill.
New Orleans has too many great places to eat to waste your time and money here.

In a perfect world, every conversation I am forced to overhear (in this case because my table was veeeeery close to another table) would be interesting and fun so I don’t have to enjoy a nice lunch while being regaled with tales of «opening fifteen tabs just to enter one student’s information because the boss man is a pill.» But when that’s my biggest complaint, I think it’s small potatoes.
After reading the reviews from other Unilocalers, I was worried. Actually, I decided to hit up the library then walk over to a restaurant on Oak St… but when I got to Oak St, my chosen restaurant was closed. Ouch. So I just kept walking. Saltwater Grill showed up in front of me when everything else was closed or boring or meat-​centric so here we go.
My food was great: I had the Saltwater Salad sans bacon (chosen because another Unilocaler posted favorably about it!) and a grilled artichoke. The salad was solid, but the artichoke was just astounding. I can’t even describe how fantastic it was without drooling. This is the first time I’ve encountered a grilled artichoke so I’m not quite sure how to evaluate beyond «yum, good, me likey.» I will say that I got the WHOLE artichoke so if you are not a fan of eating the meat off the petals, skip it.
My drink was always topped up; and the kitchen held my salad until I was done with the artichoke instead of crowding my table or rushing me. I can see how service would get sloppy when it gets busy, but the service was spot-​on for 3p on a Monday.
I’m coming back, and I’m bringing a date next time.
Ummm, also, this place had the weirdest restroom I’ve ever seen.
Accessibility notes: Fully accessible for mobility devices. No braille menu or signage. Quiet for hard-​of-​hearing customers.

I ate there this week. I’ve gotta tell ya, I was spring-​loaded not to like this place — I don’t care for the name, it is in a strip mall (and soooo close to Oak street with its awesome independent venues), and, let’s be honest, the menu isn’t the most ambitious.
I WAS DEAD WRONG. It was, for what it is, great. We had the Cochon de lait po boy, the softshell crab poboy, and the shrimp and grits. And, I gotta tell you, they were pretty damn good. The cochon de lait was actually about as good as Mahoney’s…and I love Mahoney’s.

I ate at Saltwater Grill for the first time today. My dining companion is a regular for lunch; she finds that they are quick & efficient.
Saltwater Grill serves a variety of typical New Orleans food: red beans & rice, shrimp & grits (which I have eaten at festivals– it’s yummy), crawfish étouffée, poboys, fried seafood platters. We started by sharing the fried green tomatoes and grilled shrimp with house made remoulade. Theirs was a nice version of this dish. I especially liked that the shrimp were grilled and not just boiled.
My friend ordered the red beans and rice. I ate the Saltwater Grill salad, a nice green salad with bacon and bleu cheese for $ 6.50, or you can add chicken, shrimp, oysters, catfish, portobello mushrooms for an additional charge. This was a generous portion; I took half of my salad home.
If you are near the Riverbend and want a quick lunch or a casual dinner, give Saltwater Grill a try.

Solid 3 and 1 half stars. Great shrimp oyster soft shell crab offerings. Nice salads, cheese grits, fresh vegetables. So-​So flaccid fries, the oil wasn’t hot enough I guess.
A little pricey but the quality is there, so for those who don’t mind a forty dollar lunch for 2, have at it.
Service was very good.

I didn’t got to Saltwater Grill with high hopes since the reviews were mostly so poor. BUT I had received a GC as a present from last Christmas, so I couldn’t let a free meal slide. I was somewhat pleasantly surprised. The fried onion rings were excellent, with just the right hint of grease. The bar made a good cocktail (my cousin even braved a milk punch and said it was good). Randomly the restaurant was out of french bread (which is insane). But the seafood dinners were tasty and our choices of sides were good, especially the asparagus.
Normally, I would probably rate Saltwater Grill a 3 or 3 ½, especially for the lack of french bread (poboys on buns, please). BUT (again) it turns out we knew our server so got excellent, if somewhat silly service. So +1 for Becky.

First, why did I go here at all? Because all the places I wanted to go to were blocked off by a parade. This should be your only reason for dining here as well.
I got a catfish poboy which was a tiny strip of fish with some wilted lettuce and tomato. No mayo, no mustard, nothing. How lame is that at almost 10 bucks? Very.
The only person in my group who wasn’t disgruntled afterwards ordered the shrimp and grits. I’d do that if you are forced to dine here.
NB: Saltwater Grill moved to a new location on Carrollton closer to St. Charles. Check the website for the address.