Commander's Palace

“Exceptional carajillo. Good lighting and solid brandy French 75. Good chair firmness and clean bathrooms. Appreciate the dark napkin option as well as the excellent birthday recognition, and shout out to service team member Billy for great beverage shepherding and stories! All other items need some work: some solid things, some misses. Iconic tasso "stuffed" shrimp with pickled onions & okra and mixed chile jam was a beautiful, stained glass-like presentation and flavors were solid. Turtle soup should be exceptional here, as the known standard setter, however the flavors were a bit indistinct. Foie gras could have been great, as the strawberry and honey accompaniment was great, but the brie (distracting secondary fat) and pasty/wheat gummy baklava did nothing positive for the dish - those could have been substituted with more foie and berries for a fantastic but missed opportunity. Pecan crusted drum with supposedly prosecco steamed crab (undetectable prosecco) was solid and completely fine, if uninspired and lacking inspiration, and came out with the sauce fully skinned over, what? Bread pudding souffle, another Commander's stronghold was very good and perfectly done, but not quite as great as the carajillo! Service, when it was on, it was on (special requests, recommendations, rapport). When it was off, it was off (missing silverware, fish came out with sauceskinned over, very long glass of wine waits, dishes served out of order), probably due to a full Saturday night dining room and Tulane graduation.”

“Altogether, the food, service and decor created a dining experience that feels comforting, colorful, memorable and true to spirit of New Orleans hospitality. The food is the heart of the experience. Every dish, 1/1/1 soup, Cochon de Lait Tostada and Curry Spiced Wild White Shrimp prepared with bold flavors with layers of spice and depth of fine cooking. The colorful 25 cents martini is an inexpensive opportunity to try all flavors (Cosmopolitan, Commander’s, Ray’s Melon). Every great meal needs to end with amazing desserts. The Creole bread pudding soufflé tops just melts your tastebuds with warm flavors and whiskey cream. The fresh Louisiana strawberries made the strawberry shortcake is outstanding dessert. A delicious meal with great presentation with plenty of flavors. The service ties everything together. A shout out to our waiter, Dylan who was awesome, attentive and friendly to our needs. He made us feel welcomed at this restaurant. Overall, this restaurant lives up to it’s reputation. Cheers!”

“New Orleans has a thousand restaurants but Commander's Palace sits on top and has for over a century. The turquoise and white Victorian building in the Garden District is iconic you see it and you know you are about to eat one of the best meals of your life. The turtle soup is the benchmark. Rich, complex, a splash of sherry on top, and it tells you immediately that the kitchen takes this seriously. The bread pudding souffle for dessert is worth the entire trip to Louisiana by itself. It rises out of the bowl like a cloud and the whiskey cream sauce puts it over the edge. I did the jazz brunch on a Saturday and it was one of the best dining experiences I have had anywhere. Live jazz trio, Bloody Marys, and course after course of Creole cooking that makes you understand why this city produces the best chefs in America. Emeril came from here. Paul Prudhomme came from here. The Brennan family has run this kitchen for generations and the standards have not dropped one inch. The service is gracious Southern hospitality at its finest attentive warm never rushed. You feel taken care of in a way that most restaurants have forgotten how to do. New Orleans feeds your soul and Commander's Palace is the heart of it.”

“It’s an experience. You understand southern hospitality when you visit Commander’s Palace and get treated like royalty. Every guest is special. Extremely polite and friendly, welcoming team of professionals at this establishment. Yes, the food is great but the service makes it taste better. The synchronized Michelin star table service is quite appreciates. One server per person per course come at the same time and with a smile, our plates are set in front of us at the same time. Splendid! It has to be experienced. The jazzy brunch is well done with experienced musicians that will play by your table what you may request or their own interpretations. Delightful and so friendly too! Reserve and go. It’s a treat that every one deserves!”

“After hearing legendary stories and history associated with this place, we were incredibly excited to finally dine here for our anniversary celebration. Given the restaurant’s reputation, we came in with very high expectations — unfortunately, the experience overall missed the mark for us. One thing that stood out immediately was that we were served ice-cold water without anyone asking for our preference. While this may seem minor, at a restaurant of this caliber, attention to detail matters. Thankfully, Zak from the beverage team later stepped in and provided us with a better water option, which we really appreciated. He was knowledgeable, helpful, and instrumental in guiding us on cocktail pairings with our meal, which definitely elevated parts of the experience. Food-wise, it was a mixed experience. We started with the cauliflower hickory appetizer, which was amazing — easily one of the best dishes we had during our trip. The flavors were exceptional, and it was beautifully executed. Unfortunately, the entrées did not live up to the same standard. We ordered the fish dish and the squash with collard greens, and both were underwhelming. The plating lacked refinement, with visible spots and marks on the plates upon arrival, which affected the presentation and first impression. More importantly, both dishes leaned overly salty and lacked the depth of flavor we were expecting from such an iconic restaurant. For dessert, we had the strawberry shortcake, which was enjoyable and a nice way to end the meal, though not particularly memorable. Overall, while there were some highlights — especially the appetizer and the excellent service from Zak — the experience felt average considering the legendary reputation and high expectations surrounding Commander’s Palace. For a special anniversary dinner at such an iconic establishment, we left feeling somewhat disappointed.”