Drago's Seafood Restaurant - Hilton New Orleans Riverside

Best experience ever! We ordered the charbroiled Oysters' regular style and well done. And they both tasted amazing!! I could have done a 3rd dozen and was well satisfied with the bread and butter. We sat in front of the grill where the magic happened, and seeing how many Oysters they go through is an eye opener. The place was packed on a Friday night, so we had to get creative on finding good seats. Obviously, food servers were busy all over, so I recommend ordering everything ahead of time and spec delays, but will get it patiently.

We came here with a group of 5 friends. The location of the restaurant is inside of a Hilton, but their main entrance is from the left side of the Hotel’s entrance. It was a bit confusing for us, and we went through the lobby of the Hotel. To get to the seating section of the restaurant, we had to walk across the whole restaurant, which would have been fine, but the tables were so close to each-other we had to leap around. We ordered waters, sodas, and cocktails. They all arrived pretty fast to our tables, except the cocktails. We had to wait about 10minutes for them to arrive. For appetizers we got 12 charbroiled oysters and alligator tail tacos. They were presented beautifully and tasted amazing. They arrived fast too. For entrees, we got seafood angel-hair pasta, seafood pasta with grilled shrimp, fillet mignon steak, and the “Mac Daddy Trio”. They arrived fast seafood and the pasta were tasty and delicious, big portions. The steak was smaller portion, tasted good and cooked perfectly for the way we asked. The “Mac Daddy Trio” was not what we expected. The lobster it came with tasted plain, we didn’t get any butter with it. The steak was good but the lobster Mac and Cheese tasted weird. It was way too salty and the lobster tasted like it was old. Presentation wise all our foods were presented beautifully. For deserts, we got their cheese cake. It was delicious, although it did not look like a cake what so ever. The service was okay, nothing special though. Our waiter was slow and not very professional as a waiter with the way he talked to us. The atmosphere of the restaurant was very crowded and loud. The tables were way too close to each-other. Overall the place was clean and had some cool decorations and televisions on the walls.

Excellent bar ! Grilled oysters out of this world! We were walking around playing tourist in our own city. Usually this place is so packed. You can’t even get in the door so when we noticed, we could get a seat at the bar we tucked in. Ordered our favorite beverages and my vodka martini was excellent. Ice crystals, and everything. About the time I was midway through my martini, our chart grilled oysters showed up. So the challenge that normally comes with char grilled oysters, is that when you try to soak up the butter with your bread, you can get char pieces that you can’t chew. I don’t know how they did it, but I was able to eat the oysters with the butter and the bread and had no crispy bits. If you’re from out of town, don’t be afraid of bread, butter, and oysters - it’s like the Trinity for your taste buds. Magical flavors and pretty much only get here in New Orleans.

I had high expectations for Drago's Seafood Restaurant, but unfortunately, my experience was disappointing. The host greeted us warmly, which started the visit on a positive note. However, the service quickly went downhill once we were seated. Our waitress, who had been with the restaurant for a while, seemed disengaged and unprepared to answer our questions. As first-time visitors, it would have been helpful if she had taken the time to explain the menu or offer any guidance. For example, we didn’t know we had to ask for bread, which was an oversight. The food presentation was also lacking, and the dishes did not meet our expectations. To make matters worse, our waitress disappeared for over 30 minutes without checking on us, while other tables seemed to be attended to. This lack of attention made us feel neglected and frustrated. The absence of management oversight was evident, as no one came to check on our table or ensure that everything was to our satisfaction. Considering that we paid for parking, the experience felt even more disappointing. It took over an hour and a half to receive our meal, and the long wait only worsened the overall service. Additionally, I noticed unsanitary areas in the kitchen, which raised concerns about cleanliness. I really hoped for a better experience, as the restaurant has potential, but the combination of poor service, lackluster food, and insufficient management oversight made this visit underwhelming.

Came here right away when they opened. Service was great! Juan was super sweet and attentive. We ordered a variety of item. Ordered charbroiled oysters, lobster Mac and cheese, chicken/sausage Gumbo, seafood Gumbo, and wedge salad. The charbroiled oysters were delicious. Perfect size for oysters and not overpowering. The bread/baguette was just perfect and crunchy. It was great bread for dipping in the sauce the lobster Mac and cheese was cheesy a d good. The top layer of cheese had a nice crust. The wedge salad had the perfect amount of toppings to eat with the wedge. A little too much dressing, but not complaining! The Gumbo was just OK. Good size, but needs a little more flavor. This place was convenient for food and surprisingly decent!

Here for work & walked downstairs to Drago’s it’s super packed because of the sugar bowl & I finally get a seat for 1 at the oyster bar. My server T put my order in & i communicated with Chris he was on the oyster bar Grilling dozens & dozens of oysters. He was able to give me my order hot off the grill as he & T communicated. I loved watching my food made fresh to order. Mr Jerome was shucking the oysters as they came in by the dozen. The team was super fast & friendly during the high peeked stressful time. My Hats off to witnessing such a flawless execution of service. Mr Anthony a supervisor checked in with me and ensured I had a very good time sitting at the bar. I felted compelled to write this review as I experienced exceptional service after I was greeted by others telling me I couldn’t order for 45 mins. As I made my way through the crowd I found a single seat at the oyster bar that changed my experience.

The food catfish was so crunchy on the outside and flaky and moist on the inside. It was some of the best catfish I've ever eaten. The fried alligator bites were crunchy and delicious. It was my first time trying charbroiled oysters, and they were amazing. The rice in my cousin's shrimp creole was undercooked and crunchy, so the manager took it off the bill. The service was amazing! Will definitely be back next time I'm in New Orleans. 😋

**Review of Drago’s Seafood Restaurant** I recently had an experience at Drago’s Seafood Restaurant that started off on a negative note but ultimately ended on a high. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a front desk attendant who was surprisingly rude. Despite arriving with my family and letting her know that I needed to leave the car with the valet service, she flatly refused to seat us until I returned. I understand the need for organization, but a little empathy would have gone a long way—especially when dining out with family. Once we were finally seated, I expressed that we were pressed for time. Although we initially sat there waiting longer than expected, our waiter, Otis, eventually came to our rescue. He turned out to be wonderful, providing attentive and friendly service that significantly improved the overall experience. His recommendations were spot-on, and he made sure we were well taken care of during our meal. While the initial service left much to be desired, Otis’s great service really turned things around, allowing us to enjoy our dining experience. Although there were some bumps along the way, I would consider returning to Drago's, especially if Otis is serving us again.