Jack Dempsey's Restaurant

Going to Jack Dempsey’s reminds me of eating at my grandma’s house. Everyone is talking to friends, hugging people they haven’t seen in a while, and you get good comforting hot food. That true southern hospitality. My server was friendly and on top of things. The vibe was great, the food was even better, and the drinks were good and strong. I look forward to my next visit.

What a wonderful restaurant , WOW! The atmosphere was unique,this underground hidden gem was such a wonderful dining experience with amazing seafood and huge portions. We did not see this coming but how pleasantly surprised. The staff was so friendly and it was a cozy place to spend a great lunch with my daughter. We will be back, maybe tomorrow, lol, it was so good

Jack Dempsey's is a true NOLA gem! The blackened redfish was cooked to perfection, bursting with flavor. The 1/2 and 1/2 po' boy was equally impressive, offering the best of both worlds. The mountain of onion rings was crispy and delicious, a perfect side dish. The service was outstanding, with attentive and friendly staff who made us feel right at home. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, making for a fantastic dining experience. Highly recommend!

Waitress EBONY was very pleasant and served everyone of her assigned tables in an excellent way. She made Valentine's Day lunch a joy. The food was so delicious as it always is. I recommend Jack Dempsey to everyone.

Really good spot for big portions of tasty seafood. Crab claws and Charbroiled Oysters were good, but the highlight was the Flounder stuffed with crab and shrimp. Entrees were big as were the sides so probably no need for appetisers.

Large portions, tasty food and excellent service! I had a fantastic meal here recently and will make it my go-to when visiting the Bywater. The frog legs / redfish combo was perfectly fried leaving juicy meat inside without being oily. The gumbo and mac & cheese were perfect as well. But that fresh sweet tea, whew, it would make my mother proud! Get a seafood platter, an appetizer or two and you have a feast for two. Give this old school spot a shot then hit a couple local bars a block or two away. Epic night out!

Today was my first time at Jack Dempsey’s Restaurant. I have intended to go for years but always find myself in the area on Monday, when they are closed. For years I have heard about their steaks, fried Seafood and mac and cheese. I was not disappointed. The food was great and the service was as well. A great local owner family restaurant and a real treat to have a meal here.

We unfortunately had a small appetite when we stopped for dinner, and only had crab balls and seafood bisque soup. Everything was delicious. Super tall glasses of water! I also had a very good margarita. A nice comfortable casual family atmosphere! Definitely want to go back and try other dishes.

Jack Dempsey has always been my favorite hidden gem in NOLA. However, on a recent visit, I definitely noticed a decline, especially with the service. Our waiter was very pregnant, so maybe that was why she wasn't really present, but she was never warm or friendly and just seemed aloof during our entire meal. We were celebrating my mom's last day of chemo and she pretty much ruined our experience. She rushed us to make an order and up charged for everything, including a piece of extra toast for the oysters we ordered. In the past, we've also just been given an extra piece or two for bread (a dozen oysters comes with 4 small slices of bread by the way). She also never came by to refill drinks or offer any condiments with our seafood meal. We constantly had to ask someone else for things and the restaurant was nearly empty. While the food is always pretty good, the chargrilled oysters were very underwhelming. They were just lightly steamed and seemed to just have butter poured on them, rather than being truly grilled. They're also pricer here than most places in the city, so I'd recommend skipping that dish here. The fried seafood platter is always fantastic though and didn't disappoint this time.

Jack Dempsey for the win! I hadn't been here in years and the portions & quality hasn't fallen off. The inside is simple and clean and it's set up to feast no matter the group size. The combo I wanted wasn't listed on the menu. I wanted fried crawfish and frog legs but the server made it happen to my surprise. The platter was flawless full of crunch and seasoned just right. The platter came with 1 side I chose the Mac and cheese which was also good with the right amount of cheese coverage. Overall service, food and price point all a win.

Hello There, Let's get to it! I recently visited Jack Dempsey's upon the recommendation of a friend who frequents this spot when in town. He made it sound sooo good that I couldn't help but make an effort to get there. He was absolutely on point when he said it was a hole-in-the-wall. It's not located in the best of areas, however the restaurant itself wasn't so bad. Don't get me wrong, some of my best restaurants are hole-in-the-wall type places, but they keep me coming back. The layout was ok & had a decent amount of space inside & in fact is much larger than it appears from the outside. I was kindly greeted & seated by a young server who took good care of me from start to finish. I ordered one of the loves of my life as an appetizer (seafood gumbo) which was quite different than any other gumbo that I've EVER had in New Orleans or anywhere else for that matter. Although the roux was extremely thick & wasn't to my liking, I didn't allow it to discourage me from diving into other menu items. I tried a platter with a variety: crab balls, crawfish pies, shrimp, oysters & fish all of which were pretty tasty except the fish which was overly breaded. The shrimp, crab balls & crawfish pies I would definitely order again. The flavor was delicious. The Mac & cheese was different, made with huge pasta shells, but pretty good...however, the potato salad needed some help, flavorless. The menu consisted of many other choices & I could've ordered much more. I love frog legs, but just didn't have room in my tummy for much more. I was pleased with the portion size that was enough for at least 4 meals & reasonably priced. Unbelievable! I went early evening & there were only a couple other people there. Maybe the crowd shows up later in the evening??? I'll literally travel a country mile for good viddles, but believe me, if you want a loyal customer it better be GREAT! This spot is off the beaten path & to truthfully evaluate it overall, it really wasn't worth MY time or effort. I'd pretty much pass in the future & not return. Why? There are TOO Many great restaurants, diners, eateries (you get the picture) in NOLA that I still need to get to, honey. Can't waste my time missing a 'sure thing' for a maybe! Peace out and Neeeexxxxxtttt?!

Feels like a restaurant at the end of the world, situated across from some abandoned site that looks like it's out of The Last of Us. The restaurant interior also feels like a time capsule, something out of the 80s/90s. But that charming nostalgia is a strong point for a reliably delicious meal at a reasonable price. Gumbo: A light way to whet your appetite. Has the great viscous texture expected in gumbo. Generous amounts of shrimp and sausage pieces to make it quite meaty. And lots of nice spices. Stuffed Flounder: Looked so old school, like something your parents would order on a fancy date night in the 80s. The flounder was nicely spiced and thin, though quite meaty. Underneath was a huge pile of crab stuffing. Kinda felt a crab cake that never got crispy. So many great flavors and textures. Very indulgent. Seafood Au Gratin: So rich and sinful, this kind of felt like an appetizer. And technically it is, but they also added a dinner portion for a little more money. If you like cheese and cream, then this is for you. Plus a very generous amount of crab. Though they served it with bread and your choice of side, but I could totally see this being amazing with tortilla chips (not offered). Baked Macaroni & Cheese: A little weird to eat it in ziti form, but the cheese was delicious. Both the bit melted on top and the cheese sauce underneath. Fries: Kinda standard with a lightly spiced batter.

Food was excellent, staff very friendly and extremely efficient, Ample portions , Onion Rings to die for, Family owned and operated, Super experience. Great time all around. Very good value. 5 Star all around. Wheel chair bound and staff was very helpful.

Decided to go to Jack Dempsey for dinner!! Wonderful Choice!! The food was hot, fresh, well seasoned and delicious!! Everything was amazing!! Went back for lunch 2 days later

If I could give more than 5 stars... I would. This is old New Orleans. And I mean the old times that was New Orleans. Ever so often I run into the nostalgia that I remembered to be New Orleans. I was filming across the street at the now closed US Marine Corp Support Facility and as I was leaving the area, I saw this place. Surrounded by closures and blight, Jack Dempsey's shines over the depression that plagues this area. I decided to stop by and and enjoy a meal. Not only were the people kind, responsive and jovial with that New Orleans accent, the place just reaps of old beautiful New Orleans and Ms. Kayla is the bomb. Recommended what to eat and all was amazing. I could not wait to begin tasting everything on the menu. Whatever it is you are for looking for, remember the test of time have proven a restaurants meal but not only in the menu offered but the ambiance, the music and the feel of comfort. This place offered it all. Support this place, people need to experience the amazing food and the better times that was New Orleans...

Wonderful NOLA catfish, gumbo, shrimp. Well worth seeking it out. Had bread pudding for dessert, lovely.

Ok, I knew about this place for the macaroni and cheese. Best I've EVER had, not to be dramatic. However, the thing that makes it 3 stars overall is the fried food. The batter has no seasoning. I would give 5 stars if there was seasoning! I won't be coming back; I might get the macaroni catered, but any other place I've been has better fried seafood. Please season your batter and I'd come back in a heartbeat

I go to this restaurant at least once a week. Best Seafood Gumbo in all of the greater New Orleans Area! The fried soft shell crabs are HUGE too! They are one of my many favorites with the most decadent macaroni and cheese in the city! Make sure you save room for dessert too, because they have pecan pie, bread pudding, black out cake and cheese cake! The portions are large and the prices are super reasonable! Love the staff and atmosphere of restaurant.

Our party of 6 was seated right away. Lindsey was our waiter and such a sweetheart. We got the JD platter and 3 of us shared the 6+ pieces of catfish, along with the shrimp, crab balls, crawfish pies and 2 cups of gumbo. We had 2 sides of mac and cheese and everything was good. I normally don't like catfish but it was fried well. I thought it could be a bit more seasoned but everything was seasoned well. The shrimp were my favorite. The ONLY downside was my bread being toasted on one side. Other than that, I'm happy

Jennifer the bartender is awesome! She makes it look easy & I know it's not. She's attentive & efficient. Thanks Jennifer

the food was terrible! We asked what the special was and they said Mac and cheese. it was the most tasteless watery Mac and cheese I've ever tasted. The "crab balls" were mushy stuffing with no crab. the cup of gumbo had no meat and tasted old. please don't go here. service was nice though. also the place is very old and has not been updated since 1995.

My usual place to order adding to my Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. As you can tell by (usual) the delicious taste have me returning year after year. I ordered the mirliton dressing, oyster dressing and the sweet potato casserole. This makes it less that I have to cook on the holiday besides they're all a favorite of the family. Their Mac & Cheese is a winner also but decided to cook this dish myself. If you order any of the above I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

had the meatball on French. I was able to eat a third of it took the rest home and throw it away the meatballs were so much like rubber. I think if it wasn't cut in half I could've bounced it in my living room like a Super Bowl.

Seafood gumbo was great along with the grilled cheese sandwich. I recommend this place.

This Restaurant has been on my list of places to go to in NOLA for a long time. I've had Blackened Redfish in New Orleans which is great. So at Jack Dempsey's I tried something new fried Redfish and Soft shell Crab seafood platter. The Crab was great but the Fried Redfish was fishy I didn't eat the rest of the fish. The server was great she made sure she checked on us alot. Overall seem like a hidden gem that locals go to after work. I go back to try the place again before I past judgment with a different item to try.

A dive that serves some reliable fried seafood. Also really liked the chargrilled oysters. Lunch portion of the fried shrimp isn't huge but thats kind of a good thing because you'll want to try some smaller plates on the menu. Not the most uplifting place to eat but you can get down with a drink or two and some fried seafood and be pretty happy.

Service was great. Food has great taste and very affordable. Few locals recommend this place so we had to try. Thanks for great service. All the way from California

Service was great. The food came out fairly quickly and was really good. One of the best things is the bathrooms being really clean. Overall really clean and a nice place.

The manager/maître d' (Carol) was the first best thing. She explained the whole menu and made recommendations. The food was excellent. Service was equally great. Price was where it should be. The experience was exactly what you would expect from Louisiana hospitality. I'll come back every time I visit this city. Well played.

This is a movie set for a 1960's movie where quiet, private conversations take place. It was 3 in the afternoon. Tables all empty but two. I asked the waitress what she recommended and took her recommendation of the fried soft shell crab. I have had it many places. This was a 5/5. I'll try to eat healthy tomorrow. Today I'm in NOLA.

I ordered the gumbo because one of the staff said it was the best in the world. And it surely was! Okra, shrimp, sausage, and goodness all in one bowl. I highly recommend the redfish as well.

We were doing a movie shoot for "queen & slim" and the studio (got the restaurant for the night). Even being cafeteria style, the mac&cheese would "drip cheese from the plate to the floor". Dead serious. Jack Dempsey's is a classic that could last forever.

Great service and delicious food. Our waitress was a delightful and friendly. We decided to order food we would normally not get where we were from, and we are glad we did. We will be back!

The artichoke was extremely dry and tasted like thanksgiving stuffing, the macaroni was watery and tasteless, the steak looked like it was boiled and it tasted a little off, for desert we had chocolate cake, it was flavorless and had little to no icing, the only good thing we had was the fried fish. Service was nice, but I wouldn't return.

The food is delicious! I love the platter for two and all the customizations that come with it! The Mac and cheese is amazing as well as the gumbo, crab balls, and fried oysters! The only thing I can critique is the carpet needs a little updating but other than that it is a really good place to eat! I love it and will definitely be returning!

Nice local spot. Staff was Super friendly & the food made me feel like I was in NOLA.

One of my old school haunts is back with a great lunch special, I had the stuffed redfish with the mac and cheese side omfg was that a great lunch and all for $12. Dont come as much as I used to but I will have to start going back more often.

One of my favorite local restaurants. Reasonable prices and delicious food. Very nice wait staff.

Not impressed anymore and feel like I threw away my money. This is a local spot I remember coming to as as a child & as an adult whenever we had out of town guests. Famed for having great food, service and atmosphere. It once was but unfortunately it isn't anymore.

Jack Dempseys is a hidden gem that only the locals know about unless you are told about it. They don't have to advertise because once you taste the food you are hooked. The food taste like Mama is in the kitchen. The mac and cheese is creamy goodness that you can't resist. Fried seafood is seasoned just right and the crabmeat augratin is addictive. The atmosphere is homey, cozy old fashioned, kinda like visiting your Aunt's house on a Sunday evening and eating some good homemade food. The staff is laid back and friendly. You will not be dissappointed.

We got lucky and our Airbnb was literally doors down from Jack Dempsey's. The food was so good and fresh and the bywater lemonade tasted great. It's in a nice quiet neighborhood and the service was amazing as well. Will definitely be returning!! Definitely recommend

We were here on a Friday night for dinner after a long and an amazing day at the Jazz fest 50. I was super hungry and looking forward to some local seafood. One of our friends recommended this seafood place. This is like a house converted into a restaurant. We were greeted by a gracious host. 5 of us had to adjust in a 4 seater otherwise we had to wait at least half an hour. For drinks we ordered their local beer called Dixies. It's a Lager and it's on a lighter side. Perfect after a long of drinking at the Jazz fest. For appetizers we ordered chargrilled oysters half a dozen. This was my favorite of the entire meal. Our second appetizer was stuffed artic hoke. Overall consensus for this one was great as well. For salad, we got grilled shrimp salad. Shrimp was so delicious! I gobbled more than half of the shrimps. Almost everything went downhill from here. For entrees we ordered veal cutlet, crawfish oysters, shrimp with cheese, seafood gumbo. First of all their potion size is insanely huge. So I recommend sharing their entrees. I am glad couple of shared their seafood gumbo. Gumbo lacked kick to it. I was expecting it to be flavorful, spicy and some chunks of meat. There was no meat in my gumbo and it was bland. Same would apply for rest of the entrees. Just their portion size was impressive. Almost all of my friends ordered go boxes after spending 5 minutes looking at their dinner. People in our neighboring table had the same opinion as us. I would recommend they work on improving their quality of their entrees and reduce a little bit of potion size as even if someone orders their fried entrees to-go, it's not healthy to eat a day old fried stuff.

Jack Dempsey's it historic in its own right. Longevity of New Orleans Restaurants depends on its local customer base. They never disappoint. There's always enough food to fill you up and a take home box for later. Although, I recommend sharing so you can taste many of the menu offerings. Crab claws (bring on the garlic!), crabmeat au-gratin (a cheese lovers delight), Redfish Pontchartrain is topped with lump crabmeat and baked to perfection and omg, the Mac & Cheese is wonderful (and I'm not a big m&c diner) Drinks are affordable, ample pours. Not bad for a neighborhood icon!

Old school New Orleans fare. Everything is fried and delicious, the servers are always sweet as pie. No other can beat their frosty ice cold beer chalices. I really like love their turtle soup and don't forget the dash or 3 of sherry on top! The Fried shrimp plate with dat Mac'n'cheese that just don't stop is one of my all time favorite Last words: Bread pudding with sauce

If you like good, fresh, no frills seafood, this is your place. My dad wanted stuffed flounder, like he could get when he went to Tulane in the early 60's. This was one of the few restaurants I could find that had it on the menu. We split a dozen char grilled oysters. They were right sized, plump and of course delish. Dad got his stuffed flounder which he thoroughly enjoyed. I ordered the seafood platter which way by far the largest amount of food I have ever had on a seafood platter. The shrimp and oysters were plentiful and they gave me TEN pieces of fish. I couldn't eat it all. No report on desert, there was no room for it. Service was great too.

Can I take legal action? Jack Dempsey's made us CHEAT on our DIET!! The amount of food you are given is ridiculous. i really don't know how they stay in business. It's not your typical restaurant, it's old and dark inside. im sure this bar can get wild on a Saturday night. The ONION RINGS were some of the best I've ever had. Seasoned wonderfully and the breading remained ON THE ONION. the fish, shrimp, and oysters were fried hard like I like it. I was not a fan of the crab ball and jambalaya pie that came with our meal. it was a little cold. Service is sweet, down home, and country. I thought my mom or grandmother was waiting on us the entire time. Before leaving, I was called all the "suga's", "Baby's", and "sweetie's" you could think of. You can't leave Nawlins without visiting Ole Jack Dempsey's.

Excellent food, service. Definitely a must go place! Worst part is parking. Mixed drinks: small pours. Good selection of beers though. Clean and neat restaurant too.

Excellent food and service! It's been a while since I've been to Jack Dempsey. My grandma used to talk about how much she loved that place. We made a reservation and were greeted at the door. The dining room wasn't crowded which I appreciate due to social distancing. There were a variety of food and drink specials. We decided on chargrilled and raw Oysters. OMG absolutely amazing we ordered a second dozen of oysters. We ordered fries redfish and shrimp. Everything was seasoned well and not overly salty. I will definitely be returning to check out this hidden gem.

This was my parents' fave restaurant when we lived in N.O. when I was younger. So, of course, when I visited with my husband (his first trip), we had to eat there! Still just as good as my family remembered! We shared a seafood platter (for one) and had food leftover! The calamari was the best I've had! The only thing we didn't know was that reservations are the best when going. However, they still got us in so quickly! Our waitress was the sweetest! We will be back!

My favorite spot for seafood the oyster Poboys is delicious !!! The seafood platter is the best in the city to me.

Excellent neighborhood restaurant. The staff is friendly and proficient the food is wonderful. The seafood platter with gumbo is an excellent choice if you were visiting New Orleans and want some thing traditional and native. When softshell crabs are in season, which they were when we arrived, we decided to partake. So happy for that treat. This is a great neighborhood restaurant where you think you've stepped into a movie set from the 60s or 70s it's really a great space gives you a super ambience of old New Orleans neighborhood and the food is wonderful. I wouldn't recommend the salads but I would say that the gumbo and the seafood are excellent we had crawfish we had everything we could eat

Food was amazing! Service was even more amazing! I had the half and half patter, fried whole crab and shrimp, the shrimp was a Little skimpy (I was expecting more than 12 on a platter) but they were still really good. My friend recommend the Mac and Cheese as a must have side and it didn't disappoint (Even the baby loved it)

This place was a childhood staple... today was the last time unfortunately. Started off with waiting to get drinks for 20 minutes from there all of the seafood had more breading than protein. The onion rings and gumbo were good. Ordered Super Seafood platter and it was majority fish and only 6 baby shrimp. The crab balls was stove top stuffing and red fish had the texture of steak. Definitely living off namesake.

This is where us New Orleans or how we say Nawlins locals eat our seafood. The seafood platter with the fresh soft shell crab is fantastic and can feed a few people. The Mac n cheese is the best I've ever tasted. Bad neighborhood on Poland avenue in the lower 9th ward but they provide security and we've always been safe. The best seafood ever is tight here and it's where us locals always eat !

I ordered the fried shrimp and baked Mac and cheese here. The place looks a little run-down on the outside but very nice and spacious inside. The waitress was friendly and attentive. The many mainly centers around fried poultry and seafood. If you're not into fried items it may be a little difficult to find what you want. However the food itself is tasty.

In a city filled with glitzy, trendy, swanky restaurants catering to tourists and Instagram influencers, thank God there are also places like Jack Dempsey's, who put all their money and effort into just turning out fresh, high quality seafood. I could tell we'd struck gold when I heard nothing but native New Orleans accents all around me. One of those belonged to our sweet server, who "snuck" us a second cup of gumbo with the Super Seafood Platter that two of us split. There was so much on that platter, though, that some of it went home anyway. It was piled with strips of fried catfish, maybe a dozen shrimp, a big crab ball, and a little crawfish pie, along with a side, creamy macaroni and cheese that was generally agreed to be among the best ever. Our fried okra junkie rated theirs as "great, just like my dad's", and I loved my taste of his redfish Pontchartrain. Draft beer comes in an enormous frosted goblet so cold the head freezes. You can keep your Michelin-starred palaces, give me a friendly neighborhood haunt like Dempsey's any time!

I'm trying to figure out why I paid $20 for a shrimp plate that I could get from a gas station. The price did not match the quality.

Definitely the place to be for lunch. The stuffed Trout with crabmeat is one of the best meals you will have here in New Orleans. And its 10.99. Absolutely delicious, and they have the best mac n cheese in the city. Can't wait to come back and have the rest of the menu since I now live in the Upper 9th. For those that are visiting you will not be disappointed!