Rita Mae's Kitchen

A friend from Metairie came across this place from a written piece on places to discover in Louisiana. The location was a meet in the middle for the two of us. I drove 45min to sample this menu. It was a late lunch so we enjoyed the crab burger and the catfish with white beans. Both meals were delicious and sufficient. Ms. Rita Mae is now 82 and still prepares the sweet treats and other dishes. We enjoyed her peanut butter bars. This is an unassuming setting, warmed with friendly interactions with the staff. Easy to access off Rt. 90, it's worth the stop.

It was like walking into a friend’s house for dinner. Find ya a seat and check out the simple, straightforward menu. Food and service was on point.

This food was really delicious! You could tell this food was prepared with love. Had the seafood Gumbo, and I didn't have to add ANYTHING to it. Had ample flavors, and portion size was great. 2 adults ate for less than $35.00. Atmosphere was awesome too. Loved that it was in a house! Made you feel like you were visiting family. Would definitely recommend stopping in and having a meal.

I don't know if telling the truth will be a disservice and make the restaurant owner even busier? Because of the hard work year after year, they are no longer young. Without making an appointment, we read the reviews on Google and entered the store at 6:30 in the evening. We were locked inside and the boss did not intend to accept any more customers. We were in the group of guests, and we watched the other guests who were unable to enter the door, and felt a little happy in our hearts. We were the last lucky ones to come in. In the completely unadorned old house, we could eat the essence of southern food. Like everything that appears in this house, there is no trace of makeup, all real materials, no commercial additives, Kung Fu dishes made with love for decades, I will not talk about the crayfish, which is world-famous. New Orleans cuisine still has its deep charm.

A+ Gumbo .... In fact, some of the best I've ever had and I've been coming to Louisiana for 25 years. Nice dark roux, great sausage, thigh meat and seasoned perfectly in a good sized bowl. The potato salad is homemade perfection. Great onion rings. Rita's granddaughter was out waitress.

DANG is all I can say! The seafood was excellent; my wife and daughter split the combo seafood platter, and I had the crayfish etoufee. Service was excellent, and the food was superb. It may be a hole in the wall location, but it is easy to get to.

First restaurant I’ve ever been to in Louisiana and didn’t disappoint

OMG, OMG!! The food was awesome, the waitstaff was a delight to talk to, prices were good. I had chicken and sausage gumbo, and my husband had shrimp and okra gumbo,Both were Fantastic . Took bread pudding to go....the meals came with potato salad and cornbread Another OMG... the potato salad reminded me of my mom's. The cornbread was light, fluffy ,and must have been from heaven. Y'all need to find this place, it has only been around for 30 years. Everything was homemade.

Family favorite when we are in Morgan City. Humble cozy setting. Extremely friendly waitstaff. Reasonable prices and good portions. This is world-class Cajun - Creole comfort food. Consider yourself fortunate if you happen to find yourself in this gem of a restaurant. Definitely worth going out of your way for! We love you Rita Mae's!

Great soul food restaurant. Fried fish is crispy and light and seasoned to perfection. Went back again for the same thing Staff is warm and welcoming. Family owned restaurant with generations of the greatest chefs.

Fabulous! Great atmosphere, wonderful service and the food was awesome! Southern hospitality and food to die for!

Rita Mae's is like going over to grandma's after church for Sunday supper. Four generations, family run, highly recommend catfish po boy. Driving back tomorrow to purchase two t-shirts and to meet Ms Rita Mae herself! No frills, and word around town is that they have the best sweet potato pie.

First time visit. Visiting Morgan City to see family. Heard great things about this place. Food was delicious. I ordered catfish and shrimp fried rice and sweet peas A nice size portion.

If you are looking for GOOD South LA cooking where the locals go,and know about then you need to head here. Run now by Rita Mae s daughter she has kept her mom's recipes in tact and boy are they good! It might not look like much from the outside but rally aren't those usually the best places. They have several lunch plate specials and a pretty extensive menu. I ordered the special and it was just what I needed. Freshly fried shrimp po boy perfectly "dressed" on a pillowy Hogie roll and the seafood gumbo was perfecy spiced and chock full of seafood. The hubs got a gorgeous fried catfish lunch plate with a side of hemade potato salad and some of the best lima beans (bacon for the win) I had seen pictures of the sweet potato pie and knew I needed one before I left. Mark begrudgingly split one with me and I can't say I have tasted anything like it. Made with love (And a lot of secret ingredients) it was worth the wait. They take cash or card. It's a small restaurant and time moves a bit slower so sit down and relax. Definitely a must stop when in the area

Hole in the wall serving homemade authentic food. The place is very small, so good for couples. The wait is extremely long so don't come in on a lunch break. To me the wait was worth it, you been warned so don't complain!

Such a worthy gem to stumble upon! Family run business that truly shines through their food and service. We ordered the special with shrimp and okra gumbo and catfish, as well as the catfish po boy. We were blown away with how much flavor and the amount of love that went into each dish, without overdoing the salt levels. I don't really like the thick consistency of most gumbo recipes so Rita Mae's gumbo did not disappoint, considering it also had okra. My boyfriend doesn't typically like okra but he surprisingly enjoyed it in this dish! Catfish was battered perfectly, nice crunch without drying it out or having an overpowering fish smell. Definitely recommend this place if you ever get the chance to stop by!

You can't beat this place you want a good meal Rita maze it's the way it's the way to go if you just happen to be there on the right day there's they're crab meat stuffed bell pepper is the way to go best I've ever had

Maybe I ordered wrong just wasn't anything worth eating again. Over here they take the phrase chicken of the sea literally and put it in my seafood gumbo, just odd. Tastes more like vegetable soup than gumbo. Also Had to eat it with a fork which is another first. To say service was slow is an understatement. Was told they were having trouble microwaving it um k. Had the 1/2 shrimp 1/2 fish Poboy. Loved the bread. Decent amount of shrimp not enough fish and was just ok. Not much seasoning and could have surprisingly used more salt. Would def try the pork chop and red beans as that looked good and lots ordered that. Just make sure you got an afternoon to enjoy the place.

Very rude, didn't feel welcomed at all. Tried the seafood gumbo and it was not great. It looks as if the gumbo was frozen after being reheated over & over. Flavorless. The burger was dry and not worth the price. Will not be returning again.

Great home town food reminds me of my grandmother little house! Authentic Louisiana cooking!

This is getting 5 stars just because of what I ate. Not the way it looked or the service or any of that. I only had gumbo. I live in California and I was on a road trip with my husband and had one night in Morgan City. I was very hungry and we only had time for an order to go. I had the seafood gumbo. I ate it in my car. It was hot it was spiced perfectly. I added the rice. I ate the crawfish and I drank every bit of that soup. It was so nourishing and delicious. I feel like there was some magic in that soup. That's how good it was. Uniquely set in a house in a residential neighborhood. Thank you to whoever made my glorious gumbo.

Amazing food!! AMAZING! It is such a lovely little home style restaurant where you walk in and are treated like family. It felt like we were at our aunt's house! Ample portions of food and it was delicious!

THIS IS THE PLACE ! Stopped in on Yelp recommendations. Food is absolutely wonderful. Lunch had 3 choices, all great. I had the crawfish etouffee, wife had country style smothered chicken. Can't be beat. Use phone for convoluted directions, only about 3 minutes off US 90, tiny parking lot. Please don't tell too many about this hidden spot, like eating in Grannie's kitchen. Rick .

Not worth the wait nor the price of the food. Must have ordered the wrong dishes but if they can't compete with others in terms of seafood, it's a Pass. The place is so understaffed that 6 groups of people left. Poor business practice when the wait is too long and one person running around like chicken with no head.

Wow! Great comfort food, Louisiana style! And such a friendly place. It was so hard to decide what to get-everything sounded so good. I went with the gumbo and half of a shrimp po-boy. My husband had the combination po-boy with oysters, shrimp and fish with a side of fries. Not the easiest place to find, but definitely worth it.

Been supporting Rita Mae's for years, never again. I brought a few guest with me this time, but they would not let us enter because one of my guest had a service animal due to her disability. State and Federal laws do not allow prejudice against people with service animals. Rita Mae's needs to be trained how to treat the disabled.

In town on hurricane deployment and found this gem! Unbelievably great food! Huge portions! Excellent service. Hometown feel. My new favorite place on Earth.

Place is so bad. Good took forever and the owners kids were running all over the place. There were at least ten people working there and two customers. Food was mediocre but not worth 30 minute wait, fries were undercooked. Fried Shrimp plate was $18 and was small

Fried chicken like my mom made. Red beans and rice was very well done. The green beans was delicious. Chicken stole the show. Breading was light and then fried to a crisp. Overall the staff friendly and pleasant. Definitely a stop worth taking.

Disappointed. Yelp says they close at 9:00. The sign outside said the close at 10:00. I got there at 7:47 looking forward to trying the gumbo. A lady met me at the door and told me they close at 8:00. No gumbo for me. :( I returned the next day determined to get my gumbo. The staff was very friendly but the home setting was underwhelming. I ordered a special, seafood gumbo and half a shrimp po boy. The gumbo tasted great but l like it thicker. The sandwich was a pleasant surprise, the shrimp were very tasty and the whole package was solid. The place is a tradition and has a following. Is it great, no, but good and interesting. I think they will have the business they want and aren't really looking for more. If you like it great, if not I don't think they will care.

This is a good place to stop in for home cooking when passing through Morgan City. Very basic decor complete with window a/c's and floor fans. I got a grilled pork chop & a bowl of white beans. Both were tasty & I completely enjoyed it. My partner got fried catfish & white beans. He enjoyed the beans but said he didn't like the catfish, possibly wild-caught. Both meals came with potato salad but didn't taste like home-made.

The ambience is Louisiana The food is tremendous The fried chicken delicious The fried gumbo delicious The dirty rice is the dirtiest 5 stars Seafood and shrimp gumbo excelente Fried shrimp is very delicious The bread pudding tremendous Mere words cannot the describe the taste of this food This restaurant is closed on sundays Closes at 3 pm on Saturdays Pure Cajun

If you're looking for Southern soul food--Rita Mae's is the place for ya! Don't let the outward appearance fool you. You're walking into a trip down memory lane with all the comforts of home. You're family as soon as you walk through the door. I highly recommend the fried pork chop or chicken and red beans. Everything is made fresh! An absolute treasure!

Food was very tasty. Watch out for bones in the gumbo. However not very friendly, and S L O W service. If you are in a hurry or don't have an hour or so for lunch better not stop.

Our group of three didn't feel welcomed at all originally, but she came around. As native of Houma relatively close to Morgan City, I DO NOT recommend the Chicken & Sausage gumbo. The chicken is unseasoned drumettes, there is NO "browned" flavor, and there's diced tomatoes in it. The flavor gives beef broth and tomato. The potato salad is runny and sweet. The burger was just ok. Water is unfiltered tap or Dasani. The reviews were misleading... Maybe my expectations were way too high, comparing to other mom and pop diners

Honestly, this has been the best meal I've had the past few days. Rita Mae's Kitchen is HOME COOKING. Delicious, wholesome and cozy. We felt like we were stopping by our friend's house for dinner. Everyone was so kind and polite. I encourage anyone and everyone who goes through Morgan City to stop by!

Found this little spot driving through. Definitely worth the stop. Great food and good service.

Absolutely top notch. We went off of others reviews and so glad we did. Best seafood gumbo I have ever had. Also I don't like potato salad, this place made me lick my plate. Yum

Well, we tried to come... says closed at 10pm on the door but as we were getting out of the car, a lady who works there was leaving and said "before y'all get out the car, we closed". Oh well, onward to Lafayette to find some food before continuing on our journey.

Stopped here for a quick lunch- we had red beans and rice, seafood gumbo (very good), and some shrimp, fish and oyster poboys. Very good stuff. Nice people.

This is REAL food! The best! It's like going to eat at your Mawmaw's! Every menu choice is perfection.

Wonderful food, from the gumbo to yhe sweet potato pie. Excellent cooking, do yourself a favor & eat here!

Food delicious! Worth the wait, friendly staff! Gem, real comfort, southern cooking!!

I YELPED my way to Rita Mae's for lunch and wasn't disappointed. Just as others Yelpers had described, the restaurant is in an old home and has lots of eclectic charm. My favorite was the sign stating not to use sweetener packets to level tables! I had the baked chicken, mashed potatoes & veggie (sweet peas). Although I prefer white meat chicken, the dark meat was extremely tender. Everything had a good flavor. The cornbread was a bit on the dry side for my taste. Serve with some butter perhaps? Sweet tea was great. I would definitely go back the next time I am in town.

If you are looking for bougie fine dining, probably not your place but if you are looking for true, Louisiana high quality, smack your lips good food, in a homey, welcoming environment, then you'll find it at Rita Mae's. There is nothing on the menu I can't recommend so I suggest you make it a regular stop so you can try it all. Quality, freshly prepared meals with true Louisiana flavor. More than generous portions. You probably won't have room for it after the meal, but definitely order dessert and take it to go, but don't leave without it!

Great red beans and rice - huge portions and very tasty. Breaded pork chop good too. Reasonable prices and very nice waitstaff- definitely worth a visit when you're in the area.

Yelp Review Downgrade: The last 2 times I have been here it wasn't very good. The iced tea was in a dirty plastic cup with like 2 ice-cubes in it and tasted terrible. I also got really bad heart-burn from the meal that I had. I think the place is hit or miss.

If you are in Morgan City it is a MUST you come here!!!! We each had a Seafood Gumbo and 1 Seafood Platter and we shared it amongst 5 people and it was plenty! It was plenty. We left full and beyond satisfied. The staff was extremely kind. We topped it all off with pecan and sweet potato pie. The best! Everything was homemade and fresh. We loved loved loved it!!!!

I was working in Morgan City and a friend of mine wanted to grab a quick bite. After looking at the picture menu, we quickly settled in on this place. It was near to the hardware store on front st that we were located. A quick mention of open faced roast beef and crab burgers made the decision-- yup, let's go there!! My co-worker and I got the same thing. A mini seafood platter that hit the spot. It was perfect. When finished, we weren't stuffed, and we weren't hungry . I'm from New Orleans & you won't find anything near this good in the metro area! It was like the ghost of Bruning's came back to life. That's how good it was. The shrimp were plentiful, the fish tasted perfect, the sauce was on time, and it was magnificently fried. The bill was reasonable and the service was awesome. This was a real treat on a day that was going to end up being a washout. It's nice to have a bright light of a hidden gem on an otherwise dark and dreary day! All of the specials sounded good. If you check out the photo I am sure you can understand what I am talking to get across. If you visit on a Wednesday and get the mini seafood platter I promise you won't be disappointed......!

Food is great, portions are nice. Love this place a lot!!! Highly recommended . There is nothing on the menu that I wouldn't recommend. Everything is good and well prepared. The Crab Burger is my favorite!!!!

Wonderfully home cooked food. Made with love. Freshly prepared and huge portions. Comfort food. Oh so delicious. Small old time house with view of the kitchen. Can smell the fresh food as it's being freshly prepared as each customer comes in to order. Hard to decide what you want yourself as everything is so delicious. We choose the crab patty sandwich with onion rings which was not only huge but delicious. Enough to bring home for supper.

Tremendous food.. real homemade delight! Bring the family.. but wear your sweatpants or you will suffer!

Great little place in a house in a quiet neighborhood. The catfish is lightly breaded and crispy, the green beans are delicious and the seafood gumbo was tasty.

Great atmosphere in a converted house. Service was friendly and attentive. Food was delicious, with giant portions. I wasn't for the Rota Mae platter: 1 large crab cake, 2 large fish fillets, 6 PoBoy shrimp, large bowl our gumbo, and fries or potato salad..all for about $18. Yum

Wow! I'm from Alaska and wanted to explore the South. We are in Southern Louisiana and desired to get "the real thing". I'm not talking coca-cola! This was it. The Fried catfish reminded me of my time as a child. The corn was sweet little ears. The biscuit, divine! My husband got seafood gumbo. It had great flavor! Also, he had never had real Southern sweet iced tea before. Ha! What a hoot - to see his face when he really tasted "the real thing"! When I asked about a part for my phone, the waitress was very gracious and showed me from outside, the way to go. Thank you for a wonderful memory that will last a lifetime!

Seriously good southern food. We were hungry on New Years Day and happened upon this small homely place. It was probably the only establishment open in Morgan City but glad we found it! The hamburger was one of the best I've ever had and the menu was extensive. I highly recommend a stop here if you are in town! Don't forget to grab a slice of Pecan pie and an order of pralines on the way out!

Without a doubt, the best tasting food in Morgan City. The service is a little slow, but the wait is well worth it. Trust me. Try the crawfish étouffée. It's to die for. The bread pudding is equally delicious! Highly recommend. Small serving area but welcoming and friendly staff.