The Original Fiorellas' Cafe

Made the trip. This is definitely not in the tourist part of New Orleans, and we were so thankful for that. Felt like going to someone's home for dinner. The food was amazing. Best catfish I have had, some of the best fried chicken, sides were good. Would eat this on the regular if I lived here.

I read about the award winning chicken and was eager to try it. The chicken as well as the staff were Excellent!

Our story begins in the year of 1964 amidst a bustling family grocery business known as “Fiorella’s Fine Foods.” The store owner Anthony Fiorella would rise before the break of dawn to go to the French Market to buy the freshest of produce for his customers, while his son C J and his daughter in law Carolyn managed orders and stocked shelves. In 1977, tragedy struck with the sudden passing of Anthony Fiorella, leading C J to take up the responsibility of procuring produce. During C J’s routine coffee stop at the French Market, fate intervened. The restaurant owner relinquished the place for health reasons, unexpectedly offering it to C.J. On May 3, 1985, Fiorellas Cafe came to life. After years near the French Market, C.J. sold the business in 1999. Fast forward to 2016, and a revival unfolded as "The Original Fiorellas’ Cafe" on Franklin Ave opened its doors. C J passing in 2023 leaving his sons Kelly and Calcie to continue the Fiorella’s family tradition of quality dining with friendly service. The Original Fiorellas Cafe offers a delightful dining experience that combines efficiency with indulgence. Upon arrival, you'll find a seamless ordering process at the counter, where you're promptly greeted by friendly staff. After placing your order, you're given a number and directed to your chosen table, where you can relax and anticipate the culinary delights to come. Now, let's get right to the star of the show: the muffuletta. Prepare yourself for a flavor explosion, as the generous proportions of cold cuts nestled between slices of high-quality, freshly baked bread are sure to leave you satisfied. The olive salad, with its homemade taste and perfect balance of flavors, adds a delightful touch to each bite. And speaking of the bread, there's a good chance it was made in-house, given its unmistakably fresh taste and texture. Every element of Fiorellas Cafe’s muffuletta comes together in perfect harmony, with flavors that complement each other flawlessly. By the time you finish your meal, you'll find yourself not just full, but contented, with memories of a dining experience that exceeded expectations.

Hands down the very best fried chicken we found anywhere in the south! An absolutely MUST destination place, even if it's out of your way. Portion sizes are large, chicken is out of this world, and the customer service was incredible. If I could give this a 100 star, I would. We traveled by car for just over a month and without question, this was one of our very favorite meals and hands down, the best fried chicken we'd ever tasted! They deserve my highest recommendation and I am confident that you'll love them too!

We were told this was the best fried chicken around so we had to give it a try. The chicken tasted fresh out of grandma’s kitchen! The bread pudding was just the way we love it. The praline topped Cheesecake was just as wonderful. Their fries were even wonderfully seasoned and was a nice change to just regular fries you buy at most places. Give them a try!

03-11-2024 another great lunch: fried catfish platter with toast, house salad and potato salad. Also, living onions with mashed potatoes and mustard greens. Perfection. 11-15-2023 Another very good meal. Had the liver & onions, mashed potatoes, and very fresh, full house salad. My company had the meat loaf special & mashed potatoes with smotherd cabbage. I'm glad they brought back French bread with the meals. Would have preferred the liver to be thicker, but it was still tasty. I am looking forward to my next visit. 8-30-2023, another wonderful fried catfish plate with take a car and house salad. My guess had the daily special white beans with okra. Delicious as can be. Great food, good prices. 03-04-19 came back today four they're delicious liver & onions and mashed potatoes. Excellent

We loved this cafe! It's a quintessential "hole-in-the-wall" joint. You can't beat homemade food! It was like eating at Grandma's. Our table ordered fried chicken, spaghetti, a burger, and the muffuletta. All of them were SO good-- the fried chicken blew everything out of the water! The portions were HUGE--Southern cooking at its finest!! I wish the red beans weren't only a Monday menu item, as I would have loved to have some. Worth the stop! Indoor dining was available...I'd come here often if I lived here!

Basic diner atmosphere. Great food and service.

Great food, friendly atmosphere. Fried chicken here is excellent, but the Stromboli sandwich is everything I want on a pizza stacked in every bite (without the repurcussions of a heavy red sauce.)

Fiorella's is one of those spots I don't really dine in but I order over the phone and I pick up. My favorite thing to order is the chicken skins. It's around $6 and it's perfect and I recommend getting a side of ranch. They're crispy Always hot and seasoned just right. They have tables and chairs It's not a lot of Glam because they're known for throwing down in the kitchen so you're there to eat and it's comfortable to do that. I like the fact that I can call in my order and pick it up within 15 minutes and it's always consistently hot and delicious. I recommend if you get opportunity to go in and try this restaurant. They're known for that fried Chicken and just the skin alone is delicious so the rest of the chicken can't be that far off lol.

Amazing food!!! Chicken is always on point. Nice to have a restaurant in the Gentilly/NOE area that is consistently good!

You have never had better fried chicken, I promise! The fried chicken is made to order here!! The place is adorned with football memorabilia. The dining area is big. It's old school, order at the counter and take a number and the food comes out hot straight to the table. The staff all work together and are very pleasant. Lunch specials are truly Mew Orleans and delicious! Ya better try this place. It will not disappoint!

Little divey restaurant known for its fried chicken which is excellent. Po' boys terrific. Daily specials. Very casual. Noisy. Friendly staff. Popular for lunch. Serves beer and wine. A real Nola type of joint.

Just stick to the chicken. While I've only been here once before having chicken that was great...this time not so much. I fought with myself about whether I wanted to cook after work or not and my don't cook thoughts won...fiorella's is on the way home so I figured I'd stop. Parking is right off the street in front of the building, there aren't very many spaces. I went in wanting chicken but got the hamburger steak instead. I should've gone with my first mind especially after neither of the staff members I spoke to had ever tried it. Sat to eat and wasn't impressed. It could've been seasoned much better and the gravy didn't seem very gravy like. The most interesting part was the glass bottled dr. pepper that I'd never seen any where else before. Next time I stop by, it'll just be chicken for me.

If you are looking for a good priced, tasty home style meal. This is your spot. The service is great, super friendly and feels comfortable and familiar. The setup is like your average diner setup.. what they lack in ambiance they compensate with their great food! Try the fried chicken, than thank me later :)

In our quest to find delicious homestyle fried chicken, I read a review that said Fiorella's in Gentilly. I called in an order and I think I found my favorite fried chicken. Perfectly golden fried, right amount of spice, and juicy. The service was great. My order was ready when she said it would be. The restaurant looks nice, plenty tables, and a lot of space. Everything is clean including the front glass door. We will be back to try some of the other menu items.

I'm heading back to Nola in a couple of weeks and I cannot wait to visit this spot again! I have been dreaming about the fried chicken skin for years. You heard me: FRIED CHICKEN SKIN! So freakin good. It's the best part of the chicken experience and you know it. Crispy seasoned deliciousness! MMmmmmm!

The food and the staff here are excellent. I've decided I will make my way through this entire menu. So here I've had the meatloaf special, the veal, the chicken Parmesan, chicken dinner, the softshell crab and the club sandwich. This is a real neighborhood staple where you can get real authentic home style meals. When I visit this restaurant it almost feels like visiting family. The staff is welcoming and the food hits the soul. I highly recommend it.

Ruined our lunch!! This is absolutely unacceptable. Placed a phone order, picked up our food which was already packed to go and this is what we saw when we opened the container. If these containers aren't suitable for the dish consider changing your packaging instead sending customers home with their food like this. And even worse, it wasn't very good. This was my first time ordering this dish and definitely my last.

Absolutely delish!!! Burger was spot on perfect, price was the deal breaker . Will go back

Food is great and reasonably priced! I take visitors to Nevada City for coffee at Outer Heaven. Please post your response ... here on this site! Thanks!

I enjoyed the great fried chicken at Fiorella's in the French Quarter for many years and I'm glad that we now have the original family involved again making that great chicken at their new location in Gentilly. The Fiorella fried chicken is legendary and it has been ranked by many as some of the best New Orleans style fried chicken in the city. Fiorella's also has great Italian food options so you have a lot of great choices here. I've eaten here several times now and I've enjoyed all of my food and I certainly will be making many return visits. My video review of Fiorella's is here: https://youtu.be/SXTJhJQJtfc

Our visit left a shocking memory for the staff and customers, lol. This is a place we will never forget. Our food was good with the exception of my chicken. It was still clucking! I heard several complaints about the chicken while we were there so maybe it was just an off day for the cook. I enjoyed my hot sausage poboy, and everyone loved the catfish and fried shrimp they had. This seems like a popular neighborhood spot with regular frequent customers. It was pretty much crowded the whole time I was there. If I happen to be in the area I'll try this place again for sure.

Food is amazing and the customer service is great. My wife and I had the catfish po boy along with the shrimp plate. Loved it. The sweet tea is good as well

This is the absolute best fried chicken, made fresh the old school way- classic! Also fried seafood and fries! And the vibe of this place, you just know this is the kinda joint that brings people together over our favorite "vice"--- food!

Neighborhood restaurant with great food, reasonable prices and great service. Some of the best fried chicken and poboys in the city. Call and order ahead for takeout. Chicken is fried when ordered.

The ambiance here isn't anything special but the FOOD! OH THE FOOD! The food is so damn good, it'll make you slap ya mama. Best dang Po'Boy I've had in a minute. This is definitely my favorite spot so far in Gentilly. I will say, like other reviewers mentioned, there's not much parking. Sucks if it's pouring rain.

This is probably the best fried chicken I have ever had in my life. The breading was thin and yet crispy and very very tasty, the chicken was tender and delicious throughout. The turnip greens were excellent and the mashed potatoes and gravy was excellent. Any future trips to New Orleans will definitely mean we're stopping here again. The restaurant was large had plenty of seating and was very clean.

Wonderful neighborhood place for New Orleans food. They're fried chicken and seafood are wonderful as well as their sides.

The food was great but the service wasn't the best & the wait time was entirely too long for two sandwiches. We ordered two wines & had to ask the woman behind the counter if we could have them because the food came out & we still didn't have our drinks. We also ordered the cheesecake and bread pudding and waited 20 minutes for that to come out.

A really great original chicken that's always consistent. They originally started in the French quarter, but unfortunately had a fire so they relocated closer to UNO.

Great food, friendly people and reasonable prices. Fun relaxed atmosphere. Always consistently delicious foo.

I have tried everything on this menu. I love it all. If you have time to wait for the fried chicken you will not be disappointed. This is the type of place that you will love the food, but love becoming part of the family. The staff is top notch. Quick, friendly and welcoming. I literally plan my trips so that I get off the plane and head right to Fiorella's for lunch. The red beans and rice with the spicy sausage patty is the best in the city if you ask me. The inside is simple but clean. It may seem busy, but it moves quick and it is worth any wait there may be.

My husband never orders anything but their fried chicken, which is delicious! I have tried other items on their menu and have never been disappointed. I think they make their bleu cheese dressing, which is super yummy!

Fiorella's is known for their fried chicken and it's really good. The staff is really nice. It has a very casual atmosphere.

Stopped in for FRIED CATFISH for my granny; because it's FRIED FISH FRIDAY, ya know. I stopped in Fiorella's because the neighboring restaurant that I was initially headed to was closed at 2p, everyday, hmmmm... AnyWHO, I made my way in & as I opened the door, I could smell FRIED FOODS cooking; BINGO, I was back in the FRIED FISH FRIDAY game. The young lady took my order & I was NOW in line to play the 'waiting game'. After paying for my food & having a seat, I noticed patrons that entered to dine in came in AFTER me, placed ordered AFTER me & received their food BEFORE me; ehhhhhhh not cool, but I patiently waited, after all, I was winning in the FriedFishFriday game, despite losing in the 'waiting game'. Once my name was called & was presented with food, I exited & took note of the ability to call in an order; maybe I'll try that next time go ro

The restaurant is fairly small on the inside and at lunch time, it was really busy. I called in before hand to order and it took about 30 minutes for my food to come out. The wait was 100% worth it. I got the Veal Parmesan with potato salad and it came with a piece of bread. The potato salad was okay; I would not get it again, but the parmesan was delicious! I also got the side of onion rings and they were huge; tasty too. My brother got the 4 piece fried chicken with mashed potatoes and fries. He enjoyed his meal as much as I did.

When I say their barbecue beef poboy is a 4 napkin minimum I'm not exaggerating- but it is absolutely worth the mess. It is easily in my top 5 of poboys for the entire city. The fried catfish is fantastic and like your grandmother used to make it. The fried chicken too. I've enjoyed the veal parm as well - in other words there isn't anything bad made here. And the staff? Incredible and friendly. Quality people producing quality food - venture out and enjoy

Absolutely delicious, great food and excellent service. The wait was a little long but overall we didn't mind because of the TV

Once upon a time there was a good and decent family that owned and operated a local favorite restaurant near the French Market for many, many years, until finally the time came for them to take it easy and they sold the establishment. But like many people who create something with passion for a living, after a period, they missed it and made a family decision to start all over again, and opened Fiorella's Cafe in the Gentilly neighborhood of the city. As the old establishment was known for its exemplary take on fried chicken, so is the new eatery, winning the New Orleans Fried Chicken Festival two years in a row. The simple neighborhood cafe serves all of Southern Louisiana's favorites: fried seafood, po boys, Italian specialties, along with daily specials. All dishes are very fairly priced for the neighborhood, not to extract as many tourist dollars as possible. The food is exemplary. This is possibly the best fried shrimp I've ever had anywhere, crispy fry batter, flavorful Gulf shrimp. The muffaletta is a good one, too many "legendary" places make them in advance, and refrigerate them, and they lose their luster, IMHO. This sandwich moves into being one of my top two in the city. The chicken lives up to its rep. Nice crust, perfectly fried, juicy on the inside, not greasy. Fresh cut fries, done and seasoned perfectly. Really, I finished this meal and I wanted to tell Chef that his/her food was art. It exemplifies one of the passions of New Orleans, simple fare, prepared well, with love as one of the ingredients. It's easy to identify places like this - all the employees are smiling all the time. I wish the family all the success in the world. They deserve it.

Best Fried Chicken Ever!!! Also repeated Winners of the Fried Chicken Festival! Love this place!

This was my favorite bar in New Orleans. It was right across the street from my favorite boutqueshop so I popped in for a drink and a quick bite. I sat at the bar and the cocktails were unreal. Every single juice they have in house is hand squeezed with a hand presser right in front of your eyes. The bartender was a sweetheart. She recommended a few fantastic cocktails and convinced me to get the chargrilled oysters. I AM SO GLAD I DID because I found a HUGE PEARL in one of them. The chef came out himself and said it's he biggest one he has ever seen in 25 years that came out of his restaurant. (Winner winner oyster dinner) I stopped by this place every single day because you can't beat the freshness of their cocktails, the price of their traditional hurricane ($5 every single day), or the freshness of their food. Don't forget to try their crispy fried chicken as well.

AWESOME PLACE for Mufulettas, good price and portions too!! Great ambiance, and decor is nice clean and above all, local.

My husband, father and I had a very enjoyable lunch on a Saturday afternoon. First of all- the service is fantastic. You order at the counter, and then your food comes out to you. The gentleman who brought our food out was polite and helpful. Periodically, when there was no line, the lady who took our order at the counter walked around and asked everyone how they were doing. My dad got a to-go order as well, and she came over to tell him that she would hold it at the counter until he was leaving. We were very impressed with the friendliness and helpfulness. The food was good as well. My dad got liver and onions with mashed potatoes and salad- he said the potatoes were incredible, and the rest was good too. My husband and I both got friend chicken with a side salad; I got cabbage and he got turnip greens. The sides were delicious, as was the salad dressing. The chicken was good- a tad greasy and needed salt and pepper, but nice and juicy inside and crunchy outside. My only complaint is that there are few sides that are not white potatoes (French fries, mashed potato, potato salad, and then salad or vegetable). Maybe some sweet potato fries or onion rings? Regardless. We would definitely come back!

Classic southern chicken, cooked to order, so don't be in a hurry. You can always call in before, but most people just relax and enjoy some of the best chicken ever

The food was good. The grilled chicken breast might have been a little salty for me. The cabbage and salad was a winner. I think we came in around dinner rush hour, but the food came out quick. Good prices, and the staff was on it!

In New Orleans for the month and was starving after a rough day of traveling. My family was going here to pickup some food so I opted for the spaghetti and meatballs with a side Caesar. Other items that were ordered included a chicken and veal Parmesan. The food was fantastic. I can see why my family frequently eats here.

Great neighborhood spot in Gentilly, best fried chicken in New Orleans, usually busy at lunch but easy to grab a quick yummy dinner

The food was incredible. They were also very nice and helpful when ordering. The fried chicken was excellent! I cannot recommend this restaurant enough!!! You will enjoy a great meal and leave full!

Famous for their fried chicken but seafood is great and their daily specials and reasonable and they give a generous helping.

It's a given that the fried chicken in New Orleans is exceptional. So while there, I especially wanted to try a local restaurant that we couldn't find elsewhere. After some research, my friend suggested Fiorella's and I'm SO GLAD we came here. Not only was the fried chicken absolute PERFECTION, but I got to try something I'd really wanted to - crispy fried soft shell crab! It was soooo good!! That is, until we hit the middle and ate the guts - NOT. GOOD. We researched later & realized we should've cut that part out (although some ppl just eat it), so have noted it for next time! Other than that one bite, everything was amazing! Oh! A special mention for their staff who were all SUPER nice n friendly!

Wow. Just wow. I came to Fiorella's at the suggestion of a New Orleans native for what she calls the best fried chicken in the city (even better than Willie Mae's). I was skeptical but felt like I had to judge for myself. I arrived on a weekday around 5pm and the restaurant was empty except for 2-3 tables. I ordered a 2-piece meal which includes 2 sides. I chose the dark meat and opted for mashed potatoes and gravy and the vegetable of the day: Creole corn. It took a good 15 minutes for my meal to come out but only because they fry their chicken to order! My fried chicken came out hot, fresh, juicy AND flavorful. It was perfectly cooked! The mashed potatoes were homemade and the corn was flavored with a combination of Creole spices and tomato. Everything was delicious and I nearly cleaned my whole plate. I only wish they had biscuits to go with such a wonderful meal.

I finally had the chance to stop by for lunch and try the "best chicken in New Orleans!" The parking was a bit jammed. As I pulled in, I had to vie for a parking spot with some police, firemen, s&wb, and a construction crew. I was in line behind one person right before noon. It went quick, and after posing current photos of the menus, sat at the table and waited with my number. Everything is cooked fresh. When the chicken came out it was piping hot. My two sides were a house salad and mashed potatoes. I posted pics of both. I don't know ‍ which was better-- ok, the blue cheese was better! The price was probably lower than a fast food place and it was the BEST that I have had in a while. If they made chicken strips, Cane's would go under overnight!!! I really fell in instant love with this place. The people, the food, the location, the timing. It was a breath of fresh air in an otherwise drab day! I mentioned to the cook that they need to rob the mac-n-cheese recipe from Jack Dempsey's. His reply "I have the recipe, but I can't - I just can't......". ...as he motioned to the kitchen.

Amazingly good fried chicken. You'll be talking about it long after. Moist and tender, perfectly spiced and salted; you're going to have a hard time waiting for it to cool enough to eat. Super flavorful potato salad, nothing bland or mushy. Decades ago I ate at the original location across from the French market and raved. Went there every time I came to town, was so disappointed when they sold and the new owners just couldn't keep up. This is that stunning original for sure.

On the day I was here it was pouring rain, which normally wouldn't be an issue but there is VERY limited parking at this location, so I actually had to park across the street and trudge through puddles to get here. Hey, I had a craving for fried chicken and I was willing to do anything necessary to satisfy it. This place is pretty basic: order at the counter, get your number and they'll bring you your food. I was lucky that I beat the lunch crowd (seriously, the line was out the door about 5 minutes after I ordered) and I was able to order at the counter immediately upon walking in. I got a two piece white meat fried chicken with the veggie of the day (creole corn) and fries. I also got a lemon meringue pie to go because I earned it. Considering there weren't very many people here when I ordered, there was a good 20-25 minute wait, but I guess you can't complain when the food is cooked to order. Now, I'm gonna be honest. When the food came out I was a little underwhelmed. The wing they gave me was super small and the breast didn't have as much meat on it was I would have liked. With that said, the chicken was really good, crispy and juicy. Is it the best fried chicken I've ever had in my life? No, but it satisfied my fried chicken craving and I enjoyed the meal. The fries were good and the creole corn was basically corn with some Tony's in it, but I don't have any complaints about that. Later that evening I had my lemon meringue pie and I think it might be some of the best lemon meringue pie I've ever had in my life. It was really sweet and light and made for a perfect late night dessert. While Fiorella's wouldn't be my first stop for fried chicken, I would come back simply to try other menu items and for the friendly, family atmosphere. I wouldn't come on a rainy day, though.

The roast beef poboy was simply perfect!! My husband had the catfish sandwich and was in heaven. The only negative I can say is they're closed on weekends!

I discovered The Original Fiorellas' through Yelp. Was working construction jobs at both UNO and SUNO Universities, so this place was real easy to get to. Better get there by 11am if you want to get a table. The place fills fast, and with good reason. There's nothing I've ordered from there that hasn't been excellent, and consistently so. All of the staff is super friendly and efficient. Fried Chicken is made to order, so expect at least a 20 minute wait. Well worth it!