World Famous N'awlins Cafe & Spice Emporium

This place is so good! Definitely an underrated spot! Tge wait can be long because the food is FRESH and is most definitely worth the price and the wait! I had a gator sausage here, it was bomb! Also had the gumbo and fresh hand made pasta! it was amazing! Definitely will be back here. These tourists don't know good food!

For four generations in N'awlins I can't believe it was very mediocre. I got he Creole breakfast bowl. The rice was way overcooked and gummy. Underseasoned and a unremarkable Creole sauce. My sister got the breakfast sandwiches and her "scrambled" eggs had white streak in it so not mixed properly before cooking. The grits was bland needing salt and butter. Total was $31 and I can't recommend this place. Great granddad would be disappointed.

$40 for 12 oysters... that was it no drinks nothing. So First service was horrible, the cashier was terrible she barely said any word. Then, it took 54min to get our order due to the guy not reading the tickets. Once we got our oyster they were dry, not hot (I mean these are freshly fried right?) The flavor was awful and did a half n half order both types were hardly edible. I Would highly recommend skipping this place. Huge let down.

They’re very friendly but I’m not impressed with this food. I tried to order an alligator po boy, but they were out of it, so I got an alligator burger instead. The burger was flavorless and dry. Sadly the best thing on this plate are the Cajun potatoes.

We paid $25 for a medium soft drink and a steak po-boy sandwich. Food was not flavored well. There was about 5-6 small steak pieces per side and barely any lettuce or tomato. Waited over 10 minutes for the food. Waste of money and a disappointment.

Slow service - food is okay. I had the veggie jambalaya which is not much to write home about - very dry. Ordered three things - two items came out quickly but the Catfish Po’boy took forever. Small servings for the price that they charge - the Poboy was definitely tasty but the shrimp and grits and the jambalaya I would give a pass next time.

The alligator in a stick was pretty darn good! Would definitely try that again. The service was not very great. Seemed to be bothering the people to place an order and get the food. Not very busy

Grabbed a bite to eat here and I really wanted to love this spot, but it ended up just being okay. Got a shrimp po boy and some gumbo after walking the French Market and building up an appetite. The employees honestly were preoccupied and it took a while to get service. The setting is nice being at the market and all the open air and tables nearby, but the food is simply not worth it with so many much better options within a stone's throw. The po boy had plenty of shrimp and visually they looked seasoned up but they lacked flavor. The toppings were fine (got it dressed) but the bread also was on the lower end of rolls I've had for a po boy in the area. Didn't seem fresh at all. The Gumbo had decent flavor to it but there wasn't much in it, and the broth was very watery. Everyone makes it and likes it differently but this was like the consistency of a chicken soup...very loose. Just not what i'm in to personally. Happy I tried it out, but with so many other things nearby I highly doubt I go back.

This was my first time in New Orleans and goodness it made a great impression! The people seem incredibly pleasant, friendly, outgoing, and hospitable! Like every establishment I went to was going to my aunts or uncles's house!! This place was no different!! Yes, I'm a foodie, and sadly I have food, allergies! Lol I'm allergic to mono sodium glutamate/MSG. I was lucky enough to be able to speak with a chef who told me all the ingredients on the shrimp and grits as well as the gumbo and jambalaya! My family and I got to split all three dishes and none of them had MSG! So I was very happy and surprised! The food was very hot and delicious, the jambalaya and gumbo tasted a little salty for me, but I also don't like salt. Lol , everybody else in my family of 11 liked the food. Lol I was the only one that thought it was too salty. Lol I would definitely come back here again and get the and grits that was my favorite!!

In the busy French Market, so seating may be limited, long wait time, and sadly they run out of certain items fast. AKA alligator on a stick is popular so get here early! I thought the bowl of shrimp and cheesy grits was really good. It hit the spot, especially if you add a little hot sauce. Yummy in a bowl. It comes with a little piece of cold bread but is nothing to write home about. Do buy some of their seasoning before you leave!

My rating is for one thing, and one thing only: the Gator on a stick. Sure, I'm a tourist. Yes, I wanted to say I consumed alligator among the other animals I find delicious. Suffice to say, I headed to the French Market just as they were opening up on a Monday morning. It wasn't busy at all; many stalls were closed or just opening up (close to 11am). I ordered my sausage and waited at nearby tables. Chatted with some lovely folks from San Antonio, TX, who come for the Dirty cajun rice they can't find at home. It's not like I hadn't already consumed a big breakfast, but I enjoyed the gator sausage very much--mild but with a bit of a peppery finish. It would have gone well with eggs or even pancakes & maple syrup! Yes, I'm sure it gets all the phallic food jokes, but seriously, it was tasty!

I like that they have several vegetarian options, but they were out of the Alfredo pasta. I didn't like the jambalaya. The red beans were decent. The French Market is always a nice place to eat. Lots of options and good people watching

I went a year ago and thought it was great before, but I went again this year and didn't think it was as good as I remembered. I got their upside down oysters and their étouffée and the étouffée was so salty. The upside down oysters were alright. The wait was really long. It's in the middle of the french market so it was a nice setting.

Well the food was pretty good. I definitely enjoyed it. I have the gator sausage, Okra Gumbo and seafood Gumbo plus a steak poboy. I just wish it was so dang expensive. Over $60 for what i ordered plus there was barely any meat in the poboy. All in all I'm happy I tried the food here but it's probably a once and done for me and that's just based on the price and the slither of meat they put in my poboy.

Grabbed a bite to eat here and I really wanted to love this spot, but it ended up just being okay. Got a shrimp po boy and some gumbo after walking the French Market and building up an appetite. The employees honestly were preoccupied and it took a while to get service. The setting is nice being at the market and all the open air and tables nearby, but the food is simply not worth it with so many much better options within a stone's throw. The po boy had plenty of shrimp and visually they looked seasoned up but they lacked flavor. The toppings were fine (got it dressed) but the bread also was on the lower end of rolls I've had for a po boy in the area. Didn't seem fresh at all. The Gumbo had decent flavor to it but there wasn't much in it, and the broth was very watery. Everyone makes it and likes it differently but this was like the consistency of a chicken soup...very loose. Just not what i'm in to personally. Happy I tried it out, but with so many other things nearby I highly doubt I go back.

We were on the hunt for some lunch on a recent NOLA trip and we had spotted Nawlin's Cafe inside the market while walking around the day prior. The stand is located on the southern side of the French Market near other food vendors. I was able to quickly place an order at the counter, opting for red beans and rice with andouille sausage. Food came out hot in just a few minutes. The hardest spot was finding somewhere to sit, but we found a high top table and were able to set our plates down. The food was flavorful but the red beans were more mushy than I was anticipating. However, I would recommend this stand still to try out some Louisiana classics while out and about in the French Quarter.

Located in the French Market, the stall is very quaint and seems quite popular. We came for the pork boudin and it was the BEST thing we had in New Orleans. It was hot and had just the right amount of spice. Seems like everything is cooked to order because it was a little bit of a wait just for a couple of boudin sausages. They actually forgot about our order twice, which was a little frustrating but they were really nice about it and made sure to get our food out as soon as they could.

My friends and I were in the French Market while visiting New Orleans and this is where I chose to grab lunch. As an extremely picky eater, I ordered the dirty rice. It was hard for me to find something here, but I was satisfied with the portion and taste of my meal. Just beware of this if you are or are with a picky eater like myself! The line was long and the food took awhile to receive after being ordered. But it was delicious and I was able to find seating for my entire party close by!

This cafe is inside of the French market. I ordered the seafood pasta with shrimp and crayfish. It was flavorful and delicious. My husband ordered the hot sausage poboy. They charged us for the crawfish poboy but immediately corrected our order. The sausage on the poboy was a little extra charred, but my husband said it had decent flavor. The cashier was friendly andthe guy singing out names to pick up your food from the counter was hilarious in his nawlins accent.

Located in the French Market, this place is famous for serving their gator bites. Unfortunately, while we were there, they ran out. The market itself is very nice and wasn't super crowded while we were there. There were lots of seats and someone singing live music. The person who took our orders, as well as the cook, unfortunately seemed like they did not want to have visitors. Or they were having a bad day, not sure :( Either way, what's important is that we get into the nitty gritty of the food. Here's what we ordered: Gator on a stick: It was full of spices and just slightly gamey, but that's what I expected with gator! I actually enjoyed this sausage quite a lot. There was a snap when I bit into it, which is a good sign. Corn grits and crawfish: I don't really know where the corn was in this dish, so it was really just crawfish and grits. I was not the biggest fan the grits - now don't get me wrong, I think the taste was great. I just prefer "saucier" grits, and these were on the drier side. My partner, however, LOVED these grits. He called them a "deconstructed tamale." The crawfish was good, though. I did enjoy the sauce they were cooked in. I would definitely come here again if they had gator bites! The environment was lovely, the food was just a bit more expensive and it's possible I could have caught them on a bad day.

Dozen upside down oysters and 1/2 dozen bbq shrimp. No line and not busy, took 50 min to make. Oysters were WAY overcooked and super salty. BBQ shrimp was good but sauce was also too salty. Dipping the bread in the sauce (best part) actually burned our throats it was that salty. Hope they improve cause this place used to be good. But I cannot recommend.

This place is split into two. There is the dried good side and the restaurant. I had the pleasure to shop at both. The Dried Goods side is well stocked and has a lot of culinary items you can bring home from New Orleans should you choose to do so. I grabbed some cajun spices and some pre made rice dishes for when i got back home. Well worth the decision. On the restaurant side, I got to try my first Po'boy here. I wasn't disappointed. There are options for those who are vegetarian or allergic to shellfish which was pleasant to see. I saw there. I also had the jambalaya which was just a good. Well worth it!

Okay, you need to get the alligator sausage. It was so juicy and flavorful and the skin of the sausage had a nice crunch to it. We also got the potato bowl which had cheese, scallions, alligator sausage and bacon. It was good, but next time I think I would just stick to the sausage because you can taste the meat way more that way. You have to try this place!!

This was a spot within the French Market that I had a Gator on Stick. Was told the gator meat is mixed in with sausage so the taste is negligible. It was greasy yummy heart clogging artery on a stick that everyone should sample once for the experience when in NOLA.

The food was decent. I was excited to try this place on French market. Unfortunately, the service and workers were not kind or respectful. I waited in a long line, while the person taking the order was extremely slow and s preoccupied with other conversations amongst themselves. Finally I ordered. When my name was called to get my food it was hard to hear so I finally walked over, when I got there the worker asked me if my name was Penny and if that's what my mom named me. I said yes. He said next time someone calls out my name i need to go get my food in a disrespectful tone. Next meal my husband went to go get our food and he was rude and wanted to pick an argument with my husband. This review is based mostly on their horrible service. Everyone waiting nearby us was shocked by the service here.

This was a spur of the moment decision to have lunch here & it ended up alright. The staff was kind of all over the place & walking around in & out of the work area. Also no prices were listed for any of the food except for the gator on a stick. As for the food, we didn't realize that we got the wrong platter, but oh well. We ended up getting the seafood platter - everything was great tasting, but we weren't a fan of the soft shell crab (just not our thing). Also, the gator on a stick was amazing. If anything, just order that - had a great zing of spice to it.

My husband ordered me BBQ shrimp. The shrimp was old because we couldn't peel them very easily. The BBQ was very salty. I never knew anyone in Louisiana could screw up shrimp!!!! We were at the French market so it was busy.. but I expect that! I was very very disappointed! I made better BBQ shrimp at home with a package of the BBQ seasonings then they did!! My husband got thier shrimp and grits. The grits was very good but I didn't take any of the shrimp there.

Terrible. I tried the shrimp creole. It tasted like nothing but salt and tomato paste. The shrimp was old and chewy. I'm very disappointed that I even spent my money on this. 0/10 would not recommend

Yo, these reviews are hilarious! I got the gumbo and it was delicious. Service...I mean homeboy was definitely disinterested, but I would be too serving piping hot food in the blazing hot sun to tourists who most don't know nothing about your food culture, and if they do, they're like me, some pseudo food critic. lol I sat there eating my gumbo in the blazing hot sun and the girl behind the counter started smiling "Is it good?" she asked. Babee it was GONE! I had a decent experience with the servers, but then again, I know how much serving yall really sucks!

While in Louisiana, what do you have to try? I only came here to try to the gator burger. How to describe gator meat? It's definitely a bit more raw, but not sure if it's just the way this is cooked. It's chewier, chunkier, closest meat I would compare it to is pork. The sautéed creole potatoes is a great side. Spicy, has a kick, lots of flavorful, no need for ketchup. Service was a bit slow and food was a bit cold?

It was my first time trying seafood gumbo. I enjoyed the small bowl, but it was really overpriced for the small portion. Flavor is good, and it has a little kick to it.

The workers aren't very welcoming or happy. They looked bored and wanted you to hurry and order. We ordered gator on a stick that I didn't and wouldn't try, crawfish pasta, and the grilled oysters. My son and husband said the gator on a stick was good and the flavoring was there. The pasta was dry and seem like they just blanched the noodles from being stored and it wasn't blanched long enough because they were still hard. The grilled oysters are nothing like Drago's lol I'll leave it at that.

Was in town visiting New Orleans and came across this spot in the market space and was intrigued to try. I did wait about 10 mins in line to order food and then another 15ish minutes for our food which isn't too bad. I got the chicken & shrimp pasta and overall it was delicious and flavorful. My husband got the breakfast bowl and he did not like it given that the grits were not that great. Also the guy taking our order was not very helpful either he wanted the order quick and was basically rushing. Overall I did like my plate but I probably wouldn't go back.

While in New Orleans at the French market I was walking by and seen this place I seen they had bbq shrimp. Since I love New Orleans style bbq shrimp I decided to get some. The shrimp were a nice size and the flavor of the sauce was good kind of on the salty side but like salt if you don't like salt you may want to ask to sample the sauce before hand. It served with French bread and dipping the bread in the sauce is delicious. The main issue I had was with the shrimp. They were slightly over cooked which made them very difficult to peel. I would give them another go because I like the bbq sauce it was served in.

My fiancé got a bowl of gumbo with chicken, shrimp and sausage and it was absolutely delicious! I personally didn't get anything from there, but when I tried it, I wish I had! I definitely recommend trying it

Ordered this in the spur of the moment & would not recommend. - Staff was not very friendly or welcoming & mostly just kept to themselves after walking up to the register. Had to shout to get their attention. - Had to wait 25 mins for food even though there was no one else who ordered. - When they told my food was ready they called my name but the plates were still behind the counter. Had to wait another 5 mins for someone to hand me my food. They forgot to give utensils nor asked if I needed any. - Soft shelled crab was a burned mess, eggs and Cajun bowl tasted ok, nothing spectacular. Price feels outrageous though, paid $36 for this Food was just barely average. Combined with the terrible service and high prices, I'd pass this one. There are so many better cajun places.

Saltiest po boy not good at all, dry and salty. Saw the long line I wanted to try gator bites but they were out so tried the gator on a stick it was ok. Dirty rice was ok, but po boy was really salty. Sadly one of the worst food spots so far

GRANDMOTHER'S RECIPES WITH A NEW ORLEANS FLAVOR OF CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!! My 90-year-old grandmother and I always come to the French market to help keep her mind acquainted with the culture. One of her favorite places is the World Famous N'awlin Cafe. It is so good. When she eats the food, she always smiles and says this taste like I am in the kitchen. Let's start with the customer service. It is amazing. The workers are very kind and greet you with a New Orleans smile. The cashier Monique was very welcoming and provided details regarding the menu. Although we are from New Orleans it is always great to be a tourist in your own city. The food is absolutely amazing. Fresh to order and made with love like a grandmother's kitchen, spices, and herbs. Gumbo - It was so good and amazing. Although many of the gumbos are like soup, My grandmother said " This taste like my own" The seasoning flavor with a perfect brown roux with a mouthful of soulful homemade-based flavor and a hint of spices. The meat is shrimp, chicken, crab, and sausage. It literally is the best we have ever had besides my grandmother's The Barbecue shrimp which is a rich buttery flavor, is served with fresh buttered bread made to order. The gentleman literally makes them fresh, with the sauce and seasonings in a bowl of rich, buttery, delightful, and scrumptious combinations of bountiful flavoring for the palate. The Hot Sausage po boy by the well-known Patton's hot sausage, the only way to eat in New Orleans on fresh french bread with cheese. It is one of the best sandwiches ever. Please don't let me forget the creole potatoes on the plate with the hot sausage sandwich. Rich, smooth and bountiful flavoring, melts in your mouth I wish I could take this place back on the plane with me. A well kept secret in the French Market. Stop by it and try and let me know what you think

Once I began working at Gazebo Cafe, it meant that I was able to walk the French Market every AM before it opened, and when I got off early, I was able to retrace my steps, and enjoy some of the French Market's Best Offerings. I have eaten at NAWLINS Cafe in the French Market a couple of times, and all the Food I ate there, and took home was banging.. in the best way possible. First time by I had some upside down Oysters, and their Cajun Pasta(I took this home and munched on it for the next day or so) The Upside Down Oysters were cooked in Clarified Butter, and Cajun Butter. They didn't last long enough to take the Trip back to my Place on Esplanade in the 1200 block. Great customer service, friendly, and I enjoyed everything I got here. These guys also have a walk in Spice Store that is fun to check out. Four Full MEOWS!! Meow Meow Meow MEOOOOOWWW!!! Check them out when you are in the French Market, then stop by for drinks and see me, CHRIS CAT, at Gazebo Cafe'

New Orleans knows how to do alligator. NOLA is the only place I would ever order it. I had some in Cali and it was dry and chewy, yuck! This place did not disappoint. Ordered the potato bowl with grilled alligator and bacon It was seasoned in NOLA fashion and was well flavored. It was a bit pricey here at $25, but I don't get to eat this cuisine very often so I splurged. Customer service was fast and friendly.

Let me just say this was the best poboy! The grilled shrimp had so much flavor and a small kick to it, exactly what I was expecting! Some Cajun seasoning on it made the difference! And the potatoes it came with had a gumbo sauce on it and I fell in love with it!

Service isn't the best. There was no line when we got there. The workers were preoccupied with conversations amongst themselves. Finally after 5 minutes, they took my order. We got crawfish everything! Crawfish po'boy, crawfish pie, & crawfish baked potato bowl. Food took about 15-20 minutes to come out. The po'boy & pie were pretty bland. I enjoyed the baked potato bowl though! Overall not too impressed & would not recommend this place to friends or family.

Fantastic experience here. We had gumbo, jumbalaya, and redfish po boy. Best food we've had in NOLA. And the workers are so very friendly. Primary reason I'm writing this is so I never forget This place. I want to come back every time I'm here. Such a wonderful experience.

I came on Sunday for lunch and they weren't crowded at all. Lots of empty tables in front of this stall in the marketplace. I was able to order quickly since there was only one person ahead of me and my food came out within the next 15 mins. Got the étouffée and it was so flavorful but it was a little cold when I got it. Overall I don't think I'd come here again.

I don't understand the negative reviews...this place is delicious. It's located in a marketplace with other food places and shops. My boyfriend and I made our first stop here on a food tour. We tried boudin. We have never had it before nor heard of it and it was delicious. It is a Cajun dish made with meat, rice, and seasonings. The rice is with the casing of the sausage, which gives it a soft bite that's delish! When we were here the first time we saw the sign for upside down oysters...so we knew we'd be back! The upside down oysters were delicious as well! They were delicious and savory and I'm salivating hours later as I write this review. I'd suggest you don't listen to the other reviews. Yes there may be a wait if you go during busier hours...but the food is fresh and reasonably priced.

It had boudin where it's hard to find. It was in sausage form not balls(which we are used to) It was on a stick. We also got alligator on a stick. All of it was good. He actually opened on time (Organic banana didn't) He got our business and we would come again!

I don't know why there's so much hate for this place! The only reason why I'm giving it four stars is because they were out of the gator bites. Other than that, this place is fantastic! I love a good étouffée, and this place did not disappoint! The Rue in the étouffée is absolutely perfect. Just be prepared to wait in a long line because this place is extremely popular. We liked our gator sausage, but we would've loved to have gator bites. My partner really loved his gator sausage Poboy. If you want to support a true local business, while you're visiting New Orleans, then go to the French market!

I was introduced to Nawlins through a food tour and was offered a boudin sausage. It was honestly delicious! I'm not usually a big fan of sausages because I can't stand the casing but I followed the "squeeze" method pie tour guide told us (LOL) and I was fine. The sausage was softer than most normal sausages because they are also made with rice which was interesting. Since I only got the sausage I can only speak to my experience with that -- but it was GREAT! Next time I'm in NOLA and the French market I'll be grabbing another boudin sausage. Tip: the French market is very crowded during peak times so go early if you really want something and don't want to wait.

FOOD POISONING FROM THE ÉTOUFFÉE. I would give it a zero, if I could. Time: Waited in line for over 40 min with not many people in front of me, to place an order. Reasonable wait time for "fresh" food (more on "fresh" later) Service: mediocre Order: 2 basic burgers: no flavor in the meat. Blah Etoufee: lacked flavor and texture. I should have thrown it away and sucked up the $22 loss. Result: FOOD POISONING FROM THE ÉTOUFFÉE. 8 people in our party and the only thing I ate that was different from everyone during the 1st day in New Orleans was the Etouffee. I threw up and had diarrhea for 24 hours. Ended up holed up in the hotel room recouping on my second day and missed a whole day of fun. I implore you.... Do not eat here. Go to J's seafood dock. 3 people got jambalaya and said it was great!

Food was just okay and kind of bland. The focus is more on cranking orders out in a huge crowd and the service was average. Soda machine was out so our drinks tasted like water. I wouldn't go back.

I have to be totally honest here, this was the worst food we had in New Orleans in the 6 days visiting and eating around NOLA. I was so embarrassed to pick this place for my family as nothing came out good. I was thinking because the line was long maybe the food must be good. It was probably cause they had the biggest signs. One even said "Best food in New Orleans" BS!! We had The blackened chicken poboy which no one wanted to eat. The BBQ shrimp they should be a shame of it was just straight Cajun spices way to salty to eat, the shrimp was not fresh and over cooked it was hard to remove the shell. The jambalaya was OK but was way overpriced. Lastly the potato chicken bowl is just plane nasty... to top it off the person at the register never would look you in the eye. I want to make sure no one wastes there time here there are so many amazing places to eat in New Orleans ... this is not one of them!!

I really wish I could give them minus star rating. I can't believe that they served me S***. I ordered shrimp and chicken pasta asked them to package to go. They only had foil sheets. Had my name wrong after telling her twice. Once it was done she wrapped with foil and I placed in a bag. It only took 7 minutes to drive back to hotel. The food was terrible. The noodles were mushy, the shrimp and chicken was over cooked couldn't even chew. It had absolutely no taste. The boudin on a stick was ok. I want a refund for that trash. No one wears gloves, any final food preparation done by employees should have on gloves. World Famous you should be sued for false advertising.

This place is located in the Food Market. Thought it was going to be a hit seeing the long lines and the variety of Cajun dishes on the Menu. Boy were we wrong!! We ordered Jambalaya which was super dry, Potato Bowl with Chicken and Shrimp, they didn't put any Shrimp in it and a Shrimp Taco with small Shrimp and Spring Lettuce. It's a Man that calls out your name when your order is ready and you barely understand what he is saying. Cause he talks like he has Food in his mouth. Also he was unprofessional because he was standing there eating Food in front of Customers and chewing with his mouth opened!! SMH!! That's a no no in Foodservice that I was taught. All our dishes were called at different times. They gave us the Jambalaya first, we ate that, then we went to ask about our other Food and it wasn't ready yet! We waited 45 minutes for 3 dishes that were small portions, bland, lukewarm and overpriced!! Well they got us. So buyer beware.

The food has no flavor, just spices. The chicken po boy only has a few pcs of chicken. The crawfish po boy was thrown together and looked like ...trash. The wait was ridiculous. I waited over 45 minutes for this?!?! I will not be back and def don't recommend.

Grab a Gator-on-a-stick! These guys have everything you want!!!! Great food to go or chill at a table with your friends! Covered patio area to shop and eat while the thunderstorms pass :)

I didn't eat the food because while they made me wait the insane amount of time it takes their incompetent selves to prepare simple dishes that are prepared far faster at all surrounding restaurants I saw multiple food preparers touching food with unwashed, filthy hands and was far too disgusted. Their receipts actually say on them "All sales final. Expect minimum of 25-45 minutes wait to to high volume of orders." There is no reason the type of food they are making should take this long. The workers literally work slowly. I cut my losses and left without even receiving the food after seeing how it was handled and wasting half an hour or so. This is not at all something I would typically do but it's how disgusted I was.

I am on a walking food tour in New Orleans. Our first stop was this food stall in the French Market. We had homemade andouille sausage. It was very nice. A little spicy... Enough to make your lips burn but not enough to require any histrionics. Very tasty... I would love to come back and try more items on the menu.