Mother's Restaurant - New Orleans
 

My husband and I just returned from New Orleans (MAY2008). We decided to eat at Mother's Restaurant one afternoon during our visit, after reading the RAVE review it received in FODOR's New Orleans 2008 edition. Don't waste your time! Although part of the experience must certainly be the "homey" character of this dumpy cafeteria-style establishment, the food is just mediocre at best. I cannot understand why there was a longer line here than at most other fine restaurants in the city. And the prices are astronomical! My husband paid $15 for one soft-shell crab po-boy sandwich; it didn't even come with any sides. Potato salad, etc. is $4 extra! These prices are much higher than if we had splurged and eaten at the adjacent Hilton, Marriott, or Doubletree hotels. My "specialty of the house" Roast Beef was so dry, I couldn't swallow it. And although the staff discourages the patrons from picking up their own orders, the one waitress in the room was so slow, you had to pick up your own orders. The sign inside the restaurant says "No Tipping Allowed", but who would want to? This restaurant should be removed from your guidebook.

Welcome to Fodor's lbogdano. I hope the rest of your trip was a success. I will pass your experience on to the editor of the New Orleans guide.

Our review of Mother's appears here on the site:
http://www.fodors.com/world/north%20...ity_37542.html

We welcome you to add your review there as well.

Mother's is a convenient for businessmen who work in the Central Business District, and it's a tourist trap. I used to live there and would never go get a po-boy there. Guy's Po-Boys on Magazine is better. Remember though, po-boys, red beans and rice, etc. aren't supposed to be anything "fancy".

Mother's is an institution, and the charm of the place is that it's "real". It's not a contrived place like you see today all across America. This is a real down home kitchen, with real food.

If you would have read up on New Orleans enough, you would have known to get your po-boy with "debris" sauce, which is from the drippings in the pan. Then your sandwich is definitely not dry. Also, get your po-boy "dressed" which is with mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, etc...

I thoroughly disagree about your opinions of this restaurant, as do many many others!

I was wondering why Katie_H said welcome to Fodor's, and then I saw that this was Ibogdano's first post.

Makes sense...

I would advise the OP to perhaps read the 'whole' story concerning Mothers. bklovsnola has it right. You can't blame the restaurant if you didn't do the research. Seems to me, your expectations were different than reality + you didn't know how to order what you really wanted.

I'm also going to guess last post as well.

"Welcome to Fodor's, please feel free to use as many paragraphs in your posts as you need". :-B

I'm curious as to where else you ate and your reviews on those places?

We loved Mother's and went every trip when in NOLA but haven't been post-Katrina.

We've been there post-Katrina and it still doesn't disappoint. A debris po-boy - so messy but so good!

We loved the "atmosphere" of Mother's, but I agree about the food. We ordered the Ferdi Special.....the roast beef po' boy with the debris.

I kept telling my husband we just had to try it because it was highly recommended by posters on Fodors.

Well, he took his first bite and said, "What's so special about it?" Then I took my first bite and said, "I have no idea."

Very disappointing. But we still enjoyed the experience.

BuffaloGirl,

But was your Ferdi "debris" po-boy dry or moist with the debris sauce?

The OP stated that it was dry and I think that was ignorance on the OP's part. He/she did not do enough research.

We always go to Mother's for breakfast. Wouldn't miss it for the world. Not fancy, but if you know what to order, its the best!

I've been to New Orleans 3 times and stopped in at Mother's on each visit - Fredi special each time and was never disappointed. I am glad they don't come with side dishes because I can barely finish the sandwich, let alone anything extra.

I think when people are disappointed, it is probably due to unrealistic expectations - they expect something other than what it is. I've heard people report back after a trip to New Orleans wondering what the fuss is about po-boys - they are JUST sandwiches. I wonder what exactly they were expecting - LOL.

I also wonder about a person whose "splurge" would be a meal at a big chain hotel - even when I stay in one of those places, I definitely don't stick around to eat there.

bkluvsNola: Yes, we ordered the Ferdi Special with debris. It just didn't do it for us.

We have a fantastic roast beef sandwich here in Buffalo called "beef on weck"(kimmelweck)that's hard to beat, so I had high expectations!

But again, we loved Mother's in general. So it's all good! :-)

Mother's is definitely controversial, even amongst locals. I personally dread having to go there but I work nearby so it's convenient. The food can range from good to very good but is never, in my mind, excellent. Of course, the service is renowned for being rude and abrasive so you should expect that.

I agree with the others: do your research BEFORE you dine and you won't be surprised by places like Mother's!

Pretty good comments down the line here. The initial post was a bit damning. I'm sure that anyone who is reviewing this comment string are now a bit confused, as I can get when I read such different opinions on a single topic.

My home is in Baton Rouge and my office the past two years plus has been in New Orleans, so I've been to Mother's a bunch of times. If the line is at or out the door, I pass, though it moves relatively quickly (you can/should review the menu while in line so you can order when its your turn). If you're from out of town and there's a line, get in it unless the heat and humidity is high.

Bottom-line, it's not perfect and guidebooks may build it up to be some shrine or something, but I say it's worth a visit. This place is a bit of an institution (if not for the hype if nothing else:) from the laidback ladies behind the counter who construct your poboys or plate lunchs right before your eyes (behind glass) to the variety of characters, businessmen, celebrities, etc., that you may see file by as they order at the counter. That said, I always sit in the front (original) part of the seating area, rather than the back annex. Much more character in the front. If you are with someone, give them a menu (they are on a single paper near the front door) and have them save a nice seat. When they know what they want, they may be able to just tell you (relatively small dining area) or they can leave something at the table for the few seconds to get back to the counter/line and tell you what they want. (I always recommend a Barq's rootbeer with your meal at Mother's.)

The food is good and not unreasonably priced, though one may think a couple of bucks cheaper would be better (but what's a couple of bucks when you want to try something you've never done before). The plate lunches with a couple of sides are really good. I ususally have the turnip or mustard greens ad potato salad as my sides along with whatever sounds good that day. Breakfasts are really nice, too.

First, the softsheel crab poboy is probably the most expensive singel item on the menu, I would guess. I opt for the "debris" poboy. The "debris" is the juicy mix of, well, juices and bits of roast beef that remains after the roast is cut up for poboys. This is not fat and grisle, it is delicious pieces of tender juicyness...did I say it was juicy. Mother's will also put it on some of their other poboys, but I like it by piled up by itself on a dressed poboy. Get the potato salad with your poboy, whichever one you get.

Mother's is primarily a breakfast and lunch place in my opinion, though it is open into the night. I have never been there past 3 p.m., though I've stayed at the W just across the street numerous times.

Verdict: Go if you can, sit in the front room, enjoy debris poboy and potato salad, and enjoy.