Cafe Orleans — Restaurant in Ginowan

First of all I'm from New Orleans, 8th Ward, near Lake Pontchartrain. I was looking for a place that reminded me of home cooking. This restaurant is very small and the atmosphere is fine. Located near Camp Foster Hospital gate. The service was very bad, it took an hour to receive our food, drinks came within a few minutes of us getting seats at the window by the front door. The restaurant was packed but the waitress was very nice and actually moved the little trike outside so we could sit. Very small menu for the dinner menu. The food was borderline, We had Catfish with Caribbean rice, Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Chicken plate with Jambalaya. Catfish was soft but bland, added Louisiana hot sauce and that made it better. The Chicken plate was okay but the jambalaya was like dirty rice with sausage added. The Gumbo broth was missing a lot of seasoning, without shrimp, okra, and hot sausage, the taste was not powerful. The drinks are good and you can order alcoholic beverages if that's your thing. The prices are relatively high for what you get and the service. Every plate and Gumbo are ¥1700 respectfully. Now if you are not from the South and are looking for a Cajun type restaurant, you may enjoy this restaurant. I might return for another encounter but it definitely won't be anytime soon I can't highly recommend this restaurant but I think more people should visit and try for themselves. I think having to wait an hour for our food really got everything on the wrong foot.

Response to Owner's reply

Your reply was just Plum Dilly....if you're from New Orleans, you know what this means. You wanted to compare prices, I have attached pictures with prices from the World Famous Gumbo Shop menu in New Orleans on Bourbon Street which I grew up eating at. This is not some around the way place.. "bruh" Your price of $13 as you mentioned only falls true because of the current yen rate. When the yen eventually falls closer to ¥110, that price of $13 will rise.

As far as contacting you, I would have., but... you were busy, going in and out of the restaurant with a shopping basket.

I have never waited an hour for food at any restaurant on Okinawa and I have reviewed a few. If your restaurant was bigger and had only 1 waitress, I could probably understand. Plus, no one even came to check on us at all, I actually walked up to the counter to order extra drinks. (Customer service)

I was leaving an honest review on your restaurant as a customer from New Orleans. You wanted to compare prices with the prices back home, attached is the proof. Check it out before you go eat here.

I was going to return and give your restaurant another chance but after your reply, it's all good. I won't be spending my money here and won't be sending anyone there.

Good luck and I hope you keep being successful.

Since my review is hard to find for most people, I'll be reposting it.

The supplies for this restaurant come mostly from San A next door. I see the owner in...

If you are seeking a New Orleans authenticity experience then Cafe Orleans is just the place to dine. Entering the restaurant you are welcome with a warming ambiance of good ole Jazz music mixed in with Soul music. You instantly get a feel of Bourbon Street. The menu is simple but full of delicious meals to order and prices are very reasonable. My husband ordered the fried catfish meal with the side of jambalaya rice, Cajun fries and a homemade corn bread. The catfish was flaky and fixed to perfection. The jambalaya was one of the best I’ve ever eaten. While eating we met Mr Al the owner who advised us to try their signature tartar sauce. Let’s just say I brought a container for home. Being that I usually dislike tartar sauce he has changed my mind, if I can eat their tartar sauce everyday. It was the trinity that made everything come together with that dish. I ordered the Char-boiled Oysters which was complimented with Parmesan cheese and garlic butter. I appreciated how fresh the oysters taste. Of course cooked to order. I ordered a dozen but could’ve went for a dozen more. As an appetizer we ordered the voodoo rolls that were just scrumptious. Each bite you got a taste of the fresh crab and shrimp alongside a flavorful sauce that burst magnificent flavors in your mouth. We also ordered a side of wings that were cooked just right with the correct amount of heat. This was our first time eating at this restaurant but it most definitely won’t be our last. We decided to try something new for a lunch date and wasn’t disappointed at all. The staff was very friendly, amazing when understanding English and prompt. Our waitress smiled the entire time we were dining and always asked if we were okay and needed anything else. I give this experience a 10/10 and would recommend to any and everyone if living in Okinawa or...

I don't usually make reviews here unless it really underdoes it for me. Btw, this is my first impression of the place. Feel free to skim my thoughts.

CONS (There's a few.) • {Waiting Time} - ❗❗You've seen this on a lot of reviews here. They're not lying. It took an hour and a half for the order to get onto the table. Took 2 to completely finish it.

• {Food} - I can't stress enough how cold the food was by the time it was put in front of us. The only thing that was clearly steaming was the chicken sausage gumbo.

• {Service} - As nice as they were, and as understandably busy as they were, the service wasn't great. It was hard to reach them for an order and orders were being forgotten. We had waited 2 hours for an order only to find out it hadn't even been made. Kinda left me fuming lol.

• {Seating} - ❗❗This place is super popular so it's hard to list this as a con since it's impossible to regulate, but you NEED to call ahead for reservations if you eat here. Otherwise, you're not getting anything.

PROS: • {Atmosphere} - The mood set in the place is extremely relaxing. Despite all the wait, I didn't feel like a stiff board from the vibes there. The managers are clearly very friendly with customers. It also doesn't rush anybody out so it's fun to go with groups.

• {Language} - The staff speak both English and Japanese, so foreigners and locals are very welcomed here.

That's all I can list right now without tapping into food flavor. I'm honestly not huge on Creole food, and I don't want to judge when I know others definitely love it. That's why this review is purely about everything besides it.

❗❗If you're in need of Creole food on Okinawa, yeah, this is it. But expect a wait and a bit of disappointment, and...