Habaneros Metairie — Restaurant in Metairie

So let me first say that I eat here about five times a year. It is very convenient on Vets., outside of Lakeside Mall, in the old Sucre’ building. I usually have my car serviced at Volvo and I walk over and have lunch here while I wait. The prices are fair, food is good, and service makes you want to return. I’ve even been to two social events here. I’ve never received bad service or had a bad experience. I don’t live close, but I consider this to be my top restaurant for authentic Mexican food. Unfortunately, my last experience was not great. I ordered the street corn, a shrimp quesadilla, and an order of queso over the phone. I planned on just picking it up, but my daughter fell asleep in the car, so I went online to place the order, hoping that someone could bring it out for me, if it was paid for already. Immediately when I went online, I noticed that there was a difference in price. I called the restaurant and spoke to the manager to see if they could honor the price difference, she could not so and a lot of customers have had that issue with the new website. I canceled that order and just went on ahead and placed the order online. That should’ve been the first sign for me, but I went against my better judgement. When I got there, my food was ready and packaged nice. The ambience of the restaurant is always very nice no matter the time you go. You can tell that everything is intentional about this restaurant. I was starving so I chowed down on a few pieces of the corn in the car. When I got home, I had a strong urge to vomit. That night I could not eat the other dishes that I ordered, for fear of getting sicker. My stomach cramped the whole night and for the next two days. My teenage son had to catch an uber home because I was so sick that night as well. It was so bad that I could not go to work for the next 2 days. I have never gotten sick from food and I was shocked, because as I said, this is a restaurant that I consider to be one of my top restaurants. They never miss in any departments, but on this day with me, they did. I called and spoke to the manager, who was sure it was from the quesadilla and the shrimp. I told her that it could not be from the shrimp because I had not ate any of that and the only thing that I ate was the corn. She told me that sometimes they fry the corn in too much grease and it could happen because it has happened to her before. She offered me a gift card for my next visit, which I declined. Like I said my sickness was really intense, like I had a virus. Because she felt like now it was from the corn she refunded me the amount from the corn. Unfortunately, I will not be patronizing in the business anymore. It was really suspect that I was fine until the food had a chance to fester in my stomach. I reached out to corporate on social and received a response saying that they reviewed the kitchen policies and standards and feel like this was an isolated event specially with me. Even with the offer of free food, I never want to have that feeling again,...

Your first impression of Habaneros (in Metairie) will be the sign that says, "This must be the place." While it takes continued food consistency and outstanding service to maintain and build on positive experiences, it takes an all-hands-on-deck effort combined with a great deal of professionalism (and some luck) to turn around a negative one.

After a negative experience in March of 2024, where we encountered slow service and a lack of attention to detail, we decided to give Habaneros a second chance visit (to err is human), and we are thrilled that we did. The transformation in staff and leadership was remarkable, breathing new life into the establishment. Not only did we return for a second visit, we elected to parlay the positive experience and returned on Mother's Day. Here's how our experience went:

Our first return visit was on Saturday, May 4th, 2024, the afternoon of the Kentucky Derby. We chose to sit outdoors in the patio area, and the Management graciously fulfilled our request to watch the Derby in a display of their accommodating nature. We were delighted by the unique flavors of the frozen happy hour margaritas, particularly the raspberry and mango. The Queso Fundido (Queso with Chorizo) was a standout, a perfect blend of cheese and spice that left us craving for more.

On to the entrees: We had the Verdes Enchiladas, a flavorful dish with grilled chicken, and the Quesadilla, which was generously filled with shredded chicken and a variety of cheeses. We followed up with Coffee and dessert. The staff's recommendation of the flan, a baked custard dessert topped with caramel (similar to the French version of crème caramel), was a delightful discovery. The sense of intrigue and excitement in trying these new dishes was truly invigorating.

Our server, Eddie, was a true professional, highly knowledgeable about the menu and spot-on in meeting and anticipating our every need. After receiving and paying the check, we requested to speak with Management as we felt it was important to share the significant turnaround in our dining experience. We learned that our server, Eddie, was training other staff members, which is a testament to his skills and the positive changes at Habaneros. Also, it quickly became apparent that the new management was a big part of the positive differences we experienced at Habaneros.

Our Mother's Day visit went smoothly and was just as impressive as the previous visit on the day of the 'run for the roses' event, where we enjoyed margaritas and an added surprise found in the shredded chicken taco salad. The answer to 'this must be the place' is rhetorical. The next time you find yourself in the mood for some vibrant atmosphere, with its lively music and colorful decor, infused with great food and culture, head on over to Habaneros in Metairie . . . this...

A colleague recommended this place, and the way he and his wife boast about their wonderful experience I was looking forward to finally dining on some good Mexican food. Upon entering was greeted by the Host and welcomed. Sat at the bar to dine, ordered a Grey Goose vodka cranberry cocktail to start $11.50, and the drink arrives filling half the glass. I asked for more juice which was provided easily. I was not expecting a strong drink but a warranting libation.

Was craving tacos so ordered from their “Artistic Taco” menu the Prestige priced at $24 for 3 tacos corn or flour tortilla I chose corn with sweet plantains and corn on the cob for sides. When the tacos arrived they were small reminiscent of street tacos with 1 shrimp, and just 2 tiny pieces of steak in each taco, a small sliver of avocado, and escabeche were tasteless bland tacos. The plantains were sweet & soggy, and the corn on the cob taste like it was brined in pork. I ate 2 tacos and gave up on the 3rd in addition to the 2 sides.

The bartender asked about my meal and I let them know the tacos were bland, and the sides were not good. Having a pork allergy I asked about the corn on the cob why it taste like pork, and the bartender said it’s not pork that the onions used on top of the corn are pickled but it taste like el pastor. I eat street corn in Xoximilco often and Habaneros corn tastes like pork.

They offered to refund the meal, but since I ate the tacos and drink half the cocktail I felt the need to pay for what I consumed. Next was a 10 minute wait while they figure out what to do next, as no manager nor supervisor spoke with me and the restaurant is empty. The entire experience was dissapointing and definitely not worth $38. Left still hungry on to fill up elsewhere.

The food is overpriced and bland, would recommend...