Brennan's — Restaurant in New Orleans

Given the Bananas Foster lore and the high ratings of this place, I went into this hoping to be "wowed" and left tragically underwhelmed. We visited at a "brunch" timeslot in hopes of avoiding the crowds or feeling rushed. I'll start by saying that the service was attentive and the best part of our experience, with the exception of the hostess who seemed annoyed/put out that we arrived early (or at all) for our reservation to an empty restaurant. The woman that sat us at our table brought me black napkin so that I wouldn't get white lint on my black pants. She needs a raise. Most wait staff aren't on their game like that. The restaurant itself felt uncomfortable and pretentious in the sense that the vibe of "high class" felt forced upon us rather than it being naturally "realized". Maybe because it was slow and there wasn't the typical commotion/noise of a bustling restaurant to distract us from this, but aside from the quiet conversations at the surrounding tables, we felt like we were eating at a country club where "proper" retired women who come from old money would go after their private pickleball lesson. Think the Emily Gilmore type. The weather was sunny and humid with a real feel of 106* the day of our visit, so I had a hat on. Shortly after being seated I was instructed to remove my hat (not some obnoxious flat bill trucker bro hat). Ok, I get it, this is supposed to be a nice place with business casual attire, but slightly annoying when there was a woman at the table next to us wearing a ball cap and a tank top. I guess if my hat had rhinestones or something on it, maybe I could've kept it on? Butter and a french baguette wrapped in a napkin was then brought to the table. For those of you who don't know, in France baguettes are typically torn, not cut. This was a nice touch but with one fatal flaw, the bread needs to be warm and fresh in order for this to work. The bread itself was good, but not worth the game of tug of war to tear it. Not a big deal, we're coming in after breakfast and before lunch so these were probably made a while ago. For entrees we ordered duck confit hash and croque monsieur. The croque monsieur was amazing in the sense that the bread managed to be soggy and burnt at the same time, so I'm not sure how they accomplished that. Croque means crunch, so they kinda missed the entire premise of a glorified ham n cheese sandwich that you get from a street cart in france. Seemed as though they were more focused on the presentation (which I will say was well done) than the actual execution. I was pretty excited for the duck confit hash but unfortunately it was more hash than duck and only offered mere glimpses duck essence than any duck itself. I felt like I paid $27 for a small plate of potatoes cooked in duck fat with bits of shredded duck meat mixed in, and a duck egg on top for presentation. Next up was their signature bananas foster. I guess I had expectations that it was going to be different or better than anything I've made at home or had at a restaurant because this is where it originated, but nope... it's the exact same 6 ingredients you'd use at home, or any other restaurant or wherever. So if you've had it before, don't expect anything different. You're paying the $28 to have the waiter prepare it at your table with the big flame show. Overall, if you want to pay to be wooed by decor, ambiance, wait staff, and food presentation, this is your place. If you've never had bananas foster or eaten at a "fancy" restaurant before, then by all means, come here for the experience. If you've already tried bananas foster and you prefer your food to taste better than it looks, then I'd go somewhere else and get a few extra rounds of drinks with the money you'll save. Part of being a good restaurant is knowing who you are and who you're not. You can have high prices and the appearance of "high class", but if the food doesn't match or exceed the expectations you've set, you're...

First of all, the food is delicious. But my review is based on service. We informed our server immediately upon arrival that my little brother was having his very first meal after having a severe reaction to oysters that ended up with him in the ER. My mom is allergic to oysters and after trying them for the very first time, we discovered that he also has an intolerance to them. He had barely been able to keep anything down for 2 days and the little he did eat, was strictly BRAT diet foods. We made it clear that we were trying to keep his first meal very plain and simple. The server kept making offerings for "light" menu items when we already knew what we wanted. We wrongly assumed that a nicer, established, and more expensive restaurant would be happy to accommodate us. We both ordered drinks, and I still ordered an appetizer and entree, without any modifications I might add. My brother ordered the Crab Avocado Toast without the crab (seafood in general understandably didn't sound appealing to him today) and some of the braebant potatoes. The chef offered to still serve the sauce with the Crab Avocado toast and we politely declined as the sauce was dairy based. Anyone that has ever had food poisoning or similar, knows how important it is to ease back into your normal diet once recovered, otherwise you could send your digestive system into shock and right back to being sick again. Well the toast came out with the sauce anyways. No big deal- just didn't eat it. I ordered the gumbo for my starter, which the menu said it had "shrimp, crab, andoullie sausage, and broken rice". Since rice is part of the BRAT diet, I offered a little bite to him. Something with flavor, since his avocado toast didn't even have salt on it. He tried it. Loved it. I ate a few more bites and to my surprise, there was an oyster in my soup. I tried to eat it before my brother could see it. Unfortunately, he had seen it and was instantly panicked as he had barely just recovered from being poisoned by OYSTERS. I went to the front desk to check the menu to make sure I hadn't missed anything and sure enough, the menu did not have oysters listed in the description for the gumbo. The server didn't seem bothered by any of this when I calmly and politely brought it to his attention and recommended that they update the menu as oyster intolerances are quite common. The server also forgot to order the potatoes, which we promptly canceled the order once we realized it, as it didn't take much to fill his stomach at his first meal in days. Honestly, a minor detail in the whole experience. When we got the bill, they charged us the full $23 for the Crab and Avocado toast aka a piece of plain toast and avocado. I honestly couldn't believe it. I thought to mention it as we ordered, but I figured a professional, would know better and wouldn't try to pull such a shady move. Since the talk of the oyster mishap didn't go well and no reparations were made for that, we just wanted to get the hell out of there. I was a server and bartender for over 10 years and I never leave bad reviews for restaurants. But I just landed home to San Diego, and I am still shocked at the carelessness we were exposed to. If you have any food intolerances or gut issues of any sort, BEWARE. The staff is uninformed and clearly doesn't understand the repruccusions of neglecting someone's dietary restrictions. Beyond that, the servers only care about sales, instead of making sure their customers are taken care of. Super disappointed. We won't be dining here on our next trip to...

At Brennan's in the heart of the French Quarter, my friends and I dined on a bustling Saturday evening, drawn by glowing recommendations and prominent advertising in the NOLA airport. Securing our reservation a month in advance via OpenTable, the restaurant's strategic location made for a convenient stroll from our Canal Street accommodations.

Upon arrival at 6:30 pm, we were welcomed with prompt seating amidst charming, lingering Christmas décor, which harmonized pleasantly with their distinctive pink and green interior. Our drink orders swiftly followed; I opted for ginger beer, while two friends ordered Moscow mules.

As we reviewed the menu, it became apparent that Brennan’s emphasizes high-quality, costly, dining experiences. My choice, the knife-cut tartare, was a delightful blend of flavors, enhanced by crisp potato wedges and a flavorful sauce. Sadly, this was not echoed by the Shells and Cheese which lacked both in flavor and warmth, rendering it largely untouched by 3 of us who all ordered this. High expectations of Southern style mac and cheese let us down in this pricey fine dining setting.

Other table orders included Crab Remoulade, Chopped Cesar Salad, seafood gumbo, and oyster j’aine, none of which made a lasting impression, especially when compared to other, more economical, and authentic Southern offerings we visited on our trip.

In honor of a birthday celebration, Brennan’s surprised our table with a pile of pink cotton candy concealing a cake with pink ice cream. Hopeful for a taste of strawberry or an adult flavor, I sampled the ice cream only to be met with an overpowering bubblegum flavor, by far the worst I've ever had. Avoid at all costs! Recalling it even makes me gag. Thankfully, I didn't try the cake, but my friends found it equally dreadful. The dry, stale cake paired with bubblegum ice cream was a disaster, and overall, we’d have much preferred a discount on the Bananas Foster over that monstrosity.

The evening's climax was intended to be a birthday celebration centered around Brennan’s famed Bananas Foster. However, the dessert’s peculiar serving policy, mandating an individual purchase for each diner, dashed our plans. This practice, particularly at $14 per person, seemed unjustifiable and excessive, turning a shared experience into an exorbitant one.

In sum, while Brennan's offers the allure of an upscale venue in a lively district, the disparity between style and substance, coupled with perplexing pricing tactics, casts a shadow over its reputation. If you're in search of high-quality, authentic, and delicious food options, I cannot recommend this restaurant. There are far better, flavorful alternatives within the French Quarter that deliver on Southern culinary...