Mosquito Supper Club — Restaurant in New Orleans

Sunday, July 17th 2022 If you have a chance to do one dining experience when you come to the city, the communal cajun love story that is The Mosquito Supper Club is it. I have included photos from our personal experience. This - of course - includes the food. It also features the cookbook I bought awhile ago by Chef Melissa M. Martin. I brought my copy in and the staff was super nice and signed it for me, including Chef! There is also a sample of the menu we had and the drink menu. I say sample because their menu fluctuates depending on what local food and produce they get. A few key notes: Do the wine pairing. It was on a whole new level and escalated the flavor profiles of the food. It is communal which was a little intimidating for me, BUT it ended up great! Everyone had a good time, we met some really fun people (I sat across from this lovely woman named Margaret and her wife, and a really sweet retired couple next to me). We all helped each other with the food, and talked of our other food experiences in the city. It was still very intimate as the limit how many seats a night. There was PLENTY of food to go around for everyone. We tried our damndest to get through everything and there was just too much of it. They even let us box things up to take home. The staff was absolutely amazing. The hostess and manager came in before they served the food to give us some background on the food we would be eating, where they came from and emphasized their backgrounds. The servers were quick to help and answer questions, the bartender was extremely knowledge when it came to not only our cocktails, but the background of the wines. And the food gave me some of those Ratatouille feels in the pit of my stomach that made me tear up a little. It can be somewhat intimidating using the reservation system on Tock. I didn’t have issues with it, but as this particular experience is seasonal it can be hard to find seating. The way we were able to do it is sign up for notice on the nights we had in mind, and they told us ASAP when they were available. I also follow their social media which does let you know if they have last minute seating available. We did not experience the Mosquito Bites outdoor seating option since we did the Supper Club so I can’t tell you really anything about that portion of the experience EXCEPT that their menu still looked exceptional. I read through some of the past reviews, and I can’t really speak for them but I can’t emphasize enough… THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO IF YOU COME TO NEW ORLEANS AND WANT A TRUE FOOD EXPERIENCE. If you’re a local, this is something you need to do. My husband and I live locally here in New Orleans, and didn’t experience ANY of the issues brought up in some of those past reviews. 100% do this. You will leave with a better understanding...

Rarely am I compelled to leave a negative review of any establishment, as someone who works in hospitality and fine dining. Mosquito left so much to be desired that I simply have to share this experience. The saving grace of this meal was our incredibly sweet and attentive server who made my group and I feel welcomed and taken care of. Her drink recommendations were lovely, and she shared some of her favorite New Orleans bars with us to check out. I wish I remembered her name, she was truly a delight. Cocktails from the bar were thoughtfully prepared, well-diluted and balanced.

But, we came here for an incredible meal and that is not what we received.

Sweet potato biscuits and Isle of Dauphine oysters served first were likely the best things we ate. But a tiny biscuit with sweet butter and oysters on the half shell don’t impress too much when considering the price point. This course was also served with a shrimp and watermelon dish, as well as crab claws in a buttery sauce. Shrimp was ok, but was desperate for salt and acid. Muted is the best word I can find to describe both of these dishes.

Next course was oyster soup. Also, fine. The soup was served slightly above room temperature, and there were not enough oysters in the cast iron pot for each person at the table to have one in their portion. This was a sentiment shared between my group and the folks we sat with.

Entree course was perhaps the most disappointing. Two salads and a stuffed crab. The stuffed crab was tasty but un-exciting, and the salads were honestly offensive. Tomato and cucumber tossed together with essentially no seasoning whatsoever. Peaches, corn and lima beans that were permeated with a fishy flavor that was clearly not meant to be there. It was painfully evident that this food was not tasted before it was served.

Lastly, our dessert was buttermilk ice cream and a blackberry dumpling. The ice cream was flavorful with a lovely texture. The dumpling felt overworked, tough and chewy. Another thing that was not tasted before it was served.

After drinks and gratuity for five people we spent over $1000 to dine here. We chose this restaurant because of the idea that we were going to see some exemplary Cajun cuisine. What we saw felt uninspired, sloppy and tired. After reading of other similar experiences I am forced to believe that ours is not unique. The amount of disappointment I have from this restaurant is one I have not felt in a...

I'm going to start with what Mosquito Supper Club is not. It is not a white tablecloth restaurant where you're fawned over by 3-4 different staff members. It is not a place to expect impeccably plated dishes, served simultaneously by the staff. There are plenty of those experiences to be had in New Orleans, and they are wonderful in their own way. If you make a reservation here and expect a white tablecloth experience, you will be disappointed. I am also aware that service changes over time, and earlier reviewers' mileage may have varied.

Now, here's what it is for me. It's a place that evokes home, where we passed plates and filled each other's bowls. I didn't grow up in this culture, but I'm familiar with the feeling. You may be sitting next to a stranger at a communal table. Roll with it if you can. We met some folks from Chattanooga and heard about their epic train journey to get here. We were "fighting" over the last crab claw by the end.

The evening began with one of the servers talking about the evening's menu- it's fixed and comes with an optional wine pairing. They explained where each ingredient was sourced and how the dishes were prepared. The food was plentiful and absolutely delicious. Be ready to serve yourself, and maybe a stranger.

I'm only going to mention two dishes because undoubtedly your menu will vary. The soup was a deliciously spicy tomato-based oyster and pork creation. Somewhere closer to a stew on the continuum, I'd say. The main was a crab cake where the only binding was shrimp, and the meat was stuffed inside a crab shell. Would it have held together on its own? Who cares?! It was a rich, delectable take on something that has become pedestrian in so many places.

I'd say go if you're all right with a louder setting, sitting at a long table with your family, friends, and strangers, and serving yourself and others. You can't possibly be disappointed by the food and you might find yourself making plans with your...