MRB Bar & Kitchen — Restaurant in New Orleans

Down in the tangled guts of the French Quarter sits the Mississippi River Bottom—MRB to the initiated. If you’re drinking in a place called the Mississippi River Bottom, you’ve already accepted a certain level of depravity.

This is a bar where riverboat gamblers, pirates, and multiple men named Bubba have made bad decisions for generations. You come for a Saints game and wake up at 3 a.m. deep in conversation with a guy who swears he was smuggling rum up the bayou before the Coast Guard caught up to him back in 32.

It’s got all the dive bar essentials- Multiple courtyards, Sharks and a ghost in the women’s bathroom because of course there is.

Once a brothel, it carries whispers of speakeasy days, gangland murders, and folklore that make it feel like time just isn’t done with it yet.

But look, we didn’t come here just for the ghosts or the conspiracies. We came here to eat.

And the only right answer is the Oysters Menard. Now, let’s get one thing straight—these ain’t just oysters. This is something more, something bigger, something damn near holy. They start with fat Louisiana oysters, the kind that still taste like they remember the sea, and they chargrill ‘em in butter so rich it should probably come with a will-writing service. Then comes the parmesan, melting into the crevices like it was always meant to be there, the garlic butter seeping deep, the Roma tomatoes bringing just a whisper of sweetness before the fresh jalapeños slap you awake like a preacher on Sunday morning.

You take that first bite, and suddenly the world slows down a little. You lean back in your chair, let the courtyard fans mist you just enough to keep you from melting, and listen to some poor bastard wailing his soul out on a saxophone nearby.

The smoke curls up, carrying the scent of butter, garlic, and fire—like the bayou and a backyard barbecue decided to throw a party together. The oyster’s shell cradles its prize, bubbling and golden, edges crisped just enough to remind you that heat is both a creator and a destroyer. You raise it to your lips, the half-shell still hot from the grill, and tip it back.

That first bite? And it’s a revelation. You taste the slow burn that builds like a story you already know the ending to but want to hear again anyway.

By the time you go for another, you’ve already decided this is the only way oysters should be eaten. Forks become irrelevant. Napkins, too. There’s just you, the oysters, and the knowledge that life doesn’t hand out too many moments this perfect—so you damn well better enjoy it while it lasts.

And that’s MRB. A place where you can drink, eat, sweat just a little less than usual, and maybe—just maybe—catch a glimpse of something bigger than yourself, be it a ghost in the bathroom or just the perfect bite of an oyster, smoky and rich, tasting like the Gulf and the fire that tamed it. Whatever you’re looking for—football, a haunted restroom, or just an excuse to linger a little longer—MRB’s got...

If you are in the French Quarter please bypass the tourist trap and head to MRB!! Everything you think you need is here. My first time going was for a crawfish boil and Woodie throws down. I decided from there I would stalk their Instagram only to see they have an amazing selection of food dishes. So last night I went back and the food exceeded my expectations. I had the crab and shrimp egg rolls, butterflied shrimp, and crawfish mac and cheese. Everything was so delicious and the service was phenomenal! Brad is the sweetest and made sure we had a great experience. When I find Ms. Patty, I'm going to give her huge hug because I know she had me in mind when she made that Mac and Cheese. To top it off, we were able to see a free Burlesque and Comedy Show in the courtyard. Now folks, this is all at a dive bar so of course there are beverages to complete this entire experience. Aside from a beer, I also tried their Watermelon and Cucumber Cocktail which is necessary in this NOLA heat. I wrote all of this to say.. go to Woodies MRB, you won't be disappointed. IG:...

Went there looking for grilled oysters unfortunately they were out of them. Settled for a burger and crawfish mac & cheese. Both were amazing. Sat in the outside patio enjoyed the open air setting. Will definitely be back to get the oysters. And a follow up from our original trip. Wednesday was great, went back there on Friday for the oysters. Totally enjoyed our burger on Wednesday so decided to do it again. We ordered one River bottom burger and one good old-fashioned burger the burger we got on Wednesday covered the bun from edge to edge the ones we got on Friday night barely covered a quarter of the bun we ordered them rare and they were well done. Then after an hour and a half the oysters show up they were great but unfortunately the person who plated them needs to learn how to count we only received 10 supposed to be a dozen and the last time I checked a dozen was 12.🤔 Oh what a difference...