Oceana Grill — Restaurant in New Orleans

The Good: We were seated and greeted pretty quickly. Our waiter/server’s demeanor was pleasant, he answered our questions about the menu and was patient while we decided on food. I told him before ordering that the resort we stayed at stated we get a discount here. He acknowledged it and took our order.

The Bad: It was clear after 10 minutes that our server was inundated, appearing to be the only person there taking care of tables. No problem, I’ve been there. After nearly 30 minutes, our table had nothing but ice in our cups. I witnessed him (mirror) attend all 5 tables around us, then skip us, to go to the other side of the restaurant at least 10 times. Still nothing, not even an update in food. I placed my hand in the air and saw him turn in my direction and as soon as I turned to him, he left again. My son’s food came out but did not have the ranch we requested. Another 10 minutes passed and he quickly apologized for the wait while he scurried past us again to the other room. I had enough and shouted “excuse me sir!” He turned this time and I asked if we could please get refills since our entire table was out of drinks and literally sipping on ice as it melted. My husband also asked again if we could get ranch since it did not come with my son’s food. He said sure and came back about 10 minutes later with our drinks but no ranch and ran off again. About 20 minutes later another gentleman (runner) came from the kitchen with our food. He finally brought the ranch so my son could now eat his cold food. The rest of the food was hot and decent. Nothing to write home about, but good.

The Ugly: We received our check and there was no discount. So, we mention it again. He takes our checks back to the manager and returns to say it isn’t a discount, it’s a cup of gumbo. Ok, would have been good to know but that was on us for not bringing the paper. He hands our check again and now he has added 18% gratuity to our bill. We were a table of 5 and had asked to split the bill so maybe. However, now I’m mad. So, I called him out on it and asked him to remove it because I repeatedly witness him ignore us. He appears shocked but takes our bill, our credit cards and leaves again. He is gone 15 minutes and returns with our corrected checks. He also took time to personally apologize for ignoring us. That actually meant a lot and I know that is a hard thing to do when you’re busy and frustrated. In 2 hours, we received one refill and my son ate cold food. It was hard to do because he was working really hard for everyone else. I hope they tipped him well because he certainly deserved it from them. However, our experience was clearly different. So much in fact, that another couple walked out after bearing witness to what was happening to us. The reason I gave 3 stars is because he did apologize when he returned with our corrected bill. Had he had only tried to communicate and treat us fairly it would have been so different. I would have given him a large tip and had a conversation with his manager about how well he was handling himself in the mess. Sorry Oceana, but we will...

Oceana Grill is a fairly highly-rated local eatery that I was excited to try because it's often mentioned in a book series I enjoy, set in New Orleans. We thought it would be fun to experience it firsthand, but the visit turned out to be a mixed bag.

Appetizer:

We shared the crab cake appetizer. The crab cakes themselves were just okay, and they came smothered in a mushroom sauce that was also merely average. Nothing about the dish stood out or left a memorable impression.

Entrees:

I ordered the shrimp Étouffée, which had a rich and tasty flavor—but that’s where the praise ends. The shrimp were so small they were barely detectable. They might have been rehydrated dried shrimp, similar to what you’d find in an Asian grocery store. It felt borderline deceptive to call it "shrimp Étouffée" when you have to squint into your spoon and search to confirm there’s shrimp in it. I would have much preferred a few large, plump shrimp over a handful of tiny ones. The presentation was lackluster as well.

My husband opted for the sampler platter, which included crawfish Étouffée, jambalaya, and red beans with smoked andouille sausage (served with white rice on the side). The crawfish Étouffée was similar to mine: decent flavor, but with barely any crawfish to speak of. The jambalaya was unimpressive, with mushy rice that detracted from the dish. It’s unclear if this is the norm for local preparation or specific to this restaurant. The red beans and smoked andouille sausage, however, were excellent. The beans had just the right amount of smoky flavor, and the sausage was flavorful and satisfying. My husband said he’d return just for this dish—provided the white rice improved.

Drinks:

My husband ordered an IPA-style beer, which was decent. I chose the non-alcoholic “Bayou Breeze,” made with pineapple juice, lime juice, and coconut cream. Unfortunately, it was cloyingly sweet, even for someone like me who enjoys sweet drinks. I kept adding water to it to tame the sweetness. It seemed like they removed the alcohol from a cocktail recipe but didn’t adjust the flavor balance, resulting in an overly sugary beverage.

Dessert:

We ended the meal with bread pudding, a staple in New Orleans. Oceana Grill’s version was solid. It wasn’t the best I’ve had but far from the worst, and it made for an enjoyable finish to an otherwise uneven dining experience.

Final Thoughts:

Oceana Grill has its highlights—notably, the red beans and smoked andouille sausage—but much of the meal fell short of expectations. With better execution and attention to detail, this restaurant could shine, but as it stands, it’s more of a...

Oceana Grill was one of the last places that my husband and I stumbled into on our final day of our trip to the French Quarter. We experienced one of the most intense rainstorms the night prior which caused the most extreme humidity on this day, so when I say we stumbled in, we really needed an escape from the heat and badly needed a glass of water. Also, after an extended weekend of stuffing our faces full of so much food, I craved a salad so badly and it was kind of tough find a restaurant menu with a Caesar salad! We found Oceana Grill and breathed a sigh of relief to be able to finally sit down and get out of the heat. The staff was incredibly welcoming and due to it being the middle of the day, we were glad that it wasn't too busy or loud.

To my excitement, there was a Caesar salad on the menu and a handful of protein options you could select from: catfish, chicken, shrimp, or gator (still not used to seeing that option on a menu). I landed on the Blackened Shrimp which was absolutely the move! When I tell you I devoured every bite of this salad, I mean it! It was exactly what I needed after eating a lot of heavier foods. The shrimp was plump and the seasoning on it was outstanding; it was such a refreshing salad overall.

Now, even though I mentioned having been in need of a light meal, this did not stop me from still ordering the Fried Shrimp Platter. This platter was served with French fries, coleslaw, jalapeño hushpuppies, cocktail and tartar sauce! I was really excited to try out the hushpuppies as I haven't had one in so long, and unfortunately was slightly letdown by them. I was hoping for them to be a bit more flavorful since they were jalapeno, but they did lack any punch and seemed under-seasoned. The shrimp, on the other hand, were fried to perfection and had the perfect amount of crunch and juiciness. The French fries were also executed well and I really enjoyed whatever they were seasoned with.

Especially after completely finishing the salad (which was a large portion), I knew I wouldn't be capable of finishing the shrimp platter even with the help of my husband. We took the rest of the leftovers to go, to be enjoyed on the plane on...