The Praline Connection

Right in Frenchman’s street, wanted to try some authentic food the décor is simple, it was my first time eating jambalaya so I have nothing to compare it to but I enjoyed it for sure

Fried oyster po boy is very hoof as well as red beans and rice
Skip the mac and cheese and meatloaf. Very friendly set

My least favorite restaurant in New Orleans. I suggest the many other establishments on Frenchmen St., like Dat Dog’s or Mona’s Café.
Where do I begin…
We were a group of 5. They told us the wait would be 30 minutes or less but it was over an hour. Since they don’t combine table they let in smaller groups sooner. So if you’re a large I suggest splitting up so you’ll have a better chance at getting seated. They almost seated another large group who came after us until my dad saw that and reminded them that we were there first. Then that unfortunate group waited for an hour only to leave, meanwhile there were plenty of small table that were empty they could’ve combined those for them.
The food obviously took awhile. But once we got it they forgot my Mac and cheese. As for the food, it was sub-​par. All the vegetables tasted like they had freezer burn. Nothing seemed fresh.
I personally wouldn’t suggest this place but if you must go remember to go with a group of 4 or less.

We weren’t that hungry but we got a drink and a bowl of gumbo. Although both were good, the drinks were leaving us feeling no pain at all.

I can’t speak for anything but the Red Beans and Rice, as my husband and I come here exclusively for that and order the same thing every time! We’ve tried this dish at a few other places, and nothing comes close to what’s cookin’ at The Praline Connection.
I highly recommend stopping in for a plate of Red Beans and Rice. The service is as good as the food!

We came here at the suggestion of a tour guide for the best fried chicken. It was definitely one of the best. The batter/​skin is so deliciously seasoned that I could just eat that. My wife ordered the chicken with the potato salad and red beans. The potato salad was also one of the best. Think of it like a loaded baked potato potato salad.
I ordered the fried catfish with the mac n cheese and Crowder peas. The catfish was awesome, but the sides were just average.
The service was great.
The prices were good and the menu had a good selection.

Omg, were the beans and fried chicken fantastic. It was honestly more than I could eat. Wish the service was better. But what I got to eat more than made up for it. Last time I came here, the meal both I and my companion had weren’t good .(ribs). This trip made up for it. Glad I came back.

We showed up 45 min before close which isn’t bad, but I usually don’t like doing. The server was still really friendly and didn’t really rush us. The fried okra and fried pickles were great. I love okra, and this was top notch. I hate pickles, but I ate a dozen little fried slices dipped in ranch. I got the jambalaya which was pretty good. It has like a spring vegetable mix in it which was weird, but the smoked sausage was delicious. The cornbread was the highlight of the meal, it was on point. Super moist and sweet. The drinks took a while but it’s more of a restaurant than a bar. I’d like to go back on a slower night.

We took a great tour of the marigny neighborhood where the restaurant is located (through free walking tours, highly recommend) and our guide told us Pralines has best fried chicken. Well, gauntlet thrown.
Next day five of us came back to eat. Three ordered the fried chicken, one the fried catfish and one the meatloaf featured on travel network. Our sides included Mac & cheese, potato salad, red beans and rice, crowder peas and white beans.
Our tour guide did us good. The fried chicken was fantastic, especially the skin. It isn’t your crunchy kfc like skin. It was crisp without being that chunky, for lack of better description. And the seasoning! You could see it coating the skin. Beautiful.
The fried fish also had a great coating with really moist white meat. The tastiness of the meatloaf is going to depend on if you like greens or not. Because it is filled with them. My daughter was not a fan but my fil thought it was best ever.
The potato salad is a new recipe the server said, and it includes bacon. This was seriously one of the top three potato salads I have ever had. The three of us who had it scraped our bowls clean. The other sides were good too, as well as the fresh hot cornbread they brought us.
Our server was also informative and friendly and gave great service

This was one of the more tastier meals here in NOLA
I dont entirely remember what we ordered but I remember really loving the area! It was my first time on Frenchmen street and I liked it much better than Bourbon St.

We had jambalaya here. Although it tasted good, I don’t think I would suggest it to anyone, since it is over-​priced and you should definitely consider other places in the neighborhood with live music. Without live music at the corner of Frenchmen Street, this restaurant is not one to be recommended.

Generally, I only write a review if it’s great or if it’s terrible — this place was amazing. I could not believe the reviews I read from other Unilocalers who said otherwise. The catfish is the best I’ve ever had — hands down! Crawfish Étouffée was full of crawfish and very tasty. The cornbread will make you want to slap your mama! And… our waiter is by far one of the BEST I’ve ever had. For that matter, the entire waitstaff was, as my husband said, Johnny on the Spot!
Five Stars doesn’t seem enough.

Two words. Real bad, Unilocal is telling me to. say more. But really, it’s real bad. Unilocal is still saying my review is too short. So here is some new ways to say it. It sucks. Don’t go here please. I cancelled my order after losing my appetite on the gumbo. My friend’s margaritas was red with a cherry. The waitress asked if we thought it had too much grenadine. What??? Grenadine in a margarita. Are these people crazy? There is no Grenadine in a Margarita.
When we walked out, swear to God, 6 women walked by and one of them in a New York Accent said, and I quote: «Remember this place it was the worst food of our trip».
Now Curtis, (the owner) Come on man. Let me know when you think you have something to rave about and I will stop by and try it out. But until then, avoid is the only word I can think of

COMFORT FOOD AT ITS BEST!
The staff at Harrah’s recommended this place. «Try the deep fried chicken livers with jelly sauce».
Upon arrival at around 7:45 pm, we got seated in minutes. The place was busy, and a super casual place that’s been in operation for 25 years. They’re undergoing some kitchen rennovation and updates, so darn… the fried stuff wasn’t available. However, the variety of foods that were available looked good. They had a variety of Southern comfort food.
I ordered the «Travel Channel Meatloaf» with greens, mac and cheese. My friend ordered Jambalaya. It was served with cornbread.
The jambalaya was very good. It had sausage on top of it. Really good, the flavor was really good too. It wasn’t dry or too wet. This was a really good jambalaya. The Meatloaf was also good too (w/​a light brown gravy sauce) and so was the mac n cheese.
I asked our server for a small sampling of étouffée. OMG the flavor was amazing. I’m coming back for this!
This is «home cooking» at its best. I can see why this place has existed for 25 years. It a place that both locals and tourists dine at… it speaks volume.

Stopped in for the traditional peach cobbler with crust– hard to find these days! See pic.

This restaurant was a nice little walk from the French Quarter. It was in one of the local neighborhoods. It had a very nice local feel and the cooking seemed authentic and home made. I would not recommend going there in the evening because there were some streets that could be deserted at night. Overall, they are very good for their fried food.
Sides, Appetizers and Desert
fried pickles– loved the breading. It was just the perfect crunch that enhanced the sour pickle.
fried okra– once again, perfect breading. It was very well seasoned and the okra was cooked perfectly with the right amount of seasoning.
candied yam– very sweet
mac and cheese– too dry and clumpy
turnip greens– standard
corn bread– delish! It had the perfect texture; not dry yet flaky.
praline crunch– SO good. It’s definitely home made. So creamy and not too sweet. I bought some to take home and when I compared it with the other praline crunches, this was the best one!
We came here for the fried chicken! It was yummy. It tasted very home made. The outside was seasoned very well and the breading was not too heavy or salty. The chicken itself was moist, I wish there was more flavor on the inside. Then again, I might have been expecting too much.
My friend had the crawfish étouffée. I tried it and it was a little too fishy for me. The gravy was standard.

Who doesn’t like Southern Home Cooking? This place hits the spot when you’re on Frenchmen, starving, and don’t want to walk or cab it to some other place. Personally, when I’m on Frenchmen, I stay there for the evening. I had fried chicken, mac & cheese, & rice with gravy. I heart rice with gravy. I grew up on rice with gravy. Why don’t restaurants in Texas serve it? Makes me a little sad… I was pleased as pie when my server finished my sentence as I was asking for rice with gravy. «He’s a smart man», I thought to myself. He also earned his hefty tip when he allowed me to order 2 breasts instead of 1 breast & 2 wings. All the food came out hot and fresh. I was especially impressed by the mac and cheese. All too often I receive an ice cream scoop-​shaped lump of dried out mac & cheese, NOT the case here. It was fresh, saucy & yummy!
Is there better home cooking in NOLA? Yes, but not convenient to Frenchmen, and if there is, I haven’t found it yet.

From the first time we arrived the only thing they keep sayings is «that’s how we roll!». It’s a great place while on Frenchmen to grad a bite. The fried liver was great. Gumbo and chicken with beans was good. Service is great and if you have room for dessert get the pudding. The gumbo bowl is a huge bowl so if you are hungry this is the dish for you. NOLA!

The Praline Connection is a good place to go if you are wanting some soul food. It looks like it would be a hole-​in-​the-​wall kind of joint, but it is cozy and quite nice once you get inside. They are located in Frenchmen Street, which is an added bonus, in my opinion, as it is one of my most favorite streets ever. When we dined, there was a good mix of locals and tourists, and the straight-​laced and the eclectic. I knew we went to the right place!
The menu is dedicated solely to soul food. We ordered the usual suspects — fried chicken, greens, gumbo, and jambalaya — but I was a bit surprised to see chicken livers with pepper jelly, which I was told is not at all gross, so we ordered that as well. Everything was flavorful! The fried chicken was moist and seasoned well, the greens — my favorite of our meal — were so tasty, the gumbo was some of the better ones I have had, and the jambalaya had a slight spice that even non-​spicy lovers would be able to tolerate it. Even the chicken liver was quite tasty, although if I am being completely honest, it is not something I would order of my own accord anytime soon (it is a mental thing). I do wish the pepper jelly was not quite as watered down, though.
The service was exceptionally nice. Roland, our server, made sure that we were not wanting anything. Our order was taken promptly, the water glasses were refilled before we even began to scan the room for him or anyone who could help, the check was given us before we even got antsy. His attentiveness was really great, and he was quite personable, too!
Good food, great service, great location… Yup, I am a fan of The Praline Connection, alright.

Praline Connection was quite possibly the best place that we ate at while in New Orleans.
The staff was super, and extremely friendly. The food was EXCELLENT! Mega portions at a reasonable price.
We started off with the connection platter. The guy explained repeatedly that it’s a lot of food (meant for 4), but when we hear that stuff back home, it’s usually a lie. They brought this thing out, and it was MONSTROUS. Every, single, thing, on this was DELICIOUS — fried chicken livers, fried okra, fried pickles, fried soft shell crawfish, fried catfish, and chicken wings. We literally filled 3 take home boxes, and still left some behind.
We also had the alligator sausage. This was also very good — somewhat similar to a spicy sausage with a slightly different texture.
I barely had any room left for the fried chicken, which was great. If we ever return to NOLA, this will be our first stop!