New NOLA Restaurant Morrow’s Doesn’t Disappoint

Traveling to New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA) is one of my favorite things to do. There is a bit of everything to do, see, and most importantly EAT! On every trip that I have made to New Orleans, I have not eaten anything that I disliked – this trip was no exception. During my Mardi Gras visit this year, I went to one of New Orleans’ new and poppin’ restaurants, Morrow’s, for dinner….twice. Don’t judge me. The restaurant’s website describes Morrow’s as “exciting new cosmopolitan restaurant…serving classic New Orleans cuisine and authentic Korean dishes” Keep reading to see why I went back for more.

Morrow’s, 2438 Saint Claude Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70117

Owners: Larry Morrow and Lenora Chong

Price: $$

AMBIANCE

Walking up to Morrow’s, the façade is clean and fresh with simple signage. Stepping inside is another story. The energy grabs you and music will keep your head bopping. Morrow’s is a cozy, casual dining establishment with the laid-back NOLA feel. The place stays packed which raises the noise level, but it was not intolerable. There is no waiting area and the bar area was full, so I had to wait outside to be called from the waitlist so as not to block the doorway.

SERVICE

On my first visit the evening after Mardi Gras, I arrived a little before 8 p.m., and I was very surprised that it was so busy on a Wednesday night. I placed my name on the waitlist and was told that the estimated wait time for my party of three would be two hours! This was a bit distressing because Morrow’s was due to close in two hours, but the hostess assured me that I would likely not have to wait two hours to be seated. I received notification that we could be seated after about an hour wait (the hostess was right!). Once seated at a booth in the back, nestled away from the busy bar area, our waitress was nice and hospitable. She checked on our table periodically without hovering or rushing our meal, which I greatly appreciated.

My second visit was much smoother. I arrived at Morrow’s around 6:30 p.m. on the Monday after Mardi Gras, and I was seated immediately. My observation was that the earlier timing and lack of events in the city resulted in zero wait time #winning. I had the same friendly waitress and her service was good. I like uniformity.

FOOD

Now for the nitty-gritty: the food. My table ordered from the classic New Orleans cuisine side of the menu during my first visit, because when you visit NOLA that is what you are looking to enjoy! We ordered the Oyster Platter, Shrimp Platter, and Cajun Crawfish Pasta. On my second visit, I explored both sides of the menu with Lettuce Wraps appetizer, Morrow’s Fried Chicken entrée, and Bibim Bop entrée. Every entrée came with generous portions (anyone else get as excited as I do for leftovers?).

Entrées

The Oyster Platter had what seemed to be about twenty fried oysters, a plateful of french fries, and a slice of toasted garlic bread. The Shrimp Platter was much like the oyster platter with a comparable amount of shrimp. We substituted the french fries for sweet potato fries. I felt that a dipping sauce of some sort would have complimented the meals nicely.  There was ketchup, hot sauce, salt, and pepper available on the table. Other than that, the meals were alright.

The Cajun crawfish pasta was my favorite of the three dishes during my first visit. I typically do not like creamy pasta sauces, but this dish was so well seasoned. Our order had a variation because they were out of catfish that typically lays across the bed of pasta. Morrow’s offered to substitute the missing catfish with fried shrimp.

The Korean cuisine that I tried from the menu was delicious. The chicken in the Lettuce Wraps was flavorful and the special sauce had a nice kick. The Bibim Bop is a rice bowl topped with various vegetables, beef, and a fried egg. The bowl also came with a side of sweet and spicy sauce.

Morrow’s Fried Chicken was served with your choice of two sides. We chose the baked macaroni and french fries. The fried chicken was moist with a crispy skin. The baked macaroni was not super creamy and had a nice cheesy crust on top.

Desserts

My party was also celebrating a birthday during our Wednesday visit to Morrow’s, so we ordered bread pudding and cheesecake. If you know me, you know that I cannot go to a restaurant, see bread pudding on the menu, and not order it. Morrow’s bread pudding was tasty, with its Hawaiian twist. The cheesecake was New York style and warmed my heart as a native New Yorker to have a bit of home in NOLA. These desserts were a nice end to the meals that we had and leftovers for the next day 😊

FINAL RATING

I give Morrow’s four out of five crawfish. The service was friendly and not rushed, the ambiance gave good vibes, and the food was promising – especially for a restaurant that has only been open for a year. I would visit again to try the brunch. Want to join me?