Commander's Palace

07/29/2008 Posted by lisa2waters

This place failed to wow me, and with all the hype about it I never expected it to be so average. The staff is amazing, but they have this old school tradition of bugging you every thirty seconds to de-crumb the table or blather away about their favorite thing on the menu. I felt bugged and then the food fell flat. I also noticed the demographic in Commander's is about 99% old people. I felt like people have given me the wrong expectations of the place.

07/23/2008 Posted by ithinkfoodisgreat

This place is just incredible. So incredible, that I've seriously considered taking an additional trip to New Orleans just to stop by. It really is that good. We arrived for our reservation (this was the first week of May) and were welcomed to the restaurant by the lovely fragrance of blossoming trees. The homes surrounding the restaurant are beautiful, and the ambience is top-notch. We were greeted warmly, and were whisked upstairs to our table. Our waiter (named Argyle) was a wonderful gentleman with a handle-bar mustache: he was by far one of the finest waiters I've ever had the privilege of being served by. He knew the menu intimately, and was very passionate about each item. I started with a delectable Brie-Cauliflower soup.... words cannot express... it was just amazing. Following the soup I enjoyed a Blackberry leafy greens salad, which was good but nothing remarkable. We then indulged in a cheese sampler, including: Italian green gorgonzola, Fromage d'Affinois, Carr Valley Mobay, Idiazibal, and Shropshire, all brought together perfectly by a bit of honeycomb, pecan bread with some sort of berry sauce, and blackberries. I ordered the Filet Mignon, and it came with buttery velvety mashed potatoes and a rich brown sauce that transcends flavor and defies description. Dessert was anticlimactic--the strawberry shortcake earned a derisive "eh" and a shrug of the shoulders after such a noteworthy meal. If I am ever in New Orleans again, I will definitely be stopping by. Restaurants of this caliber are few and far between.

02/28/2008 Posted by veronicawrig62

From the valet service to the maitre d’ the service at the Commanders Palace is impeccable--few mistakes are made. We were seated upstairs on NBA All-star weekend. The waitstaff and the headwaiter were outstanding. They checked on us making sure my salad was good and all are need were met. Changing out a used napkin for a fresh one with ease. I started out with the strawberry salad and my entrée was the grilled gulf fish and bread pudding soufflé is just one delightful combination. The jazz band put a tear in my eye playing Louis Armstrong. This is a New Orleans Classic and is not to be missed. This is a perfect 10 in my book.

Pros: Everything

10/16/2007 Posted by tailgateking

We held a customer group dinner and the evening was a huge success. The wait staff was friendly, courteous, polite and attended to our every whim. The menu was pre-arranged and we had a multi course meal with several wonderful hors d'oeuvres. The best was the Classic Shrimp & Tasso. The Turtle Soup was incredible. The atmosphere was relaxing in this historic location. The dessert bomb was the highlight of the evening. Wine pairings were exceptional. Brigette Brunken was my event planner and she did an excellent job....Thank You...We Shall Return I want to bring some select clients to the Chefs Table in the Kitchen.....Awesome

Pros: Dessert Bomb was Very Popular

Cons: None

08/28/2007 Posted by dcata25

Commander’s Palace.. Sunday, we went to Commander’s Palace for brunch. It was our first time there even though this was our 30th trip down to NOLA. The food was divine, however I did have to send back my barbeque shrimp appetizer, the shrimp were a bit raw. Fried oysters were very good. My dish was shrimp with angel hair pasta which was just okay. My husband’s steak was unbelievable, the melding of the flavors. He didn’t even need a steak knife to cut it. Creole cheesecake for desert was okay.. The service was a bit off, waiting for cocktails took quite awhile. However, they were extremely busy. The place was packed. The chef signed our menu for my Mom’s birthday, “Keep Eating Creole.” We would definitely return again.

08/25/2007 Posted by tikivon

The building is cool. Yes, it's an old restaurant, but that's not enough reason to like it. People mistake things that are good for things they've simply heard of. I don't mind paying a lot for food if it's good food, but the food here is not worth the price. Unless you don't know a lot about food & quality, then you're just the fool they are looking for. Waitress was unproffesional, possibly on chemicals.

07/19/2007 Posted by psu_upward_bound

As a special treat for the 10 high school students who recently visited New Orleans to help rebuild, the two other adult chaperones and I decided to have a traditional Jazz Brunch at Commander's. We had budgeted carefully to afford the luxurious meal and it was well worth it. We were seated in a private room with our own waiter, a Paris-born Italian named Lorenzo, who managed to preserve the high class of Commander's while helping our students feel like they belonged. For a group of low-income minority students from Oregon, this was quite a feat! The food was divine, the service attentive without being overbearing, and we were treated like royalty from start to finish, from the complementary dishes to the balloons to our private tour of the restaurant and kitchens. This was definitely one of the most memorable parts of the trip.

Pros: This isn't a restaurant, it's an experience

05/19/2007 Posted by katfromnewyork

Commanders Palace very very overpriced for a limited menu which they offer. Not much of a selection .The palace as they call it is very nice although they lack the Creole sensation. The Turtle soup with sherry was cold and bland lacking flavor ,the overpriced entree such as the veal chop at a price of $40.00 was aburd and it was a smaller cut than any other elegant restaurants in New Orleans would offer. The staff is wonderful . Commanders Palace really needs to update their menus and focus on true traditional Creole foods instead of jacking up the prices on their menu. Beware the hype of Commanders Palace it doe not live up to the standards one would wish . Sorry Zagats New Orleans 2007 it do not live up to the hype !

Pros: nice ambience

Cons: tourist trap not worth the hype!

03/13/2007 Posted by nikkifrench

. During the twenty years I lived in New Orleans I never got a chance to eat at Commander's. I live in San Francisco now and for the past ten years I have worked in the service industry. This trip back home I finally got a chance to eat there. My girlfriend and I were well dressed and on time. I made the reservation two months in advance. We both look very young (we're actually both around thirty). This is the only reason I can think that we we're sat at "the most romantic seat in the house" which happened to be in the very back corner of the restaraunt right behind an extremely loud ten top. Our entire meal we were pushed up against and served over to accomodate the large party. Our waiter all but ignored us (his help was very nice, though). He forgot to place the order for our appetizer and offered nothing as compensation. When I have made similar mistakes (it happens) I have offered to at least comp a glass of house wine. The food was incredibly late to come out. The ten top in front of us was seated after we were and received all of their food first. I know this sometimes happpens, but the time we waited was well beyond what could be considered normal. Our entrees were pretty tasty, not the best meal I've ever had, but certainly acceptable. The highlight of the meal was our bread pudding, which was amazing. I would highly recommend it to anyone dining here. Unfortunately the coffee we ordered arrived five minutes after we finished the dessert and was as cold as the service was. The pricing on the meal was very reasonable for a restaraunt of this reputation. My major complaint was with the service. As a waiter and bartender I was totally disapointed. We were treated like third class citizens the entire time. The icing on the bad service cake was when the valet walked right past us and took the ticket from the hand of an older couple that were standing behind us. Did they think that they were our parents?

Pros: You get to eat at a famous New Orleans joint

Cons: You get seated at the kid'd table if you look under fifty

06/28/2005 Posted by nuzzle77

I'd fly to New Orleans again if only to eat at Commander's Palace once more. First, my wife and I were never treated so well at any restaurant anywhere. Second, my wife was literally singing and laughing with each bite of her filet mignon. Third, the bread pudding was the most amazing thing to ever hit my taste buds. The waitstaff was knowledgeable and attentive. My beef tournadoes were cooked perfectly and the crawfish scattered about my plate were wonderful. I also recommend starting with the Soup 1-1-1 (a demi-cup of the turtle soup, seafood gumbo, and soup du jour). I was pleasantly surprised by the turtle soup...sounds scary, but be brave and you'll enjoy it. And the Chocolate Molten for dessert...oh-my-god. The finest dining experience of my life, and the food literally made my wife and I weak at the knees. Amen to "Best Restaurant In America!"

Pros: Incredible food, Attentive waitstaff, Worth every penny!

Cons: None