- Davis
- First Reviewer
- 3 out of 5
- Avg. Member Rating
- 11
- Reviews
Not Ever Again
- July 17, 2009
- Rated 1 of 5 by
sunflwrs101 from New Orleans, Louisiana
I purchased 2 gift certificates for this restaraunt via a local radio station. My husband and I visited and used one of the gift certificates. We asked to be seated on the balcony and it was a nice view and a live band was playing jazz downstairs so there was an ambience. I ordered a cosmopolitan and had to return it because it was THAT awful. I opted for a glass of house wine instead. We ordered a dozen oysters on the 1/2 shell. They were cold and delicious. My husband ordered the duck and I ordered the Softshell crab capri. I was sorely disappointed in my dish. The crab was not freshly fried and the side dishes left little to be desired. I would never order this dish again. However, my husbands duck dish was very tasty, the sides were much better on his plate and he was pretty happy with this dish. The service was just fine and our bill came to about $80.00. I would have been in a tizzy if it were not for the pre-paid gift certificate where I got 25.00 off.
The second trip was last night. Some friends took me out for my birthday and I decided that I would use my final gift certificate so we could enjoy more for our money. We were promptly seated but I was told by the hostess we could not get the table we wanted to sit at because that section was closed. It was understandable at the time but not when 2 parties later guests were seated at the table that we had originally asked to be seated at. The jazz music was playing again and it was great. My friend and I ordered a beer each. We asked the waitress to recommend a beer based on the fact the we liked Abita Amber and so she brought us Red Stallion. The beer would have been much better if it would have been colder. My friend a big beer drinker actually ordered a glass of ice and poured his beer over it because it was too warm. I just drank mine faster. We are not big complainers. We ordered oysters on the 1/2 shell. They were perfect and delicous, so much that we ordered more. We also ordered the seafood cheesecake and the waitress commented that it was their most ordered appetizer. I was confident that we made the right choice.We ate it but we were not impressed. I have been 2 two other restaraunts that blew their recipe out of the water. Not to mention I did not even see or taste seafood in it. It was eaten because we were hungry. My friend and I split the crabmeat stuffed shrimp, the waitress again mentioned that it was their most popular dish. Our other friend ordered the catfish plate. The catfish was freshly fried perfect and was tasty. The shrimp dish was awful. We paid too much money for a scoop of awful room temperature mashed potatoes, 4 shrimp that were off tasting(old? freezer burnt?) and overcooked with crabmeat stuffing that I could have gotten in Ohio and steamed no flavor, no salt, no butter vegetables. It was all supposed to be in a Beurre blanc sauce that also had no taste to it. Again we ate it because we were hungry. I kept hoping it would taste better but it didn't! We just kept trying to have a good time and enjoy the evening. The waitress was friendly so was the food runner. He was talkative and even took our picture. My friend apparently headed off the waitress to bring a dessert with a candle so they could cheer my birthday on. This was creme brulee and after 2 bites each we decided it was THE most awful tasting dish we had ever eaten. It tasted like eggs gone wrong with sprinkled sugar and vanilla. Our bill came to about $100.00.
The best thing that I can say about Crescent City Brewhouse is that the music is fabulous, the ambience is nice, The art was unique, eclectic and local, the staff is courteous and well trained, and the raw oysters were great!
I can see why it stays open...It LOOKS like a good time and it can be if you are surrounded by good friends that soften the blow. But I would never recommend anyone eat here for more than a brew and raw oysters.
Ok Food, Really Bad Service
- September 28, 2008
- Rated 1 of 5 by
sparra44 from San Jose, California
Just like another reviewer I also had a coupon for a "buy one, get one free entree." I specifically asked the waiteress if this only applied to the entree or anything on the menu, since the coupon had sandwiches on it. She stated "that it was OK for everything, but would recommend the entrees." Since we were in a hurry we told her we would just get a couple of sandwiches. She took the coupon and after we got our order she came back and said that the coupon did not apply to what we ordered and would not be honored. I asked to speak to the manager, Kevin Fruits who stated "that since the waitress gave us the wrong info she would be charged for the item." I told him that was fine with me. I than got my bill and found that they did not remove the item. I then asked the manager again and he basically told me that I was lying and the waiteress would not make such a mistake as this. I informed him that if that was the case why didn't he come over and let me know that he was not going to honor the coupon. He than told me that "fine pay the full tab or I will call someone." Which I figured to be the police. I then told him that he had the worst customer service I have ever seen in all my travels. That paying the bill was not an issue if he had come back and at least provided me a reason other than to think I was lying. He than said that "most customers lie to get something for free." Being that New Orleans is hurting for dollars, they do not make us feel very welcome.
Crescent City Brewhouse
- January 30, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
E. B. from Torrance, California
We had a coupon for a free entrée when buying another entrée, so we decided to check it out. I was in the mood for a beer and a burger, and I figured a brewery would do burgers just fine. Unfortunately, the coupon didn’t apply to sandwiches, only entrees, which were a higher price. Since it was a “buy one, get one free” deal, we switched our orders. My boyfriend ordered the Red Fish St. Louis, and I ordered the Southern Crispy Duck. I had already ordered a Red Stallion, so I went with the duck since I was already eyeing that item on the menu, and it was recommended to pair with the Red Stallion beer.
When we received our orders, we were pleasantly surprised. The fish tasted wonderful, and the duck was superb! Both had accents of spice and were just delicious. I have never had duck taste that way. I have had duck on many occasions, but the way it was cooked here was unique. To top it off, the check which was originally over $50 was cut down to only $30 because of the coupon. The meal was worth it at the original price. The coupon was icing on the cake. I will definitely go back to try more items on their menu.
From journal Taking It Easy in the Big Easy
Editor Pick
Crescent City Brewhouse
- May 30, 2005
- Rated 1 of 5 by
cecilyf from Houston, Texas
The Crescent City Brewery, at first glance, seems to posses a relaxed and more reputable atmosphere than the tacky tourist traps that line the streets of the French Quarter, but do not be deceived. I ordered a house brew (which was neither bad nor extraordinary) and a lunch entrée, and my guest did the same.
The waiter proceeded to inquire whether we would like either 1) gumbo or 2) a small Caesar salad, phrasing and intonating the question in the exact manner that legitimate establishments do when asking whether you'd prefer the soup or salad option with your meal. "Gumbo or salad... hmmmmm... gumbo, I guess."
We received the gumbo, which was very watery. It didn't possess a delicate, fresh taste that one would expect from a gumbo of such consistency, but rather felt like a watered-down, canned preparation. Well, at least it came with the meal.
It didn't, of course. My guest and I were charged $5 for a small, teacup-sized serving of a very unsatisfactory gumbo we didn't intend to order.
The manager was extremely unsympathetic as I described the deceptive manner in which the waiter slipped these additional charges onto our tab. He actually defended the server by explaining that he was "doing his job" by utilizing an "upselling technique," the sort of behavior engaged in by movie theaters and fast-food establishments. He never offered to delete the charges from the tab and refused to remove them when I pointedly made the request.
Excellent establishments succeed and flourish by providing memorable meals, courteous service, and reputable management attuned to the concerns of the customer.
Crescent City Brewery is lacking in all of these categories, and thus it seems the establishment resorts to balancing it's books with tasteless upselling scams that raised by particular check total by 25%.
It isn't merely a bad place to eat, with mediocre fare and uncaring service; you may literally leave feeling victimized, without any means of recourse. Please avoid.
From journal Mediocre Food and Devious Upselling Schemes
Cresent City Brewhouse
- October 23, 2003
- Rated 5 of 5 by
grubado from Lexington, Kentucky
Excellent place to sit on the outdoor balcony and enjoy delicious foods. We had the filet mignon, which was excellent. Decatur has a tourist info center that sells tours, etc--ask them if they have a coupon to this restaurant. The lady in the info center had buy one entree, get one free, which saved us about $30! This is a working brewery where you can order their own brewed beers if you so desire. I didn't try them, but the other patrons seemed pleased with their beers.
From journal The Big Easy