My wife and I are in town for her birthday and we wanted to try somewhere new that we’ve not been to and found Brigtsen’s off of Eater. I see why it made their “Top of NOLA” list! We were met with the sweetest hostess and then the chef came out and greeted us. When they discovered it was my wife’s birthday, they brought some cute little decorations for the table.
We started off with drinks and went into appetizers. The gumbo was very good and the BBQ shrimp were delicious! The catch of the day was striped bass and it was perfectly cooked. The bread service was a warm and very delicious French loaf with whipped butter!
Lastly, we finished with their famous pecan pie and it was heavenly!
Make sure you have a reservation because this fine dining establishment is located on an old “Shotgun House”.
Can’t recommend this place enough!
12-13 years ago, a coworker who's lived here since the early 90s recommended Brigtsens as one of his two favorite restaurants in the city. I can't believe I waited all this time to go.
Everything was phenomenal, my wife got the duck which was crispy and delicious, I got the seafood platter and everything hit the right flavor. Everything was good, but the baked scallop and redfish were particularly tremendous.
The gumbo was made with a very dark, earthy, fantastic roux, and the pecan pie may be the best I've ever had. Overall the meal is in the running for top 3 in the city, and very well might be #1.
The atmosphere is charming (it can be a bit loud, it's a smaller space) and the staff was welcoming and delightful. They each have a genuine personality, not afraid to let you know their opinions. We loved it, and we will be back soon. Make sure to get a reservation, I don't imagine they often have a free table!
This is my first time to New Orleans and this was the first restaurant I ate at. I’ve now been to 4 other dinner spots and the food here has left a wonderful mark on my heart. My husband and I started with the catfish appetizer and ohhh mmyyy goodness was it GOOD! Heaven on a plate for sure! The tartar sauce was the star of the show. We had the duck paired with dirty rice and vegetables which was amazing. That was by far the best dirty rice I’ve ever had. The meals here are very carefully planned out and go together like peanut butter and jelly. Ruben was an excellent server and the entire staff were very welcoming and friendly. The environment is somehow cozy and high end at the same time. This is a MUST for any visit to New Orleans. Highly recommend!
If you ever make it to New Orleans that’s the place to try the best food in town. Came recommend enough.
Amanda helped us so much on choosing and she has an amazing vibe. The place too as it’s located in a home.
Back to the food, everything we tried was excellent. The soup, the bbq shrimps the fishes and our pecan tart, we loved it
The very best restaurant in New Orleans! Honestly this hidden gem is so worth searching for! The staff is welcoming and attentive, the atmosphere is relaxed and inviting. The food is absolutely perfect! Amazing steak, fabulous fish, desserts not to be missed! Go!! You will be amazed at what this place does to mashed potatoes. Unbelievable!!
Absolutely lovely experience. The fact that the place is essentially a house was adorable. Great vibes, excellent service by all. Felt very welcome as soon as I stepped in. Food was also great, the shrimp and butternut squash soup was fantastic. The pork chop was cooked perfectly, the grits were a little on the salty side but not excessively so. The bread pudding was also very good as were the cocktails.
The chef here is one of the old guard Creole masters. We had an excellent meal here. Highlights were the seafood platter—the jalapeño cornbread was better than it had any right to be!—, the pecan meunière, and the bbq shrimp (maybe just a bit heavy on the Worcestershire, but I would definitely get it again). Service was great with a warm and friendly atmosphere in an old New Orleans cottage. Reservation recommended.
Chose Brigtsen’s to celebrate a birthday and what a wonderful experience!
The service was engaging, funny and attentive.
The food - was elegant, and delightfully comforting. The appetizers (shrimp bisque and catfish) provided a glimpse of what yumminess would come.
The main course, pork chop nestled on a bed a mash potatoes, with a wonderful pork debris gravy, as well as, crisp vegetables was well executed. The chop itself was tender and flavourful. The mashed potatoes provided that ‘home cooked’ comfort.
The pecan pie and caramel - well it was next level decadent.
I was visiting with a student in New Orleans who has quite a culinary background. When I told him I wanted to visit a place where most tourists wouldn’t go and offered local cuisine, he mentioned Brigsten’s without hesitation. So we went there for dinner and I could not have had a more enjoyable experience. The staff from top to bottom were professional, friendly, and attentive. We started with the Shrimp Remoulade with Guacamole & Deviled Eggs and the File' Gumbo with Chicken & Andouille Sausage. For a main course I had the Pan-Fried Flounder with roasted pecans & Meuniere sauce. And dessert was the Pecan Pie with caramel sauce & whipped cream. Each bite of each dish was full of flavor. The next time I am in New Orleans, there is no doubt that I will be coming back here to eat. What an experience!
This place is happily caught in a moment in time - and that's a good thing, when what they've been for this long is this special, there's no need to make momentous changes.
Seemed like the place was full of regulars on our Tue night visit, and it was easy to see why. The cooking is done with soul, and the service is delivered with warmth and a welcoming intimacy even to first-timers like ourselves.
The dirty rice was the best we'd tasted on our visit, and the pecan pie was the best I'd ever had anywhere. An amazing rendition of a classic.
Don't go here as the first stop if you're a tourist, makes other places look worse
Get the veal
Brightsen's is one of my favorite places to go, and it's a crime that we don't get to go more often. Perfect for almost any occasion, super accommodating and friendly, and most importantly excellent meals. I've never had a morsel there that I didn't enjoy, or service that wasn't excellent.
Bridgsten has been owned and operated by the same family for almost 40 years. Patrons are treated to service with southern charm in a centuries old farmhouse, itself steeped in New Orleans history. Frank is in the kitchen, wife Marna runs the dining room, and your server will shepherd you through the menu, adding bits of the restaurant’s history along the way. Start with a southern soup. The gumbo was delicious but outdone by the corn chowder, which was absolutely fabulous. From there, I had the duck – a massive portion that was scrumptious to the last bite.
For out-of-towners they may suggest their version of the local drink Sazerac, an iconic New Orleans drink with absinth and bitters. It is an acquired taste, and I failed to acquire it. Stick with the wine list, which is well curated and fairly priced.
Finish with the pecan pie – delicious.
All-in-all, a fabulous local treasure.
Our best meal in New Orleans. My husband was bowled over by the bbq shrimp and I was delighted with my fish menieure. Will be in New Orleans again in December and Brigtsen’s is top on our list for a return visit. I was so happy to be able to meet the chef/ owner, Frank.
This restaurant was recommended by Chef Randy while at a tour of Nichols College. I am glad we went! The flavors were out of this world. It is a rare opportunity for everything on a plate to taste amazing, but Brigtsen's accomplished this feat. Service is exceptional and the atmosphere is calming. The beef tenderloin melts in your mouth. I am generally not a fan of vegetable medley, but this place did it right. If I was forced to make a complaint, it would be: too many appetizer options! Seriously, they all sound good, and we tried several, which all were dynamite!
Immediately became one of my favorite restaurants. I had the pork chop with pork debris. It was awesome. I was sad as I was taking the last bite. Luckily my goddaughter couldn't finish her pork ossobuco so I had a nice portion of that. It was also amazing. 2 others with us had 2 different fish plates and said they were the best they'd ever had. The service is absolutely top notch. They were so helpful setting up our reservation and making changes to accommodate us. I look forward to going there again soon.
Always a great choice...my husband's go to for his birthday dinner.
Staff is wonderful...friendly, funny knowledgeable
Food is amazing....always, without exception.
For starters I had the mushroom bisque (unbelievably good! I practically liked the cup clean & definitely regretted not getting the bowl!) and Tom had the BBQ shrimp, which he loved.
Our entrees were Flounder Meuniere & the Seafood Platter. Both delicious, enough said
For dessert we had the pecan pie & the blueberry bread pudding as a perfect ending to a oerfect dinner.
Can't wait to go back!
Food and service was fantastic. We ordered the butternut shrimp bisque, shrimp remoulade, snapper, pork chop, pecan pie, and bread pudding. It was all good; the bisque and snapper were particularly exceptional. Pecan pie was the best I ever had. The restaurant itself doesn't seat that many people and it was full, so definitely make a reservation. We look forward to coming back.
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