If you want good gumbo, this is the place to get it! Ma Harper makes it from scratch and it tastes like you are sitting in the French Quarter in New Orleans. The red beans and rice is also a treat. The bread pudding is worth having a show down for. The fried catfish is awesome. I have eaten there a number of times and never been disappointed. Can't wait to go back for more gumbo and hope there is bread pudding or peach cobbler left.
I went here looking for some good Cajun food and I got some. I got the catfish which was really clean cut a cooked to perfection. Ma was really nice and came over and talked with us at our table to include giving us some free samplers. The food was great and the host and staff were awesome.
Ms. Harper and her team offered us outstanding food and service for my birthday party. I did them the favor of calling two days ahead to place our orders, and just happened to mention it was to celebrate my birthday, and Ms. Harper pulled out all the stops to make my celebration truly special and memorable. She and her staff had laid out tablecloths, festive napkins, and even met me with a corsage at the door! The surprise was a set of delicious cupcakes to bring our delicious dinner to a graceful close. The fried foods were lightly breaded, moist, and well seasoned--not salty, and flavorful. The bread pudding was one of the best I have had with a truly delicious hard sauce, and great texture. The gumbo was amazing--as all the trophies in her place testify. The red beans and rice had that long-simmered tastiness. It was all amazing--there was not a single complaint from my party of 18. Thank you sincerely, Ms. Harper! I will be your loyal fan forever! Maria
Justin Wilson would love this place !. I had the shrimp and crawdad etoufee, green salad appetizer, and the most moist cornbread....So, the proteins in the etoufee were perfectly cooked, with a warm feeling .....SO GOOD!!! An awesome addition for a trestaurant to frequent, FREQUENLTY!!
Like Eating At Home. Made a reservation for Fat Tuesday for 10 when Ma Harper said she was thinking about openning for the occasion. It was like calling Mom and telling her you we were coming for supper. Absolutely one of the best home cooked meals and atmosphere we have shared in a long time. It was like eating in mom's kitchen. They don't serve alcohol, but you can bring it in which is what you'll need when you start eating the tasty crawdads. Has to be one of the best eating experiences if you like down home cooking.
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Louisiana's Loss is our Gain. I love Cajun & Creole cooking, and I'm always on the lookout for a good place reminiscent of my time in Louisiana, which is considerable. That has always been a little hard to do here in San Antonio, but has definitely gotten better since Katrina, cause many from that area left the storm and came to Texas.
And in the case of Ma Harper's all the traditional dishes I've become accustomed to are here. Gumbo, Po'Boys, etouffee, jambalaya and of course - red beans & rice with cornbread. And its all good, original, and just Louisiana comforting.
I love the open French Quarter atmosphere, and I too loved learning about Ma Harper and getting to meet her and her family here, making service as warm and friendly as any place in town.
I know its sad that a whole family has to be chased away from their roots because of a storm, but I'm sure glad they decided to come to San Antonio to grace us with their faith and their food. We definitely got the better end of that deal with Ma Harper.
Amazing Food. Today was my first time to visit Ma Harper's Creole Kitchen. I had heard of the restaurant but never had visited. Well, I don't know what I was waiting for. We had the best gumbo this side of Nawlins and the corn bread was sweet, moist and buttery. I had the fried chicken with red beans & rice - juicy chicken and perfectly seasoned red beans & rice. Ma is a San Antonio jewel and her cooking is REAL! I will be back tomorrow!
Scott Stromboe-Keyser Sr.
+4.5
Amazing food. We heard about this place and called to make reservations. The owner asked us what we would like so we asked for shrimp etoufee and oyster po boys. The wait might be a bit long(we were there about 1 1/2 hrs) BUT the food was amazing. The ONLY TIME I have been to a restaurant in San Antonio and did'nt have to add salt or pepper. SUPERB seasoning on the etoufee and the oyster po boy may as well been from the French Quarter in New Orleans. I can't say enough good things about this place. DEFINATELY a place to go!
Awesome!. Ordered the pork chop & red beans/rice for take out since I have a short lunch. It was fantastic! Very tasty, large portion, and delicious! Service was quick & attentive. I will defeintely be headed back for more! I will also try to take my family for a dinner real soon. Thanks for the good food & service.
My wife and I decided to try this little restaurant and were impressed to say the least. She had the fish platter with the beans & rice. The catfish was light, fresh, and did not have the distinctive flavor usually associated with it. The crawfish platter was enough for two. The service was good and staff friendly. Ma Harper personally greeted us. The meal was an excellent value and good experience.
Heavenly Food but Waitstaff Very Slow. I had some Fried Pork Chop and it was wonderful. It was succulent and the outer coating was well seasoned and just plain yummy. I love this location because it is easy to get to and I will be returning. The other people in the restaurant seemed to be enjoying themselves as well except... for the waitstaff.
It was interesting yet not good for this restaurant that people in all three tables had to ask for refills and waitstaff attention. A woman dropped a fork right in front of the waitress and she just walked past. They got her attention a bit later to replace the fork.
This kind of stuff can kill a great restaurant. This is great food and the move didn't change the food. Someone does need to do something about the waitress situation.
Better Than Expected. My wife and I are always open to try new places. Found Ma Harper's online and read the urbanspoon reviews and decided to give it a try. I'm typically not a fan of fried catfish, but I wanted the shrimp and heard the shrimp/catfish platter was good so I tried it. HOLY COW!!! The fried catfish was like none I've ever had. I would eat that any day of the week at Ma Harper's. Something about the breading made it buttery and delicious that I couldn't stop eating it. The shrimp was equally fantastic and the gumbo was outstanding. We will surely be back to try more dishes.
Great Food!!!. I went there today for the first time and loved it! I'm from Louisiana and I know good Cajun and Creole food. That Crawfish and Shrimp Etouffee was right on the money!!!! I felt like I was back home. The spice was nice and the flavor was incredible. It's not too often when I can honestly say that I would continue to eat the rice and gravy when I've run out of meat, but I couldn't stop, because the flavor was extremely tasty! I will definitely be going there again!!!!!
Good Food. The fish & shrimp plate was prepared wonderfully. The crispy batter was almost perfest, could use some more spices. The rice could use some flavor and the side salad was very weak & wilted. I'd visit the restaurant on a Saturday around 1pm and was amaze that it was really quite. The customer service was too laid back and still had to ask for various things that normally would be provided. If I go back, it would be for take out only because the fish and shrimp is pretty good.
Go to the best kept secret in San Antonio. I've been working my way through the menu since this place moved late last year, and there's nothing I wouldn't have again. The gumbo is fantastic and the fried pork chop is the equal of any chicken fried steak in town, but the boudin might be my favorite of all. The sides are first-rate, and the cornbread is flavorful and moist. If you go during the rush the service isn't exactly split-second fast, but just relax and enjoy the food because that's the focus here.
Best service. We came in late after closing and we were told what was left to eat and drink. The food came shortly after. we talked with Ma Harper and family. The food we had at an italian rest. on the river walk earlier was over priced and not so fresh.GO Ma Harper!
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I Felt Like Family. We wanted some Creole food and looked on here and found that the reviews looked good.
Upon entering this store front restaurant in a shopping center area the decor was of Ma's newspaper articles, awards and fun memorabilia.
We weren't greeted by anybody and weren't sure if we sat ourselves or should wait to be seated. Someone (Auntie) came out from the back a few minutes later and told us to sit wherever we would like, the tables were just cleaned.
While I agree with some other reviews about the service being slow, I think it was great to get to look around and also get to know Auntie.
The fresh made lemonade was made by Auntie and you get one free refill.
The cornbread was sweet and semi-moist.
My boyfriend was in heaven when he ate the first bite of gumbo. He said it brought him back to his roots.
The fried shrimp was light and cooked well and the catfish did not have any of that muddy taste.
We met Ma Harper, her husband and God daughter..I felt like family is all I can say. It was a lovely experience.
When we first requested dessert we were told they were out of the bread pudding and the sweet potato pie. That was quite a disappointment but then Ma 'found' two big slices of pie and her pie is delicious.
We have already recommended this place to our Nawlins friends and we will come back.
Great Food, Terrible Service. Ma Harper's food is fantastic, especially the Gumbo and Bread Pudding. The Red Beans and Rice is also good.
Ma Harper's service is slow, very slow, but that can be forgiven for great food.
However, the service is also terrible, and that cannot be as easily forgiven. If you're lucky, you'll see your waitress three times in the two hours it will take you to eat, and 90% of that time, your beverage glass will be empty. I am often the only customer in the restaurant when I'm eating (I tend to eat unusually late), and I still wait forever for flatware, condiments or tea. Ma Harper is a go-getter and I'm surprised she tolerates this laziness from her staff.
Good Cajun/Creole Cuisine. This restaurant used to be at Gevers and Commerce. Mrs. Harper moved to the Dellcrest shopping center a few years ago. Her home cooking is excellent. I find the boudin a bit bland, but the jambalaya and red beans, rice and sausage are right on the money. The "swamp water" (iced tea with lemonade) is a refreshing treat. Her bread pudding with bourbon sauce is to die for. The service tends to be slow, but the food is worth the wait.
Fried Catfish, red beans & rice, phenomenal! The peach cobbler here is the best peach cobbler I have ever had in my life! I was shocked! Better than my grandmothers! The sweet potato was great as well! Good Swamp water too! Atmosphere could use some work! Momma Harper is a delight!
Ma Harper's is a family friendly restaurant with fantastic Creole cooking. Gumbo was amazing. Red beans and rice and boudin was on par with some of the best from New Orleans
Went to visit my granny this weekend. This was my first time in San Antonio, Texas. I heard Ma Harper’s had great food so I had to stop by. I got the fried fish and shrimp with red beans and rice and gumbo with cornbread. Everything was amazing, especially the gumbo. My granny is 95 and I found out her and Ms Harper are friends. I can’t wait to come back and visit. I’ll def make sure I order a gumbo to go!!!!!
This is a gem! The shrimp po boy was delicious (including the bread!). Right amount of batter on the shrimp too. For 10 bucks? That's unheard of. Oh and get yourself extra fried chips. Nice and accommodating staff too, which doesn't hurt. Didn't expect a bit of New Orleans in San Antonio. Super nice surprise.
Service & food were wonderful. We ordered shrimp po boy, sausage red beans & rice & gumbo. Everything was great. Delicious corn bread too.
We found this place by accident and we will for sure go back. I loved the family atmosphere, so comfortable. They treat anyone who walks through that door like they've known you for years. Oh and the food was delicious, it tasted like we were back in Louisiana. The gumbo had just the right amount of spice and flavor. The boudin had a sweet but spicy flavor and over a bed of red beans and rice, yummmm. We will absolutely be going back to this one!
My original decision to visit San Antonio first was when I saw Ma Harper's Creole Kitchen on Diners,Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. It did not disappoint.
The gumbo was as advertised. Lots of shrimp and sausage a little spicy and the cornbread is a good complement. The catfish was cooked very well and hot as was the jumbo shrimp with a kick of spice.
The rice and beans did not have as much flavor as I would have expected, but I have nothing I have eaten to compare them to.
If you are looking for fancy this is not the place. If you are looking for good food, you will enjoy!
Felt so welcomed as we entered, had an old school feel, and was clean. The shrimp, catfish, and porkchop were seasoned and fried well; the boudain sausage was packed with flavor! The cornbread was soft and buttery, the swap water wasn't too sweet , and the sweet potato pie was one of the most flavorful and soft slices I've had in awhile. I expected a little more flavor from the red beans and rice and I was really looking forward to the bread pudding but it was still cooking. Will definitely be back to try the gumbo and hopefully the bread pudding.
Great service and friendly staff. We had shrimp po’boys and gumbo; both delicious, piping hot, and clearly made from scratch. Perfect balance of spices and salt.👌
Our rec: go for the housemade kettle chips instead of the french fries for a great crunch on your sandwich.
It may look unassuming, but don’t be fooled by the humble exterior — Ma Harper’s is the real deal.
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A friend suggested going here. And we're still friends. LOL. Red beans and rice weren't as spicy as my moms but still yummy. That's what hot sauce is for, right?... cornbread was great. My friend had the fish plate and said it was really good, very tasty. I had the shrimp poboy sandwich that was fantastic! if you don't like wet, don't get this sandwich or get the mayo like mix on the side. The shrimp were delish! Cooked to perfection... Ratio of bread to shrimp was perfect. Would I like more shrimp? Well duh, but it was shrimp in every bite.... Loved the tea! We didn't save room for the peach cobbler so we ordered it to go. Don't leave without it in a to go box or your belly. This was so close to my moms peach cobbler (moms usually had loads of cobbler) that I can hardly wait to try the sweet potato pie! And more cobbler of course. Maybe the next visit will be all about desserts!..... Almost forgot, Ma Harper actually came out to check on tables. She asked how everything was and when we said it was great, she said "that's what I like to hear"... What an honor. See you soon Ms Harper!
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