Mr. B's BistroNew Orleans, LA
Brunch
December 20, 2009
The Set-Up - We expected to be eating lunch in the Charlotte, NC airport or not at all, but our trip to Philadelphia on US Airways was postponed due to a snowstorm in the Northeast. After five hours in the New Orleans airport, we were told to come back on Tuesday. To soften the blow we headed to Mr. B's Bistro in the French Quarter for brunch. It's been one of our favorite restaurants in New Orleans for a couple of years now. Lots of other folks had the same idea, but still our wait was only about the advertised 30 minutes.
The Meal - Kay and Kallie are locked down on Mr. B's barbecued shrimp. These are served whole, swimming (figuratively) in a peppery sauce and served with two pieces of French bread. They shared an order (actually two appetizers for just $16 total) and got a salad ($7.50) and Gumbo YaYa (chicken and andouille sausage - $7.50) respectively as starters. I went with a three-course deal - Gumbo YaYa, lamb chops (two rib chops) and eggs (scrambled in truffle oil) and bread pudding for dessert ($30).
A meal at Mr. B's always begins with a small loaf of warm French bread. It's a good thing they don't bring two, or you'd have no room for a delicious meal. Kay raved over her salad, which featured bacon and a vinaigrette dressing. I ate all my gumbo and some of Kallie's - it was very spicy - Mr. B's isn't shy with the black pepper. The roux was rich and dark, and the andouille sausage was lean and scrumptious.
Kallie's not much for separating shrimp heads from tails and the subsequent peeling, so I helped, which earned me a half shrimp later. Did I mention the black pepper in this delicious sauce?
My lamb chops were perfectly cooked to medium rare. The truffled eggs may spoil me forever for regular scrambled eggs. Our waitress said that the secret was to buy some truffle oil. I hope it's that easy.
The single order of bread pudding with whisky sauce was plenty of dessert for all of us after the big meal. It was tasty, but I had to work around the raisins, so this was probably my least favorite course.
Lunch in the French Quarter isn't complete without a drink or two. I had a bloody mary - there's that pepper again. Kay had a bellini and a lime drink named after Saints' QB Drew Brees, which she liked, but I didn't think much of - too sour. Kallie liked the glowing pink color of the lime drink and approved its taste and that of the bellini. All the mixed drink specials were priced at $6.
Ambience - Mr. B's is a lively place. It's essentially one large dining room abuzz with diners, servers and other staff. The furnishings are lovely and management offered a special treat for Sunday brunch - a three-piece Dixieland jazz band. Check out the brief video clip of "When the Saints Go Marching In" - corny, but somehow loads of fun.
The Check - Our bill for three for brunch (including three drinks) was about $114 with tax and tip. Even at $30, the three-course meal represented good value as I got two beautiful lamb chops on Royal Street in the French Quarter for about $20 (allowing for the value of the gumbo and dessert). $8 per bowl of barbecued shrimp seemed like a good deal as well.
The Scoreboard (one-to-five scale)
Food - five (make sure you like black pepper if you order the shrimp or gumbo)
Dessert - three (ordering profiteroles from the dessert menu would have worked better)
Ambience - five (a happy place, though I'd liked it better if the restrooms weren't down a long flight of stairs)
Service - five (we had two dedicated and friendly servers, one of whom volunteered to take our picture)
Price/Value - four (not bad for a Brennan restaurant - Mr. B's gets my vote over the more renowned Brennan's)
Overall Assessment
Special Occasion (We've had great dinners here too. Mr. B's would be a great spot for a birthday or anniversary dinner. Is having your flight cancelled a special occasion?)
Favorite (And sometimes we eat here for no reason at all, other than we like it.)
Very Good
Good Enough
If Hungry Enough
Keep Driving and Looking
Other Issues - Parking is almost always an issue in the New Orleans French Quarter. I wish I had some good ideas. Bless their hearts, the girls dropped me off nearby and parked in a lot about a 15-minute walk away.
Travel Tip - Mr. B's is at the corner of Royal St. and Iberville St. in the French Quarter. Royal Street is often closed to vehicular traffic, so it's best to approach from Iberville St. Or better yet to stay in a hotel and walk to dinner.
Mr. B's Bistro
Hours of Operation
Lunch
Monday – Saturday 11:30 am – 2:00 pm
Bar menu served from 2:00 pm - 5:30 pm
View Lunch Menu
Sunday Jazz Brunch
10:30 am – 2:00 pm
View Brunch Menu
Dinner
Nightly 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
View Dinner Menu
201 Royal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
(P) 504/523-2078
(F) 504/521-8304
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