After being introduced to Parasol's by a native, we make it a point to have a shrimp or roast beef po' boy and a few bottles of beer each time we visit New Orleans. Â
The restaurant and bar are separated, and both places can get very crowded, especially during a Saints game. Â
Don't think I'd eat a roast beef po' boy anywhere else.
We just arrived in New Orleans from Houston and did not know where to go and eat by our hotel, located in the Garden District. Â Of course we looked up Yelp and found Parasol's. We ordered oyster, shrimp, pulled pork, roast beef po boys, onion rings, and sweet potato fries. Â They were the best po boys we ever had. Â The sides were great also. Â The service was great and very friendly folks worked in the kitchen. Â Love to return when we are back in town.
Review Source:I didn't have a Po Boy , I was stuffed and swollen from breakfast and a previous night of debauchery , I did however have the distinct pleasure of spending an early afternoon of drinking with some locals straight outta central casting, as they say.
A fedora wearing grandpa packing a snub nose 38 in his pocket cuttin it up about his 1-66 professional boxing career.
or
The old school slab of a man, still powerful, but acutely slower calling up his friend "Google" because his buddy "Google" was like Cliff Claven , a well of random facts and "useful" information.
Even met some other tourist there who shared the affinity of real places with real grit. These guys were classic as well, we all all shared our crazy travel stories that surprisingly enough involved the same illegal substances.
I've lived in this city for 10 years now and just had my first roast beef po boy from Parasol's.. It was amazing. Better than any I've ever had. The bar is small and filled with locals. The upstairs dining area is casual and great for enjoying what is reputed to be one of the best, (and I agree), po boys in New Orleans. Definitely would recommend it.
Review Source:lived around the corner from this place for a little over a year and it was always first choice for a beer or a quick (well depending on the wait) bite. Â the wings are yummmmy and i do love me some of that shrimp poboy. Â the bar patrons are very friendly. Â really nice neighborhood bar!
Review Source:Another place I found through Yelp.
This was hole in the wall type of restaurant. I didn't even know this was a bar/restaurant when I first passed by it.
When our group arrived, the restaurant was empty but bar was full. It's like your neighborhood  bar, seems like everyone there is a regular.
Our group ordered the po-boys. I got the fried oyster po-boys, which wasn't that good. Not a fan of fried oysters, I'd stick to raw oysters. Their roast beef po-boys was a different story. It was sooo delish, orgasm in my mouth! Their pulled pork was also to die for.
I highly recommend this place when in Nola, I believe they are located in the Garden District.
The outside looks a lil shady, but don't be fooled by the exterior or interior. Try their food before you judge!
Oh and they offer free wi-fi
We went back to Parasol's the day we left NOLA and it got even better. This time I had the firecracker shrimp po boy - with a little hot sauce added - and the onion rings. It was marvelous. I might have made me a prime candidate for a coronary, but it was fantastic - yummy, spicy, well-stuffed sandwich. And the rings were not greasy, delish batter (but also not overbearing batter), plus chipotle mayo for dipping, were all outrageously good.
Review Source:Yep, Parasol's gets that 5th star. The bar is small and Cheers-like, populated by regulars. I ordered me a beer and ended up taking it to the dining room upstairs because there was more room.
The food is still top notch, we knew better than to split one order of RB&R this time. The guys in the kitchen are very friendly-and after overhearing "Missouri" in the background, I found out one of them is from Brookside in Kansas City! It was encouraging to know that one CAN tolerate this climate if not born here!
There are few things as delicious as the roast beef po boy from Parasol's. It's a little neighborhood joint that is separated with a small dining room on the kitchen side and a nice long bar on the bar side. I prefer to take a seat at the bar and order from the friendly bartender and enjoy the company as well as the lo-lo-priced adult beverages. There are few things I love more than stopping in here for a long and leisurely lunch before hoping on a bike and trying to work off all the delicious.
Review Source:This is a review of the bar and not the restaurant. Â Maybe it's not fair to review a bar on St Patrick's Day, but this just happens to be the day we stopped in. Â First of all solid bartenders....this place was packed and they kept things moving along at a great pace. Â Added bonus, they burn their drinks!
The main issue had to do with a couple of locals. Â One wanted to start a fight with another guy (much smaller) because he wanted to belly up to the bar and wasn't a local. Â This went on for a few minutes until a bigger local with a very cool dog told the DBag to simmer down or man up. Â Extra star for the cool local guy and cool dog. Â Another dude thought it was cute to hip check the girl I was with at the bar. Â He was able to do this twice until I placed myself between them. Problem solved. Â Nothing brings a place down like a couple of bad drunks.
I will return to give this place another shot because I do like a good dive and all of the other positive reviews.
I like Parasol's although admittedly, I don't go here as nearly often as I used to since Tracey's moved in and I really never eat here.
This is a nice little neighborhood joint that serves up a good poboy. I'll usually stop in with friends at the end of the night to get a beer. It's on a dimly lit corner, so I would never go by myself and the place itself is really small, so it's not the first place I seek out when I am looking for a place to hang out. It serves it's purpose, but as I said before, I prefer Tracey's.
A friend recommended this place for a good po boy. We were staying in the lower Garden District so it was only a short walk away. I tend to like simple food and businesses, street food, taco vans, that sort of thing so this place is perfect for me. My friend and I ordered at the bar and then sat outside on the picnic tables. I had a great NOLA Channel stout. I ordered the firecracker shrimp po boy and my friend had the pulled pork. The sandwiches were flavorful, the bread was soft, and the fries were nicely seasoned. The staff was very pleasant. You should avoid the bar area if you don't like cigarette smoke. The restaurant area is very simple, you order at a window, then sit down.
This place is pretty old and divey and cramped so if you're the type of high maintenance person to bitch about dives and small bathrooms then just don't bother. But if you want a basic place to sit and have a beer and a good po boy, this is a pretty good choice.
Seems that Parasol's has fallen somewhat from it's once lofty perch as the po-boy capital of New Orleans. Â Had a shrimp po-boy couple weeks ago it was good but not great. Â The cheese fries were room temperature and had appeared to be nacho cheese on top. Â Whereas I never cared in the past (I like dives) because the food is not as good the dinginess seems more noticeable.
Review Source:I had the oyster po-boy and was not super impressed. I would have preferred for the oysters to be a bit more fried, as they were slightly watery and mushy in certain bites....not worth it for 11.50. I would probably go back to try the catfish po-boy and roast-beef po boy that everybody is raving about. Service was quick though.
Review Source:This place had great ratings on Yelp so we decided to check it out since it was close to our location.
I wasn't sure if we were in the right place or not at first. It is a total dive with an obscure entrance to the dining room portion of the restaurant. Everything is small and cramped inside. If you're looking for fine dining...this is NOT it. But if you are looking for somewhere very casual without pretense, this would be it. (example: you scoop your ice for your drinks out of an igloo cooler and you drink from plastic solo cups.)
I ordered the roast beef po-boy on the recommendation of the cashier. He didn't lie. it was fan-freaking-tastic! Also ordered a side of beer battered onion rings. Everything was absolutely delicious.
If you are in the area and need good food...this is it.
Come here for excellent Po' Boys or if you want to participate in a raucous, Irish bar scene at 12 PM.
That's right - luckily the bar was in a separate area from the restaurant, because the bar was absolutely bumping by noon with people drinking and partying like it was Mardi Gras (it definitely was not).
Over on the other side, which was more my speed, was a quiet little dining room all decked out in Irish green, with a couple of little old ladies sitting around in pretty much dead silence.
We ordered the Cat Fish Po' Boy (good price of $7.50), which was awesome. It was fried to order and took a few minutes to come out, but it was well worth the wait.
This was definitely one of the best Cat Fish Po' Boys I've had and I would definitely recommend this as one of your first stops if you are looking for a high quality authentic Po' Boy.
Believe me, I am ah-ware. All too many of my reviews feature incidents of either heavy drinking or subsequent tales of being hideously hungover and fighting to get back to drinkin' form through the consuming of big sloppy sandwiches and a variety of fried foods. The cure. While this here review is more focused on the latter situation, really, I can easily ramble about both when it comes to Parasol's. Good for both.
I always one to enjoy a divey Irish bar, as that be part of my DNA. That being said, I have, on a number of occasions, enjoyed drinking in the ramshackle comfort of Parasol's snug little bar, in the past. You're sure to meet ya some characters, alright.
On our most recent trip to New Orleans, however, we happened to be in the vicinity of Parasol's on the rare circumstance that I couldn't even begin to think about anything alcohol related. Like I didn't wanna even look a beer bottle or nuthin. The ole gal was feeling a little worse for the wear. So, this time we ventured up the three little stairs to the more family-friendly, less boozy side of things- the restaurant area.
Walked up to the ordering window where you could see all the employees hustlin away, cooking and frying and slicing up long Leidenheimer rolls. It only took about 10 minutes for our orders to be ready; our baskets of big head redemption in the embodiment of po-boys, onion rings and fries. We over-ordered. We needed so much help. And it all did the trick.
While I liked the roast beef and gravy just fine, I dug the oyster po-boy even more that day. In addition, the crispy well-seasoned fries were so good, sopping up the gravy drippings. Onion rings, thumbs up. This welcome feast fixed me right up.
Imagine a once desperately wilted flower slowly returning to life after a watering; straightening up towards the sun and facing into the light. Ahhh how rejuvenatin'. Then that flower walked 'round the corner to the bar to get a quick beer, off on her merry way.
My favorite po-boy (pulled pork) in New Orleans. I tried 3 places in one weekend, so while I'm not a local boy, I think I can speak with the tiniest bit of authority. The pulled pork isn't too sweet, and has a mustard heat to it that really takes it to the next level. Their roast beef is possibly on par with the one served at Parkway Tavern.
The kitchen is in the back of the bar, so don't wait at the bar hoping your to-go order will materialize.
The gumbo was tasteless. I had the famous roast beef po boy. The beef was very tough and the gravy was bland. I was dissapointed, this place is all hype and no substance. Thank God Parkway exists, Ive been going there the past week, that and the Grocery are the only good po boy places in town.
Review Source:Small local's bar that has some of the BEST po'boys I have ever had. So good in fact that I often find myself day dreaming about said po'boy. The spicy fried shrimp po'boy had the most unique blend of spices that my taste buds did back flips. The hot sausage is top notch and my go-to. The bread is perfectly toasted and has a light buttery/salty coating that makes the bread per-fec-tion. DO IT.
Review Source:I've been to Parasol's a few times over the years. Â Only to the restaurant though, never to the bar. Â
The restaurant part is very small with only five or six tables. Â You have to order at the kitchen window and they bring your order out. Â No table service. Â
Each time I stick with the classic po-boys (shrimp and oyster), no soft-shell crab unfortunately. Â You can't go wrong with the shrimp and oyster po-boys. Â I had a bite of my Dad's roast beef po-boy but didn't really like that. Â The beef just was not tasty, seemed that it had been in the fridge for a while. Â And served with very pre-made gravy.
They don't have beer on the restaurant menu but don't know if you can bring in a beer from the bar.
Careful about going around St Patricks day b/c it gets really crowded.
All in all a NOLA institution.
I am a fan of the shrimp poboy...price is right and it is tasty.
I get it to go..the smokey bar atmosphere is not my cup of tea.
so yes on the shrimp poboy.
friendly dudes doing the cooking.
dude who seems to be owner manager is surly and unfriendly..and if you get
the phone number from their website it will go to the bar and that really pisses the person off who answers for some reason.
The St. Charles streetcar was not working due to construction, and we did not think of taking a bus, so we ended up WALKING about 40-45 minutes from our hotel on Canal to this restaurant in the Garden District. But it was worth it. During our trip we ate at Commanders, Acme, Royal House, and Domenica, and the meal at Parasols was the best we had.
I got the roast beef and it was BY FAR THE BEST PO' BOY I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. There are no words to describe how good it was. Messy, gooey, sloppy, but incredibly good. When I ordered the waitress said "this will be one of the best sandwiches you have had." She was wrong. It was THE best. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
The wife got the smoked pulled pork po' boy and it was THE best pulled pork and best po' boy of her life. We like Parkway, but this place is better.
The one criticism is that service is quite slow. But ultimately worth the wait.
On the return trip back to the hotel we finally got smart enough to take a bus.
This is now #1 place to return on each and every trip to New Orleans.
aaaaaaaahhhHH!!!
possibly the best po-boy in tha city, son!
Get the Pulled pork with spicy mayo and slaw and BLOW YA MIND!!!!! Toasted bread with crispy melow slaw to marry the spiciness of the mayo with the pork. GREAT flavah! Marvelous texture of the toasted bread. Â One po-boy will feed two. Â Be sure to grab an order of their homemade onion rings (tastes more like calimari because they are so thin and light).
Great atmosphere and friendly staff - great laid-back garden hangout
I got the firehot shrimp po boy and it wasn't quite what I expected. I wasn't sure what I was expecting exactly, but it was like fried shrimp doused in hot sauce on a poboy. It didn't taste bad, just wasn't what I thought it'd be. I expected something a little sweeter and tangier. Maybe I should've gotten the roast beef poboy instead... The sweet potato fries were pretty good though. Nothing was amazing, but it wasn't bad either.
I liked that it was a bar and a dining area. Very dive-y. And the waitstaff were all really friendly and welcoming.
What a dive, and I don't mean that in a bad way! A perfect 5-star roast beef po boy and two-star ambiance = a solid four stars in my book! Â
I ate in the smoky bar, not realizing that the cozy little "dining room" existed, until I ran up the steps to use the restroom. Â (A restroom, I might add, that one enters through the narrowest door I've ever seen, and I send a lot of time on boats!)
Can't wait to go back for another roast beef, and maybe, an awesome looking firecracker shrimp po boy. That one may call for two Abita Ambers to wash it down!
We came to New Orleans to spend the 4th eating and drinking where the locals hangout. Â So no eating in the French Quarters this day (Drinking, YES!). Â Parasol's was one of those places, plus it's another wonderful Triple D spot.
I think if you look up "dive" restaurant, a picture of Parasol's pops up! Â Man, I love this little spot. Â It's on the corner in a quiet neighborhood. Â The bar area is small and cozy; it was nearly full of neighborhood folks and a handful of outsiders, drinking and talking, having a good time. Â Everyone was so friendly and easy going, it was great. Â I wish Dallas had neighborhood bars like this.
You go upstairs to the restaurant part of the bar. Â I ordered a large Shrimp Po Boy dressed. Â Thinking what the hell, I'll walk it off and be ready to eat something else a little later. Â WRONG!! Â The French bread was crunchy on the outside and soft inside. Â The shrimp was falling off the Po Boy. Â It was cut in half and each half was nearly this size of a regular Po Boy at must places I visit in Dallas. Â And the fresh shrimp makes a world of difference! Â The shrimp were a little smaller than I normally see on a Po Boy here in NOLA, but there were so many it didn't matter. Â The seasoning was truly good as well.
I almost got the Roast Beef Po Boy, but the seafood calls me when I'm in NOLA, but after talking with one of the cooks, I'll be trying the RB PB on the next trip down to the Big Easy.
You know I'll be back!
Whoever described the ambiance as "divey" was spot on! What a hidden gem off the well (b)eaten path of the surrounding St. Charles area. A few of us came here for a friend's birthday. We initially started off at the bar. They had some good specials and nice beers on tap. The Tchoupitoulas IPA was a perfect way for me to end the day. Imagine my surprise when a small door above the bar opened and a lady popped out bearing po-boys for the dudes at the bar next to us! I thought I had just stumbled into the New Orlean's version of the Keebler elf cookie tree.
We took our beers upstairs. I kinda wish they brought the cool vibe of the downstairs bar to the upstairs... since the decor is seriously lacking up there. Ordering is super informal, with the cooks also taking the cash/orders and then cooking it. Our large order came out a bit slowly, but we were having a good time and so didn't mind waiting. Specials were up on the board next to the little food ordering window.
Friends that had the highly recommended roast beef po-boys were not disappointed. We all also tried the friend onion rings (not what I'm used to, but delicious nonetheless) and the friend macaroni and cheese (recommended by the cooks). Ok, I'm not normally a fan of friend mac 'n cheese, but it was delicious! Perfectly fried on the outside and warm/gooey on the inside. Plus the dipping sauce was - what else - more cheese. Yay. My red beans and rice was super yummo. I would consider their recipe more of a meat heavy chili-like variety, so I was super full after about 3/4 of the dish. It also came with an unexpected side of nicely toasted and buttered bread (probably from a po-boy loaf of something).
Hints: you can walk upstairs to order food without having to go through the bar downstairs. There is a nice dog named Leroy who belongs to the bar area, make sure not to step on him/put your bar stool on his tail!
On the recommendation of a friend, we took the St. Charles streetcar to Third Street and walked a few blocks south into what is known as the Irish Channel neighborhood of the Garden District of New Orleans to sample the roast beef po-boy of Parasol's Restaurant & Bar.
We walked in the side door which leads straight into the dining area rather than enter through the bar. Â To say that the restaurant has a lack of ambiance would be an understatement. Â You order at the counter and wait for your food to be brought out to some plain tables and chairs. Â If you want a beer, you have to open a little door cut into the wall that opens up to the bar area that sits about six feet lower than the dining room. Â If the bartender doesn't see you, there is a little bell that you can ring for service.
The cook took our order and was nice enough to tell us about the specials and make some recommendations. Â We had come for the roast beef po-boys, but she convinced us to order one roast beef and one firecracker shrimp po-boy. Â She was nice enough to cut them and put one half of each kind of po-boy on each of our plates. Â She also recommended the "Irish Sundae".
First to come out was the Irish Sundae. Â It was a bowl of potato salad covered with roast beef gravy and a dollop of mayonnaise. Â I'm not a big potato salad fan, but this was delicious. Â Next came the po-boys. Â Parasol's is known for their roast beef po-boy and rightly so. Â The beef was tender and flavorful without being mushy and the gravy was very tasty. Â I haven't eaten a whole lot of roast beef po-boys in New Orleans, but it's hard to imagine them being much better anywhere else. Â It was five-napkin messy, but worth the work. Â The firecracker shrimp po-boy had fried shrimp that had been tossed in a homemade hot sauce and was dressed with lettuce, tomato, and pickles. Â It was also very good, but the start of the show was the roast beef.
Price-wise, it was a good deal. Â The po-boys were $10 - $12 each and very filling. Â I love dives and neighborhood joints, so the plainness of the restaurant didn't cramp my style. Â The staff was very friendly, especially the cook. Â She really cared about us having a good dining experience and was justly proud of her food. Â This was yet another great, old-school New Orleans eating venture, and I will be sure to visit again on my next trip to NOLA.
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