ow, I was really blown away at NOLA at Market Square. This place was recommended to me by a work associate complimenting the food. I walked in to a busy bar that seemed lively. Come to find it was a pub crawl that stopped crawling. I ordered the squash and pumpkin soup ($6) with the Shrimp and Grits ($27).
I Thought is was very pricey but I don't mind if the quality is up to par. The atmosphere is very authentic to NOLA but that's where the similarities stop. The soup arrived in seconds and was bitter and salty, obviously it had been reducing for days, which was upsetting because squash and pumpkin soup is usually sweet, warm and delicious. The bartender offered to get me something else so I tried the french onion soup. It took 10 minutes, the cheese was nicely baked but the soup had little onions, it was very salty, and the bread was a gel.
At this point I was scared to see the shrimp and grits. And as expected the dish was unrecognizable from my Cajun experience. The grits were served as a cake bar which was not seasoned topped with a watery sauce that had congealed under the lamps. The celery was raw and crunchy. This was garnished with inedible garnish "to offset the color". Which is sorely needed as the color was disgusting.
I spoke to the manager who apologized but was unwilling to try the food and didn't seem interested in my opinion. He told me this was a Pittsburgh take on shrimp and grits. And he assured me others like it and removed everything from the bill. I left hungry and unhappy with the managers attitude. If they cared about quality or service the manager would have addressed the poor food immediately.
I feel sorry for everyone there that has to stomach that blemish on Cajun cuisine. In the future listen to customers and if you're going for Cajun in Pittsburgh keep it authentic!