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| - This place is heaven on earth for non sit-down restaurants. I'd go here everyday if it were up to me and if I had enough money. Yeah, thats my only problem with this place; I usually get so carried away with ordering food that before I know it I've burned $10-$18 on my lonesome self for a filling meal at NOTO, especially with the recent price increases. But whatever, it's worth it. For the food quality you get, the prices are reasonable.
You really can't go wrong with the menu; the worst you'll get is adequate. I've had so much stuff here so I'll just give a comprehensive review of what I liked/what wasn't incredible.
---Stuff I thoroughly recommend:
Fried Chicken Wings: DON'T overlook these; some of the best wings I've had
Red Beans and Rice with Double Sausage: The double sausage is an absolute MUST-it will turn the dish from good to great. Don't forget hot sauce.
Shrimp Po' Boy: There's a reason these things are so popular; because they're freaking tasty. Get one and thank me later.
Oyster Po' Boy: Perfect balance of flavorful batter and oyster goodness.
Fried Catfish: Catfish heaven (in Madison, at the very least). Po' Boy of this was surprisingly not nearly as impressive.
Seafood Combo w/Sweet Potato Fries: If you're feeling luxurious, get yourself a medley of savory cod, juicy oysters and fresh shrimp. Go for sweet potato fries; the normal ones are average at best.
Shrimp Étouffée: Spicy and probably quite fattening, but a definite flavor bomb in your mouth.
Hot Sauce: Sort of a joke, but seriously put hot sauce on anything that makes remote sense. Especially the fried foods.
---Stuff I wasn't AS impressed with:
Fried Chicken Breast Po' Boy: Just tasted like a slightly upgraded version of a generic fast-food sandwich. I got it for the relatively low price. But it was still somewhat tasty.
Catfish Po' Boy: Surprisingly I thought the Po' Boy overpowered the natural tastiness of the catfish. I might have to give this another try, though, because I do love catfish and po' boys.
BBQ Beef Po' Boy: Probably my least favorite entree on the menu... just tough cubed beef drenched in barbecue sauce on bread. Okay.
Jambalaya: Peppery and tasty to an extent, but not as flavorful as I would have hoped.
Red Rice and Beans (w/o Sausage): A bit overhyped without double sausage, although still good. Hot sauce is a must for these.
Shrimp Creole: Good and spicy but not incredible.
Mardi Gras Combo: (the above 3 in one dish) Actually the 3 together are a decent balance: if you're going to get one of them you might as well get this and get all 3.
---Everything else I've tried that doesn't fit into either of those two categories
Deb's BBQ Shrimp: Great potential, good flavors, but seems a bit one-sided in terms of just lemon and butter. I can't really explain it; wouldn't recommend it nor discourage it.
Fried Gulf Shrimp: Above average if you're a fan of fried shrimp (and decent portion) but then again it's... fried shrimp. I'm a bigger fan of the Po' Boy.
Dirty Rice: I'm still trying to figure out what I think of this in comparison with the other dishes. It just seems like rice with salt and cayenne plus trace amounts of other spices that somehow augment the taste a little bit.
That turned out a lot longer than it should have but honestly there isn't a single thing that I've had here that I was "disappointed" with (or for anything that was I disappointed with, it was because I had set the bar so high from previous trips here). Take your pick and I'm sure you'll enjoy what you get.
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