Desire Oyster Bar

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1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   overall2food1service3ambience2

   We don’t come to New Orleans much anymore, so I was really disappointed to come and get awful food. The gumbo was so salty and had no flavor otherwise, the jambalaya was dry and mushy, and the cocktails were not good. I was very sad about our dining experience.

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2. TM

   TreciaM

   Atlanta Metro

   32 reviews

   vip
   4.0

   32 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   overall4food4service5ambience4

   Went on o this restaurant for my birthday. It he waiter was wonderful. We shared some barbecue oysters. Very good! Th sandwich came and again the food was very good and tasty. Our waiter was quick and kept checking with us. Surprised us with some bread pudding. I liked it. I would go back to this place again.

   Report
3. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   overall2food2service2ambience2

   Tourist trap. Food was meh, service was slow. Don’t bother.

   Report
4. JM

   JayMack

   Vancouver

   3 reviews

   4.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on 15 March 2023

   overall4food4service4ambience5

   Reservations (almost) necessary from what we saw over a few days and the day of our reso. Overall very good, the charbroiled oysters weren’t overcooked, and the raw oysters were very fresh - no mignonette, and seemed to be prepared horseradish so not very strong, but those are personal preference things.

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5. G

   Grandee

   Chicago

   73 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   73 reviews

   Dined on 14 March 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   We had just arrived to New Orleans the day we went to Desire. We had set up a reservation for dinner for just the 2 of us. When we arrived there was a wait, so like many restaurants on Bourbon St., there is often a wait here. The wait wasn't bad and we got the table we really wanted. Food was great, service was great....loved my shrimp & grits. Good welcome to NoLa

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6. TR

   TedR

   New Orleans

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on 14 March 2023

   overall5food4service4ambience4

   Wonderful food and great oysters! Always a great experience

   Report
7. J

   Jenb

   New York Area

   10 reviews

   vip
   2.0

   10 reviews

   Dined on 13 March 2023

   overall2food2service4ambience3

   Oysters rockefeller and chicken wings were overcooked. Oysters raw were sitting open for a long time as they were served without any juice left in them. Was disappointed as this was supposed to be highly rated.

   Report
8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Dallas

   4 reviews

   3.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on 12 March 2023

   overall3food3service2ambience2

   Charged 14 since someone in party didn’t eat but they didn’t tell us that otherwise would have gotten something. Had a margarita it was awful.

   Report
9. M

   Michele

   Memphis/West TN

   26 reviews

   4.0

   26 reviews

   Dined on 12 March 2023

   overall4food4service5ambience5

   Food was above average. Service was excellent. Atmosphere was great. Shrimp and grits dish was average. Jambalaya was good. Chicken and waffles were good. Shrimp pasta Alfredo was average. Deserts were excellent!

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10. m

    mammodoc

    Phoenix

    26 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined on 6 March 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    We really enjoyed our meal, crayfish etouffe, topped off with a huge piece of yummy bread pudding! Lots of people watching available!!

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11. PH

    PaigeH

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 5 March 2023

    overall2food1service1ambience3

    Service was not good and food was nasty. Probably won’t be back :(

    Report
12. SL

    SylvainL

    Ottawa

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 4 March 2023

    overall1food1service4ambience1

    Really! This place sucks! Overcooked shrimps, awful looking/tasting grilled oysters.. even the glass of water tasted bad.. Typical Bourbon street tourist trap.. stay away!

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13. J

    Jimbok64

    Las Vegas

    74 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    74 reviews

    Dined on 26 February 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3

    Kiki at the bar took care of me and did a wonderful job. My meal was served quick and hot. I'll definitely return in the future.

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14. J

    Jerseyjimmy90

    Jersey

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 24 February 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience4

    Start came after the main. Grits tasted like mush. Nothing special

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15. DA

    DaryllA

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 22 February 2023

    overall3food4service1ambience2

    Employees do not seem very enthusiastic about their jobs and sadly is forwarded onto the customers. Not even good service, ok service might even be pushing it. Definitely ruins the expectations of the experience.

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16. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 19 February 2023

    overall4food3service4ambience3

    I understand the chaos that Mardi Gras brings but food was served Luke warm at best.

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17. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 16 February 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I’ve had chargrilled oysters all over town and Desire makes theirs very unique and it was awesomely delicious! I recommend coming here after trying other places so you can appreciate how they make theirs!

    Report
18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Austin

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 14 February 2023

    overall4food3service5ambience3

    This place is chill and set up like a diner, so there is no need to dress up. I got the gumbo. It wasn't the best I've ever had, but it wasn't terrible. For a rare chilly night, it hit the spot and was filling. Pictures I had seen online showed toasted bread cut on the bias, but I did not receive any with mine. My spouse got the boiled peel & eat shrimp and said they were "nothing special" and "weren't worth the effort". He also got the char grilled oysters and loved them. He said they were the best he could remember having in a long while, if ever. He mentioned them several times during our stay and wished he'd had a moment and appetite to go get more, but he never had the opportunity. I also ordered the Tito's Strawberry Lemonade. Unlike the other locations we'd been to in the FQ, this place gave a skinny little glass with mostly ice when other locations gave an adequate amount of spirits for the price. This is coming from a person who isn't a big drinker. I maybe had 1.5 drinks per night while in town, so that should tell you how underwhelming it was for me to bother mentioning it. We finished off by sharing the pecan pie and bread pudding. Both were just OK. Let me preface by saying we really set up high standards when it comes to these two deserts because they are some of our favorites. We didn't like the bread pudding at GW Fins either. If we went back, it would strictly be for my husband so he could get the oysters.

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19. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 14 February 2023

    overall2food3service2ambience3

    This was a special occasion, Valentine’s Day! My fiancé and I go to New Orleans every year as a Vday tradition. Desire Oyster bar has been our go-to spot. We usually sit at the oyster bar and enjoy talking with the chef behind the bar cooking the oysters. This time that was not possible. We sat at a table near the door and had a server who did not wash his hands. We ordered alligator nuggets and a dozen charbroiled oysters. The food was not bad, but our service and overall experience soiled the visit.

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20. F

    Fran

    New Orleans

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 5 February 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience3

    All the food was great from oysters to burgers literally everything great

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21. JH

    JeffersHill

    Baltimore

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 4 February 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience3

    Food tasted good but I expected a more upscale experience since it’s in the Royal Sonesta. It was fine but not amazing. Server was good but I felt rushed, like she’d rather turn the table over. Chef was nice and chatty. The condiment holder on the table needed a thorough cleaning

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22. k

    katyholdener

    Dallas

    15 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on 3 February 2023

    overall2food3service2ambience4

    The char rockin oysters were delish, but everything else about our meal was pretty sub-par. The loaded French fries looked like they came from a frozen Costco bag and were reheated, and our raw oysters came room-temp without any ice. Service was all over the place. They were very sweet ladies that just seemed a little confused on who did what. It’s convenient to start your night here and end on bourbon, though! Just didn’t knock my socks off like I was hoping!

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23. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Dallas

    7 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 13 January 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    Alway’s good… one of my favorite’s in NO. Great service!

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24. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Houston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 7 January 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Charbroiled oysters were amazing. Kiki the bartender was very friendly.

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25. R

    Richard

    New York Area

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on 4 January 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Good simple New Orleans food.

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26. M

    Mish

    Orange County

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 28 December 2022

    overall4food3service5ambience5

    Desire is right on Bourbon Street, so it's easy to find and before/after dinner there is lots of see. The staff was all so nice; we just wish that some of the food was a little tastier - I would say that this is really a 3.5 star rating. We had an 8:30 PM reservation on a Tuesday evening, but got there at 8 PM. They were quite busy and asked us to return at our scheduled time (which was totally okay with us!) but ended up being able to seat us about 5 minutes later. The host and our servers were all really nice. We ordered: Char Grilled Oysters The favor was good - they came out piping hot. However, 5 out of the 6 oysters that we got were sandy/contained shell. (This seemed to be the norm at most places, but not at the one "fancier" restaurant we went to.) Bummer. The Compromise (1/2 shrimp & 1/2 oyster po'boy) There was a TON of shrimp and oysters! I would say that the shrimp portion, especially, was pretty dry and lacked flavor. I'm not sure that the breading on the shrimps were flavored with any spices. I did end up adding hot sauce, but what it really needed was mayonnaise/sauce. The oyster portion was really tasty - the oysters were all plump and juicy, but again mayonnaise/sauce would have made it even better. The Creole Trio (red beans & rice, jambalaya, and gumbo) All of the items were GOOD. Like, solidly good. This gumbo was the kind with okra, which is fine. The rice and jambalaya had lots of meat in them - like lots! Overall, I'd say that the food was a solid 3 stars. The location and the people were great. Side note: They have a full bar and I wanted a drink, but I didn't want something super syrupy. I approached the not-busy bartender with, "Hi! I was wondering if you have anything a little bit sweet but not syrupy sweet." Her response was, "You should probably get a drink somewhere else." :-/ I assumed that meant, "You're annoying - please go away." But she could have just made me literally ANYTHING and put less juice in it. Oh well.

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27. BM

    BrookeM

    Las Vegas

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 28 December 2022

    overall5food5service3ambience4

    Desire is excellent food, but if you don’t get a reservation you’re not gonna eat for hours. Get a reservation or don’t bother.

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28. y

    yurifiaschi

    New York Area

    20 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    20 reviews

    Dined on 27 December 2022

    overall5food3service3ambience3

    They were super disorganized but the staff was super nice and kind. Food is just ok…nothing special neither super tasteful

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29. G

    Greatfoodandservice

    New Orleans

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 18 December 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Made last minute reservations at 9:45 because we were famished after the theater show. Food and service were excellent! Raw oysters were nice and salty. Scraped and ate every bit out of the charbroiled oyster shells. A little loud for a quiet date night (it is on Bourbon) if that is what you are wanting but just what we wanted for a wonderful meal and great service.

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30. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Miami

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 18 December 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Gretchen our server was amazing! Johnathan the host was super friendly and nice! The chargrilled oysters were the best!

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31. PM

    PriscillaM

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 12 December 2022

    overall1food2service1ambience2

    Terrible service, sent one thing back and one of the mains never showed up.

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32. KK

    KeisukeK

    New England

    4 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 11 December 2022

    overall4food4service3ambience3

    It was busy and there were some miscommunication between us and their staff. But overall it was a good deal.

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33. DK

    DublinKH

    Columbus

    39 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    39 reviews

    Dined on 6 December 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Our waiter recommended to order one dozen each and we are glad we did!

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34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 4 December 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    We sat at the bar to watch the Big 10 Championship game (Go Blue 💙) our second year in a row and our bartender Kiki was the best! She took such great care of us and was great. She is like an old friend, fun and lively and made sure everything was perfect. The food and drinks were great.

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35. DR

    DougR

    San Francisco

    36 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    36 reviews

    Dined on 24 November 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Food is always fabulous. The grilled oysters are the best in New Orleans. Gretchen our server was perfect. And the grill cooks were entertaining. A must-visit in NOLA.

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36. LB

    LakiaB

    Milwaukee

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 10 November 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    My husband was in love with the oysters!

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37. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Orlando

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 7 November 2022

    overall4food4service4ambience5

    Got the order wrong twice.

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38. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Alabama

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 6 November 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Robert was a fabulous waiter!! Food delish!

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39. LC

    LindaC

    New Orleans

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 3 November 2022

    overall3food3service5ambience5

    Service was great! No waiting to get a table at lunch. Ordered fried oysters which were a big disappointment- small and seemed dried out. My companion had fried shrimp which were also a disappointment - small and dried out. They allowed us to substitute a vegetable for the fries on the platter and the vegetables were good

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40. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    New Orleans

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 28 October 2022

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great oysters!

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