Willie Mae's Scotch House

Alright, it's been nearly 4 years since I was at Willie Mae's, but what can tell you is that it was memorable!! I have told my husband more than once that I would buy a plane ticket to NOLA from Pittsburgh just to eat at Willie Mae's and then come right back home. I recommend it to all my friends when they go to visit New Orleans.

When we were getting close to the restaurant we thought for sure we were in the wrong place. It's in a neighborhood and doesn't feel like a place where a restaurant will be and then you see the huge line and know you are there! We got there an hour before closing and it took us that long to get in the door. The hostess assured us that so long as you are in line before closing, you will be served.

Now, I'm not a big fried chicken fan per se, but this was something special. We absolutely LOVED our chicken and the cornbread, sweet potato fries, and mac and cheese were all so good! You know sometimes you eat at a place like this and the chicken is good but the sides are kinda just meh? Nooootttt here! Everything was delicious! We loved it all, but the chicken was certainly the star of the show.

The restaurant itself is very homey and cozy and we got to sit with a couple of ladies visiting NOLA as well. It was a pleasure to get to know them.

Don't sleep on this place. Just go. You won't regret it!!

Willie Mae's Scotch House has a long list of accolades and thousands of Yelp reviews. So, what is there left to add?

First, the basics:
1.) The food I had during my visit was fiyah. The chicken skin and exterior batter was satisfyingly crunchy, and the chicken itself was still flavorful and moist.
2.) I didn't wait in a long line, and service was satisfactory.

As a Mississippi native, I think what Willie Mae's does best is serve as a great ambassador for Louisiana and Mississippi cuisine for the masses of people who will never eat our legendary and regionally famous gas station chicken, juke joint chicken, tailgate chicken, grocery store chicken, or my mom's immaculate and perfectly seasoned chicken that's fried in the true masterpiece: a cast iron skillet. Nom nom.

I have my own opinion on whose fried chicken is the best (my mom's, lol), but this American Classic is definitely worth the hype!

Willie Mae's is an institution and worth trying, but sadly I don't think it quite lives up to the hype. Perhaps it was the extremely high expectations coming in that set the bar too high or the fact that I just had excellent fried chicken less than 24 hours ago (check out Gus). As the saying goes, better to under-promise and over-deliver rather than the other way around. Service was impeccable and personable - easily 5 stars on that front. Efficient, polite, and personable. Much better than what I would have anticipated. However, the real reason to come here is the fried chicken and while it had an amazing light breading crust which was pretty unique, the chicken itself felt too salty as mentioned in many other reviews. I generally do not mind restaurant level seasoning (vs more tame seasoning done at home), but even this was almost on the cusp of being annoyingly too salty. My dining partner agreed. Also, the chicken was at best warm, but definitely not piping hot (as it if had been sitting around for 10 minutes first). I was hoping for the straight out of the fryer, burn your mouth level fresh. Rice and beans were solid side (5*, though I admit not to being a rice and beans connoisseur), a passable and unremarkable cornbread (3*), as well as cloyingly sweet lemonade and sweet tea (depends on how sweet you like your drinks).

Am I glad I went, yes. Would I wait more than 15-30 min to try it (in hindsight), probably not.

The food is amazing. Everything is cooked and seasoned the way it should be. The chicken has the perfect crunch. It's perfectly salted, juicy on the inside, and the outside it light and crisp....PERFECTION. I tried almost all of the sides and they were very good. This is a no frills type of place. It feels like you're a guest in someone's loving home. The staff is friendly and helpful. They explain and guide you in the right direction when you order.

When my coworker told me this would be the best fried chicken I'll ever have, I thought she was overhyping it. BAAAABY let me tell you I didn't know fried chicken could be this crispy, this juicy, this drool worthy! Please open a location in Dallas, otherwise I may have to make an annual trip to NOLA just to get more!

We underestimated the chokehold Willie Mae's had on people. It was a rainy day when we went and we thought we went early enough but it was still a 1.5 hour wait, so get there as early as you can. Despite how crazy busy they were, service was still phenomenal. Our server was friendly and funny. She also have great suggestions on sides to get. I was basic and got the fries though, they were perfect! Food actually came out fast and piping hot. We savored every bite and we left as soon as we were done so another hungry party could enjoy the best fried chicken in Louisiana.

My boyfriend and I were visiting NOLA and his brother told us that Willie Mae's Scotch House is a MUST! Oh boy, he was not wrong. Willie Mae's did not disappoint.

The restaurant is not that big. We came here on a Saturday and there was a wait. You would scan the QR code outside to join the waitlist. There are a few benches and tables to sit at to wait. We did wait for some time, but let me tell you... the food was worth the wait. My boyfriend and I shared the chicken plate with Red Beans and Rice, 2 cornbread muffins, and a side of fried okra. Wow, when we took that first bite of the chicken... it was so juicy and flavorful!! The red beans and rice were amazing, it complimented the chicken very well. The cornbread was delicious and fluffy. The fried okra was good too, but I did wish that it came with a dipping sauce.

The service was great too! Would totally recommend Willie Mae's Scotch House to whoever visiting NOLA.

Can't wait for them to come back best fried chicken in the city and the sides are amazing as well!

Closed on Sundays. "America's Best Fried Chicken" per Food Network & Travel Channel. 2005 James Beard Award winner. Love how their fried items aren't greasy! Very modest place with 3 small rooms.

Waitlist
scan the waitlist QR code (outside the entrance) to get in the que. We got seated in 15 minutes at 2:20pm on a Friday but sadly they were already out of dark meat fried chicken. White meat was delicious.

Entree (comes with 1 side)
Fried Chicken
3pcs of white or dark (was out of dark meat for our 2:20pm lunch) Juicy & crispy! They've nailed the timing! $17.25 5*

Baked Chicken
2 pieces (ordered the dark but very different from the fried dark) $15.25. 4*

Fried Catfish
$18.25. 5*

Fried Shrimp Platter
$18.25. 5*

The Willie Mae Chicken Sandwich
saw a big group (looked local) with most getting this sandwich $11.95
$11.95

Side
Red Kidney Beans & rice is flavorful & excellent! 5*
Mac & Cheese 4*
Sweet Potatoe Fries 5*
Fried Okra 4*
Cornbread Muffin 4*

History
1957 started as a bar,
1958 located to current location with barbershop & beauty salon (in the front).
1970s beauty salon closed and also bar patrons wanted to eat too.
2005 James Beard Award for classic restaurant for southern region
2005 damages from Hurricane Katrina (category 5) in August
2007 reopen with help from organizations
Now run by Willie Mae's great-granddaughter

Located
on north corner of N Tonti St & St Ann St (1 block NE of Orleans Ave

We visited NOLA and missed Willie Mae's due to their fire. When they are up and running, please please support this restaurant! My husband and I feel it is the best fried chicken in the nation! Hope to see it open soon!

I dont normally leave reviews this brief, but suffice to say this:

This place completely ruined fried chicken for me, not because it was bad, au contraire, it is because it will never be this good anywhere else. Every bite or whiff of fried chicken you ever have for the rest of your life will leave you feeling hollow and betrayed. Youll become engulfed in a deep chasm of ennui, and nothing will satiate the existential void growing in your soul until you return. Nothing.