Miss Clawdy

I visited this popular Wynyard Quarter haunt with work colleagues on a Thursday night. We ordered a range of dishes to share, and I personally had the chance to try the Miss Clawdy Slaw, a PO Boy (The Cuban), and the Jambalaya with prawns, chicken, andouille sausage, mixed veg and creole butter. The slaw wasn;t particularly flavoursome and could have done with a nicer dressing. The PO Boy was rather filling and a couple of these and you wouldn’t be able to eat anything more — I recommend that you try at least one. The Jambalaya was nice, but didn’t stand out as being anything special. The service was attentive and friendly, especially considering we were a large group, and staff were quick at attending to empty glasses of water and wine.

Lordy lord. Great place to eat on a Saturday night in Auckland. Fried Chicken was quite good (a top seller) as were tacos and shrimp po boys. The popcorn shrimp po boy was a sandwich with light, fluffy bread, and crispy flavourful shrimp, with cabbage tossed in a thick, creamy, slightly sweet sauce. Lively atmosphere. Bird cages cover the lamps hung from the ceiling.
Overall — thumbs up for a fun and tasty ding experience in Auckland.

I returned here after a previous awesome experience (see my previous review). This visit was terrible. I wish I had not returned so that I could still hold onto the memories.
We ordered the blackened fish and jerked chicken.
Firstly the menu was really strange because it no longer tells you what any of the meals comes with, there is no description at all. The blackened fish was terrible and really disappointing since that was the thing we really enjoyed during previous visits. The jerked chicken was only ok, it was pretty bland.
The other surprise is that the cost has increased dramatically. The fish is now over $ 30! We used to think this was an amazing place with a reasonable price tag. This unfortunately is no longer the case. I dont think we will be returning.

If you’ve ever been to Orleans, give Miss Clawdy a try, it’s definitely a step up, the menu always has heaps of good options, even for a fussy eater like me.
The fried chicken is always worth ordering, and the tacos are pretty good too. The kumara can be a little hit and miss, sometimes it’s quite hard and raw tasting.
The complimentary spiced popcorn is so good when you first arrived, starved as hell.

Late dinner after NZ Fashion Show. Ribs i had were nice and tender. Interior and set up was great. absolutely loved the chandelier lol Service was good too.

Pretty disappointed with the food experience here. Having lived in the US for a few years, I didn’t really taste the Southerness they claim to serve.
The place– Cosy and dim lighting. Like the group tables, very comfortable seats. You can also choose to sit outside to enjoy the sun. Open kitchen, but not too smoky.
The food– love the free popcorn but thats pretty much the highlight. We had a large group and pretty much ordered everything form the menu. Unfortunately, most dishes had too much salt and lemon but not enough cajun and heaviness.
The drinks– A good selection of beer, wine, and liquor. Would be great if they had a few American craft beers to keep up with the theme.
The service– actually had a pretty good experience here. We made a complaint about one of the dishes, and they actually took it back and remade it.
Really hope my experience was just an off day for them!

If you love fried chicken then come to Miss Clawdy’s! Great location in the heart of Wynard Quarter. Whether you are looking for a quick snack or a more hearty meal there are many options here from taco’s, po-​boys, hush puppies, ceviche, gumbo — they cater to all tastes (as long as you like the southern classics). The casual and fun atmosphere makes for a great spot for an afternoon drink too.

I came here with high expectations of good Cajun/​Creole food. I left feeling like I just went to a chain restaurant and experienced super bland food. I had the Cuban Po Boy, corn and jalapeño hush puppies, my friend had the calamari Po boy.
When it came out, I was like Whoa that’s small. It must make it up in the flavor. I was wrong. It apparently had pickle on it, and habanero mustard. Maybe the chef wasn’t following the recipe today. Not even a hint of habanero.
The hush puppies were brought to the table about 8 minutes after we finished the Po boys. They too were very bland with approximately 2 corn kernels and exactly one sliver of jalapeño per piece. Served with a very bland «spicy» sauce.
I wouldn’t come back…

My foodie friend and I had lunch at Miss Clawdy and both of us thought it was pretty great. The décor was spot on and when we arrived, we were served complimentary popcorn which had a wonderful flavour!
We started with berry mocktails which were delicious. We then ordered quite a feast:
— Popcorn shrimp (unusual but good flavours)
— Grilled fish taco (small but tasty)
— Southern fried jerk chicken with chipotle lime mayo (best fried chicken I have had so far in Auckland and far superior to the fried chicken at Mexico!!!)
— Snapper ceviche (very refreshing)
— Cornbread (to.die.for!)
— And the best dish of the day — the beetroot, quinoa and goat’s curd salad which is seriously good! I have re-​visited Miss Clawdy just for this dish!
Next came dessert. I had high expectations for the key lime pie as I had read many great reviews about it. However, when it arrived, the meringue on top was not properly done and as for the flavour, well it did not taste like lime, more lemon and was far too sweet (not in a good way). I was really disappointed!
Overall, the starters and mains were delicious and the service consistent too. I would have given Miss Clawdy a higher rating if the key lime pie had hit the spot!

Miss Clawdy, a new restaurant that deals in soul-​food and Mexican standards.
The logo on the menu promises food of «South and Central Americas»; I suspect they mean the American South and Central America. There’s nothing too unfamiliar here, though I had not heard of hushpuppies, which are deep-​fried balls of cornmeal. These my friend said were dry and not very good.
The menu begins with a selection of po’ boys, the Louisiana submarine sandwiches, classically of fried shrimp. The other options, of beef cheeks or pulled pork, look more promising. My friend also said this wasn’t very good. Sounds like a bad start you might say, but then she had the tacos (open-​faced and soft-​shell) were a different matter: one of grilled fish with the vivid sauce of tomato, onion and chilli that Mexicans called pico de gallo was terrific.
The fresh ceviche of snapper, which used coconut milk — something no Mexican ceviche-​maker would dream of was said to be good.
The jambalaya I had was excellent, full of sausage, chicken and prawns. And the side of corn bread went perfectly — so moist and hot.
The dessert one friend had was a rhubarb-​and-​pear cobbler (like a crumble), the topping of which was gloopy and undercooked and a soft meringue pie of key lime which was very possibly authentic, I just wish the meringue was higher and crispy like that of a Lemon Meringue Pie.
In all, there’s some work to be done here, but there is plenty of promise. Bottles of good chilli sauce on the table are no substitute for a bit more adventurousness in the kitchen.
The one thing I hope they sort is the fruit flies by the hoard we had buzzing around our heads as we were sitting at the table by the kitchen. If nothing else it gave us something to do with our rolled up menu.

A nice place near the waterfront. Nice broad menu though portions are a bit small for $ 15+. Jambalaya was really good, as was the guacamole.
Had a dust up with the server who was unhappy that the host seated 3 of us at a 4 place table (he pushed 2 tables together) She pouted most of our visit, until I told her I was going to call for the manager.
Don’t need to return.

Went here the other night for my birthday, trying to recapture some of the amazing Southern American food we used to have in Berkeley, CA. In particular, I was really excited about the fried chicken. We weren’t super hungry, so just ordered the chicken and fries to share. The chicken was spicy, but somehow not very flavourful, although the sauce that came with it was good. The fries were pretty good also, nice and crunchy with a good aioli. I had an old-​fashioned cherry lemonade cocktail, which sadly, barely tasted of cherries at all and seemed to have hardly any alcohol in it.
We decided to share the beignets with butterscotch sauce for dessert, and they were perhaps the most disappointing part of the whole dinner. They were dense, heavy little balls, and a bit chewy. I will freely admit to not being an expert on beignets, but the ones I had in Berkeley were soft, pillowy rectangles with copious amounts of icing sugar, and they were heaven in your mouth. These were like undercooked donut balls.
Sadly, we probably won’t be back.

We arrived very late and were told the kitchen was almost closing but they were still accommodating as long as we decided fast (which we did)
We ordered the fish soft tacos — full of flavour. The chicken soft tacos — EXTRA full of flavour. The kumara was nice if a little dry? But a good side order. The skirt steak was too tough for us girls but whether that was the cut and cooking or our taste I’m unsure. The service was upbeat and fun although the lack of english confused our order so many times I ended up telling him how to write it down, so we were quite weary about whether our food was going to come out correctly (Alas, it did. Yay)
The atmosphere inside was nice and cosy and great for us four girls to chat and catch up. Would recommend for a relaxed meal.

Move over Mexico, your big sister’s come to town. This is such a cool eatery with a South American-​inspired menu and reasonable prices. Here’s what we had to share — Cajun hush puppies with corn and jalapeños (yum), Miss Clawdy slaw (sour and tangy, perfect partner to the Southern fried jerk chicken), coconut fried banana for dessert with mango & dried banana chilli salsa & vanilla icecream. Such a great menu with so many choices, have to try the jambalaya, pulled pork taco and definitely the grilled cornbread. Plans have been hatched to return a third time.

Come here for the hush puppies, steamed veggies, and jambalaya.
Decided to check out this Southern/​Central American restaurant as I had passed it so many times. My friend was in town so thought this would be a good opportunity.
She ordered the Cuban sandwich and hush puppies while I ordered the jambalaya, kumara wedges, and steamed veggies. The Cuban had skimpy amount of meat, but the hush puppies were AMAZING! I wish there were more kumara wedges, there only give you six. The jambalaya was SUPER filling, and the steamed veggies were spot on.
If you’re looking for shareables, I’d say stick with the hush puppies, but let people know if you have anything else that’s a must-​have!

I keep giving these guys (yet) another chance to woo me but that just hasn’t happened yet. They will always be the «it’s nice, but not great» category for me.
Interior décor — totally Southern American theme, nailed it, thumbs up for that. Love the dimmed lights and music loud just enough not to hear the next table.
Staff — for me not having a great service is job half done. Staff at Miss Clawdy’s is… nice but unfortunately a bit disorganized. Every time we went there we were waiting for our orders to be taken for far too long, the food was just «chucked» on the table with great speed and you don’t see the waiting staff again. If you want that dessert you better order it before they take your drink order otherwise you’ll be going home without it.
Menu — good selection of small and bigger dishes, mostly containing meat. Great Southern menu with your usual Southern flavours and dishes — really like the fact that it’s a bit different than all other place around the North Wharf area. Very impressed with the drink selection — amazing cocktails and wide range of wines to choose from.
Food — good quality and nicely presented. Love their gumbo, it is something phenomenal! I remember trying it for the first time and I had no idea what I ordered — it was a pleasant surprise indeed and I am very glad that they kept the standard up to date.
Price — reasonably priced for this time of dining place
The one thing I am confused by though is on one hand they have this huge selection of drinks and rather short food menu, they have dining tables (instead of bar tables) and staff who are keen to feed you and get you on your way as soon as possible. It is definitely priced as an occasion dining restaurant but everything about it (apart from the authentic, exotic food which is worth the money) says bar, drinks and snacks.
Like I said — there are some great things about Miss Clawdy’s like great flavours, good atmosphere and excellent drinks but there is still space for improvement, too.

Miss Clawdy has been on my foodie wishlist for so long! Having been to New Orleans for their take on South American food, I was more than keen to get some glorious Miss Clawdy in my belly.
Much like the Creole influenced state of Louisana, this North Wharf eatery got my attention with the dark wood and warm red and yellow hues from the overhanging lanterns. We were lucky to be seated straight away at 6:30pm on a Saturday night, there was a constant row of diners coming in soon after us.
The open kitchen took centre stage in front of us. I love watching the chefs at work. I don’t know how they do it, constantly keeping the beat and moving so purposefully in such a confined space. There was great camaraderie in the kitchen too, genuine smiles while keeping each other entertained. So it was with great reluctance that I had trade seats to have my back to the kitchen, the cushiony sofa just swallowed up my petite frame too much! Almost as if we were watching the open kitchen show, we were given complimentary popcorn to start with. Sweet and punchy with a bit of paprika and cinnamon, it was addictive like my favourite Sweet and Salty popcorn.
Priding themselves on soul food and bright colourful flavours, we chose tacos to start with. Whilst the taco was soft and meat was well cooked, it lacked the promised punch and attitude. That problem was taken care of with a generous dousing of hot sauce from the table.
We chose the special of the night as a main to share and I’m so glad we did! The lamb was succulent and flavoursome with just enough gravy to soak up. Combined with the comfort of the roasted vegetables, it filled us up well and proper.
A special mention goes out to the generous cocktail list. It was hard to nail down one to order because each sounded as enticing as the other. The two we tried were delicious and quickly went down before the ice had even melted and diluted the drink.
What I looked forward to most in the evening was the dessert. Even more than usual because I spotted a chocolate and chilli pressed soufflé running as their special. With my recent love for the dark chocolate and chilli combo, it could only be a match in heaven as a soufflé.
The night ended beautifully with this number. My high hopes were met and even surprised me a little with the strength of the chilli. It was chocolatey and dense, and should be shared between two people. Good thing the burn from the chilli stopped me from otherwise scoffing it down unnecessarily. Such decadence was the dish that meant the previous cookies and milk combo was quickly put to the side.
I loved dining at Miss Clawdy. The atmosphere was buzzing but comfortable. The name is inspired by Lloyd Price’s 1952 New Orlearns hit single Lawdy Miss Clawdy. I’d recommend it for a girls night out, and being at Wynyard Quarter, extra points for easy parking.

Miss Clawdy is an eatery that aims to fill the soul with southern cuisine. Located in the chic lot of eateries on the North Wharf of town, its a great place for hearty, comfort food.
Open for lunch and dinner, a friend and I came here for a leisurely lunch on a sunday afternoon. When seated we were given complimentary popcorn — I call it sweet and spice. — bit of sugar, cayenne, paprika, cinnamon etc. Great snack and its always a nice surprise when you get a little something unexpectedly.
We chose this place from the rest because my friend is GF and it has a great range of Gf menu items, making it more applicable to diners with allergies/​intolerances. Because our choices were based more solely on items being GF, they probably wouldn’t have been my first choices but actually I was surprised. The kingfish ceviche was actually really delicious. The fish was cut to a great size which gave it texture and the coconut sauce didn’t overpower like most ceviches served. Plus the corn chips were a good compliment. We were a bit disappointed with the chargrilled kumara, although it was tasty we thought for $ 8 it wasn’t the best value for money after we saw the bowl of hand-​cut fries and how much was offered for the same price.
The jambalaya was good but not great. Although a hearty dish, I felt like it was just missing that moorish punch of flavour you yearn for. However all the ingredients were cooked to the right degree. If you are looking at heading somewhere for a drink, they have a great list of cocktails, ales and wines. Friendly and knowledgeable service from start to end with quick service.
Rating
Food: ⁷⁄₁₀
Service: ⁹⁄₁₀
Value for Money: Good
12 Jellicoe Street, North Wharf
Opening Hours: Mon-​Sun 1130am-​Late

I had been keen to try this restaurant for quite some time so when I happened to be in the Wynyard Quarter a couple of weeks ago & was looking for lunch I figured I better give this place a go.
Our order consisted of the following current menu items: The Cuban — pulled pork shoulder, swiss cheese, pickles, habanero mustard & stewed apple ($ 12.50), the southern fried jerk chicken with chipotle & lime mayo ($ 15.50) and the chargrilled baby kumara, macadamia nut crumble, orange oil & parsley ($ 8).
I have to honestly say I was expecting a lot more flavor — everything fell quite flat. I could barely detect the swiss cheese or ‘habanero’ mustard on The Cuban, so much so that my toddler happily munched away on it without any reaction to what was supposed to be spicy. I make pulled pork in my slow cooker at home quite often & was disappointed to feel that this sandwich was sub par. The fried chicken was ok, but again, words like ‘habanero & ‘jerk’ conjure up images of very spicy, full of heat items of food. It was barely bringing even the slightest tingle to my tastebuds. As for the chargrilled baby kumara, it came to the table SWIMMING in it’s orange oil and the macadamia crumble ended up being a oily lumpy mess on the bottom of the dish. Additionally, the portion sizes of all three menu items were miniscule and I left still feeling hungry, which I find highly annoying when dining out.
I will not be in any rush to go back, however, their complimentary popcorn was delish, and the server was oh so kind to get a second bowl for my toddler to enjoy, which I believe deserves an honorable mention! If they review the seasoning of the dishes and increase portion sizes or decrease their prices to a tapas style menu I may have a change of heart.

Came here last night, for a birthday dinner and ordered the southern fried jerk chicken w chipotle & lime mayo (after praises). Reminiscent of KFC wicked wings with some southern charm. Tasty crumb and good chicken– though not amazing.
Got to try a few spoonfuls of the ya ya gumbo w prawns, chicken, crab, okra & andouille sausage which was unique with lots of tasty ingredients.
They had a decent fat tuesday sauvignon blanc marlborough wine on tap.
We shared hand cut chunky street fries, blackened garlic pepper & aioli which were decent.
Have previously come here once as well and had a neat grilled chicken w avocado mousse & corn salsa with mint mojito which was super tasty.
Great décor and environment. Not too busy on a Sunday night and worth a try!