The Camellia Grill

I love me some Camellia Grill.
If you go on a weekend, you are most likely going to find a huge line out the door. The reason is: Deliciousness.
Don’t get discouraged, the place is small but the line moves pretty fast.
My favorite part about Camellia is that the cooks/​waiters are AWESOME. Seriously, super friendly, treat you like you are their buddy. Leon is my fave.
I ordered some eggs, hash browns and toast. Well, eggs are eggs, they don’t change much from place to place, but the hash browns were crispy on the outside/​soft on the inside, just the way I like them.
My husband ordered the pancakes, and although they didn’t sound like a good idea at the time we ordered, once I saw them and saw his reaction when he tried them, I had to have them.
He was a sweetie and shared them with me, but there were so good that I WANTED MORE! I WANTED THEM ALL! HAHAHAHA (evil laugh)
I was seriously hoping we wouldn’t finish them, but I was a fool! A FOOL! He cleaned that plate, and if it was socially acceptable to lick it, he would have.
Take my advice: Don’t be a fool. Order the pancakes.

Visited from California, got off the trolley and found this Gem .
Great food and service, Rubens is awesome with a side of fries. And the the hick burger and adding bacon gives it a great taste. definitely coming back when I am in town …

Okay, so I have really mixed feelings about the Camellia Grill.
I’m from the northeast of Florida and grew up on the Florida/​Alabama border, so I am quite accustomed to southern comfort food. So I was really excited to try this restaurant when my boyfriend and I heard about it on our vacation.
We found free parking in the pharmacy just 2 doors down and found the restaurant incredibly easy to get to. We had read about the communal bar seating before we went and therefore were prepared for a bit of an experience with the close quarters and jovial waiters.
But honestly, what we ended up getting was just a blur of upsetting experiences and incredible food.
When we got there the place was absolutely packed and we sat waiting for a good half hour before being seated, which we didn’t mind. However, when we finally were seated a man came by and forced us to get up and wait longer so a woman and her son could eat instead even though they hadn’t been there as long as we had and we had already settled in. Who does that?
Pretty upset at this point at being strangely uprooted we waited another 10 – 15 minutes as other patrons told the employees that it was our turn to eat and questioning why we had been moved. Finally, we were seated again and allowed to order.
By the way, they really aren’t kidding when they say that the seating is close knit. I could have easily eaten off my neighbors plate or even stuck my arm in it if I wasn’t careful. My legs were pushed against several strangers and there was no way to move them.
But aside from all of that, my boyfriend and I had come there to eat and have a good time so we got plenty of food and tried to keep our spirits up.
I got a corned beef omelette with a side of grits and a chocolate cherry milkshake while my boyfriend got a cheeseburger and macaroni and cheese bites.
We waited an incredibly long time for our food, in which the waiters joked with the customers but refused to acknowledge we existed.
When our food finally arrived we were so shocked at just how good it was. I love corned beef and this was seriously blissful. Not to mention the chocolate cherry milkshake was indulgent.
However, my grits and my boyfriend’s macaroni bites just never appeared. And we couldn’t get a waiter to stop long enough to tell them. Even when other patrons attempted to help us.
Finally as we had nearly finished our main courses we were able to find a waiter who told us they had forgotten we had even ordered our sides and finally got them for us. He then proceeded to yell at the entire restaurant about all the things you could do with grits while we attempted to eat them hurriedly.
Overall, the food was outstanding and if I could take advantage of their to go option I’d never stop.
However, the service was a joke and I felt completely invisible from the time I came in until I left. Which isn’t great for the prices they charge.

Ok. How I missed this place is beyond me. I am HANGRY writing about it.
Wanted a simple burger and fries. This place does not disappoint!!! It is a smaller diner style joint, and you walk in and sit wherever there is space. The servers are extremely friendly and fun to talk to about the menu.
My server was Cam. Totes. Adorbs. He recommended the pecan pie for dessert. OMIGASH. AMAZEBALLS. Not too rich, and the scoop of ice cream hit the spot!!!
Cheeseburger had something I consider crack in it; I wanted to eat four of them! Fries — delicious. I’m so hungry .
They are open till midnight but I heard when they open at 8 or whatever in the morning, the line is around the block of people waiting to get in. I don’t do lines, so I will continue going at random times.
Check this place out!!!

All of their food my family ordered was excellent. Service was pretty good. This restaurant is famous and it is a great New Orleans restaurant to at least experience once. They don’t take reservations and it is an odd way of seating people. Everyone is in a line out the door usually and has to wait for a good bit. That was to be expected with a popular restaurant. The seating arrangement is not ideal for big group parties. I feel like it is better if you just go with one other person. I’d definitely go again to be able to try their chocolate cherry shake. It was worth the wait!

My wife has been telling me about this place for years… says you can’t get the ‘real’ NOLA experience without it. Listening to her rant about their pecan waffles made it seem like too much. But…
We finally got in there for breakfast on the morning of Christmas Eve. They were… packed. I hadn’t realized the place is an old-​time diner — with a sinuous counter and anchored stools. But that’s what it is.
The staff is… amazing. Our waiter put a ticket in front of each patron, and proceeded to record their orders. Once filled, he called them out — in order — to the cook, who started cranking out the orders in a mass-​production frenzy. The motion behind the counter was intense. I could see the staff sliding across the floor on a layer of grease (butter?) that had slopped while cooking, but clearly something they were accustomed to. They were MOVING!
The orders came up promptly and accurately. The food was HUGE. (Don’t bother coming if you’re just feeling peckish… wait until you are ready to EAT.)
My wife’s waffle was outstanding. My omelet (the Manhattan) was delicious, but too big to finish. Even the coffee, with chicory, was really good.
All the time we were eating, though, we couldn’t take our eyes off of the choreographed ballet going on behind the counter. These guys are all pros, and they act like it.
Go to the Camellia Grill. You owe it to yourself.

I love Camellia Grill! I have been going here for years, and I have so many fond memories of this place.
Had to come here on my latest trip for breakfast, and luckily my friend was up for it. She had only eaten at the newer location down in the Quarter, but I told her it just wasn’t the same as the original location.
First of all you get to take the street car all the way to Carrolliton Ave., so it’s a nice way to see some of the grand homes on St. Charles Ave. in the Garden District. I’ve always loved doing that.
We arrived on a Sunday morning around 11:00, so I was braced for a line. I’ve always had to wait in line previously around this time, so I was shocked when we showed up, and there wasn’t a line outside. There were about 8 people ahead of us waiting inside, but we only had to wait about 15 minutes for our spots at the counter.
Just know that there is only a counter here, that seats about 30 people or so, and that’s part of the appeal. I’ve always liked that communal atmosphere, and pretty much always end up talking to whoever is sitting next to me. And the great thing about this place, is that it feels like more locals eat here, more so than tourists. I think a lot of people that come to New Orleans never leave the Quarter, which is a shame, but that’s fine with me, because the less tourists here the better. I could be totally wrong, but every time I’ve been that’s been the case.
My fav thing to order for breakfast has always been the waffle. I love waffles, and they make a mean one. I had that with a scrambled egg on the side and some bacon. If you like waffles, get that. You won’t be disappointed. And get ready for this… you won’t get pats of butter to put on your waffle, they actually serve melted butter in one of those syrup dispensers. I have never seen that anywhere else. So you can pour your butter on first, then cover that with syrup. Messy and really, really good.
Another thing I’d highly recommend is a slice of pie a la mode. They heat the pie on the griddle, so it’s nice and warm. My fav is pecan pie, but they have lots of other kinds. I haven’t tried this in a while (way too full after my last breakfast), but leave some room for this if you like pie.
This has always been on of my fav spots in New Orleans, and since they’ve been around since 1946 and are still going strong, I hope they are around for another 70 years. Can’t wait to come back the next time I’m visiting.

If you’re looking for a great late night run for $ 6 cheeseburgers that’ll fill you up, this is where it’s at.
This place is great for drunk moments and late night moments. They close late and they serve all that good greasy type food. I was turnt by hand grenades at Bourbon st, and made my way here by street car. Me and my friend killed about four burgers! We should’ve had pie but we were stuffed.
They take their time grilling the burgers as well so it’s the real deal!

Unless you go at odd hours, be prepared to wait. This is your actual lunch counter and every seat faces the kitchen. We were fortunate enough to have Marvin who is an absolute hoot. If it were possible and/​or legal, I’d like to have a can of Marvin in my purse on days when I’m feeling down.
The food was delicious and came out very quick. I was not a fan of the chocolate freeze as it looked like a shake mixed with ice. Ice cream plus ice = no bueno. Everything else was great.

I give Camellia Grill 2.5 stars.
Had a hankering for some diner type breakfast on a Sunday morning following a night of many beverages… so we decided on Camellia Grill. It had been YEARS since I had been, and a little bit of nostalgia kicked in.
We went early, so the wait was only 5 minutes long. Get there after 10, and you’ll see a line out the door.
I ordered the ham and cheese omelet, and hashbrowns. It was just o.k. My boyfriend had a pancake and sausage. It was pretty good.
The prices are reasonable, but definitely not as cheap as people make it out to be.
I can’t see ever making it point to go there again, as there are a ton of great breakfast options in New Orleans.
I honestly can’t figure out the hoopla.

Must do while in Nola–
Ride the streetcar
Eat at Café du Monde
Visit Metaire Cemetary (trust me)
Try a dessert at Angelo Bracoto’s
Fist bump the jovial waiters at Camellia Grill
You will probably have to wait here but it’s never for too long. This fast paced and fun diner is an experience you don’t want to miss. Once you’re seated your always smiling and witty waiter will quickly come over, take your drink order give you a fist bump. Fist bumps are always fun, am I right?
It’s not a very roomy sort of place. You will probably hit elbows with your neighbors once you start chowing down on the great food you watched the cooks prepare behind the counter, but hey, it’s a great way to meet new people. I had to apologize to my stranger neighbor so many times that I eventually got to know him and his entire family and why they were there (dropping daughter off at school after a break).
It’s affordable, it’s tasty and it’s good dang fun. If you don’t go, you aren’t doing New Orleans right.