Willie Mae’s: The Best Fried Chicken in New Orleans
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Discover what it’s like to eat fried chicken at Willie Mae’s in New Orleans. It’s arguably the best fried chicken in the world.
Rumors that Willie Mae’s closed are incorrect. Instead, the legendary fried chicken restaurant is operating at a Central Business District location in downtown New Orleans. And while the location is different, the fried chicken recipe is the same.
We first visited the original Willie Mae’s Scotch House in 2014. We had high expectations as we wandered out of the French Quarter, through Louis Armstrong Park and into New Orleans storied Tremé neighborhood, on our way to the famous fried chicken restaurant.
Although we felt safe walking through the shabby, gentrifying neighborhood filled with corner shops and shotgun shacks, we weren’t sure about our decision to take a two-mile walk for lunch on our last day in New Orleans.
We reminded ourselves that this is what we do when we travel… We walk and eat and then walk and eat some more in an ongoing quest to find the best food in the world.
Update
We returned in 2021 for a repeat lunch at Willie Mae’s and the food and service were just as good as we remembered. This article features photos from both meals.
Our Lunch at the Original Willie Mae’s Scotch House
Situated in an unadorned corner building with a green a white striped hooded awining, the original Willie Mae’s restaurant blended seamlessly into the neighborhood with the exception of an inevitable line of eager diners that curls around the corner during lunch most days. Though we somehow missed the queue during our first visit, we got the full experience during our second visit.
Food travelers flock to Willie Mae’s based on accolades bestowed by the likes of the James Beard Foundation, the Food Network and the Travel Channel. The restaurant staff handles the crowds with aplomb and grace. In other words, don’t feel dismayed if you encounter a long queue when you arrive at Willie Mae’s.
Pro Tip
Arrive at Willie Mae’s Scotch House as early as possible to guarantee entry into New Orleans’ fried chicken motherland. The restaurant closed the line about 15 minutes before closing time during our most recent visit.
The Food at Willie Mae’s
While the menu at Willie Mae’s Scotch House features items like fried catfish and a seafood platter, we’re not sure who orders those dishes. To us, that’s like ordering chicken or steak at a seafood restaurant. We recommend ordering the mixed fried chicken platter, which is what we ordered during both of our meals.
The platter was only $10 at the time of our first meal and $15 seven years later. Sure, that’s a 50% increase, but well worth it for what the menu calls ‘America’s Best Fried Chicken’ plus a side dish.
It takes serious nerve to describe your food as the best. That’s quite a superlative. However, in this case, the made-to-order fried chicken lived up to the illustrious description. We’ll take it one step further and say that eating this fried chicken is a must during any New Orleans itinerary.
Fried Chicken
Each bite of our fried chicken was a revelation during our first lunch at Willie Mae’s. It was crispy and slightly salty on the outside while utterly moist and juicy on the inside. We were hooked from our first bites and still smitten as we covertly licked our fingers after the final bites.
And guess what? The chicken lived up to our memories seven years later. Actually, it exceeded our memories with a spicy zing that made our taste buds go ka-pow.
Discover more of the best fried chicken in America and beyond.
Sides
During our first visit, Mindi went the classic route with sides of peas and macaroni and cheese. The sides were generously served right next to the chicken. Though not special, both sides provided a soft counterbalance to the chicken’s crunchiness. Plus, the peas reminded us of peas from our childhoods, which is not a bad memory.
Daryl smartly honored the New Orleans tradition of red beans on Monday by ordering a side of, you guessed it… red beans and rice. Made using the secret Willie Mae’s red beans and rice recipe, this side dish was substantial in both size and flavor.
We felt compelled to try a couple of extras after the two-mile trek. We surely burned off more than a few calories during the walk.
Cornbread
The cornbread muffins at Willie Mae’s are perfectly flaky as good cornbread should be. We recommend pairing the southern specialty with your Willie Mae’s fried chicken feast.
Each cornbread muffin cost less than a dollar during our second visit so ordering one or two is a no-brainer.
Fried Okra
Fried okra was a fun choice that we couldn’t skip during our first visit. We popped a couple before we ran out of room. They were almost as tasty a few hours later on the plane.
Yes, we took our fried okra leftovers on our flight to Philadelphia but they didn’t make it past the flight.
Dessert
Though we ran out of room for the fried okra, we somehow found room for dessert during our first lunch at Willie Mae’s.
We were tempted to order the bread pudding, but we were drawn to the key lime pie which sounded relatively lighter. Sweet yet refreshing, the key lime pie was a delightful dessert to share after our savory meal.
We probably couldn’t have handled an overly sweet dessert after the mega meal. This slice of pie had just enough tartness to satisfy our discerning taste buds.
Disclosure
The Willie Mae’s menu no longer features Key Lime Pie. Current dessert options include Bread Pudding, Turtle Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake and White Chocolate Cheesecake.
The Tradition Continues
Open since 1957, Willie Mae’s Scotch House is now run by the founder’s great-granddaughter, Kerry Seaton. The younger Seaton clearly learned well from her great-grandmother (the original Willie Mae) and is making good use of the family recipes.
More important, the restaurant has moved to a modern space in downtown New Orleans. The vibe is more modern but the chicken is still great.
Willie Mae’s is now located at 898 Baronne Street, New Orleans, LA 70113, United States.
💡 Frequently Asked Questions
Willie Mae’s Scotch House opened in 1957.
Willie Mae’s NOLA opened its downtown location in 2024 after a fire damaged the original Tremé location.
No. Willie Mae Seaton passed away on September 18, 2015, at age 99. Kerry Seaton-Stewart, Seaton’s grand-great-granddaughter, now runs the restaurant.
Willie Mae’s Scotch House was previously located in New Orleans’ 6th ward. The restaurant is now located in downtown New Orleans.
Willie Mae’s Scotch House received a James Beard award in 2005.
Yes. Bourdain ate at Willie Mae’s Scotch House while filming the fourth season of No Reservations.
Yes. Phil ate at Willie Mae’s Scotch House while filming the first season of Somebody Feed Phil?
This is clearly a trick question since fried chicken is obviously the best food to order at Willie Mae’s Scotch House.
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⚙️ Disclosures
Article Updates
We update our articles regularly. Some updates are major, while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Let us know if you see anything that needs to be updated in this article.
Funding
We self-funded our lunches at Willie Mae’s Scotch House.
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