Mara's Homemade
(212) 598-1110
342 E 6th St
New York,
NY
10003
40.7269
-73.9876
Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown
What People Are Saying About Mara's Homemade
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
This is as close as you can get to eating at someone's home and still have to pay at the end. The storefront space is far from glamorous, but chef Mara and her staff make diners exceedingly welcome. They are the heart of the restaurant, doting on the customers and offering endless advice, accommodation and conversation.
The Food
The menu consists of Southern comfort-food favorites as well as spicy Louisiana specialties. Meat loaf with rosemary-garlic mashed potatoes is a slice of home, with the perfect texture and loads of flavor. The rich, delicious hot artichoke dip tastes of nostalgia, and breaded fried pickles wake the palate like nothing else. As when eating at someone's home, not everything is always right: Catfish is over-smothered in a salty sauce, and chicken-fried steak is lifeless, but the majority is very good. Hot beignets and bourbon-rich pecan pie are both favorites.
User Reviews
jstein6583
May 24, 2009
I can't believe this place is once again a top NYC BBQ spot. The restaurant smelled like an open sewer when my brother and I went last summer after it had just made the list. The food is horrible, the drinks weak, and the atmosphere like something out of a Third Avenue, frat-boy nightmare. Anyone who thinks that this is good BBQ has never had it...and has no palate.
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chellybean
February 12, 2009
I do not recommend this place to anyone. It was by far the most awkward dining experience of my life. First, they couldn?t seat us right away even though we made reservations (no biggie, pretty normal). But, literally 5 minutes after we were seated, both Mara and her husband came to our table yelling at us because we had not ordered yet. On top of that, it took 20 minutes for our drinks to come, not to mention, they were brought one by one in 5 minute increments. They then proceeded to tell us that we could not leave the table or go outside to make a phone call or have a cigarette and that the next person to leave would not only not be able to come back in, but would also have the cops called on them. We were then told that we could not use the bathroom because of a ?recent theft??I don?t even know what that means; I guess someone stole toilet paper? Mara and her husband both need a serious attitude adjustment. We are not guests in your home (thank God), we are paying customers, learn how to run a business. I don?t know if they treat all of their customers like this, or just parties of 12 spending over $700. Oh, and the food was just ok, nothing special at all.
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alanmikael
October 19, 2008
Mara has inspired me to write my 1st review on CitySearch in 8 years of using the site. If you are looking for the best po boys short of going to the Washington metro area, RUN to Mara's. Being a New Orleans (N.O.) BK transplant, I have tried them at most other other New York area restaurants (Cooking with Jazz, Mardi Gras, Delta Grill, Stan's Place, Bayou, ect) and another that has since closed in Hell's Kitchen. I'm so happy some else appreciates Gulf Coast seafood besides me (oysters from anywhere else taste totally different plus they have a bunch of green yucky stuff in them and if I get one more shrimp po boy made from breaded frozen shrimp, I'm going to beat them...then tar and feather them. That's a mortal sin in South Louisiana (LA). Mara's does it right with fresh seafood fried using corn meal/flour on a french baguette - the closest thing you can get to N.O. style french bread in NYC - at a great price especially when you consider that she imports seafood and has to have fresh bread available 7 days a week. The jambalaya wasn't bad either. Just one more thing, her restaurant smells fine. Anyone who grew up in an area where you eat seafood frequently year round (South LA, Coastal Maine) knows you can't have fresh seafood with some odor. That's why grandma made paran clean the fresh catfish we used to catch in the backyard. They are the most authentic Creole/Cajun restaurant, I have been to so far in the tri-state area, You will have to take a 2.5 hr flight to N.O. to get anything better. PS - They have Abita Root Beer brewed in LA and sweetened with LA Sugar cane syrup not HFCS for all you Root Beer/Specialty Soda heads out there; it's sweet n smooth.
read full reviewThe Details on Mara's Homemade
Category:
Restaurants, Barbecue Restaurants
Payment Methods:
American Express, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Lunch Spot, Brunch, Bar Scene, Private Rooms
