Mara's Homemade

Doesn't Recommend

daddyoo

Joined 1 year ago

Worst EVER. have been to my fair share of restaurants ,

I am a gourmet cook and commercial fisherman.

I also know what New Orleans food is suppose to at least emulate, THIS IS NOT THE PLACE i would NEVER go again .

From the crappy jalapeno cornbread to the soggy jambalaya,, the shrimp feast was horrid they were soggy spongy shrimp that are claimed to be shipped from the bayou,cooked FOUR ways and ,covered in zatarans crab boil mix , butter oil and crappy seasoning , the craw fish ettoufou was the worst thing i have eaten in my life the chef does not know how to make a proper roux or sauce , the craw fish were gray and tiny after a bite that was it for me, dont go near the specially flown in red snapper with creole mustad sauce (basically mustard and white wine )to smother this horrible quality fish ,flownin "I dont think so"

Did i mention i am also a commercial fisherman !

Last the was the the Cocky derby wearing guy with his stained shirt that he has probably worn for the previous 5 days who ran the place! With his decaying teeth and "make you want to puke smile", and total control freak attitude who had basically no control over his kitchen or wait staff. GOD HELP SYOSSET ! I totally agree with Amal D. So go if you want to pay for bad taste in you mouth for years !

Recommends

JackSa

Joined 3 years ago

Homemade fun.. I challenge you to find someone who would not consider the atmosphere charming. And the food is quite good, at reasonable prices.

Recommends

CSMobileUser2

Joined 5 years ago

Maras Homemade-just like home. I've been living in NYC since 2000. Originally I'm from South Mississippi where Crawfish is a part of our weekly diet. It took some time but my wife finally uncovered a GOLD MINE for me. Mara's is now my FAVORITE place to eat in all of NYC. The crawfish comes in a bucket with potatos, corn on the cobb and mushrooms - JUST LIKE BACK HOME!! There's even SAINTS (who dat!) Posters adorning the walls. No place is better.

Recommends

litlmutt

Joined 3 years ago

Best Restaurant in the City, hands down.. I've been dining here for years. Ive read all thr reviews about the staff being rude, mean or rushing people out. Ive NEVER EVER experienced any of these.

The staff has ALWAYS been courteous to me and my wife.Ive had birthday parties here and family gatherings. Ive taken half the restaurant and Ive taken a single table by myself, Ive always enjoyed myself. Food has always been spot on (especially the BBQ). After eating BBQ here, Ive been looking for better. Ive been to Northern Cali, Miami, Orlando, Boston THIS IS STILL MY FAVE!

Prices have gone up, but considering how good it is, its always worth the splurge.

Mara also does cooking classes which seem interesting.

Doesn't Recommend

amappleflower

Joined 5 years ago

Will not be returning. Went there last night to meet a friend for dinner and was asked to leave after inquiring about a table and a fifteen minute seating wait (with 3 tables avail). I was told that a big party was leaving and that we would get two seats up front. Those tables were cleared and they sat others waiting who had arrived after. I asked about our seat, reminding that we were also waiting, and was told, "Probably will not be able to please you, it would be best if you would leave" by owner David. A personal first to be asked to leave a restaurant after inquiring about seating! Suggest those with interest read posts here and on other sites before deciding on Mara's- odd behavior from owners and poor service are both common if you read through comments.

Recommends

Josh Ozersky

Joined 5 years ago

Funky cajun joint specializes in crawfish.. Despite its East Village locale, Mara's homemade has an undeniable Arkansas/Louisiana authenticity. For some patrons, it may be too authentic, given how messy and anatomically challenging the crawfish dinners can be. But on the other hand, the jambalaya, fried green tomatoes, pepper cornbread and other southern specialties are well-made, cheap and arrive in copious portions. The room is as raucous and homey as a roadside joint on Highway 3, which makes it a favorite of the young crowd that lives and hangs out nearby.

Recommends

nummytreat

Joined 7 years ago

Key Lime Goodness!. It's hard to find good Key Lime Pie in the City. Too often, the taste is wrong, the texture is off or worse: it tastes pre-packaged. That's why it was a delight to discover the perfect Key Lime pie at Mara's Homemade!

The taste is sweet with the right balance of key lime. The texture is firm but creamy, complimented by a thin graham crust. Best of all, there's no whipped cream or other frippery to distract you from the subtle nuances of this rare treat. It succeeds on its own, as the best pies do.

If you're in the mood for a Southern delight done right, head over to Mara's and grab a slice of Key Lime Pie. You won't be disappointed!

Doesn't Recommend

jstein6583

Joined 7 years ago

Smells like a public TOILET!!!!!!!!!!!. 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.

Doesn't Recommend

chellybean

Joined 4 years ago

Never AGAIN!!. 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.

Recommends

alanmikael

Joined 5 years ago

BEST PO BOYS IN THE TRISTATE AREA!. 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.