Mother's

401 Poydras, New Orleans, LA - (504) 523-9656

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Posted By Michael Stern on 8/1/2000 1:50:00 PM

Of the many must-eat foods in New Orleans, a po-boy sandwich rates high on the list; and of the restaurants where you want to eat one, put Mother’s at the top.

A blue-collar cafeteria with blue-ribbon Creole fare, this venerable establishment makes what is known as a “Ferdi Special,” which is baked ham, roast beef, and plenty of gravy, along with cabbage, pickles, mayo, and mustard, all piled into a length of crisp-crusted bread. It is a kaleidoscopic eating experience, but to our tongues, confusing. We prefer getting an all-roast-beef po-boy, with sliced beef and plenty of “debris,” which is the New Orleans word for all the tiny bits and pieces that fall of the roast and wallow in its juices as it cooks and is carved. Beef, debris, and enough gravy to moisten the fleecy insides of the bread make one deliriously delicious sandwich! It is even possible to get a po-boy made ONLY of debris, which is simply too luscious for words.
Oysters, soft-shell crabs, fried shrimp, and pork chops are among the other available fillings for these grand sandwiches, so whatever’s your pleasure, we can practically guarantee that Mother’s will satisfy like no other restaurant, anywhere.

Although po-boys are its main claim to fame, Mother’s also happens to be a great breakfast spot. The ham biscuit, made with debris of fried-black ham, is spectacular, as is a serving of grits with ham debris mixed in. There are omelets of red beans, shrimp Creole, and crawfish etouffee; and even the scrambled eggs have a flavor that simply does not exist beyond this city’s limits.

At lunch, other than po-boys, you want to eat gumbo or jambalaya or what is, in our opinion, the finest red beans and rice in town since Buster Holmes closed, followed, of course, by Mother’s bread pudding with buttered brandy sauce.

You won’t eat better anywhere in New Orleans; and for us, the savor of these meals is accented by the fact that they are doled out cafeteria-style to working people as well as to high rollers, at about one-tenth the price of the city’s more self-important culinary Meccas.

Scorecard

Overall: Excellent - Worth a Detour

Debris	Red Bean Omelet
Sausage Biscuit	Cream Coffee
Black Ham Biscuit

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"Black ham is Mother's name for the dark, crusty surface cuts of the baked ham. Order it by name."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"I asked for a debris biscuit, but the waitress reminded me that I was going to get a pair of biscuits with my omelet. So she put the debris in a bowl from which I could retrieve it as needed."
Michael Stern

"These grits dripping with butter prove that Mother's excels at even the simple dishes."
Elise

"When Mother's biscuits are fresh they are good ones."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"Almost inevitably when a New Orleans menu says 'red beans,' it means red beans with sausage, as in this red bean omelet."
Michael Stern

"What other restaurants refer to as cafe au lait, Mother's calls 'cream coffee.' It comes standard with full breakfasts."
Michael Stern

"A debris biscuit cannot be lifted from its plate. It's one of our favorite things to eat at Mother's."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"You can order grits. You can order debris. Or you can order grits and debris, a particularly felicitous combination."
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"Mother's biscuit does a good job of muffling the powerful pork punch of black ham."
Michael Stern

"McDonald's, it ain't! This sausage is buff and muscular, redolent of garlic and spice."
Michael Stern

"Perhaps Mother's has the best shrimp po' boy in town as well. The pink, succulent shrimp were cooked just until done, not a minute too long."
Elise

"Waiting for the next order to come up."
Elise

"A rare sight: Mother's po-boy without a bite yet taken out of it"
Michael Stern

"Sign above the order counter at Mother's"
Michael Stern

"Noisy, bustling, and always crowded, Mother's is a sleeves-up dining experience."
Michael Stern

"At Poydras and Tchoupitoulas: the best po-boys on earth"
Michael Stern

"Arrive at Mother's during the week at an off hour and you may just be able to walk right in!"
Bruce Bilmes and Susan Boyle

"The line can look daunting, but moves surprisingly quickly. And this is one meal worth waitning for."
Elise