Smilie’s Restaurant
5725 Jefferson Hwy, Harahan, LA, 70123
Smilie’s Restaurant Menu
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Appetizers
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Salads
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Italian Dishes
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Steak And Specialties
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Seafood Specialties
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Sides
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Dessert
Healthy Meal suggestions for Smilie’s Restaurant
-
Appetizers
-
Salads
-
Italian Dishes
-
Steak And Specialties
-
Seafood Specialties
-
Sides
-
Dessert
Visit below restaurant in Harahan for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Harahan for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
5725 Jefferson Hwy
Harahan, LA, 70123 - Phone (504) 733-3000
- Website https://www.smiliesrestaurant.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Alana L.
Smilies is experiencing a mid-life crisis. This place is unsure who to cater to: the group hosting a function or the family having dinner. What's certain is neither are done well. At all. This customer's advice: immediately seek a physician's opinion. If symptoms are addressed now, perminate damage may be avoided. If Smilies does get it together, please invest in advertisement of changes because, until then, return we will not. 1. Why must I be exposed to the musical stylings from private functions taking place on the premises? I couldn't just hear it, I felt like I was part of their Wabble dancing, bad jazz prancing, Miller High Life chugging company Christmas shenanigans. 2. Why must I wait for an extended amount of time to be acknowledged by the staff, presented a menu, informed of the soup de jour, asked, "so are you ready?" Er-a...call me old fashioned, but I do like a drink order taken pre-entree order. 3. Why would I again spend over $20 on a less than kinda sorta tasty angel hair & meatballs bowl, soup plus salad, and bread? Here is what I'll do next time in an attempt to not experience bad service, music, and food: select a station on Pandora, purchase a salad in a bag, Lean Cuisine's spaghetti & meat sauce, frozen garlic bread loaf, and stay home. Truthfully, THAT would have been a better meal & experience than my Saturday night visit.
(1)Robert H.
We had a nice lunch here today. Fried Soft-shell crab w/Meunière sauce was great. Marinara w/ meatballs a little thin but nice flavor. Meatballs were excellent. Fresh mashed potatoes, frozen (but still done okay) veggies and a salad w/ the crab for $13? Meatballs and salad for $12? Bargain! Fairly low prices, nice service, food good to excellent, so we will definitely go again. I've read awful reviews before writing mine. I didn't have the same experience those people had. Maybe the secret is to go for lunch?
(4)Roger B.
It's been a while since we had last eaten at Smilie's. There was a stretch of time where it seemed like every couple of months we were invited to a party or reception in the Plantation Room. That has slowed down considerably. But this review is for the restaurant itself. We stopped in on a Thursday night for dinner. Entering through the Edwards Ave door, the bar side of the building (to the left) was quite busy and loud. We turned right and sat in the restaurant proper which was about a 1/3 full. The waitress brought out a basket of warm French bread slices (baguette width) toasted with melted garlic butter and took our drink order. The dinner entrees come with a choice of house salad or a cup of soup. We both opted for the house salad. The salad was mostly iceberg lettuce, with 2 cherry tomatoes and some shredded cheese; adequate, but nothing exceptional. My wife was surprised I ordered the trout almondine for dinner. (I mean, it is fried seafood, it's just not shrimp.) It wasn't bad, fried decently, but the sauce was browner than expected. The fish came with whipped mash (red) potatoes, and an overcooked vegetable medley. My wife ordered the meat balls and spaghetti (angel hair pasta). She liked the meatballs, claimed it had a good flavor and texture to them. She also liked the homemade marinara sauce; said it wasn't tomato paste bitter, but not really sweet. There was a fair amount of food on both plates, enough that we were too full to order dessert.
(3)Sandy D.
I went to smilies for a birthday party. The food was delicious. I would give a event here anytime.
(5)Elizabeth P.
Just Blah... Menu needs so be updated and make more modern... The best thing was the garlic bread
(2)Andree W.
Been a long time since Ive dined at Smilies, but on a recent visit back home we accompanied my great aunt there for her 90th Bday. She said the gumbo was too spicy--but hey, shes 90, so that doesnt count. My husband got the seafood platter, and as usual, gives me the fried soft shell crab, which I happily devoured. I got the fried eggplant topped with shrimp and crab. Eggplant pcs were so thin that I almost couldnt see it thru the fried crust , but the cream sauce and fresh seafood on top made up for that. Seafood platter disappeared next to me, and I didnt hear any complaints around our table of 10. Prices were a little high, if it were up to me, I would eat at a more low key type place, but for the occasion, it was just fine, as I thought it would be. I would go back, as I have for years.
(3)Hoss M.
If you want to pay $25 for an oyster plate with fries, I suppose this is a good place to go. Or perhaps if you order eggplant parmigian and want to be surprised with slabs of deli ham between the eggplant slices this is a good place to go. However, I'd prefer to stick to bucktown restaurants where the oyster plates are $12 and ham doesn't show up in unexpected places. Also of note, I was there with my vegan cousin. The waitresses apparently thought it would be funny to berate her for her lifestyle.
(1)Sandy D.
I went to smilies for a birthday party. The food was delicious. I would give a event here anytime.
(5)John W.
Smilies? More like Frownies. This place is bad. I went here for a graduation party and every course was terrible. The corn and crab bisque was watery, salad was just lettuce and two tomatoes with little to no dressing. The catfish wasn't fresh and drenched in a lemon tasting soy sauce. The mashed potatoes were not edible whatsoever. The dessert was bread budding and the rum sauce looked like oatmeal. This food is on par with the dishes they serve at missions. My girlfriends champagne glass? Was personalized with a message of 'Taylor January 2007'. Shout out to Taylor whoever and wherever you are. My champagne glass? It had lipstick on it that was possibly 8 yrs old. Oh and the service was just as bad. Don't spend your money here.
(1)Jody B.
Apparently Smilie's was once pretty great. That must have been before my time. I've been here a handful of times, both in the private rooms and in the main dining room and never really understood the appeal. It seems the service is hit or miss, as is the food. I've never really had anything bad, but found many of their dishes to be overly salty. I was however pleasantly surprised by the dessert on my recent visit. It was the first time I had spumoni and I found it quite refreshing and delicious. Smilie's has lots of room to improve and I hope they do because its been in business a long time and I think it would be great if it could get an overhaul and make a comeback.
(2)Jay T.
The exterior and interior are somewhat shabby and forlorn, and it seems that no updating has occurred since the repair work following the huge fire, there, in 1991. We waited and waited and finally the owner, Augie, took us through a hall into an empty and dim banquet room. Service (by Augie) was slow and somewhat incorrect (not writing down our order, he brought plain fettuccine to one of our party, not remembering that she'd ordered shrimp fettuccine). Lunch plates came with a salad, which were only lettuce, but not bad. My Spaghetti & Meatballs (with angel hair pasta) had two good meatballs, but thin, watery sauce, and not much of it. My male friend said his Veal Parmesan was very good. My female friend very much disliked her Shrimp Fettuccine, because she said the sauce tasted "artificial". No bread was brought with this meal, and I wasn't about to ask for it, either. The two children said they enjoyed the Shrimp and Fries plate, for what it's worth. This is probably a meaningless review, because the owner said he was closing in a month, to reopen a new restaurant down the highway, to be called "Augie's". RJT
(2)Bill G.
I could go on but here's the bottom line: This place was fabulous in 1975. Now, it's old and tired and needs a major over haul. Has it changed: Probably not so Much. We just expect more than we did 30 years ago.
(2)Dubya W.
Perhaps at one point in time Smilie's was the talk of Harahan and the ideal place for your wedding related functions, but today it is a geriatric tomb. First there's the wafting smell of the bathroom which is unmistakably aged urine with delicate bleach undertones. There may have been a urinal cake added to the aromatic decor but being female I was unable to go into the men's restroom to confirm. Secondly, the bar is staffed by the waitstaff and therefore abysmal. A Manhattan was prepared first by referencing a small cocktail book, quickly dismissed and instead a rum and coke on ice with a cherry was the Smilie's Manhattan Special. Speaking of waitstaff. Either these ladies are indentured servants and have no other means of employment than in this mausoleum or they are completely apathetic towards all humans in general. Probably both. Courtesy, southern hospitality, and general waiting principles don't apply here. Plates were hastily thrown down in front of customers in such disdain and carelessness and was topped off by the intense feeling of being unwanted. In a city known for it's cuisine, Smilie's likes to live on the wild side. Instead of providing a true authentic New Orleans fare they go for plain, uninspired food that is commonly found at a buffet. Towards the end of the evening, the lights began to turn off, during the event. There can only be two conclusions, either the rave was about to begin, or they didn't pay their electricity bill. I'm guessing the latter. Ultimately, hosting an event here would be an excellent choice if you want a true Bourbon street experience: pee smells, angry people, and low lighting.
(1)Tung T.
I wonder what is worst: the food, decor, or service. First time we walked in the host asked "uhh.. how can I help you"? I knew we should walk away because that is not how a host should greet their customers. Gave a place a chance though. Four of us ordered their special of the day- Soft shell crab. The waitress didn't even know they were out until she put In the order in the kitchen. My wife ordered the crab cakes which tasted worst than frozen fish sticks. There were two small patties under some pinkish sauce-not sure what it was. The seafood pasta had no taste and the seafood were falling apart. Definitely not fresh. Fried Catfish and grilled red fish were ok. When they brought the food out they stand in one spot and handed us the plates to put down on the table ourselves. Refills were requested and not offered. I think they never had soft shell because the restaurant was empty. No way they ran out. I felt bad for waitress and bust boy. Gave them really really good tip for the less than mediocre service.
(1)Analisa M.
Smilie's doesn't have the staff to cover the amount of guests at their multiple private rooms. Food is meh for the price. Drinks are weak, the bar wait is long and the Coronas are only 10 oz. No thanks.
(1)Eddie P.
In town for business looking for a good lunch and saw some cars outside so decided to stop. The service was horrible. Food was overpriced and the side to my sandwich was a bag of Lays potato chips. For a Shrimp Poboy that's priced at $10.95, one would expect at least a bag of flavored chips not the $0.50 cent bag I got. Would not recommend this place to anyone
(2)Dennis G.
Previously I'd visited Smilie's for a farewell lunch for a coworker, so we had a small separate room all to ourselves. This time I visited the small lunch counter area which serves essentially hot plates and poboys. I went with the half a sandwich and soup combo. I got a bowl of shrimp and corn bisque, which was very tasty. For my sandwich I had a half a muffaletta. Where the soup was a delight the muffaletta left a bit to be desired. Somehow it was warmed but the bread didn't toast at all. It was warm but not crisp. Combine that with oil from the olive salad and I wound up with slightly soggy bread that I expected to have a nice toasted crust. I'll go back and try the hot lunches, but I'll skip the sandwiches if the muffaletta was any indication.
(3)Sam H.
Smilie's seems like a scam...perhaps they cater to an elderly crowd with a hospital-style cafeteria approach. And hey that's cool, but they extend that same approach to the casual diner and the event business. The food seemed like institutional quality, hospital/cafeteria food. As a casual diner one night and then again at a private event, the entire restaurant was staffed by 3 people (both times)...to handle the bar, the main dining room, THE KITCHEN and a dinner party of 20+ people. The bar was literally abandoned to try and make it all work, so forget having a cocktail... the 2 wait staff had to run a military - style dinner ordering the guests into seats to rush through the whole ordeal...they seemed both angry at the guests for, we'll just for being there interrupting what would have been a quiet night, and frustration at their boss (owner?) who perhaps routinely puts the two of them in this position while he prepares who knows what in the kitchen. While the heroics of all of this shenanigans may be good for a few bucks of profit, hopefully the mounting evidence of poor reviews will put an end to the ruse. After literally having plates slammed down in front of me, and having the lights turned off in the building at freakin' 8:45pm as the owner stood in the doorway holding his keys with an apathetic, I don't care about your party I still want to close early look, I resolved to write a review to let others know about the setup (after experiencing it twice!). (Note: I can also vouch for the geriatric smell that emanates from the center of the restaurant where the bathrooms are). If there's a niche to have seniors get away from a group home or nursing home crowd over for a meal, that's terrific!...but don't try to parlay (or scam) that into a locals dining spot in Harahan...or worse, a wedding/reception event hall. I try to believe that most people are well-intentioned, and the folks at Smilie's may be, but if you're on a shoestring budget and looking for something on the cheap...I think you can do better than the experience they have tee'd up for you here. Buyer Beware!
(1)Brenda C.
My husband and I dined at Smilies on a recent Friday afternoon. There was only one other couple there. I do not have issue with restaurant noise, but we actually could not have a conversation because of one waiter. He spoke so loudly to the other wait staff in THE NEXT ROOM that we could not believe it. This went on during our entire meal. I was not interested in hearing his stories, and was very annoyed. The owner was nearby and seemed not to notice how loud this waiter was. We enjoyed the food (crabmeat Courteney...delicious!) but the rudeness was unacceptable.
(2)Shannon S.
This Italian Creole restaurant is tucked away a bit further upriver on Jefferson Hwy than a lot of people from New Orleans venture. They have some good Italian and seafood dishes here with a strong New Orleans creole influence. They have some very tasty gumbo and a good selection of daily changing lunch and dinner specials. They have quite a respectable lasagna and most of the other pasta dishes I've had here have also been well done. I was first introduced to this restaurant many years ago as a meeting space (they have a large private meeting room) and I have attended many events since then and I enjoyed the food enough to return occasionally for lunch whenever I'm in the area. I have noticed that the food and service can be a bit inconsistent at times but generally it has always been a good experience for me.
(3)Louis P.
Just old. Out dated. Get with the times people!
(1)Jeff C.
On the Jefferson Highway side of Smilie's there is a alcove next to the plantation room entrance with a door leading into the cafeteria. And apparently none of my friends know about this since every time I mention eating at Smilie's they go to the Edwards entrance. And I'll be honest I've never actually eaten in the front, just passed by the cafeteria for a quick lunch of seafood gumbo or maybe add a half po-boy. What I've always liked about Smilie's, especially when getting there around 11ish, I can leave the office and be back in 30ish minutes. If I do po-boy and gumbo closer to 40 but that's still making good time. Being a cafeteria and by looking at the size of the hot food line you'd think there wouldn't be too many choices but but they offer a pretty good selection with everything spelled out on a big whiteboard against the wall. Of course on Mondays they also have the necessary red beans and rice with cornbread. The seafood gumbo is usually filled with a pretty good variety of critters (oysters, crab, shrimp, sausage, crawfish) and I've never been served a bowl or cup that didn't have a lot of meat. Occasionally a shell fragment or two to watch out for, but it's always got a nice dark thick roux and rice to go along with the meat. The last visit was shrimp po-boy + gumbo and I wasn't disappointed with big fried shrimp matched with lettuce & tomato on french. One small disappointment I do have is since they do put a lot of garlic in their food I have a few co-workers who won't go there. It sometimes limits lunch options depending on who's around. But it's their loss, since I'm good with the garlic. This is a good plate of lunch if you want to sit down in Jefferson but don't have a full hour.
(4)Keri L.
filthy, disgusting! don't eat here. just don't do it.
(1)Kris A.
I can only comment about the reception food...the chicken wings were the same ones we buy at walmart(blazin' wings) cheese sticks,meatballs,bread pudding,shrimp pasta and jambalaya were offered. I rate everything a C- The bride and groom were without drinks or food the entire time. The grooms cake was never cut by the staff either.
(2)Sneha P.
Nice place... large portions, ok flavored food
(3)Patrick B.
What you've read in the previous reviews is pretty much accurate. The dishes are overpriced and the service is bland. The wait staff isn't rude, it just seemed like our waitress would rather be at home than waiting on us. There were 3 adults at our table. We started with an order of onion rings. For $6.95, you get 8 rings. That's right...8 rings! How do I remember it being 8 rings? I had 3 of them, each of my table-mates had 2, and then I split the last one with the person across from me. Now, they were good onion rings and they were big (in circumference), but for $6.95 I could go to a number of places in town and get a mound of onion rings for that price. I had ordered the catfish Lafitte. This came with a starter of soup or salad...I chose the soup. The soup of the day was turtle soup, one of my favorites. Their soup was served hot, which I'm commenting on as a good thing. However, it was very peppery (black pepper), and otherwise bland. I added about 10 dashes of Tabasco and that made the soup tolerable. The entree arrived and it was 1 big piece of fish. Seriously, it was as big as a shoe sole (and I mean that in a good way). It was fried good, not overly greasy. The Lafitte sauce on the other hand was unimpressive. The crawfish in the sauce was obviously pre-packaged & frozen. They were small & shriveled & grey. The sauce was somewhat runny (kind of a milk consistency) and the flavor instantly made me think of Velveeta for some reason. The dish came with a side of mashed red potatoes and veggies. The potatoes were good & seasoned well. They were a little dry, but I usually am never "wowed" by potatoes in any place. The veggies were just ok. They almost seemed like they were cooked the day before, chilled and then re-heated for my meal. They were seasoned well enough, but just looked "used". The entire meal came with a basket of bread. It was good. Crispy & lightly buttered. I had iced tea which was average. We left full, so no room for dessert. This place really sums up to "quantity versus quality", but I'm using that term loosely because of the onion rings. Chances are, we won't return. It pains me to say that because of the history this place has, but for the price, the trip isn't worth it.
(2)Lenny K.
There were 'gumbo award' ribbons in the foyer, but the gumbo was lukewarm and only average! The service (although they advertise lunch from noon to 4pm) was slack and the prices were high considering the time and quality! The brisket was tender and served w/ horseradish sauce (de riguer in N.O.), and the carros sweet and tender. The salads were small and boring (romaine and tomato), so I wouldn't bring any real 'foodies' here unless they up their quality in the future. Un-smiley :(
(2)Ed O.
This restaurant has definitely seen better days. Pricey, attitude, garish recent redecoration, terrible food. Too bad, because for years it was a quality, friendly, well-managed place--best in Harahan. Bring Rodney back!
(1)Andy M.
What a disappointment. The food and service was good, nothing to complain about. What ruined the evening was when the Manager or Owner. . . . could not figure out which, charged us $50 for a private dining room that we had reserved for our party of six. Made reservations weeks in advance and was never told of a $50 surcharge. Was never told anything until we received our check. When we questioned it we were told if we ordered off the regular menu (We ordered the specials) we would not have been charged the $50.
(1)Louis P.
Just old. Out dated. Get with the times people!
(1)John W.
Smilies? More like Frownies. This place is bad. I went here for a graduation party and every course was terrible. The corn and crab bisque was watery, salad was just lettuce and two tomatoes with little to no dressing. The catfish wasn't fresh and drenched in a lemon tasting soy sauce. The mashed potatoes were not edible whatsoever. The dessert was bread budding and the rum sauce looked like oatmeal. This food is on par with the dishes they serve at missions. My girlfriends champagne glass? Was personalized with a message of 'Taylor January 2007'. Shout out to Taylor whoever and wherever you are. My champagne glass? It had lipstick on it that was possibly 8 yrs old. Oh and the service was just as bad. Don't spend your money here.
(1)Jody B.
Apparently Smilie's was once pretty great. That must have been before my time. I've been here a handful of times, both in the private rooms and in the main dining room and never really understood the appeal. It seems the service is hit or miss, as is the food. I've never really had anything bad, but found many of their dishes to be overly salty. I was however pleasantly surprised by the dessert on my recent visit. It was the first time I had spumoni and I found it quite refreshing and delicious. Smilie's has lots of room to improve and I hope they do because its been in business a long time and I think it would be great if it could get an overhaul and make a comeback.
(2)Jay T.
The exterior and interior are somewhat shabby and forlorn, and it seems that no updating has occurred since the repair work following the huge fire, there, in 1991. We waited and waited and finally the owner, Augie, took us through a hall into an empty and dim banquet room. Service (by Augie) was slow and somewhat incorrect (not writing down our order, he brought plain fettuccine to one of our party, not remembering that she'd ordered shrimp fettuccine). Lunch plates came with a salad, which were only lettuce, but not bad. My Spaghetti & Meatballs (with angel hair pasta) had two good meatballs, but thin, watery sauce, and not much of it. My male friend said his Veal Parmesan was very good. My female friend very much disliked her Shrimp Fettuccine, because she said the sauce tasted "artificial". No bread was brought with this meal, and I wasn't about to ask for it, either. The two children said they enjoyed the Shrimp and Fries plate, for what it's worth. This is probably a meaningless review, because the owner said he was closing in a month, to reopen a new restaurant down the highway, to be called "Augie's". RJT
(2)Bill G.
I could go on but here's the bottom line: This place was fabulous in 1975. Now, it's old and tired and needs a major over haul. Has it changed: Probably not so Much. We just expect more than we did 30 years ago.
(2)Alana L.
Smilies is experiencing a mid-life crisis. This place is unsure who to cater to: the group hosting a function or the family having dinner. What's certain is neither are done well. At all. This customer's advice: immediately seek a physician's opinion. If symptoms are addressed now, perminate damage may be avoided. If Smilies does get it together, please invest in advertisement of changes because, until then, return we will not. 1. Why must I be exposed to the musical stylings from private functions taking place on the premises? I couldn't just hear it, I felt like I was part of their Wabble dancing, bad jazz prancing, Miller High Life chugging company Christmas shenanigans. 2. Why must I wait for an extended amount of time to be acknowledged by the staff, presented a menu, informed of the soup de jour, asked, "so are you ready?" Er-a...call me old fashioned, but I do like a drink order taken pre-entree order. 3. Why would I again spend over $20 on a less than kinda sorta tasty angel hair & meatballs bowl, soup plus salad, and bread? Here is what I'll do next time in an attempt to not experience bad service, music, and food: select a station on Pandora, purchase a salad in a bag, Lean Cuisine's spaghetti & meat sauce, frozen garlic bread loaf, and stay home. Truthfully, THAT would have been a better meal & experience than my Saturday night visit.
(1)Robert H.
We had a nice lunch here today. Fried Soft-shell crab w/Meunière sauce was great. Marinara w/ meatballs a little thin but nice flavor. Meatballs were excellent. Fresh mashed potatoes, frozen (but still done okay) veggies and a salad w/ the crab for $13? Meatballs and salad for $12? Bargain! Fairly low prices, nice service, food good to excellent, so we will definitely go again. I've read awful reviews before writing mine. I didn't have the same experience those people had. Maybe the secret is to go for lunch?
(4)Roger B.
It's been a while since we had last eaten at Smilie's. There was a stretch of time where it seemed like every couple of months we were invited to a party or reception in the Plantation Room. That has slowed down considerably. But this review is for the restaurant itself. We stopped in on a Thursday night for dinner. Entering through the Edwards Ave door, the bar side of the building (to the left) was quite busy and loud. We turned right and sat in the restaurant proper which was about a 1/3 full. The waitress brought out a basket of warm French bread slices (baguette width) toasted with melted garlic butter and took our drink order. The dinner entrees come with a choice of house salad or a cup of soup. We both opted for the house salad. The salad was mostly iceberg lettuce, with 2 cherry tomatoes and some shredded cheese; adequate, but nothing exceptional. My wife was surprised I ordered the trout almondine for dinner. (I mean, it is fried seafood, it's just not shrimp.) It wasn't bad, fried decently, but the sauce was browner than expected. The fish came with whipped mash (red) potatoes, and an overcooked vegetable medley. My wife ordered the meat balls and spaghetti (angel hair pasta). She liked the meatballs, claimed it had a good flavor and texture to them. She also liked the homemade marinara sauce; said it wasn't tomato paste bitter, but not really sweet. There was a fair amount of food on both plates, enough that we were too full to order dessert.
(3)Dubya W.
Perhaps at one point in time Smilie's was the talk of Harahan and the ideal place for your wedding related functions, but today it is a geriatric tomb. First there's the wafting smell of the bathroom which is unmistakably aged urine with delicate bleach undertones. There may have been a urinal cake added to the aromatic decor but being female I was unable to go into the men's restroom to confirm. Secondly, the bar is staffed by the waitstaff and therefore abysmal. A Manhattan was prepared first by referencing a small cocktail book, quickly dismissed and instead a rum and coke on ice with a cherry was the Smilie's Manhattan Special. Speaking of waitstaff. Either these ladies are indentured servants and have no other means of employment than in this mausoleum or they are completely apathetic towards all humans in general. Probably both. Courtesy, southern hospitality, and general waiting principles don't apply here. Plates were hastily thrown down in front of customers in such disdain and carelessness and was topped off by the intense feeling of being unwanted. In a city known for it's cuisine, Smilie's likes to live on the wild side. Instead of providing a true authentic New Orleans fare they go for plain, uninspired food that is commonly found at a buffet. Towards the end of the evening, the lights began to turn off, during the event. There can only be two conclusions, either the rave was about to begin, or they didn't pay their electricity bill. I'm guessing the latter. Ultimately, hosting an event here would be an excellent choice if you want a true Bourbon street experience: pee smells, angry people, and low lighting.
(1)Tung T.
I wonder what is worst: the food, decor, or service. First time we walked in the host asked "uhh.. how can I help you"? I knew we should walk away because that is not how a host should greet their customers. Gave a place a chance though. Four of us ordered their special of the day- Soft shell crab. The waitress didn't even know they were out until she put In the order in the kitchen. My wife ordered the crab cakes which tasted worst than frozen fish sticks. There were two small patties under some pinkish sauce-not sure what it was. The seafood pasta had no taste and the seafood were falling apart. Definitely not fresh. Fried Catfish and grilled red fish were ok. When they brought the food out they stand in one spot and handed us the plates to put down on the table ourselves. Refills were requested and not offered. I think they never had soft shell because the restaurant was empty. No way they ran out. I felt bad for waitress and bust boy. Gave them really really good tip for the less than mediocre service.
(1)Analisa M.
Smilie's doesn't have the staff to cover the amount of guests at their multiple private rooms. Food is meh for the price. Drinks are weak, the bar wait is long and the Coronas are only 10 oz. No thanks.
(1)Eddie P.
In town for business looking for a good lunch and saw some cars outside so decided to stop. The service was horrible. Food was overpriced and the side to my sandwich was a bag of Lays potato chips. For a Shrimp Poboy that's priced at $10.95, one would expect at least a bag of flavored chips not the $0.50 cent bag I got. Would not recommend this place to anyone
(2)Dennis G.
Previously I'd visited Smilie's for a farewell lunch for a coworker, so we had a small separate room all to ourselves. This time I visited the small lunch counter area which serves essentially hot plates and poboys. I went with the half a sandwich and soup combo. I got a bowl of shrimp and corn bisque, which was very tasty. For my sandwich I had a half a muffaletta. Where the soup was a delight the muffaletta left a bit to be desired. Somehow it was warmed but the bread didn't toast at all. It was warm but not crisp. Combine that with oil from the olive salad and I wound up with slightly soggy bread that I expected to have a nice toasted crust. I'll go back and try the hot lunches, but I'll skip the sandwiches if the muffaletta was any indication.
(3)Hoss M.
If you want to pay $25 for an oyster plate with fries, I suppose this is a good place to go. Or perhaps if you order eggplant parmigian and want to be surprised with slabs of deli ham between the eggplant slices this is a good place to go. However, I'd prefer to stick to bucktown restaurants where the oyster plates are $12 and ham doesn't show up in unexpected places. Also of note, I was there with my vegan cousin. The waitresses apparently thought it would be funny to berate her for her lifestyle.
(1)Sam H.
Smilie's seems like a scam...perhaps they cater to an elderly crowd with a hospital-style cafeteria approach. And hey that's cool, but they extend that same approach to the casual diner and the event business. The food seemed like institutional quality, hospital/cafeteria food. As a casual diner one night and then again at a private event, the entire restaurant was staffed by 3 people (both times)...to handle the bar, the main dining room, THE KITCHEN and a dinner party of 20+ people. The bar was literally abandoned to try and make it all work, so forget having a cocktail... the 2 wait staff had to run a military - style dinner ordering the guests into seats to rush through the whole ordeal...they seemed both angry at the guests for, we'll just for being there interrupting what would have been a quiet night, and frustration at their boss (owner?) who perhaps routinely puts the two of them in this position while he prepares who knows what in the kitchen. While the heroics of all of this shenanigans may be good for a few bucks of profit, hopefully the mounting evidence of poor reviews will put an end to the ruse. After literally having plates slammed down in front of me, and having the lights turned off in the building at freakin' 8:45pm as the owner stood in the doorway holding his keys with an apathetic, I don't care about your party I still want to close early look, I resolved to write a review to let others know about the setup (after experiencing it twice!). (Note: I can also vouch for the geriatric smell that emanates from the center of the restaurant where the bathrooms are). If there's a niche to have seniors get away from a group home or nursing home crowd over for a meal, that's terrific!...but don't try to parlay (or scam) that into a locals dining spot in Harahan...or worse, a wedding/reception event hall. I try to believe that most people are well-intentioned, and the folks at Smilie's may be, but if you're on a shoestring budget and looking for something on the cheap...I think you can do better than the experience they have tee'd up for you here. Buyer Beware!
(1)Brenda C.
My husband and I dined at Smilies on a recent Friday afternoon. There was only one other couple there. I do not have issue with restaurant noise, but we actually could not have a conversation because of one waiter. He spoke so loudly to the other wait staff in THE NEXT ROOM that we could not believe it. This went on during our entire meal. I was not interested in hearing his stories, and was very annoyed. The owner was nearby and seemed not to notice how loud this waiter was. We enjoyed the food (crabmeat Courteney...delicious!) but the rudeness was unacceptable.
(2)Shannon S.
This Italian Creole restaurant is tucked away a bit further upriver on Jefferson Hwy than a lot of people from New Orleans venture. They have some good Italian and seafood dishes here with a strong New Orleans creole influence. They have some very tasty gumbo and a good selection of daily changing lunch and dinner specials. They have quite a respectable lasagna and most of the other pasta dishes I've had here have also been well done. I was first introduced to this restaurant many years ago as a meeting space (they have a large private meeting room) and I have attended many events since then and I enjoyed the food enough to return occasionally for lunch whenever I'm in the area. I have noticed that the food and service can be a bit inconsistent at times but generally it has always been a good experience for me.
(3)Jeff C.
On the Jefferson Highway side of Smilie's there is a alcove next to the plantation room entrance with a door leading into the cafeteria. And apparently none of my friends know about this since every time I mention eating at Smilie's they go to the Edwards entrance. And I'll be honest I've never actually eaten in the front, just passed by the cafeteria for a quick lunch of seafood gumbo or maybe add a half po-boy. What I've always liked about Smilie's, especially when getting there around 11ish, I can leave the office and be back in 30ish minutes. If I do po-boy and gumbo closer to 40 but that's still making good time. Being a cafeteria and by looking at the size of the hot food line you'd think there wouldn't be too many choices but but they offer a pretty good selection with everything spelled out on a big whiteboard against the wall. Of course on Mondays they also have the necessary red beans and rice with cornbread. The seafood gumbo is usually filled with a pretty good variety of critters (oysters, crab, shrimp, sausage, crawfish) and I've never been served a bowl or cup that didn't have a lot of meat. Occasionally a shell fragment or two to watch out for, but it's always got a nice dark thick roux and rice to go along with the meat. The last visit was shrimp po-boy + gumbo and I wasn't disappointed with big fried shrimp matched with lettuce & tomato on french. One small disappointment I do have is since they do put a lot of garlic in their food I have a few co-workers who won't go there. It sometimes limits lunch options depending on who's around. But it's their loss, since I'm good with the garlic. This is a good plate of lunch if you want to sit down in Jefferson but don't have a full hour.
(4)Keri L.
filthy, disgusting! don't eat here. just don't do it.
(1)Kris A.
I can only comment about the reception food...the chicken wings were the same ones we buy at walmart(blazin' wings) cheese sticks,meatballs,bread pudding,shrimp pasta and jambalaya were offered. I rate everything a C- The bride and groom were without drinks or food the entire time. The grooms cake was never cut by the staff either.
(2)Sneha P.
Nice place... large portions, ok flavored food
(3)Elizabeth P.
Just Blah... Menu needs so be updated and make more modern... The best thing was the garlic bread
(2)Andree W.
Been a long time since Ive dined at Smilies, but on a recent visit back home we accompanied my great aunt there for her 90th Bday. She said the gumbo was too spicy--but hey, shes 90, so that doesnt count. My husband got the seafood platter, and as usual, gives me the fried soft shell crab, which I happily devoured. I got the fried eggplant topped with shrimp and crab. Eggplant pcs were so thin that I almost couldnt see it thru the fried crust , but the cream sauce and fresh seafood on top made up for that. Seafood platter disappeared next to me, and I didnt hear any complaints around our table of 10. Prices were a little high, if it were up to me, I would eat at a more low key type place, but for the occasion, it was just fine, as I thought it would be. I would go back, as I have for years.
(3)Patrick B.
What you've read in the previous reviews is pretty much accurate. The dishes are overpriced and the service is bland. The wait staff isn't rude, it just seemed like our waitress would rather be at home than waiting on us. There were 3 adults at our table. We started with an order of onion rings. For $6.95, you get 8 rings. That's right...8 rings! How do I remember it being 8 rings? I had 3 of them, each of my table-mates had 2, and then I split the last one with the person across from me. Now, they were good onion rings and they were big (in circumference), but for $6.95 I could go to a number of places in town and get a mound of onion rings for that price. I had ordered the catfish Lafitte. This came with a starter of soup or salad...I chose the soup. The soup of the day was turtle soup, one of my favorites. Their soup was served hot, which I'm commenting on as a good thing. However, it was very peppery (black pepper), and otherwise bland. I added about 10 dashes of Tabasco and that made the soup tolerable. The entree arrived and it was 1 big piece of fish. Seriously, it was as big as a shoe sole (and I mean that in a good way). It was fried good, not overly greasy. The Lafitte sauce on the other hand was unimpressive. The crawfish in the sauce was obviously pre-packaged & frozen. They were small & shriveled & grey. The sauce was somewhat runny (kind of a milk consistency) and the flavor instantly made me think of Velveeta for some reason. The dish came with a side of mashed red potatoes and veggies. The potatoes were good & seasoned well. They were a little dry, but I usually am never "wowed" by potatoes in any place. The veggies were just ok. They almost seemed like they were cooked the day before, chilled and then re-heated for my meal. They were seasoned well enough, but just looked "used". The entire meal came with a basket of bread. It was good. Crispy & lightly buttered. I had iced tea which was average. We left full, so no room for dessert. This place really sums up to "quantity versus quality", but I'm using that term loosely because of the onion rings. Chances are, we won't return. It pains me to say that because of the history this place has, but for the price, the trip isn't worth it.
(2)Lenny K.
There were 'gumbo award' ribbons in the foyer, but the gumbo was lukewarm and only average! The service (although they advertise lunch from noon to 4pm) was slack and the prices were high considering the time and quality! The brisket was tender and served w/ horseradish sauce (de riguer in N.O.), and the carros sweet and tender. The salads were small and boring (romaine and tomato), so I wouldn't bring any real 'foodies' here unless they up their quality in the future. Un-smiley :(
(2)Ed O.
This restaurant has definitely seen better days. Pricey, attitude, garish recent redecoration, terrible food. Too bad, because for years it was a quality, friendly, well-managed place--best in Harahan. Bring Rodney back!
(1)Andy M.
What a disappointment. The food and service was good, nothing to complain about. What ruined the evening was when the Manager or Owner. . . . could not figure out which, charged us $50 for a private dining room that we had reserved for our party of six. Made reservations weeks in advance and was never told of a $50 surcharge. Was never told anything until we received our check. When we questioned it we were told if we ordered off the regular menu (We ordered the specials) we would not have been charged the $50.
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