NONA – New Orleans ‘N Athens

Dont waste your time or your money. Go to shokotinis or clocked or really anywhere else instead. Go the po boy and one of the tomatoes had MOLD growing on it. The service was deplorable. Seriously dont go here!

We decided to try NONA for our date night and were very pleased. The food surpassed our expectations!
We ordered Oysters Rockefeller and crab cakes for appetizers. My husband is very picky about his oysters and was very happy with his dish. I have to say, the crab cakes were THE BEST I’VE EVER HAD!
He ordered the French Quarter filet medium rare with creamed spinach and potatoes. This was perfectly cooked and delicious. I ordered the fresh catch MahiMahi bronzed with creamed spinach and red beans and rice. I’ve never had creamed spinach and was very surprised at how good it was.
We were seated in the atrium, which was perfect. We could easily imagine how beautiful it would be in the day time. All in all, this was the perfect date night restaurant with the best atmosphere, most cordial staff, and delicious food. We will definitely be back!

**It is VERY dark inside** Best steaks in downtown Athens. Don’t waste your time at Porterhouse, NONA is the clear winner. My favorite is the Filet stuffed with Bleu Cheese. Good service, good drink menu. It is pretty expensive– about $ 170 for a dinner for two (Appetizer, Wine, Steaks, Dessert).

What a disappointment. If you loved the old Nona’s brunch, forget about going back. The brunch menu has been basically dropped by the new management and you are handed a typed sheet of choices. No longer are the old favorites of Egg Davies and Bananas Foster French Toast available. The brunch menu is so limited now, there is nothing to choose from. We were regulars, but got up and walked out and do not plan to return for brunch. I cannot comment on lunch or dinner since we have not eaten there since the new management took over.

I came for a very awkward first date for brunch. While my date was bad, the place was not. They have a lovely courtyard dining area with live plants and a large skylight. The tables are arranged quite beautifully and the service was impeccable. I’m not a fan of Cajun food so my brunch options were a little limited, but they did have a very authentic menu and I think I enjoyed whatever it is that I did end up ordering. I would highly recommend this place for the interior alone, as it was quite classy and beautiful.

Great atmosphere, but that’s where it stops.
Raw oysters weren’t cleaned properly and shucked very poorly. Overpriced for the quality and many were turned over, spilling out all the juices. They also did not have any red wine vinegar, a staple for raw oysters.
Sherry crab soup was served lukewarm and probably from a can.
Croquet madame was a cheddar grilled cheese with thick cut ham and a fried egg on top– a far cry from the delicious swiss gruyère cheese with a Parmesan crusted outside that the menu promised. I wish I had taken a picture, but did not– it looked like a children’s grilled cheese on white bread. The fries that accompanied it were unsalted and probably from frozen.
This place had a lot of promise but didn’t deliver at all. Go somewhere else.
Update: Management did reach out to me regarding my experience. Unfortunately, I was only visiting, so I was not able to take them up on their offer. Hopefully my experience was a-​typical. I bumped rating from ¹⁄₅ to ²⁄₅ for the follow up.

Wow. My family had dinner at NONA last week and we were blown away. We started out with cocktails and we were impressed from the start. Great specialty cocktails! Our meal was fabulous with everything cooked perfectly — possibly the best steaks I have ever had. Great wine selection across the board. Our waiter was attentive, but not overly so, so we were able to enjoy our conversation but always had water, wine refilled quickly. That gets an A++ from me. They were knowledgeable about the food, and definitely gave great recommendations. We loved it and will absolutely bring the family back again every chance we get.

Very overpriced place – sure it’s fancy and upscale, but the food isn’t worth the price.

NONA is one of my favorite restaurants in Athens. This is where we go for celebrations typically– Birthdays, New Year’s Eve, Mother’s Day. However, it is great for an everyday lunch, dinner, and brunch too! The bar is a nice area to pop in for oysters and bloody Marys. I always crave the mimosas and beignets during brunch. And for dinner, I love having the vegetable plate. Their creamed spinach is everything and the maque choux is delicious as well. For dessert, you can’t pass up the bread pudding! The wait staff is very friendly and accommodating. Jenny helped us the last two times we came in and we were very pleased with the service and attention she provided. Also, the atmosphere in every part of the restaurant is wonderful… There is not a bad seat in the house. This quaint Athens staple does not disappoint.

I always get the special — meat or fish — and it’s always delicious. Last night we got both specials and cleaned the plate! We also had the staple shrimp and grits. I have to say, they seemed a bit sweet? Different from usual but still very tasty. We were in the upstairs room with a great view of north campus. Our server was super happy to be working and very accommodating — not like some that seem like they’d rather be on the coach. :/​Nona’s is consistently good. I can’t compare to NOLA but why should I? Food and atmosphere is great!

NONA is a good choice but lacks the New Orleans flair they espouse. Had the crawfish étouffée which was good but bland. Perhaps that’s what’s needed for local palettes but it misses on the NO experience. Some staff issues as I literally watched a waiter enter in his undershirt, get a shirt and tie from a closet which opens to the dining room and then put on said shirt and bow tie in the dining room in front of several tables occupied by diners. This isn’t a bad choice of dining, mind you. Could just do with some better staff management and staying a little more true to Cajun cooking if they’re going to build a restaurant concept around it.

We came here last night for dinner and left extremely satisfied!
My boyfriend, who orders a burger with just cheese and ketchup everywhere we go, actually decided to try something different! I was thrilled and afraid at the same time. He ordered the chicken marque choux, which comes over a bed of noodles in tomato cream sauce with sausage. I ordered balsamic rice, Brabant potatoes, and creamed spinach.
We sat in the back room, which felt like a greenhouse due to skylights and plants, beautiful! Our server was very friendly, and you receive bread before your meal.
We really enjoyed our food. Again, I was shocked the boyfriend tried and liked something different than his safety fallbacks. He said the chicken was great, the tomato sauce complimented the sausage, and he was glad he ordered it. This is a huge step for him.
I loved my vegetable plate. The potatoes were flash fried and crispy, and the creamed spinach is amazing here, delicious.

First of all… This is Not New Orleans… This is Athens… Considering that, the food is good. Yes you can get much better cajun in New Orleans but not sure if you can do better in Georgia. The oysters were fresh and tasty. The atmosphere is great. Great location and is a good place to eat and then hang around with friends. I would love to go back often.

NO!!!
*. Food was served cold
*. Tilapia was over seasoned and over Cooked
*. Beignets are NOT to be served with chocolate sauce. They were too big, too thick, had no flavor and not enough powered sugar.
* Jambalaya goes In a bowl or on a plate by itself so the juices don’t mix with other Flavors on the plate like greens
*Red beans were bland.
This is NOT creole food
I was very disappointed.

Been going here for great New Orleans food and cocktails since 1988 when it was Harry Bisset’s! So many memories from college and the past 26 years sitting at the window table eating oysters and watching the crowd walk up and down Broad St. Many of the old classics are gone now but this one has the same cool vibe it did years ago even thought the name changed. Last visit I had the shrimp and grits and can’t wait to get back for more! Creamy sauce over creamy grits over a sweet corn bread cake topped with large properly cooked shrimp! :) YUM Faves are the Oyters any way u want them, crawfish ettouffe, gumbo, and the Sunday Brunch.

Our first day on our first visit to Athens, we found NONA — and it was wonderful! Really fab jambalaya. But special thanks go to our waiter Trent who went above and beyond to get me a hush puppy. Being a New Yorker, I had only heard of these magical hush puppies and vowed to try one in the South. Also the restaurant itself is aesthetically lovely.

Wow I don’t give out too many five stars but this is so worth it. We had a chardonnay with the fresh catch. Mine was with the crawfish. The food was absolutely perfect. It was our anniversary and the host hooked is up with the best seats in the house overlooking north campus on the second floor. Service was friendly and great. I want to come back when I visit athens again.

Random finds for lunch at this spot with my colleague. We stumbled upon this place cause the resturant next door was actually closed. You wouldn’t think too much if the décor but as you are walking in theirs a cute little dining room set up after you pass the bar in front.
Ordered the fresh catch of the day; blackened Tilapia. I also decided to go all out and get a side of the Crawfish étouffée. The lunch entrée also came with spinach, rice and beans. It was a pretty big portion and very filling for lunch. I wasn’t too fond of the sides but the fish and crawfish was really good. This was my first time eating real Cajun food. A bit pricey because of the fish and crawfish, but worth trying. Service was awesome too.

This is such a great restaurant. Every time my husband and I are in Athens my in-​laws bring us here for lunch or dinner. The service is incredible and the food never disappoints.
As the name suggests, it caters to New Orleans cuisine and they do a damn fine job at it! The restaurant has indoor and outside seating, including an upstairs dining area.
Service is top-​notch. So, so friendly!
Both my husband and I have ordered many different plates but my recommendation would be the NONA burger. It is absolutely delicious!

I’m a tough critic because I lived in New Orleans for 4 years… So I should say that up front
Nona was good… Not great but good…
I had the gumbo and shrimp and grits. Shrimp and grits were good… Very rich
The gumbo was a good attempt… But not warm enough and seriously lacking in seafood… Was mostly broth
The other reason for my 3 stars is that the service was seriously lacking. We were upstairs and it took like 20 min to get drinks… And more than 30 to get someone to get our check.