Rocky & Carlo’s Restaurant & Bar

This place is so comfy with great food! The Wop salad is so yummy and the drinks are good too! Great family place with a awesome atmosphere! Will definitely be coming back to this place!

First time. My husband and his family were regulars when they lived in the area. I was torn between the roast beef and shrimp poboys. I lenses up getting a whole shrimp with just butter. I could’ve been sufficiently full off of a half. Large portion of shrimp and great tasting French bread. It was a little dry (because I didn’t order it dressed) and forgot to ask for a lemon to squeeze on. My own fault. I tried my husband’s Mac n cheese with brown gravy and fell in love. Gravy. On Mac n cheese. Heaven. Try it. Overall good experience, food took a while to come out, but it was well worth it.

People tell me to try out this place because good foods and they give you big portion too. So I went there place was little crowded look around all I see is over weight Coon-​Ass with shrimp boots. order mac and cheese and roast beef po boy so disappointed none the foods has any flavor remind me cafeteria foods in elementary school… giving big portion does not equal to food quality maybe for over weight people does not care as long they fill their belly. not coming back

Now I was raised between Cleveland, Ohio, Queens, NYC, Miami, Florida and Chicago, Illinois during my adolescent years — so I grew up with a lot of Italians.
Now I have lived in the south for 20+ years going back and forth between New Orleans and Jackson for work. But recently just learned about Rocky & Carlo’s through Unilocal.
Walking through the doors of Rocky & Carlo’s — I felt like I was back home! LOL!!!
It is a true family restaurant. The Veal Parm with the Mac and Cheese was really good and the portions were awesome!!! The concept was unique — Italian fare with a southern twist — then their gravy (red sauce) was very good!
I have to come back the next time I’m in town.

Had dinner here during our pre-​cruise stay in Chalmette. Really large portions for a really good price. The Muffaletta, hamburger steak and Mac & Cheese were outstanding!

Walking into this place is like stepping into a time machine and being back in the 1950s. Very cool feel to the place. Big portions so you get your bang for your buck. I had veal and chicken parm and I love the red sauce. It is a sweet sauce which seems to be a LA Italian food thing, since they also do the same a Tony Mandina’s and Mo’s pizza. Cool place definitely be back

I’m from Da Parish but I haven’t lived there in over 10 years and this place hasn’t changed much. If you can get past the rumors and the fact that it’s like a high school cafeteria the food is soooo good. I love the baked macaroni of course (with red gravy), the fried shrimp are delish and you get enough to feed 3 people also the hamburger stake and green beans are really good. I actually don’t think I’ve ever ate anything here that I didn’t like.

This place has the best Italian food in the parish. I’ve been going here for many years and over the years the food still taste amazing.
The staff is fast paced and very friendly. Wish they had fountain drinks though :)

Awesome! I had the fried shrimp platter with macaroni and cheese. It was enough for 3 meals and delicious! Eggplant sticks were really good. I love the laid back atmosphere.

Not impressed. I had a fried oyster po boy and a small order of the Mac and cheese. The po boy would’ve been enough but based on all the reviews on here I had to give the Mac and cheese a try. Both had very little taste, no seasoning. The po boy was on cheap bread that was borderline stale, basic lettuce and tomato like subway, and the fried oysters were way too rubbery. The Mac and cheese was pathetic… It appeared to be thick spaghetti with cheap processed cheese mixed in.
Dont buy into all the hype. Terrible food

What can I say… It wasn’t anything that great to me. Apparently this place is like the best to a lot of people but I guess because it is food I can make at home and that I feel I make it better I cannot see myself coming back to spend this kind of money again.
Cafeteria style. Walk up tell the lady what you want from food that is on the line. You can order other things but I felt rushed to make a decision to keep the line moving and I didn’t like that at all. Just not my kind of place. To each their own.

I haven’t been in Rocky’s since probably about 1992 before my visit yesterday, 06/​02/​2015.
What I remember from my 1992 visit was a warm, friendly place with a down home charm that can only be found in St. Bernard Parish.
So when I walked in there yesterday, my biggest concern was that, like all things, time and so called progress would have changed my beloved childhood memory.
I am beyond thrilled to announce that my concerns were invalid.
The inside has been renovated, I was sort of hoping that the old Street Fighter 2 arcade machine might still be in there. However, the quality of food and the friendly, family oriented customer service was still in tact.
I had the veil parm with a meatball on the side, and it was as delicious as I remember. The red gravy is still probably the best in Louisiana, and the portions are still the best value you’re going to get in the state.
My wife had a fried pork chop which she enjoyed, and my son had a hamburger steak, which he loved so much he felt the need to go over and personally thank the staff.
Honestly, the portions here are so amazing that you can easily make this place a one stop for the entire day. The mac and cheese was as delicious as advertised, so make sure you come hungry and ask for that.
Everything was perfect, including the owner giving my 11 year old son a couple of bumper stickers after he went up to pay his compliment.
Some places don’t age well, but Rocky’s is still the great 9^th ward location I remember it being. There is a reason this place is a New Orleans legend.

Finally visited this place yesterday after many failed attempts.
The place was packed.
Had to wait in line to place my order.
The best word to describe this place is SOLID. Clean, fast, visibly patronized locally, vibrant and huge portions.
Just so you’ll know… This place a more a cafeteria/​bar, than it is an actual restaurant but clean.
You can tell they’ve been doing this for a while.
I kept my order simple; ribs and mac/​cheese.
I plan to comeback and try other items.
The only bad part about this place is that its in Chalmette.

Rocky & Carlo’s, a Parish staple. You hear so many amazing things about Rocky’s, yet so many people don’t like it. Maybe their expectations are too high? Maybe it’s not really that good? The world may never know…
But I do know that growing up just a few blocks away, and having Rocky’s once a month as a child, that I always have and always will love Rocky’s. It’s not meant to be gourmet blow your mind food. It’s set up cafeteria style and is cooked en masse. So you can’t expect it to be this life-​altering experience.
But you CAN expect a TON of pretty decent food, and a family atmosphere. And if you’re a Parish native, you can expect to know (or be related to) half the people in the joint at any given time.
On to the food…
Of course, you HAVE to get the baked macaroni. I always try to get a corner piece (I like the crust), and I always order a side of red gravy AND a side of brown gravy, so I can dip in both. Trust me, get both.
And of course, 90% of the time I get the macaroni as part of the veal parm. The veal is nothing special, but again, I don’t expect it to be. It’s thin cut veal, breaded and baked, with your basic Italian spices — a no risk, yet tasty, recipe. And the veal pairs perfectly with the macaroni and either gravy.
Some other good dishes — roast beef po boy (sloppy and delicious), fried chicken, stuffed bell pepper, and green beans. I recently got a stuffed artichoke — not a fan.
All that said, I will continue to be a fan of Rocky’s and encourage all who have never been to at least try it once. And if it’s not your thing, then that’s cool too. It’s all good in Da Parish.
Don’t forget to take your cup with you…

Rocky & Carlo’s is my favorite place to pig out in the whole wide world and quite possibly beyond. That said, let’s get the negatives out of the way. Outside of purchasing live bait or the occasional gun show at the Civic Auditorium, it is the only reason anyone should even consider venturing into St. Bernard Parish.
The atmosphere is nothing to write home about. It’s a bar and a cafeteria that were slapped together long, long ago. It’s busy and loud and you often times can’t hear yourself chew, much less what the person next to you is saying. Just assume it’s «holy sh*t, this is delicious!» and keep that fork a-​shovelin’.
The aforementioned din isn’t something that manifests itself. The place is typically wall-​to-​wall tummy grumblers and the line to the serving counter and around to the register can occasionally reach the front door. As with any popular dining establishment, the trick is to get there when others don’t, so think whatever the 3:40pm CST equivalent to brunch is (lupper?) and plan accordingly.
Also, ladies ARE invited! It says so right on the window, as well as on their plastic to-​go beverage cups. So, if you’re thinking about treating the missus to some grade-​A baked macaronis, you’re not going to wind up being asked to leave. On account of her gender, anyway. I can’t speak for your behavior in public. Kids are also invited, even though they don’t advertise it. Keep that on the DL and don’t let them sit at the bar. Even if a few of them could pass for a miniature Norm Peterson.
Ah, yes. The baked macaronis. Macaroni may be plural, but in this case you’re going to get enough to cover the superfluous s. If you’re not in the mood for macaronis, there are plenty of other menu options, like a sloppy, gravy-​dripping-​down-​your-​elbows roast beef po boy or hearty muffuletta. But you’re in the mood for the macaronis. Trust me on this. Now, what you want ATOP your macaronis is entirely up to you. There’s brown gravy, like you’d find on the roast beef po boy mentioned earlier in this paragraph, or red gravy, which most civilized people call tomato sauce.
There’s also a wide array of entrees, including the infamous stuffed peppers that landed them in hot water with the Louisiana Board of Health many moons ago *coughsalmonellacough*, but we won’t dwell on an isolated incident. I’m damn big on the veal parmesan. MAMA MIA! *kisses fingertips between bites. BUT (Kim Kardashian sized but) if you happen to be there not-​so-​late on a Wednesday, by all means, inquire about the brucciloni. Srsly, it’s Little Sicily on the Get in Muh Belly tip.
Or skip the imaginary trip to that other boot-​shaped place all together and getcha some down home Louisiana seafood, dawlin’. You got a hankering for some golden fried shrimps and ersters witcha baked mac? Oh, dey got all dat, too! Not to mention stuffed artichokes, creamy cole slaw … heck, damn near anything you can spot on the working side of the Plexiglass, you can call yer meal. And I only say «damn near», ’cause some of them pretty little things serving you prolly got gun-​toting bfs back home that you ain’t gonna want to mess with!
I also highly recommend the Wop salad, which is the politically correct name for the Dago salad, if I’m not mistaken. Again, this is the same place that likes to hammer home the point that anyone bearing multiple x chromosomes is welcomed to dine. With that in mind, feel free to call the side dishes whatever you damn well please. I’m fairly certain you’re not going to offend anyone behind the counter.
Oh, and the Bananas Foster Ice box pie! Not sure if this is a seasonal thing or what, as I’ve only had it a couple of times. But if they got it, you gotta get it.
One of the big perks with any cafeteria-​style restaurant is that you pay upfront, gather your own utensils and carry your tray to the table, assuming there are any vacant (good luck with that). This equates to a smaller sense of obligation, as far as gratuities are concerned. At least in my admittedly frugal mind. In short, despite the magnificent portions on your plate (s), you’re not (necessarily) looking at an additional 18%. If I’m feeling particularly generous (and before waddling out of this culinary Valhalla, I often am), I’ll slip the little lady who took care of me at the counter a couple of bucks to put towards a new pair of shrimp boots. They smile real purty when you do that, camo-​wearing bfs notwithstanding.
All in all, R&C’s is a fantastic place to take your family or a group of friends for lunch or dinner. For tourists in particular, it’s light years off the beaten path of French Quarter establishments, where you’re bound to pay twice as much for half the grub. Well worth the excursion, should you have the means to get there. As a former resident of the New Orleans area, I try to make it down there every time I’m in town. I’ll go so far as to say my trips home feel incomplete whenever that doesn’t happen.

My fave family-​owned Italian restaurant. Rocky & Carlo’s serves up signature Italian & New Orleans dishes to happy patrons in St. Bernard Parish. The veal parm is irrefutably on-​point, and insiders know to ask for the «Napkins Special» (a veal parm, mashed potatoes & wop salad on garlic bread sandwich).
Devotées of this Chalmette institution will gladly spend hours debating the merits of the red vs. brown gravy. (Both are great, and I’ve heard mixing them is equally yummy.) Adding to its charm, everyone seems to have their own special knowledge of the local landmark & its delectable down-​home fare. Bring your friends, your parents or just your lonesome. No matter what – Go once and you’ll not only be hooked, you’ll be part of the fam.

My boyfriend and I come here every time we visit New Orleans. He has been coming here for many years for the baked macaroni, which admittedly is among the best I have ever had.
This place always has a large selection of home style favorites like baked chicken, stuffed peppers, and hamburger steak along with the standard specialties like poboys and muffalatas. The portions are huge and an easily be shared among two or even three people.
The food is consistently good. I would definitely recommend the baked macaroni and the baked chicken because I have had both three times now and have not been disappointed. One thing is for sure we will be back!

Rocky and Carlo’s is an institution in more ways than one.
It’s been there on the highway near the refinery and Chalmette Battlefield for as long as most of us can remember.
If you give a New Orleanian a word association psychological test and prompt with «macaroni and cheese», chances are you’ll get «Rocky and Carlo’s» in response.
And finally, if you have fond memories of a school cafeteria (or just wish your memories were fond), it’s got a steam table with folks standing behind it ready to plop some lasagna or fried fish or wop salad onto your plate.
The fried items, muffelattas, and po-​boys are standard New Orleans fare, well-​executed with generous portions. That macaroni mentioned above is one of the reasons to come here, a huge heaping plate of long tubular noodles in a surprisingly light cheese sauce with a not-​so-​light crust of melted cheese. It’s a big mass of macaroni, so plan on sharing or taking home some leftovers. If you do insist on eating the whole thing, expect to feel not-​so-​light yourself.
The bar fixes a strong Bloody Mary served in go cups with the classic «Ladies Invited» store policy on the side.

Should have written this up a year ago but in honor of my upcoming NOLA trip, I figured better late than never.
This place was recommended to us by co-​workers and it was close to our hotel, so we said what the hay…
The place is family owned /​operated and the atmosphere is really laid back. When we got in it was busier than all hell. To me… A busy place to me says a lot about the food.
I ordered the Rib Eye (duh) medium rare with a side of green beans. The rib eye was nicely seasoned, really good (but not great) and the green beans were quite tasty. Will definitely go back next time I’m in the Chalmette /​Meraux area.
Bottom line… for a tasty, really decent sized rib eye, huge portion of green beans and a bottle of Stella, the cost was a mere $ 21.50!!!
Can’t beat that $hit ;-)

Ok I know people recommend the macaroni and cheese. I just could not do it. It appeared to be straight kraft mac and cheese down to the skinny noodles style. I only eat mac and cheese with elbow macaroni. Period.
But their choice of mac and cheese recipes aside, I had fish, corn, cabbage and as an appetizer the fried green beans. Oh my the fried green beans were so delicious and crispy crunchy! They were definitely my favorite. Everything else was good.
They have a really diverse but cohesive menu. It is like classic soul dishes from every genre. Italian soul food options like Veal Parmesan and Lasagna. American soul food classics like fried fish and of course some New Orleans classics like po boys and muffaletta.
Staff was happy and friendly in spite of a long line. Prices were definitely fair for the mountain of food that you receive. Anything you order is definitely enough for two meals. In fact, if you eat all of what they serve in one sitting, I am going to go ahead and refer you to the Biggest Loser now because you are well on your way to obesity.