Marsha Brown

I never understood why people recommend this place. I find the food to be bland and not worth mentioning. They have a nice bar and the atmosphere is ok.

Very cute place in New Hope area. We stopped by and were seated immediately without reservations. It’s a very large place and you can clearly see the history of the place. The service was great, we were checked on frequently.
I thought the scallop dish was on the weak side, for what they charge for the place, I think they could have offered more than four small scallops. If I come back, I’ll probably stick to something meatier. The flavors were great but not even average portions.

What a terrific restaurant Marsha Browns is. The staff are the ultimate professionals… James the bartender mixes a great Manhattan. The décor is one of a kind… warm, elegant and classy. The food is AMAZING. Gumbo was a great starter… NY Strip was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had… EVER. Pecan pie a nice way to end a great meal.

Like many East Europeans of a Catholic nature we go meatless on Xmas Eve and what better way to celebrate Xmas eve than going South. While it may not have the same traditional feel of then night of the seven (or is it 12) fishes of the Italians or Poles, there are still plenty of non-​meat dishes to satisfy.
Walking in, there is an active bar area straight ahead which also serves as the luncheon area during the week. The main restaurant is upstairs and for those who are infirm or lazy, there is a lift.
The main restaurant is a magical vaulted room as it is part of a deconsecrated church. (Another good reason to come at Xmas)
It is large enough to take groups and there were plenty of them of about 10 – 12 people scattered throughout.
Service was excellent and friendly. We had a couple of bottles of wine which were ok, both in price and quality.
It is a Southern influenced menu, with lots of jambalayas and the like. In keeping with the non-​meat diet, I started off with the crab cheesecake. Served pie style, with a green onion coulis, this was the best thing I ate. Others had a superb bisque, a gumbo yaya which was as attractive as a brown mess could be, and a forgettable mussel pot.
With the mains I had a really special dish; the eggplant ophelia. When i I make eggplant it always ends up with the consistency and taste of a boot. This one really worked well, introducing great tastes with shrimp and crabmeat added. Others had the catfish which was a great reintroduction to a fish I’d only tried once before at K-Paul’s in New Orleans many years ago.
A great venue in an unlikely setting.

Ate here agai12/​8/​15. Was as charming as last time. Great service, friendly and informative. The food was exquisite. Recommend the eggplant Ophelia. My friends were very pleased with their food.
Had dinner here on Dec 26 with my family. Ate in large dining room on second floor and it was beautiful. We had table for 6 and setting, service, and atmosphere was delightful. 1^st course, lobster bisque, catfish bites, oysters, crab cakes, and mussels started the feast. All were fresh and delicious. Entrees, Eggplant Ophelia, jambalaya, creole filet mignonette, and crayfish ettouffe were thoroughly enjoyed.
Can’t say enough about this superb restaurant.

The ambiance was delightful and the food was amazing! Started off with drink and the lobster crab bisque. That was delicious. The lunch menu was a bit limited but we finally settled on a dish. It was absolutely delicious and I will definitely go back again for dinner. Seeing the space alone is worth a second visit. The stained glass windows give the place a warm and inviting feel.

Went for lunch. It’s was just ok. The gumbo was the real deal. Just like New Orleans. I got the chopped salad with fried oysters on top. The breading was falling off the oysters and the salad was just ok. My friend had the crab cheese cake. It was more like crab stuffing. Meh! Pecan pie was just ok. The pecans needed to be toasted. Kinda soggy. The space upstairs is spectacular. The bar area not do much. Service was solid. Worth the trip for the gumbo alone. It was that good.

Disappointment. A far cry from what has been and what it strives for. Ordered the tuna tartar burger for lunch. NaCl which should be used to enhance the flavors is instead used as a condiment. Completely ruined the delicate texture and flavor of the tuna. Might as well have served me canned tuna and charged me half the price. The fries were rubbery and cold. My spouse ordered the crispy catfish po-​boy which can be described as Kentucky fried catfish: Drenched in thick batter and dry. We should’ve ordered a side of au jus or something to moisten the dish.
The Caesar salad was decent. But I liked the iced tea.
I’ll give them another chance once my lips rehydrate themselves from dehydration.

We came in around 2:30pm for lunch and we were seated right away. It wasn’t busy and we saw about 3 waiters/​waitress in our seating area, which is why I didn’t expect the long wait before our waiter approached us. We watched as patrons who came after us were served first! Anyway, poor service for our first time here, but it seems selective;attention was certainly given to some but not all.
Food:
The gumbo was delicious and so was the Eggplant dish. Their homemade? Chips were addictively good!
The burger was average and the shrimp in the po’ boy lacked flavor. I wish I could say everything we had was a must try but we were only impressed by half our dish.
The place is cute and I’m hoping it was just an off day for them.

After years of coming to New Hope, I’ve finally eaten at Marsha Brown and I’m so glad I did. The food was delicious, service was top notch, and the venue couldn’t be more unique.
It’s in an old church with a lot of features still remaining. Huge biblical mural on the wall where the priest would’ve stood, stained glass windows, the step leading up the altar. It’s very dim so our server offered a small flashlight for the menu. Very cozy and different.
For an appetizer, we decided to make a platter from the raw bar menu. We ordered a couple pieces of shrimp, clams, oysters, and crab salad. All were delicious although I wish it was served with a cocktail sauce instead of just tabasco.
For my main course, I went with the crab cakes and my guy went for the shrimp and salmon. Side dishes are not included but are big enough to share. We ordered the garlic mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. Everything was so good! No complaints about the food, whatsoever.
Our server was so attentive and offered some great suggestions. Everyone from the bus boy to the floor manger introduced themselves. You can tell they train their staff very well and pride themselves on professionalism. I would definitely return, but just for special occasions, as it does get very pricy when you include alcohol and because everything is a la carte.

I popped in at lunch time and sat at the bar. I had Mamere’s Crab Cheesecake. I have only ever seen this item on one other menu. It was a favorite of mine until that establishment, sadly, closed it’s doors. I was absolutely thrilled to see it here.
It was quite different from the other version, but still delicious.
The restaurant is unique and beautiful. I wish I had time to look around. I hope to come back for dinner and dessert!
Definitely worth the trip!

Marsha Brown Creole Kitchen and Lounge
15 South Main Street — New Hope, PA 18 938
This is one of the fanciest restaurants in town, and one of the best tasting. The facility, a 125 year old stone church right in the center of New Hope, Pennsylvania features a main dining room with 40-​foot ceilings, an impressive 30-​foot mural, antique furnishings and stained glass windows. The painting on the wall is a local artist’s interpretation of St. George Slaying the Dragon.
We sat on the second floor, and there are actually a total of 3 floors. The biggest area is the second floor where the main dining room is, and the first floor is the bar area and a few meeting rooms.
Real Gumbo Ya Ya. What says New Orleans better than gumbo? Chicken, andouille sausage and rice in a slow cooked Cajun roux. My uncle ordered this dish which he stated was excellent. He orders gumbo frequently so I trust his judgement here.
The shrimp cocktail was decent as well, not extraordinary, but decent.
For my main course I got the special, a Chilean Sea Bass with a risotto type sweet, cheesy sauce. Perfectly complimented the fish.
French Quarter Surf and Turf: Twin filet medallions paired with a heavenly crab cake and crawfish risotto. My uncle’s main course which he said was delicious.
Of Note:
The downstairs bar area was very well appointed.
Lush side meeting rooms.
Some spaces downstairs for diners who prefer a more bar type environment.

First let me say the staff was amazing! From the moment we arrived so very accommodating. We were escorted to the private dining parkour which had the most charming «NOLA» flavored décor. The wine selections were very nice!
Now to talk about the food! I can only say DELICIOUS!!! I am a fairly regular traveler to New Orleans and let me tell you as a Southern gal myself, Marsha Brown nails it!!! The gumbo, the crawfish risotto, i could go on and on! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!
The fact that the building is an old church only adds to the beauty of this wonderful place! BRAVO!!! I will be back!

What a beautiful restaurant that used to be a church!
I had the jambalaya which was as tasty as it was artistically prepared. I would’ve liked a bit more rice w it and a bit LESS sausage believe it or not.
The main level is where lunch is served and I thought it was very pretty but when we took a peek upstairs — I was blown away. There are lots of pix on here that show it so I won’t add mine but WOW!!! Simply goregous!

I’ve been wanting to come here for sometime, once I read about New Hope, Pa. A church turned into a Cajun/​Creole restaurant. Well, how much of an oxymoron is there here… Love it!
Was here for a weekend lunch with my guy and decided to stop once I saw the lunch menu. Ate at a booth near the bar. Televisions around the room with different sports playing. Ordered the Cesar salad with anchovies for us to split. I ordered the Eggplant Ophelia and he the Crabcake sandwich.
Me: ½ Cesar salad with anchovies, Yummy. Plate cleaned, so clearly satisfied. Eggplant Ophelia, shrimp and crabmeat casserole was flavorful with the added eggplant on top was filling to the last drop. Large lumps of crabmeat and the shrimp textures fused together was a pleasurable chewing experience leading to: Closed eyes and a SMILE.
Him: Crab cake sandwich. Very plump with large lumps of crab meat with little filler. Lightly grilled. Scrum-​dilly-​ious! Home made potatoes chips were light, tasty and not overly seasoned or oily. «Good food»
I was impresed with lunch and would like to return for dinner.

This is perhaps the first review that I’m rounding up (but only slightly) My reasons for this variance are twofold. First and foremost was my enjoyment of sharing this spot with a special dining companion. And second is the very unique décor of a repurposed church.
Today was my second visit and first lunch. It needs to be said that coming for dinner is preferable due to seating area and selection. At lunch you have to eat in the bar, and while it is no slacker in the looks department, the upstairs dining room is where you will impress someone. The lunch choices are mostly sandwiches, salads and a couple smaller versions of dinner offerings.
My guest choose Jambalaya, very flavorful and a good example of this NOLa staple. I liked that instead of chicken this one contained duck, but felt just a little more rice would have made it even better. My choice was a shrimp po boy. Good sandwich for Pa but might be lacking in the bayou. It consisted of very good bread, nicely fried smallish shrimp, and a minimum of lettuce, tomato and dressing. But it was served with a heaping pile of very good house made chips. The $ 15 cost may be more a function of the area than the ingredients.
Service was very friendly, but not fine dining quality. On my previous dinner here that was not the case. But in many places lunch is not afforded the same details as dinner, today there was only one server for the whole area.
If you are a fan of NOLa inspired cuisine coupled with very nice décor, this is a good choice for the immediate area (read downtown NH). If you are not completely opposed to eating before sunset, make it an early-​ish meal to take advantage of the sunlight refracting through original stained glass windows. To be honest, today’s lunch kind of makes me want to return soon for a full dinner. Oh when the saints, go marching in, oh when the saints go marching…(you get the idea) 3.89 Unilocal

Oh my… What an atmosphere upstairs. A gorgeous converted old church. Old work waiter service too.
I took the suggestion of the other Unilocal and got the egg plant Orphelia. It was a portion of a large custard cup but re standing plated in a shallow bowl and topped with two sliced cherry tomatoes for a pop of color. It definitely tasted better than it looked. My husband had salmon topped with shrimp and cheesy grits. He said it was delicious.
For dessert and specialty coffees the selection was good looked great too but we were too full.
We all thought that it was just the coolest looking place, it had the best atmosphere and it was some wonderful dining experience experience we recommend it highly.

Best part of the experience is the unique ambience as the restaurant is housed in what used to be a church. Also, excellent wine list and well stocked bar. Needs to shore up IPA beer selection as Dog Fish is the only option and bottle only. Need to appreciate Cajun to enjoy the cuisine. None of the sea food was fresh which is a gap. Cat fish moist with a nice spicy rub, but served with a rice, shrimp combination which tasted as if it had been frozen and thawed out. Not good. Crab cakes had a nice remoulade, however, because it had been frozen, did not reach potential. Service was spotty and inconsistent. Waited what seemed to be a lifetime for dessert. Lava chocolate cake tasted as if it came from a box. Slightly chemical taste.

Luckily lightning didn’t strike ;) The inside of the church/​steakhouse is beautiful! We had a table near the front of the sanctuary, and had previously waited at the bar for the rest of our party for a bit.
At the bar, my friend had a honey/​whiskey something that nearly knocked her on her butt pretty early. I think that drink lasted her all the way through dinner. I had an orange martini of some sort, I think. It was delicious.
I had planned what I was going to eat earlier in the week, and nothing strayed me from my original plan. I had a crab-​cake appetizer, then the filet medallions, followed by crème brûlée. It was all completely delicious.
If I ever bring my husband to New Hope, I’ll certainly have dinner at Marsha Brown on my agenda.

My fiancé and I made a 9:00 reservation to come here on valentines day. We arrived around 8:30 and had just enough time for a drink at the bar before dinner. The bar had a cool feel. We ordered two dirty Martinis — the bartender had run out of martini glasses so he actually served us our drinks in snifters which was strange but it was a busy night so no worries.
The hostess found us at the bar and escorted us upstairs for dinner. Lots of reviews about the gorgeous space — no need to elaborate. It was beautiful. We were seated at the most lovely table in the room. It was a loveseat with our table in front of us so that we were sitting next to each other looking out to the rest of the dining room.
Jack, our waiter was fabulous. We enjoyed chatting with him throughout the night. Though he was clearly very busy, he was very attentive and always took the time to have a quick word with us when he passed by. He guided us to some dishes on the menu that he thought we would enjoy, and he was right on point.
We wanted to stick with the creole cuisine here so we started with the crab cheesecake. Sounds weird but it was rich and decadent. Perfect start to our meal. For dinner, I had the eggplant Ophelia which was a little dry as if it was sitting out for a little while but the flavor was still there. He had the jambalaya which he enjoyed.
Jack informed us that there is infact a marsha brown and she was the owner of a Ruth’s Chris steakhouse so there are some incredible steaks and sides on the menu here. I would try that on our next trip back.
Great place to come for a beautiful setting, great service and a cuisine you really can’t find anywhere else in the area.