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First time dining at Mara's and I have to say I'll be returning to sample the rest of the menu. Louisiana oysters on the half shell were a cheap $10 for a dozen! Gator bites were very well seasoned and quite the tasty snack. Boiled crabs were intense - a ton of flavor and a delightful mess to eat. Side order of jambalaya was only okay - I like mine tomato based so this was a miss for me. Plenty of andouilles and chicken though so its not a bad deal for a $7 side. Great desserts, minty sweet tea, graceful service, and a charming location make for a worthwhile trip from the UES! I'll be going back to try the BBQ and the crawfish when it's in season (Dec - June).

I was looking for a place to take a relative visiting from Chicago. He LOVES seafood and hails from the south so I thought we'd give Mara's a try. I've been disappointed so many times by 'southern' restaurants in the city and tried not to get my hopes up. Not only is Mara's true to it's Southern roots but the seafood is so fresh and fabulous! The raw oysters were the best I've had the city. Fried okra, green tomatoes, and pickles-we were in heaven! The seafood menu is extensive so it took us some time to figure out what we wanted but the staff was really helpful-they helped us pick out a little bit of everything. We didn't get around to the crawfish but the table next to us was raving about it. Everything was wonderful-shrimp, oysters, catfish, crabs, gumbo-so good! And it all tasted so fresh and came with plenty of heat. There's Abita on tap to wash it down and real sweet tea and fresh lemonade. You must leave room for dessert-so many favorites! Chocolate pecan cake, beignets, bluegrass pie and bananas foster. Bananas foster is my absolute favorite and Mara brought it home! It was so good. I can't wait to go back and try the BBQ. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for southern seafood. I haven't eaten that good since I was in New Orleans. And they really made us feel like family which was an added treat. Don't get that much here in New York. We had a great night and I can't wait to go back.

Been wanting to check it out for a while. Sampled some seafood dish (excellent) and BBQ (pretty good)...feels like you are out of NYC. Owners were very sweet. There's like 10 other things on the (pretty enormous once you add specials) menu that I'd like to try. Sure a little pricey for a dive, but it's fresh seafood flown in daily from the gulf. What's not to love?

A friend and I went back to Mara's for the 3rd time on 5/29. Despite forgetting to reserve a table we were seated and ordered our dinner. We were somewhat diasppointed in the food but the real diasppointment was with the service. We didn't have apps, just entrees. We didn't dawdle inordinately...We said no when the nice waitress asked about desserts, but my friend wanted tea. A few minutes later, the owner comes up with the bill,which included the tea, and asked my friend to have her tea "at the bar" because she had a reservation for the table. Seriously? We- and the couple at a nearby table- were slack-jawed. First... what bar- there's a reception desk at the cramped doorway...and since when don't you allow your customers to finish their meal? If we had ordered pie would be asked to eat that standing too? She got all frazzled when we said to just take it off the bill and that we preferred to leave. Yes, we didn't have a reservation, but she seated us without hesitation and that's her decision. Once seated my friend and I should have been treated graciously. I will not return. So much for 'southern hospitality'.....

I ate here with 3 friends last night. Sure, the decor is nothing and it can take a little while for your food to come. Sure, it smells a little bit like seafood (it's a crawfish bar people!). The food is great though, the service, while slow, is incredibly hospitable. This is totally a family joint. We had cornbread (totally awesome), the shrimp sampler (equally awesome), and the brisket and crawfish are all to die for. The gumbo is okay but nothing special. Key lime pie absolutely rocks. The menu is huge though, we will definitely be back!

Ate here on Saturday. Waited 30 mins to sit even with 'reservation'. Very crowded. Food was yummy. Mac&Cheese seemed bland. Maybe would've been better with extra sharp cheddar? All food seemed home made, including keylime pie and mac&cheese. Jambalaya is only a 'side-dish'? BBQ pork sandwich, 3 drinks, mac&cheese, key lime pie = $62 w/tax/tip, more than other small places. My friend wanted to leave no tip because of slow service. I'm indifferent to poor service, unless it's egregious. Would not go back unless empty.

I ate here for the first time the other night, and definitely worth it. Yes, not so cheap, but not so expensive. I think people expect it to be cheap because of the decor and ambience of the place. It's got thevibe of a Mom and Pop restaurant on the docks of New Orleans. Should be, since the owners are present and serve you themselves. If you want good Creole food, this is the place.