Harold And Belle's Creole - Los Angeles

On Friday 11/15/19, I visited Harold and Belle's for the first time after hearing about its history and discovering it to be a hidden gem in South Los Angeles. I made a reservation to avoid a long wait on a Friday night, and my friend and I were promptly seated by our server, Maya. Despite mentioning it was my first time there, I didn't receive much of a welcome as a new customer. We reviewed the menu and placed our order in the nice interior of the restaurant, which gave off a vibe of a sit-down type establishment. However, a loud group of about 8 people in the dining area made it difficult for us to enjoy our experience. When we asked Maya to intervene and ask them to lower their noise level, she outright refused, showing no interest in creating a peaceful dining atmosphere for the other customers. Even after speaking to the manager, we were informed that the noisy group were paying customers as well, so nothing could be done. Despite the decent food that we received, it was hard to enjoy it with the noise levels. I paid my bill and tipped the server but doubt I will be returning due to the lack of decent customer service from the management to the staff I encountered.

We arrived 5 minutes before our reservation. The Host advised us that he would be back after checking us in. Ten minutes passed. After seeing us loitering at the front desk, a Wonderful Waitress took the time to seat us. Our waiter was great and the food was excellent.

I hadn't visited this restaurant in a few years since moving to Atlanta. I made reservations for 9 o'clock and arrived on time, but wasn't seated until 10 o'clock. When I raised a complaint, we were finally seated and the food came out. I was very disappointed with my usual order of crab over pasta - it didn't taste the same as it usually does. Perhaps our experience was tainted by the lateness and lack of professionalism. The ambiance was also different, as the entire restaurant had been remodeled and wasn't the best anymore.

The food is nothing like in the 90’s. It definitely doesn’t remind me of home, NOLA. What happened to the heaping seafood platters with an amazing salad and corn on the cob? I don’t understand why people try to fix what isn’t broken. I don’t think I will return

The food and service at this restaurant were excellent. The catfish nuggets appetizer was generous enough to serve four adults, and the scampi and etouffee were delicious and full of flavor, with portions sufficient for two adults. The jambalaya was fantastic in every aspect. I would give this restaurant ten thumbs up overall.