Flaming Torch

737 Octavia St, New Orleans, Louisiana 70115
504-895-0900 http://www.flamingtorchnola.com/

Overall Ratings (H in orange, C in purple)
Food: B+ / B+
Ambiance: B+ / A-
Service: A / A
Drinks: B
Overall Experience: B+ / A-

H says, A great place to grab some food if you are going to be Uptown, but a bit expensive unless you have a Groupon. Look for the Groupon and then go. The food is good and ambiance is great if you are early because there is hardly anyone there. Don’t let that scare you though, the food is great and the service is top notch. I think they suffer due to their location more than anything else.

C says, One of my Groupon/Living Social deals finally paid off! Most of the restaurants we have tried on deals like that have been “eh” at best, but The Flaming Torch was really a great experience. We’ve actually gotten a Groupon twice for this place ($25 for $50) and enjoyed the visits both times. Good food, good service. Sorry for the lack of pics!

Overall thoughts from H:
I was really skeptical because the last couple of places that C had us go that had a “deal” were, well...some of the worst meals I have had in the city. This was her last chance to have me change my mind, and luckily enough she was right. The Flaming Torch is a great place in uptown to grab a bite to eat. I will say, however, it is a bit on the expensive side if you don’t have a Groupon or some other kind of deal, and since it looks like they keep putting them out all the time I would wait and buy one before you go. The wine selection is nice but a bit lacking as compared to other places we have been. The wine I had was very good though. C loves the mussels here so we usually get those. I think Adolfo's are still better but they are very good. Probably in the top 3 I have had in the city.

For my main meal I went with the Fillet topped with lump crab meat, they don’t offer the crab meat all the time but it was well worth the extra. The steak was perfectly cooked and seared just right. The sauce was again excellent. The bread pudding I had for dessert was ok, nothing spectacular but good.

Overall I would say go there if you have a Groupon and plan to be in the Uptown area. Don’t be scared away by the lack of patrons. There is nothing wrong with it other than the prices are a bit high without a “deal” and they are just off the main road.

C says, I had the moules frites first, which I absolutely loved. The sauce was amazing. The “frites” were more like potato strings than fries, but were quite tasty. The waiter also brought us wet towels with lemon to wipe our fingers after the mussels, which I thought was a nice touch. The bread they bring out was also very good and helpful for sopping up the mussels’ sauce. The first time we went, I believe I had a fish entree, but this time, I just got the crab and lobster risotto appetizer as my entree, and it was more than enough food--very, very rich. I thought the risotto was slightly salty, but good. For dessert the first time, I had the chocolate pot de creme, which was really good, and the second time, I just had some of H’s white chocolate bread pudding with whiskey sauce, which was pretty tasty. The entrees are on the pricier side, but for me, splitting an appetizer with H and then ordering another appetizer was more than enough food, so you don’t have to go too overboard with the cost. This is not a low-cost option, however, but a place for a nice night out (as most of the places we go are, really). The food is good, and I wouldn't put it up with my most favorite places, but if you can get the Groupon, it really is a good deal for a nice night out.