Life isn’t easy for restaurants in old New Castle. A number of dining spots, ranging from mediocre to borderline great, have come and gone.
Then we have Nora Lees, a Cajun restaurant has been around for more than a year and seems to be faring well on Delaware Street.
Their formula involves big favors, a good beer selection and tasty appetizers. One standout is the blackened chicken nachos. If you’re up for it, try the voodoo crawfish. It has a kick, to put it mildly.
An interesting alternative is the bourbon crawfish tails. You get some sweetness and a hint of heat on a nice bed of rice. You can wash it all down with one of the Louisiana-brewed Abita beers or drink specials.
Dinner also comes with bold favors, One nice choice is the blackened sirloin steak, a bargain at under $20. If you want to splurge, the black and blue filet at $26 is outstanding.
Unlike some the blackening you run into in this part of the country, it is not over or under-seasoned. Don’t order a side dish. The selection, like many at Nora Lees, comes with hush puppies and smashed potatoes that lose a little something when they cool down. Do check out the crawfish bisque. It’s not overloaded with the little guys, but is tasty.
Also getting positive reports – andouille meatloaf, blackened crab cakes and various varieties of jambalaya and check out the nightly specials.
Nora Lee’s is also open for lunch, with a selection of tasty po’ boys and one of the best burgers I have tasted lately. Unlike many burgers, it is not too large for lunch and comes at a lower price than may dining spots that like to get a ten spot from a burger. Smaller portions of other favorites are available, including crab cake and blackened chicken.
Desserts are excellent if you are able to leave room after a big meal.
We have been to Nora Lees a number of times and service can be leisurely. The staff is pleasant and the food almost always comes out of the basement kitchen piping hot.
Interestingly enough, Nora Lee’s may be the right fit for old New Castle, which can use a funky touch to along with all that history. In the meantime, stop by and help keep this little gem a long-term player in the local dining landscape. – Doug Rainey
Get your facts right.
They are NOT in the old Jack’s Bistro, Chef’s Table and David Finney Inn location. They are a block or two down toward the water.
Thanks for the writeup. Old New Castle just doesn’t have enough support for so many restaurants. It’s an old sleepy town and should stay that way.
Thanks for the corrected information.
I ordered the perogies and the bourbon crawfish.
Somehow I’ve never had the perogies, and I LOVE perogies. I’m pretty sure they are frozen supermarket Mrs T’s perogies, served in an oily mess. There must have been 1/8 cup of oil on 4 perogies. The flavor was nice, once you got past the refinery sitting on the plate. I ate 2.
The crawfish were worse. It was microscopic crawfish (think salad shrimp size) sitting in an oily, horribly sweet bourbon sauce. There was no hint of bourbon taste that could muster thru the sugar and oil. I picked the crawfish out, ate no rice, and yet there was a pool of oil that was VISIBLE thru the rice.
And to cap off the meal? BAD bananas foster. Ice cream: GOOD. Bananas: GOOD. Caramel? A grainy mess. It either wasn’t cooked fully, or it was sitting so long that it recrystallized. Akin to picking gum off a beach and chewing on it. I worked around it and at the bananas and the ice cream.
Seems as though the chefs have the fryer down pat, but when there is a bit of deviation, it gets dicey. I’m hoping they master some of the other recipes. Anyone can throw spices on the food, cook craw fish and call it Cajun but some people actually know how to do it the right way…go down the street there is a better place to eat…and the food is always cooked to perfection. The service is better as well!