Central Grocery and Deli

Category:	Italian Grocery Store
Address:	923 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA
Phone:	+1 504-523-1620
Site:	centralgrocerynola.com
Rating:	4.4
Working:	9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM 9AM–5PM

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 9

Mark Blankenship

Ive been going to this place every since I was knee high to a grasshopper, the original set up was a traditional type eatery i.e. walk up n order the new place is nice but you have to walk in this maze like line which is smart business because this allows customers to see the merchandise like cheeses, olives etc. but what has now ruined this whole experience for me is the way that I was treated on my last visit. I was born in Nola so going back is a big treat for me, on Dec. 2015 I went through this maze like line waited and waited so I finally get to end and place my order. The kid who took my order was nice, polite and very well mannered; but another older gentleman who Im guessing could have been the owner was a complete jerk. As I placed my order and waited I asked if I could take an extra paper wrapper which has the name Central Grocers Decater on it so I could wrap the other half of the sandwich while Im on the plane I wanted to keep it as fresh as possible and share with my wife but this so called Godfather of New Orleans said Hey! Give him the plain paper and not the printed one and then gives me a dirty look, I say to him Man U must be inventorying that paper huh? So as Im still waiting he looks up and around waits for bout few more mins and tells all the people who are waiting to get this Now Tourist Trap of a sandwhich shop, He says "No More sandwiches were out of bread!" I thought he was keeping the people in line to make store purchases but they were all waiting to order food. As a local I would go to Pat Obriens for the sandwich or even other local eateries, very disappointed and will not be going back. Update: 4/9/17 the owner responded and apologized which shows me that they care and have a lot of class. Its hard to be critical to a place that a person grew up with and this place was always my homecoming present. Every one is allowed to have a bad day and I shouldnt have been so critical. My apologies

Guy Williamson

TOOO EXPENSIVE AND OWNERS GOTTEN RUDE OVER YRS. GO NEXT DOOR TO JOHNNYS. VERY UNFRIENDLY AT CENTRAL GROCERY BESIDES EATING JAMED UP ELBO TO ELBO. SANDWICHES HAVE GOTTEN SMALL--HIGHER PRICED--HARD BREAD-TOO DRY.--LESS OF EVERYTHING ON MUFFELATTAS SO HOW DO WHY DO THEYGO UP???? TYPICAL OF BUSINESS NOT CARING ANYMORE AS THEY THINK WE NEED THEM. GOING NOW ON PAST REPUTATION BUT HOW MANY COME BACK AT THEIR PRICE AND DEAL WITH JACK ASSES?????? I HAVE GONE THERE FOR YEARS BUT NO -NO MORE AS IF FOOD WAS BETTER TO SUPPORT HIGH PRICE I COULD SEE IT. ***POOR BUSINESS ETHICS CAN CATCH UP TO THEM**** MUFLETTA USE TO BE TWICE AS THICK FOR ""LESS MONEY" ONE WORD!!!! REDICULOUS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YANKEE TOURIST MAY THINK ITS GREAT SINCE 1920 ATMOSPHERE/MOFFIA DESIGN BUT DO THEY GO BACK/??? REPEAT BUSINESS IS LIFEBLOOD---OWNERS TOOOOO CONFIDENT SO HAVE SLACKED UP IN TIME!! TOURIST KNO NO BETTER.

colbyfront

I love this place!...for its history, the experience of eating at the place that created muffulettas, and for the variety of foods and spices they have in the store. The only reason I didnt give it 5 stars, is because the dine-in area only has about 16 seats, so its extremely cramped. I say that with hesitation, because its one of the things that makes the experience so unique...if they changed it and added space, it just wouldnt be the same...but I wanted to mention it because it IS a little uncomfortable. The other reason I didnt give it five stars, is because the line can sometimes be quite long (although, worth the wait). I recommend that everyone try this place at least once...its absolutely worth the experience and the food.

Carlos A Ramirez

I was a little overwhelmed when you first enter the establishment. A sign lets you know to keep to the left and then youre bombarded with merchandise from all directions. Thats a good thing though. There are all types of olive oils, olives, canned fish and tons of other deli goods. Now, on the the wholesale reason we visited Central Grocery and Deli: the mufaletta. I had the chance to taste a couple of mufalettas while in New Orleans and this was my favorite. Nothing against the other warm version I had, but I just preferred this one. The meat, cheese and olive salad come together to create a beautiful sandwich like no other. We even grabbed a preboxed bubble wrapped jar of the olive salad to recreate the mufaletta at home.

Roanna Jamir

Love love love their muffulletta. Im actually craving one right now! Its so delicious and good on the budget. If youre really hungry go for a half order and that should fill you up. Half an order is about $10. Its already sliced in the middle so if you and a pal just want to taste it. Its good enough to share. It does have a very strong olive taste which I love. If you dont like olives though this might not delight you as much. The grocery concentrates on unique Italian ingredients and sauces. There is a small dining area but if its packed just get your muffulletta to go and have a seat in inebof the benches fronting the Mississippi River just across the street.

John Allen

We must have been a customer on an off-day. Neither my wife nor I enjoyed our sandwich. For one thing, it was extremely salty. For another, the bread was not fresh. I complained to a worker, but he insisted the bread was made twice per day. But I was handed a pre-wrapped muffaleto, which could have been left over from the previous day. A woman sitting beside us at the bar, who was from Houston, but comes there whenever she is in town, said the sandwich did not seem as good as in her previous visits. We were there on either Friday or Saturday (I cant remember), May 17 or 18. Based on our experience, I would not order another muffaleto from this store.

artakal1023

Short version: Muffalatto(spelling??) Is worth going in. Keep in mind its an Italian deli, not dedicated restaurant. The Muffalatto is fantastic. You cant customize it, but I find it perfect the way it is (Italian meats i.e salami, pastrami: provolone cheese, and this chopped olive - spices blend on a foccacia bread). The place is an Italian deli and has a lot of good looking stuff like the ravioli, pasta, and a small selection of wine. They have places to sit and theres always a few people already eating there when you come by. Price is fine, portions are quite large, service is limited to purchase at the counter.

Zed star

We tried this deli about 6 years ago and their muffuletta sandwich was incredibly satisfying.Fast forward to May 2017 and its still absolutely fantastic.Of course silly us forgot just how big a full sandwich is and we could only get through half.At 20 bucks for the whole shebang it sounds a lot of dough but the sandwich is really huge and they stack plenty of tasty filling on it.We gave the the other half to a homeless lady just outside.Thanks to Bradley for the friendly service and also to John the manager for the nice welcome.This is where you want to have lunch!

Gee Fan

There are few things in this world that remain constant but Central Grocery’s muffuletta seems to be one of them. Each time that I’ve been there this sandwich is amazing. There is a generally a line that winds up the old timey counter, but the staff is quick to fill the orders. One muffuletta can be shared between 4 people as a snack or 2 people as a meal. To sit at the counter and enjoy your muffuletta along with an Abita Beer surrounded by the sounds of tourists and locals enjoying delicious food with great ingredients is always a treat.