Oak Alley Plantation

I don't often write review - but this time I have to. Me and my wife were planning a trip to South Louisiana . Made a reservation down in New Orleans and other places, one of that was one night in Oak Alley Plantation cabin. Me and my wife were looking forward to this trip, this will be our third visit to plantation and second night in cabin. But on Sunday November 5 I was transferred by ambulance to ER with pneumonia. Next day when I was able to talk I was canceling the reservations with explanation what happened. Everybody had understanding except on Oak Alley Plantation. First thing what I hear was if I read cancellation policy. Ten days before my arriving wasn't enough and we were charge all price $207.11. We are both senior citizens and I still recuperating from my illness. Next time our trip to Southern Louisiana will be with out visiting Oak Alley Plantation !!!

We chose cabin #9 for an overnight stay while visiting New Orleans and surrounding area. It was perfect! Impeccably decorated, very clean and spacious. Cozy, comfortable bed. It is magical to walk the plantation grounds in the evening (bring flashlights). It is so peaceful. Our omelettes and beignets (with pure cane sugar) at breakfast were delicious (and included in the price). My only regret is that we didn’t arrange for the dinner to be brought to our room (there really is not a restaurant close by). Someone from the staff did call the day before arrival just to make sure. Next time we will know! And now you know!

We clearly chose the wrong time to dine here. I say that because every glowing, gushing, 5-star review about this restaurant is based on a lunch or dinner review. But trying to find a good review about their breakfast offering? Good luck. We actually didn't drive all the way down to Oak Alley to visit the plantation. I'd booked us reservations down the road at the Whitney, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to see the famous Oak Alley visual, the one that's made its way to so many posts, blogs and stories. So, we compromised by choosing to have breakfast at their onsite restaurant before driving back to the Whitney to pick up our tour. If you're doing like us and are just stopping in for lunch or dinner, once you enter the gravel parking lot, keep driving past all the parked cars and take the small lane on the left. That'll bring you to another smaller parking lot, which is where you want to be for the restaurant. When we arrived, fairly early on a Friday morning, the restaurant was mostly empty; they had just one other older couple at a table close to us. They seemed to have been there for a while - the woman had spread out to the table closest to her and the man was deep into a newspaper - but they didn't have any drinks on their tables. Not even water. Our waitress, Skylor, was either very new or very not interested in being there and serving people that morning. If she had a personality, it was not on display. We would thank her for something, and she'd either grunt or ignore us altogether. In fact, she practically ignored us the entire time. And when I say "us" I mean the two tables that were occupied at that time. It took about five minutes for her to make her first appearance, when she stopped by the other table first, then ours. We'd all had so much time to review the very limited menu by then that we knew what we wanted. So, even though Skylor made it very clear that she only wanted to take our drink orders ("What do you want to drink?") we all made it a point to place our food orders at the same time. For my main, I went with the Full Breakfast, eggs scrambled ($10.95) and a cup of coffee; my husband got the Pain Perdu ($10.95) and a cup of coffee. And then we settled in to wait. Not really sure what took the kitchen so long; they had three of the exact same order (the other couple also got the Full Breakfast) and only four people to feed, but the wait was incredible. And then, when we thought we'd have to run out without our meal to make sure we got to the Whitney on time, the food arrived. Skylor barely made an effort to place the plates in front of us - most items landed with a clatter and a clang - and then scurried off without so much as an "enjoy your meal" or "can I get you anything else?" That last would have been nice; turns out we were all hoping for a small pat of butter for our gigantic and dry biscuits. The other couple guy gave it a go without, then tried to wait to see if Skylor would come back to check on us (

Easy drive from New Orleans and easy check in since we purchased our tickets online. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and the restaurant was good. Why a 3 out of 5? The gift shop. There were offensive items in the shop and I hope Oak Alley takes the time to re-evaluate its inventory choices. From the “Big House” candle to an inappropriate doll. You can’t have plaques and have your tour guide speak about how the “Big House” was a terrible place that made slaves act and dress like puppets answering their masters beckoning call as they entertained and lived their everyday life, then sell me a candle like it was an oasis I would like the smell in my home. The doll was just ridiculous. I run multiple retail shops. It takes no time to concentrate on your store’s identity and hold your vendors to that standard. Please re-think your choices in the future.

I absolutely LOVED this place!!! From the adorable cottage (we stayed in #4 which is about a century old) to the beautiful grounds we loved it all! We stayed here after a cruise and honestly this was better then the cruise! You get 24hr access to the ground so you can go "ghost hunting" after dark. We did not find any ghosts but an adorable cat followed us around the entire time! The breakfast in the morning was very good! We spent the next day just hanging around the grounds enjoying the picnic tables and loving the beautiful weather we had. We stayed here until we had to get to the airport. It was extremely comfortable and enjoyable. I also loved learning about the slaves. They got into their lives and really brought them to life in the self guided tour. If you get the chance to stay here I 100% suggest it!!!

We stayed 2 nights in Cottage #4. So absolutely wonderful. It was large, comfortable and private. We order evening meal service one night. The cheese fettuccini was delicious and there was plenty to eat. We ordered cheesecake and buttermilk pie. So tasty. I also had the Pecan pie the day before. Too die for!!! Anyone staying on the grounds had access to the entire plantation after hours. So wonderful to be able to walk around without a crowd. Would highly recommend.

Any visitor to LA plantation country looking for architecture reminiscent of Gone With the Wind ala Tara orTwelve Oaks should certainly include Oak Alley in their tour. Indeed the beautiful setting with draping oaks will stay with a visitor long after their visit. Our guide Tony was informative and in his enthusiasm did his best to convey the story of successive owners through the sugar cane highs and 20th century lows of this property. Very impressive too was the excellent area of the estate devoted fo the frank exploration of slave labour and the vast discrepancies between the conditions and stories of those who built the wealth the big house families enjoyed. My one complaint might be the lack of imagination in the interior furnishings monotonous in their identical blue upholstery but at least it was historically accurate for period. Overall a worthwhile visit better than Houmas House for sure. Do not forget to include nearby Laura Plantation where the story is interpreted differently and best in my view.

Our meal was exceptional in every way. Service was fantastic and our waitress was so personable and professional. We had the Shrimp Gumbo, a gorgeous Salad with Blackened Shrimp, the Seafood Au Gratin, Buttermilk Pie, and the Bread Pudding with Sauce. These were all so delicious, I might make the 5 1/2 hour drive just to eat here again!