Serving Since

New Orleans

Serving since

1932

94 years in New Orleans

Mandina's

Mid-City · Italian

Go here for
Turtle soup · Marinated crab claws · Hilda's salad
Why go
Turtle soup and Creole-Italian home cooking on Canal Street, from the same family since 1932.
Local character
Neighborhood regulars. Fodor's calls it one of the neighborhood favorites New Orleans locals frequent, a Canal Street fixture since 1932.
Directions Official website

Sebastian Mandina opened a grocery in the building in 1898. His sons ran it as a pool hall serving sandwiches, then opened the restaurant in 1932, the year the family uses.

Why it matters

Sebastian Mandina, from Palermo, opened a grocery store at 3800 Canal Street in 1898. His sons Anthony and Frank turned it into a pool hall serving sandwiches, and in 1932 opened the restaurant. During World War II Anthony's wife Hilda ran it, and "Hilda's salad" is still on the menu.

Hurricane Katrina closed the restaurant for about 18 months. It reopened on February 7, 2007, one of the most anticipated reopenings in Mid-City. Cindy Mandina, the fourth generation, runs it today.

The story

  1. 1898Sebastian Mandina opens a grocery at 3800 Canal Street1
  2. 1932Anthony and Frank Mandina open the restaurant1
  3. 2007Reopens after Hurricane Katrina1
  4. TodayStill serving New Orleans

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Details

Address
3800 Canal Street, New Orleans, LA 70119
Neighborhood
Mid-City
Ownership
Family-owned
Status
Open · verified Sep 2026

OldScore

A secondary, editorial measure. The founding year above is the fact that matters most. How it works.

Age26/ 35
Continuity5/ 20
Local significance10/ 20
Local food culture10/ 15
Independence10/ 10
OldScore61/ 100

Local character: Neighborhood regulars. Fodor's calls it one of the neighborhood favorites New Orleans locals frequent, a Canal Street fixture since 1932. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.

More like this

Sources

  1. Mandina's Restaurant (official site, home and About) Founding year, Ownership, History, Address, What to order, Current status
  2. New Orleans Magazine (myneworleans.com), Errol Laborde, "Mandina's" (June 1, 2023) Founding year, History, Ownership, What to order
  3. Fodor's, 'Mandina's' review (updated Apr 2014) History