Willie Mae's Scotch House

There’s fried chicken, and then there’s Willie Mae’s fried chicken! New Orleans has no shortage of legendary, must-visit restaurants, but for fried chicken lovers, Willie Mae’s sits at the top of the heap. For decades, locals and tourists alike have flocked to this quiet corner of NOLA’s Treme neighborhood to line up for a taste of founder Willie Mae Seaton’s downright magical fried chicken, which is dunked in a spicy, secret-recipe wet batter before being deep fried to juicy perfection with a flawless, shatteringly-crisp crust.

Willie Mae’s had humble beginnings: it was founded by Seaton back in 1957 as a barber shop, beauty salon, and bar (hence the “scotch house”), but in the early 1970s she converted the low-slung building into a full-time restaurant. The building was badly damaged during 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, but the community banded together to help rebuild, and it bounced back stronger than ever. The following year, Willie Mae’s was named an “American Classic” by the James Beard Foundation, a well-deserved honor. Sadly, a fire devastated the building in April 2023, but once again the community is rallying to rebuild, and in November 2024 a new location opened in Downtown New Orleans. Willie Mae passed away in 2015 at age 99, but today her legacy (and recipes) are carried on by her great-granddaughter, Kerry Seaton Stewart. And now, for the first time ever, Willie Mae’s Scotch House’s iconic fried chicken & Southern sides are delivering nationwide!