SINCE 1957

Willie Mae’s Scotch House began in 1957 as a neighborhood bar in New Orleans’ historic Treme. After one year, it moved to its current home — a lively corner that once held a bar, a barbershop, and a beauty salon out front. By the early 1970s, the beauty salon had closed, and the regulars made one thing clear: they didn’t just want a drink — they wanted Willie Mae’s cooking, too.

Soon, the aromas of Mississippi and Louisiana comfort food filled the air, and word spread fast. What started as a simple response to hungry customers became a New Orleans institution. The rest, as they say down here, is history.

In 2005, Ms. Willie Mae Seaton received the James Beard Award for America’s Classic Restaurant (Southern Region) - a moment that brought national attention to a place locals already loved. Soon after, Hurricane Katrina severely damaged the restaurant. With support from the Southern Foodways Alliance and many other organizations, Willie Mae’s reopened in 2007 and the story continued, stronger than ever.

Today, the legacy lives on under the leadership of Ms. Willie Mae’s great-granddaughter, Kerry Seaton Stewart, continuing the tradition that earned recognition as “America’s Best Fried Chicken.” In 2025, Willie Mae’s NOLA was honored by the MICHELIN Guide as a Recommended Restaurant for the American South, adding another milestone to a story built on love, resilience, and unforgettable flavor. Still rooted in New Orleans, we’ve also expanded the family with The Willie Mae Fried Chicken Sandwich and Tenders being served at HiHo Cheeseburger locations across the Greater Los Angeles area, and a full-service restaurant in Downtown New Orleans’ Central Business District (opened November 2024).

No matter where you find us, one thing stays the same: we welcome all, we love what we do, and we put love into everything we make.