mscmkr

I have a feeling this may be a big one but, where is your favorite place or places to eat in New Orleans, and more specific the French Quarter? I will be without a car for 4 days of my trip and staying just outside the Quarter so I will be eating there quit a bit.

Thanks everyone for all the great info, mscmkr

traveller1959

Of course, you will get at least two dozen answers. Here are my personal favourites:

- Tujague's for a most authentic New Orleans six-course dining experience. They still use recipes dating from 1856. Medium-priced. http://www.tujaguesrestaurant.com

- Acme Oyster House for a fun location where you eat huge piles of crayfish or other dishes and wash them down with a pitcher beer. Informal, low-priced. http://www.acmeoyster.com

I personally found the more posh restaurants in NOLA rather disappointing (e.g. Commander's Palace, which is, BTW, not in Quarter).

DavidRW

NOLA on Saint Louis St. owned by Emeril is great, updated creole - get there early. Antoines also on Saint Louis between bourbon and royal streets - been there since 1840 - classic creole.

Also Bayona, my favorite, or Galatoire's. I agree - Acme OH on Iberville, fun lunch spot. For steakhouses, I liked both Delmonico in the Garden District and Dickie Breenens on Iberville. There may be better steak choices, I usually don't eat steak in NOLA when there are so many other options.

CDM for beignets and coffee - sometimes I go more than once a day.

ccolor

On the lower priced end of the scale:

Maspero's on Decatur
Yo Mama's Bar and Grill
Petunita's for breakfast
Oceana Grill

Have a good time and enjoy the city!

SAnParis2

Also, please take a look @ the Fodors restaurants list. We have been encouraged to post our opinions/thoughts on there so although only a small sample, it may provide additional/helpful info. For specifics take a look at some recent NOLA trip reports, there are several.

dfr4848

I'd pretty much agree with the above suggestions and would add Pascale's Manale. Great creole and they're known for BBQ shrimp (NO version - not southwest). Excellent crab/shrimp remoulade. More of a local clientele. {It's on Napolean Ave in the Garden District and I mention it because you don't need a car. Very easy, pretty trip on St Charles Ave streetcar. Get off at Napolean stop and it's pleasant 2 block walk]

The only other comments I'd make: we've been going to Commander's for decades and have always had excellent meals and service. Still one of our favorites. We've also always enjoyed Antoines, but have gotten mixed reviews lately from friends, so you might want to check further. Just mentioning this FWIW.

Mamaw

Acme oyster is my pick. Sit up at the counter and hang out with the oyster shuckers. They are funny and can shuck em like nobodies business.

And the shrimp cocktail rocks. I like to make my cocktail sauce so hot it makes my nose bleed

traveller1959

>> I like to make my cocktail sauce so hot it makes my nose bleed<<

Ah, no I know where the pink colour comes from..

Greetings from the land of blood sausage!

euclid

We recently returned from New Orleans. There were a couple of dining disappointments but most were great. We thought Emeril's and K-Paul's were the two best meals we've EVER had. The service at Emeril's was also spectacular. For lunch ACME Oyster House was amazing. I could have eaten there every day. And nothing beat the overall experience of enjoying coffee and beignets at the Cafe Dumond. I also highly recommend a trip to Southern Candymakers on Decatur St for pralines and other great snacks.
Enjoy!

Wayne

I think every moderately priced restaurant named so far is good. My favorite splurge restaurant is Broussard's in the FQ. Very traditional New Orleans atmosphere and cuisine, and very good service. It's a place I visit every time I go there. Good luck.

november_moon

I just want to add Johnny's on St Louis for po'boy sandwiches and Napoleon House on Chartres for Muffaletas to this yummy list.

shormk2

I'm surprising my fiance with a trip to New Orleans in a few weeks, so this list is very, VERY helpful.

If you had to pick a nice restaurant (read this as it can be expensive) that serves wonderful food, but has a great atmosphere and nice bar area (we prefer to eat at the bar in really nice restaurants- tables can often be stuffy and we find bartenders in nice restaurants can be a wealth of info on a new town), where would you pick?

NeoPatrick

shormk, thanks for asking that question! I almost asked it earlier then thought I'd wait a while. I'm going to New Orleans alone the end of April and mainly want to eat AT a bar.
I can tell you that we did just that at the "original?" Emeril's in NO. It was great eating at the bar there and we had super service and a "chatty" bartender (which we welcomed).

I've been trying to remember if some of the above mentioned restaurants have a bar (or even a communal table which seems to be the trend some places).

SAnParis2

If you want to eat at the bar I would suggest Acme & Dickie Brennan's steakhouse.

cocontom

Acme is great. We also loved Commander's, MiLa, and Montrel's. The grilled alligator at Pierre Maspero's was the best I've ever had (there are two Maspero's, btw- we went to the original. I think the other one usually gets better reviews). The cochon du lait po boy was too salty for my, but Tom liked it.

The worst meal I've ever had at an expensive restaurant was Galatoire's. I've ranted about this before, but our food tasted like it came out of a nursing home cafeteria.

Oceana wasn't much better, but it was about half of the price. Really, Zataran's is better than the meal we had there.

ccolor

I mentioned Oceana because they have really good crab cakes and there are discount certificates on Restaurant.com. (Guess I should have thrown that in in the first place, huh? *smile*)

And I like Zatarain's, too! As a matter of fact, right now I have a pot of 13 bean soup simmering with Zatarain's Gumbo Base for the seasonings. After all, it's Mardi Gras time!!

gyppielou

Last Memorial Weekend we returned to New Orleans. Nola - a fave from the past was a MAJOR dissapointment. Lillette was our favorite for a lunch and dinner, both at the bar - great food, great service

http://www.liletterestaurant.com/

We had a reservation at Herbsaint that was ignored. We left and I emailed chef/owner my dismay (outrage). He was not in town that night. Not only did he give a heartfelt apology, he offered a night at his restaurant on him next time we are in town. Although I have no plans on cashing that offer in, it meant a lot and have him acknowledge a major mistep and make a grand offer to makeup for our lost night in NOLA.

http://www.herbsaint.com/

Best of luck msmkr

bkluvsNola

Go to Emeril's to eat at a bar at a nice restaurant or Acme's for less expensive.

Suggestions so far so good. Only thing is I'd recommend a dinner at K-Paul's as well...

bkluvsNola

NeoPatrick,

Are you going to the Jazz Fest?

NeoPatrick

No. It appears that I'm there during the week between the two weekends of the Jazz Fest. That must be why the super fare for airfares and the super prices for hotels were available for my Monday till Thursday trip.
That's fine with me. I hate crowds and liked the idea of being there during the week.