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No visit to New Orleans is complete without a chicory-laced café au lait paired with the addictive, sugar-dusted beignets at this venerable institution. The tables under the green-and-white-stripe awning are jammed with locals and tourists at almost every hour, for very good reason. If there's a wait, head around back to the takeout window, get your coffee and beignets to go, and enjoy them overlooking the river right next door or in Jackson Square. The most magical time to go is just before dawn, before the bustle begins and can hear the birds in the crepe myrtles across the way. The metro-area satellite stores (there's even one at the airport now) typically lack the character of the original, although the newest addition in City Park is quite charming.
800 Decatur St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116, USA
Known For
- World's most famous beignets
- Local landmark status
- Long waits and 24-hour service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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$ | Warehouse District |
Around the corner from its big brother Cochon, Butcher packs its own Cajun punch with an upscale sandwich menu that dials up the flavor on local classics. With house-cured meats and olive salad, the muffuletta reveals exactly how delicious Italian-Creole can be, though the pork-belly sandwich, with refreshing mint and cucumber, also brings customers back. In addition to sandwiches, there are meaty small plates and a rotating selection of wines, beers, and well-made cocktails. There are a few tall tables for dining in, or you can get your sandwich to go. Before leaving, stock up on boudin, bacon pralines, and other to-go Cajun delicacies—all much better souvenirs than anything for sale on Bourbon Street.
930 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Pork-belly sandwich
- To-go treats
- Delicious cocktails
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun., Reservations not accepted, Credit cards accepted
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$ | Uptown |
At the Company Burger, your order is simple: the amazing signature burger comes with two fresh-ground patties, bread-and-butter pickles, American cheese, and red onions on a freshly baked bun. No lettuce and no tomatoes, but you can load it up with homemade condiments like basil or roasted-garlic mayonnaise and Creole honey mustard. Other options include lamb or turkey burgers and hot dogs with franks from Nueske's Meat. A daily burger special adds variety to the menu and there is a daily happy hour from 3 pm to 6 pm. Owner Adam Biderman grew up in New Orleans, but first earned burger fame in Atlanta. He's part of the wave of young transplants and returning natives not beholden to local traditions, who have reenergized New Orleans since Katrina. There is a second location in the CBD (611 O'Keefe Avenue).
4600 Freret St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70115, USA
Known For
- Quality burgers
- Affordable prices
- No-frills local favorite
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$ | Uptown |
At Dat Dog, the sprawling stand is painted in primary hues, as if the work had been outsourced to a talented kindergarten class, and the Hawaiian shirt–clad staff bustle about with the enthusiasm of amateur actors staging a musical. The menu is all about hot dogs, and frank options range from standard German wieners to Louisiana alligator sausages. Even fish eaters and vegetarians have options (the apple sage "sausage" is deceivingly meaty). The long list of toppings includes guacamole, wasabi, and andouille sauce. And what goes better with a brat than an ice-cold brew? Luckily, the menu offers an exhaustive list of domestic and international beers. There are additional Dat Dog locations at 3336 Magazine Street and 601 Frenchmen Street.
5030 Freret St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70115, USA
Known For
- Creative hot dogs
- Rowdy crowds
- Local draft beers
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No credit cards, Reservations not accepted
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$ | Bywater |
"Real food, done real good" is the motto at hipster-haven Elizabeth's, where the vinyl-print tablecloths look just like grandma's and breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. The menu offers everything from po'boys to a stellar seared duck, but the highlight is the buzzy weekend brunch served from 8 am to 2:30 pm that includes "lost bread" (also known as French toast), "redneck eggs" (fried green tomatoes with poached eggs and hollandaise), and a traditional country breakfast with a smoked pork chop (there's also bottomless mimosas, if you want to start the party early). The fried-oyster po'boy is huge and irresistible. The staff is spunky, and so is the Bywater neighborhood clientele. The praline bacon is a must. Breakfast is served every weekday as well, also from 8 to 2:30, and has almost the same options. Reservations are accepted only for dinner.
601 Gallier St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70117, USA
Known For
- One of the city's best brunch experiences
- Famous praline bacon
- No breakfast or brunch reservations accepted so expect a wait
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner weekends, Credit cards accepted
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$ | Uptown |
Every dish on the short menu here shows an obsessive attention to detail. The main attraction are the pizzas, which follow Neapolitan rules and use only flour, water, yeast, and salt for their dough; they enter an 800°F oven—imported from Naples—and emerge a minute later charred and fragrant. The starters prominently feature the sausages and other cured meats that hang inside a glass-walled room in the back. Despite the seriousness of the kitchen, the vibe out front is casual and contemporary. This welcoming pizzeria, like many other places on burgeoning Freret Street, suits the needs of neighbors but turns out food worthy of a visitor's attention.
4508 Freret St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70115, USA
Known For
- Authentic Italian pizza
- Casual neighborhood vibe
- House-cured meats
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$ | Mid-City |
Traditional Sicilian gelato, spumoni, cannoli, pastries, and candies are the attractions at this quaint little sweetshop, now over a century old. The crisp biscotti, traditional Sicilian desserts, and the lemon and strawberry ices haven't lost their status as local favorites. The shop closes at 10 pm weekdays, at 10:30 pm Friday and Saturday, and at 9 pm on Sunday. Plan to stand in line and chat with locals (and many smiling kids). On your way out, look for the brass plaque on the door that marks how high the water reached after the levees broke during Katrina in 2005.
214 N. Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70119, USA
Known For
- City's best tiramisu
- Authentic gelato
- Local clientele and long lines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon., Credit cards accepted
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$ | Uptown |
Eat in an airy dining room overlooking Audubon Park golf course, or relax with a drink on the veranda.
6500 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70118, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Faubourg Marigny |
Hand-pulled noodles and fluffy steamed bao are the specialties at this local favorite. Sichuan and Cantonese dishes pack the occasional punch (the Mixed Sauce noodles are pleasantly mouth-numbing), and everything is full of flavor. It's best to go with a group so you get to try a few affordable dishes (or just order a lot).
2266 St. Claude Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70117, USA
Known For
- Spicy dan dan noodles with pork
- Steamed bun appetizers
- Family-style dining
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$ | Carrollton-Riverbend |
At Bellegarde Bakery, far from the popular tourist sites, Graison Gill and his team freshly mill all of their flour on-site, producing bread and baked goods for some of the top restaurants in New Orleans. A commitment to local and single-origin ingredients embodies the ethos of the whole operation. In 2019, they opened their first storefront and customers can now purchase these baked delicacies for themselves, as well as get a glimpse into milling and baking process as they drink a cup of fresh-brewed coffee.
8300 Apple St., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Known For
- Sourdough bread
- Quality ingredients
- Baking classes
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No dinner
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$ | Mid-City |
Originally a popular pop-up at music venue Chickie Wah Wah's, Blue Oak BBQ has finally got its own storefront, and with pitmasters Ronnie Evans and Philip Moseley at the helm, it consistently ranks as some of the best BBQ in the city. The beef brisket and pulled pork are both crowd favorites. Located just a few blocks away from City Park, Blue Oak is a perfect place to end a warm day in New Orleans, especially if you are hoping to catch a Saints game.
900 N Carrollton Ave., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Known For
- Excellent pulled pork sandwich
- Sports-friendly neighborhood crowd
- Location near City Park
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
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$ | Bywater |
This is everything you could want from a neighborhood coffee shop: delicious coffee, premium baked goods, and hearty sandwiches and comfort food for a quick breakfast or lunch. The pies are great around the holidays, as are the king cakes during Carnival season. The café often displays local art for sale on its walls, and hosts events and small concerts.
3624 Dauphine St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70117, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Wed. No dinner
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$ | French Quarter |
Open around the clock for late-night treats, Café du Monde has been serving up café au lait and beignets for more than a century. If the open-air café is crowded, go around back to the take-out window and enjoy your treats on the Mississippi riverfront.
800 Decatur St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116, USA
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$ | Bywater |
This lofted space has great vegetarian options and hearty sandwiches that skew creative; think a BLT with kimchi and thick-slab bacon or smoked cauliflower, broccoli falafel, and braised beef with Bloody Mary seasoning. Cocktails are equally unique, utilizing shrubs, fresh juices, and kombucha. At night, the industrial space and romantic rooftop is used for private and community events.
3014 Dauphine St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70117, USA
Known For
- Creative cocktails
- Great vegetarian options
- Industrial chic
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed weekends. No dinner.
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$ | Warehouse District |
Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free options abound at this self-proclaimed "tropical café," which playfully references the cuisines of Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. Fresh, local, and organic produce are used to create dishes like acarajé, a black-eyed-pea fritter stuffed with vatapá (a cashew, peanut, and coconut paste) or the Rico sandwich, a breadless creation of grilled plantains, melted cheese, vegan meat, avocado, salsa fresca, and a tangy secret sauce. Try one of the unusual fresh fruit juices: options like cupuaçu (a nutrient-packed fruit with flavors of pineapple, passion fruit, pear, banana, and chocolate), acerola (Amazon cherry), and graviola (also known as soursop, tastes like brown sugar and pears) are nearly impossible to find this side of the Amazon.
527 Julia St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Known For
- Vegan options
- Excellent ceviche
- Fresh juice from exotic fruits
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
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$ | Uptown |
This eatery has been a haven for Uptown seafood lovers since 1919. Family members still wait tables and staff the immaculate kitchen in back, while a reliable handful of oyster shuckers ensure that plenty of cold ones are available for the standing room–only oyster bar. Specialties from the diminutive menu include oysters lightly poached in seasoned milk; fried shrimp, trout, and soft-shell-crab platters; and a must-try fried "oyster loaf" sandwich (two thick slices of white bread stuffed with fresh and greaseless bivalves). Everything is clean, and nothing is superfluous. Even the houseplants have a just-polished look.
4330 Magazine St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70115, USA
Known For
- Neighborhood vibe
- Fresh oysters
- Fried seafood and popular oyster loaf sandwich
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch Sun., No credit cards, Reservations not accepted
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$ | |
This old-fashioned grocery store, which creates authentic muffulettas, a gastronomic gift from the city's Italian immigrants, was expected to reopen in the late fall of 2023 at this writing. Made by filling nearly 10-inch round loaves of seeded bread with ham, salami, provolone and Emmentaler cheeses, and olive salad, the muffuletta is nearly as popular locally as the po'boy. (Central Grocery also sells a vegetarian version.) The sandwiches are available in wholes and halves (they're huge—unless you're starving, you'll do fine with a half). Eat at one of the counters or get your sandwich to go and dine on a bench in Jackson Square or the Moon Walk along the Mississippi riverfront. The Grocery closes at 5 pm.
923 Decatur St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116, USA
Known For
- The city's best (and biggest) muffulettas
- Lively setting
- Early closing at 5 pm
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | Central Business District |
Good things really do come in small packages, like the outstanding falafel you can order at the back of this unpretentious, pocket-size Middle Eastern convenience store outfitted with a handful of tables and chairs. Grab a drink from one of the glass cases, then order from a menu of mouthwatering options, like lamb kebabs and beef gyros. The vegetarian sampler plate, with creamy hummus, smoky baba ghanoush, and fresh tabouleh is the must-order dish, though. Look for international grocery items, like pistachio cotton candy from Turkey. The kitchen is open 24/7, making it an ideal spot to grab a pita after partying.
940 Canal St., New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Known For
- 24-hour kitchen
- Late-night falafel and tabouleh
- International grocery items
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$ | Central Business District |
The house-roasted coffee here is delicious, but added takeaways are the cute alligator-themed mugs and memorabilia to take home (a "congregation" is the collective name for a group of alligators); the fresh pastries; and the hearty breakfast and lunch options, like the pickled greens and poached egg on toast.
644 Camp St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70130, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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$ | French Quarter |
In a quiet corner of the French Quarter, you'll have to look for the quaint Croissant d'Or Patisserie. Once you've found it, you'll understand why locals and visitors return to this colorful pastry shop for excellent and authentic French croissants, pies, tarts, and custards, as well as an imaginative selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches (don't miss the hot croissant sandwiches with creamy béchamel sauce). You can get your goodies to go, but try to get a table during the busy breakfast hours for great people-watching. During Carnival season they bake a traditional French-style king cake filled with almond paste. The café is open from 6 am to 3 pm.
617 Ursulines St., New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116, USA
Known For
- Croissaint sandwiches
- Authentic French pastries
- King cake during Mardi Gras
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. No dinner, Reservations not accepted, Credit cards accepted
