45 Best Restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana

This carry-out-only spot closes early (5 pm, except Sunday when it closes at 2 pm), but it's a great place to pick up a large order of fried chicken and sides for a party or group. The chicken is some of the best in the area, and the mac and cheese is also excellent. On a nice day, pick up an order and walk to Bayou St. John for a picnic.

Along with po'boys, you can find just about every type of grilled, fried, and gravied specialty famous in New Orleans here, served with plenty of sides, 24 hours a day. Not everything is the best in town, but the food is cheap and fresh at any hour. Late night, you’ll be in good company among locals coming in for a hot plate.

In this second restaurant from Turkey and the Wolf chef Mason Hereford, attention is turned to the classics of breakfast food. Decorated with '80s and '90s pop culture memorabilia, Molly's Rise and Shine feels like a trip down memory lane, and so do its riffs on McMuffins and bagel bites. Though there is ample seating, be prepared to wait in line. Come early since the restaurant does sell out of its most popular dishes.

Tourists and locals line up for solid, if unspectacular, down-home eats at this island of blue-collar sincerity amid downtown's sea of glittery hotels. Mother's dispenses baked ham and roast beef po'boys (ask for "debris" on the beef sandwich and the bread will be slathered with meat juices and shreds of meat), home-style biscuits and jambalaya, and chicken and sausage gumbo in a couple of bare-bones yet charming dining rooms. Breakfast service is a bit slow, but that doesn't seem to repel the hordes fighting for seats at peak mealtimes. Service is cafeteria-style, with a counter or two augmenting the tables.

Here the house specialty Pimm's Cup can be enjoyed in the lush courtyard or in the cool interior, along with bites like pulled-duck po'boys. The residence was built in 1797 and was purportedly chosen as Napoléon's would-be New World residence in an escape plan hatched for the exiled emperor.

This is a charming little stop on the way down St. Claude Avenue. The friendly owner can fix you a cappuccino (or a hot-pressed panini), while you decide which flavor of freshly made gelato to choose.

Martha Gilreath's story of overcoming homelessness and drug addiction has gained lots of local and national media attention, but it's the incredible quality of her baked goods that have kept neighborhood regulars coming back to her shop. Her king cakes are renowned during Mardi Gras, but all year long she has a mouthwatering line-up of savory and sweet pastries ranging from crawfish bread, Friday pizza, and boudin danishes to banana bread, cookie specials, and made-to-order cakes. A pet-friendly outdoor courtyard and a fully stocked reading nook for kids makes Nolita a great hang for the whole family.

Every night, no matter the weather, people wait for more than an hour outside Port of Call for fist-thick burgers made from freshly ground beef, served with always-fluffy baked potatoes (there are no fries here). For the classic Port of Call experience, drink a Neptune's Monsoon (their mind-bending house grog) while you wait, and order your potato "loaded" (with mushrooms, cheddar cheese, sour cream, butter, chives, and bacon bits). A juicy filet mignon is also available. In the afternoon and early evening, it's a fun stop for kids. Port of Call is open until midnight Sunday through Thursday and until 1 am on Friday and Saturday.

Husband and wife duo, Jonathan and Megan have turned their adorable and popular Bienville street bakery and coffee shop into a special gathering place. He handles the coffee while she takes care of the food. Sandwiches, quiche, meat pies, yogurt, and a variety of sweet and savory pastries all populate the menu.

This Jewish and Italian deli serves the "Muphuletta," a Philly take on a New Orleans muffuletta with sopressata, ham, provolone, and olive salad on ciabatta. 

A young, energetic team adds gourmet touches (all meat is cured in-house) to over-the-top comfort foods at Turkey and the Wolf: towering fried bologna sandwiches, deviled eggs with crispy chicken skins, and cheesy melts with peppered dressing. The vibe is pleasantly divey, a cross between grandma's kitchen and a hipster's haven. The small sandwich shop surprised gourmands by becoming Bon Appetit's 2017 Best New Restaurant of the Year. As a result, there are still lines out the door on most days, especially weekends, and the kitchen often sells out before closing at 5 pm.

With locations close to the Convention Center and in the heart of the CBD, Two Chicks dishes rib-sticking breakfasts and creative sandwiches.

Pick up a sandwich or a hot lunch to-go from this distinctly New Orleans take on a deli, open 24 hours, and a prime refueling point for the late-night bar crawl. If you're really hungry, try the All That Jazz po'boy (ham, turkey, shrimp, and two cheeses with grilled mushrooms and tomatoes).

A quick coffee and snack from this popular, sunny locale is just as enjoyable as their long, decadent brunches. Try any of the epic "biscuit situations."