This post may contain affiliate links. I only recommend excursions, products and tours that I have personally used and purchased myself. If you click on a link and make a purchase, I may receive a very small commission at no extra cost to you. All proceeds go to running this blog and your support is truly appreciated! All opinions are my own. Originally Published: June 17, 2024 Summoning all foodies! Listen up, if you don’t know… now you do. New Orleans food is ravishing. In fact, New Orleans food is so good, that Nola has developed a reputation for being a top foodie destination in the USA. Accordingly, the city is home to over 130 Michellin star restaurants and countless James Beard Award winning restaurants. For reference, winning a James Beard Award is sorta the hospitality industry equivalent of winning an Oscar. Indeed, New Orleans food has rightfully earned its esteemed reverence. However, the best part about scouring the Crescent City for the best eats is that it’s almost hard to miss. Whether it’s an iconic success like Emeril’s or a lesser known treasure found at a random intersection, one thing is certain: you will be eating really well in New Orleans. Eating at the Palace Café will make you cry… but don’t worry. They’ll be tears of joy. Honestly, the food at the Palace Café is such a delight. It’s tasty Creole food, rich, packed with flavor and you should definitely not come here on a diet. In fact, you shouldn’t come to New Orleans on a diet, period. But, back to Palace Café. Aside from the food, the service is decent, albeit, it is presenting itself as a tiny bit more white glove than it is. Palace Café isn’t talked about as much as other restaurants, but make no mistake, it’s worthy of a visit. Dropped in for a late lunch (or early dinner, depending on how you look at it), with no reservations and was seated immediately. Tip: This is a restaurant that you should consider ordering their daily or seasonal specials as they are inventive and interesting and you’ll likely be surprised and delighted. They also offer table side Bananas Foster, which hallmarks iconic New Orleans food. Mother’s has been serving up down-home style southern grub since 1938. Further, this is a place you come to do some serious eating, so wear your stretchy pants friends. It’s an ultra casual, cafeteria style restaurant. I found the staff to be pleasant and helpful. They are known for their Po’boys, but all their other fixings are great too. Pictured above: Seafood Platter Extra Extra ($38) featuring shrimp, oysters, catfish, jambalaya and crawfish Etouffeé. Additionally, we chose plain grits and red beans & rice as sides. Live out of state and have a hankering for Mother’s home style fare? They now ship nation wide. Tip: First come, first serve – no reservations accepted. There will likely be a wait, maybe even a long wait, as Mother’s draws a crowd. They also offer a Gluten-free and vegetarian menu. Don’t skip the Bread Pudding with Brandy sauce for dessert! In the 1930’s, a twenty inch Po’boy could be purchased for .15¢. Meanwhile, during that time a lettuce and tomato sandwich was free. Nowadays, a ten inch Po’boy will set you back around $15.49 USD on average at Parkway Bakery and Tavern. Unquestionably, Parkway Bakery and Tavern is an institution as far as the New Orleans food scene goes. I asked every local I came in contact with: “where can I get the best Po’Boy in town?” It was unanimous. Parkway Bakery and Tavern. It’s been around since 1911 and has quite some history behind it. Further, USA Today named Parkway Bakery’s sandwich “Best Po’ Boy in Louisiana.” Admittedly, it’s mighty good. The space is large, with expansive outdoor seating. Give the fried pickles a whirl! Tip: this is located in mid city and is a bit of a trek from the French Quarter, where many travelers base themselves. You’ll definitely need to drive, take a ride share or bus there. If you get a hankering for Italian food while you’re in town, II Tony’s – a family run restaurant – will not disappoint. Additionally, this establishment will give you that “locals feel.” Since, it’s one of the only restaurants I’ve dined in that’s filled with locals… many of whom seemed to know each other. I’d describe the cuisine at II Tony’s to be very seafood centric Italian food with a southern flair. Albeit, the restaurant is located in Lake Pontchartrain. Hence, definitely a haul from the typical well beaten tourist path. However, the service is warm and seafood au gratin ($17.95) alone makes it worth it. Do you want to brunch like you’ve never brunched before? Get ready to southern brunch, cause, baby, your taste buds aren’t going to know what hit them. Okay, Russell’s Marina Grill’s service is slow and spotty. Also, there will likely be a considerable wait to be seated. During brunch I audibly gasped when I read “alligator sausage” on the menu. Evidently, if you dine on the patio, someone may spill something on the ground and it’ll sit there for all to see for quite some time. Further, there also might be large families with crying children. But, dare I say, once you lay your eyes upon your bananas foster French toast, all will be forgotten. They’re super busy for a reason… the food is pretty darn good. Tip: there is counter, indoor and patio seating. The patio is dog friendly! It’s July. Finally, you’re sitting on the empty patio of Cochon Butcher in the Warehouse district of New Orleans. You’re sipping a Bedford’s creme beer and munching on a Muffuletta. Life is good. I have a local to thank for this discovery. I asked, “where is your favorite Muffuletta in town?” Straightaway, with no hesitation, “Cochon Butcher.” Shortly, afterwards, this is where I found myself. It’s an ultra casual place with indoor and outdoor seating. Also, it’s on a random side street, but the nice part is, it’s a short jaunt to the St Charles Trolley. Want to know something awesome about Cochon Butcher? Evidently, they don’t just make all their meats in house. Rather, they make their own bread, pickles, sauces, mustard, jams and jellies in house too. What a treat! Tip: Muffuletta’s are another New Orleans cultural food that comes with a history lesson. It’s a plate size sandwich, with scrumptious bread, cured meats, olive salad, and provolone. Some styles include Mozzarella as well. Where do we begin with Muriel’s? First of all, if you are a fan of the paranormal or perhaps get a kick out of exploring all things haunted New Orleans, get excited. Also, Muriel’s, as the story goes, is haunted and has a resident ghost. Honestly, Muriel’s is an entire experience in itself. Muriel’s serves classic creole food. Basically, you can expect to find all the usual dishes – gumbo, shrimp and grits, blackened redfish, bread pudding. Despite having a very good time here, it would be remiss to not mention that Muriel’s is definitely geared towards tourists. Surely, that’s not a bad thing. Especially if it’s your first time in New Orleans, it’ll really give you a bit of everything that makes the Nola experience. You can order anything you want off the menu a la carte, or you can select the three course meal which comes with an appetizer, entrée and dessert of your choosing ($49.95). Tip: Muriel’s gets very busy and I definitely recommend making a reservation. Indeed, it’s almost a sacrilege to go to New Orleans and not have Beignets. Since I’ve had them at quite a few places, at the moment I think Cafe Beignet is my favorite ($4.75 for three). I can’t quite place it, but everything from the texture, to the sweetness to the amount of powdered sugar is just – chefs kiss. Albeit, there are a few good Beignets in town, so you don’t have to try just one (wink)! Surely, if you have a sweet tooth you might want to simply go on a Beignet crawl. Currently, Cafe Beignet has four locations, all in the French Quarter. Despite the location on Bourbon street being quite large, I also enjoy the cozy location on Royal Street. Both locations have an outdoor patio. While, Cafe Beignet offers a full breakfast menu and some southern delicacies, make sure you try the Beignets and a chicory coffee. Tip: the Bourbon street location also has an outdoor bar and there is live jazz daily, from 10:00am – close. The Royal street location gets very busy in the morning, so I’d try to arrive when they open if you’re interested in seating. Have you been to any of these restaurants? What did you think? Overall, which one are you most excited to try? Lastly, if you have any questions about any of these restaurants please drop them in the comments, below! Check these out! Want to know how I travel so frequently? By booking jaw-dropping flight deals that are often so low you’d have to see ’em to believe it. The best part? They’re sent right to my inbox. You can try it out for free: here. I exclusively use this site to book all my stays. I get 20% off on all my stays plus additional perks from their loyalty program. Check it out! Get reliable travel medical insurance for your trip, for just $2 a day – here Looking for a flight on a specific date? Use this search engine and start earning rewards! Need to book your excursions and tours? This company is my favorite. This is another marketplace for tours, that is especially great for Europe. Renting a car for your adventure? Discover the right car for your journey: here. Do you love train travel as much as I do? Get your train tickets here! Want to travel in comfort and have lounge access around the world? Get that right here. You know what I love to do when I visit a new city? This!New Orleans Food and Restaurants you MUST try
Palace Café by Dickie Brennan & Co.
Creole Restaurant at the foot of the French Quarter
Palace Café by Dickie Brennan & Co
605 Canal Street New Orleans, LA 70130
palacecafe.com
Mother’s Restaurant
Cafeteria style Restaurant serving Po’ boys and Southern fare in Eastern New Orleans
Mother’s Restaurant
401 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130
mothersrestaurant.net
Parkway Bakery & Tavern
Bakery, Tavern and Po’ Boy Restaurant in Mid City
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
538 Hagan Avenue New Orleans, LA 70119
parkwaypoorboys.com
II Tony’s Restaurant
Italian Restaurant in Lakeview (Lake Pontchartrain)
II Tony’s Restaurant
8536 Pontchartrain Blvd New Orleans, LA 70124
two-tonys.com
Russell’s Marina Grill
Brunch Spot in Lakeview (Lake Pontchartrain)
Russell’s Marina Grill
8555 Pontchartrain Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124
russellsmarinagrill.net
Cochon Butcher
American Restaurant in the Warehouse district
Cochon Butcher
930 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70130
cochonbutcher.com
Muriel’s Jackson Square
Creole Restaurant in the French Quarter
Muriel’s Jackson Square
801 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70116
muriels.com
Cafe Beignet
Cafe with Beignets, Brunch and Southern Delicacies throughout the French Quarter
Cafe Beignet
334 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Cafebeignet.com
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I am dreaming about going to New Orleans and eating all the good food I hear about, so this list of the best places to eat in New Orleans came just in time. Thanks so much for this article jam-packed with great advice!
Those Beignet look delicious, I’d love to be able to try one (unfortunately, not in the cards with my diet restrictions).
Oh, no! What are your dietary restrictions? I know that some places offer gluten free beignets. Also, when I visited Morning Call, they serve their Beignets with no sugar on top and you can add your own if desired.
I’ve been itching to go to New Orleans and this post in very inspiring! Beignets would be my first stop, but then I’d have a hard time picking which restaurant to go to next…
Ahh, that makes me so happy to hear, Melanie. Beignets as a top priority is a great choice! They were my first stop as well.
New Orleans is a massive must visit destination for me – mostly for the food
Then you’ll be doing it right, because it’s a dream destination for foodies!
These places look amazing! I am adding them to my list for my trip to New Orleans
I hope you do! Thanks for reading, Stephanie.
The dishes at the Palace Café look so tasty – I would never miss the Creole cuisine. Thanks for sharing!
Creole cuisine is so good!
I loved New Orleans! I was there for a work event and stayed an extra three days and had a blast. My hotel was close to Mother’s, and every time I walked or drove by, I saw a HUGE line, which is how I found out about it, but then soon learned it’s a landmark there! It was so good and I loved the casual atmosphere!
I’ve never considered going to New Orleans but, now I want to go!
You’ve convinced me to visit New Orleans. Can’t wait to enjoy all the food!
I can’t wait for you to enjoy all the food, either!