 When you visit New Orleans for the first time, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the variety of food choices. With well over 1,000 restaurants, it’s impossible to try all the New Orleans favorites on any given trip or to even know where to start. During our recent 4 day mother/daughter trip, I felt like we left with a good sampling of the local cuisine, including things like spicy boiled crawfish, chargrilled oysters, po’ boys and of course, the iconic beignets! We were fortunate to have a local family member who was a fabulous personal tour guide, especially when it came to food. Staying at the Hotel Indigo in the Garden District gave us the perfect opportunity to explore restaurants outside of the French Quarter. We could easily get up and walk to several popular breakfast spots. If you are staying in the French Quarter, don't hesitate to take an early morning St. Charles streetcar run to the picturesque Garden District for breakfast. But be sure to save room for lunch and dinner. Here’s how we spent 4 days exploring all there is to eat in New Orleans. *This post was updated October 2022. BreakfastThe Ruby Slipper Cafe With 5 locations around the city, including the French Quarter and Uptown, it’s easy to find your way to a Ruby Slipper Cafe, a popular breakfast spot. Don’t miss the Bananas Foster Pain Perdu, a french toast version with bananas and raisins, or the Pig-Candy Bacon. I loved the Bam Bam Biscuit with a fried egg, pepper jack cheese and pig-candy bacon served with a fried green tomato on a biscuit! Are you hungry yet? We visited the less crowded Uptown location, just a few blocks from the streetcar line at St. Charles and Washington Avenue.  District: Donuts. Sliders.Brew This place was so good we went twice for breakfast! As much as I wanted one of the giant-sized donuts on our first visit, my daughter decided to split the Croque Madame, along with a Kolaches filled with smoked salmon, green tabasco cream cheese, red onions and capers, and topped with “everything” seasoning. Both were a wonderful way to start the day, along with a large cup of coffee! On our 2nd visit to District, which happened to be a crowded Sunday morning, we tried the Coconut Mango donut along with one of their famous Pork Belly breakfast tacos. Again, the food hit the spot. Do not miss this place! Hop on the St. Charles Streetcar line to Jackson Street and walk a few blocks to Magazine Street.  LunchCentral Grocery Head to Decatur Street in the French Quarter for lunch at Central Grocery & Deli. Enter this colorful Italian market, founded in 1906 by a Sicilian immigrant, Salvatore Lupo, and you’ll want to buy all the classic Italian goodies like fresh cheese and imported pasta. I love that the store has stayed in the same family for 3 generations. There’s only one real choice for lunch - the famous Muffuletta! It’s ham, salami and provolone combined with their famous marinated olive salad on a round sesame loaf. The long counter in the back has limited seating, but we were able to find a seat on a busy Thursday. Find Central Grocery on Decatur Street across from the French Market. As of October, 2022, the store is still undergoing repairs to damage from Hurricane Ida. You can find their famous Muffuletta at other stores around New Orleans including Rouses Market.  Cochon Butcher Located in the New Orleans Warehouse District, the locals know this is the place to go for lunch or a casual dinner! It’s what happens when Cajun meets butcher shop, with a variety of cured meats and sausages. The seating area is lively and you’ll probably share a long table with strangers. Try the Gambino and the marinated brussel sprouts (which I regret not ordering as we watched our table partners enjoy them!) Surprisingly, the Key Lime Pie is a popular dessert, and we definitely finished that off no problem. Find Cochon Butcher on Tchoupitoulas Street.  Mahoney’s Po Boys & Seafood Head uptown for a New Orleans classic - a “dressed” Po Boy. Choose from meats like roast beef or alligator sausage, or my favorite, a seafood Po Boy with fried oysters. Order a side of thin cut onion rings, or if you are hungry, an order of one of four specialty loaded fries. We were tempted to try the Debris Fries, but needed to save room for the Mahoney’s Original Bread Pudding, which was the best bread pudding I think I have ever had! Find Mahoney’s at 3454 Magazine Street.  St. Roch Market Described as a southern food hall, St. Roch Market is a large, indoor food market, just a few minutes drive from the French Quarter. I was pleasantly surprised that it was not overcrowded when we visited for lunch on a Sunday. They offer so many excellent choices under one roof, which makes it fun for a family or group. The Red Beans and Rice and Jalapeno Cornbread from Fete au Fete hit the spot for lunch, but there were vendors serving all kinds of tasty food including plenty of fresh seafood and colorful salads!  DinnerThe Original French Market Restaurant and Bar If you love seafood, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to dive into a big boat of spicy boiled crawfish or to try a traditional dish like Crawfish Etouffee or Jambalaya. Walking through the French Quarter, you can’t miss the Original French Market Restaurant and Bar on the corner of Decatur Street. This casual restaurant has been owned by the Marullo family for several generations, and they offer a large selection of authentic New Orleans dishes. My suggestion is to start with the Garlic & Herb Char-Grilled Oysters, and continue on to a big boat of spicy, boiled crawfish. Make a reservation for dinner, as the place is very popular.  Superior Seafood and Oyster Bar Another Uptown gem, located at stop 24 of the St. Charles Streetcar line, Superior Seafood is definitely worth a visit. Between the 3 of us, we tried the chargrilled oysters, crawfish mac and cheese, the Pasta Vieux Carre, with grilled shrimp, andouille sausage and crawfish, and the grilled, Gulf drum. Top off dinner with Superior’s version of bread pudding, a sweet way to end the meal. We also had Mexican food with a local flavor at Superior Grill, owned by the same restaurant group. Two local favorites are the Sashimi Salad and the Superior Baja Fish Tacos. It’s located at stop 21 on the St. Charles Streetcar line.  AnytimeCafe DuMond vs. Cafe Beignet When you tell people you are heading to New Orleans, the first thing most people say is go to Cafe Du Monde for a beignet and coffee. They don’t tell you that the line is typically quite long, but it is open 24 hours a day in case 2 a.m. is more your speed. We stopped in around 10:00 p.m. on a Saturday night, and were able to get in pretty quickly. The beignets were light and fluffy, but I will have to save my review on the coffee for my next trip. For a different vibe, stop by Cafe Beignet at the location on Bourbon Street at Musical Legends Park. We stumbled upon this our first afternoon in the city, and really enjoyed relaxing and listening to live jazz on the outdoor patio while having our first beignets of the trip. Try not to get covered in powdered sugar! I say try them both, and see which one is your favorite!
Dat Dog Perfect for a mid-afternoon snack, don’t miss a stop at the colorful Dat Dog on Frenchmen Street, one of three locations in the city. So many classics, like the Crawfish Etouffee Dog or the Bacon Werewolf Dog. When you see the colorful blue building you will know you have arrived! Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar If for no other reason, visit Lafitte’s to say you had a drink in what is considered the oldest building to be used as a bar in the USA, and often considered one of the most haunted in New Orleans. It’s a fun place to stop in and look for ghosts! It would have been easy to dine our way just through the French Quarter, but I loved exploring food all around the city. As you can see, four days clearly wasn’t enough time to try everything. But that’s okay, I’ll just have to go back to try the jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, Bananas Foster from Brennan’s and a frozen treat from Hansen’s Sno-Bliz. What’s your favorite New Orleans dish? Pin for Later
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