Food You Need To Eat In New Orleans

We recently went to New Orleans to celebrate Doza's Birthday earlier this month and we had an absolutely amazing time! Our favorite part was definitely the food so we wanted to talk about our trip…through food. We'll be listing off our favorite places and a little bit about why we loved each and every one!

Old Nola Cookery

This was the first place we hit up on our trip shortly after checking in to our hotel and it definitely hit the spot. We started off with a good ole' plate of fried amazingness that included catfish, gator bites, crawfish tails and hush puppies! We also ordered some Cajun Fries which are basically regular fries that are smothered in a Cajun spiced creamy mushroom sauce, cheddar cheese and crawfish. Along with their refreshing happy hour drinks, this was a great first meal to kick start our vacation in New Orleans!

Carousel Bar

Yup, you read that correctly. NOLA is home to a bar on a carousel that actually revolves! It's absolutely gorgeous when lit up and the perfect place to take a round and rest your feet while exploring the city. If you're of legal drinking age, be sure to try their 'Vieux Carre' as it is their most famous cocktail that has been around since the early 1900s.

Killer Po’ Boys

A po' boy is what we assume is Louisiana's favorite sandwich. It's basically French bread loaded with some type of meat and a couple of simple veggies. We opted for fried crawfish tails but we're pretty sure you can't go wrong with the meat of your choice from beef, shrimp, fish, oysters, crab, alligator, etc. Ironically, despite sounding like wordplay based from "poor boy", these simple sandwiches were kind of pricey compared to some of the other fare you can get in NOLA! So, just a heads up.

Café Du Monde

Did we even go to NOLA if we didn't get the sugary deliciousness that is beignets from Café Du Monde?! This place has been around since 1862 and has incredible service. We were blown away at how the establishment was organized even though it seemed completely chaotic on the surface. They have a 'seat yourself' system (if you can find a table) and then you're greeted to order. Service is super quick and even if you don't ask for water, they'll bring you some! (Which you'll need because of the amount of powdered sugar loaded on the crispy-on-the-outside-but-fluffy-on-the-inside-beignets!) We hope to attempt making some ourselves soon. Side note - if you're in the mood for some caffeine, their Chicory Root Coffee is amazing as well!

Willie Mae’s Scotch House

We love supporting local and family-run businesses when we travel and Willie Mae's is just that. Having been around since 1957 and located in a historic neighborhood they are famous for their fried chicken and soul food. Definitely go here if you want to your stomach and soul to both be satisfied!

Acme Oyster House

So this one was actually recommend to us by a good friend to go eat their char broiled oysters but we when we got there we weren't really feeling oysters… We instead opted for their crawfish tail Po'Boy and a delicious slice of their banana foster's cheesecake! We also had a side of jambalaya but to be honest we aren’t huge fans of jambalaya in general so we weren’t expecting much but knew we had to order jambalaya at least once while in New Orleans.

Jimmy J’s Cafe

Our experience at Jimmy J's Café was the Absolute. Best. Breakfast. Experience. we had in New Orleans. They actually had a line out the door on a week day but it was well worth the wait. It's a cozy, colorful café with positive and laid back vibes all around. We recommend their Blackened Pork Chops regardless if it's morning, noon or night! All of their dishes come with perfectly roasted and seasoned potatoes and an arugula salad. Seriously guys - go here for breakfast!

Napoleon House

Napoleon House is a historic place that has been around since 1794 and was intended as a residence for Napoleon when he was exiled even though he never made it there because he died in 1821. Today they are known for serving up classic Creole dishes! For all you history buffs out there that also want some great food, check this place out.

Café Sbisa

If you're a fan of crab cakes, this is the place to get them! We actually tried crab cakes at a few places through out New Orleans since it's a pretty common appetizer, but none of them were as tasty as the ones here! They also have an excellent happy hour between 4-7 PM on Wednesdays/Thursday which was perfect for our mid week trip.

Musical Legends Park

We highly recommend picking up a famous NOLA drink like the Hand Grenade, shark attack, a daiquiri of choice, or whatever you want while walking down Bourbon Street and stopping by this park! With statues of popular jazz legends and a cozy outdoor setting with live music from local bands, you can truly get lost in NOLA's charm like we did. You may even start dancing!

Ruby Slipper Café

Another great breakfast spot that we enjoyed that had excellent coffee. They actually have a few locations through out New Orleans and we went to the one in the French Quarter. We highly recommend their Croque Madame from here. It's a French truck coffee glazed ham, swiss cheese and brioche bread dipped in an egg custard and grilled, topped with cream sauce and a scrambled egg. Perfect fuel for a long day of adventuring!

Dooky Chase’s

New Orleans and Dooky Chase go hand in hand y'all! This is hands down one of the most famous restaurants in the city made popular by the legendary Creole chef Leah Chase. From the historical significance of her restaurant in the 1960s when it was used as a gathering place during the Civil Rights movement, to the multitude of awards and honors this family run business has received, their wholesome food is what this colorful city is all about. During the week they offer a lunch buffet that changes daily but always includes creole favorites like po'boys, seafood, gumbo, fried chicken, and much more!

Emeril’s

Emeril Lagasse is a name you've probably heard of if you watch cooking shows in the US. He actually has a few restaurants in New Orleans that range from casual to fine dining. Getting to eat dishes he curated was an incredible experience for us! We tried his chicken & waffles which were a bit unconventional with a sweet corn batter, topped with coleslaw and a savory spicy syrup but we were pleasantly surprised. We also split an exquisite roasted duck pizza. We would have never thought to add duck to pizza but it works!

The Cake Cafe

We were very fortunate to have gone to NOLA as the city was prepping for Mardi Gras, but even if it's not February, there is an abundance of King Cake all year round! Since we were in town celebrating Doza's birthday we actually opted for King Cake to be his birthday cake this year and The Cake Café is the place to get it in our opinion. This was actually a recommendation from one of our freelancing clients and it was delicious! We even brought it home with us since the cake was too large for us to finish. Pro tip, they will absolutely charge you for the cake as an additional carry-on if you are taking a flight out so be sure you can fit it in your bags!

Well that wraps up our NOLA food recommendations! If you would like to know more about our trip and other attractions, recommendations or insights let us know in the comments below! One of our 2020 goals is to travel more together and we hope to put out more post-trip blog posts out accordingly for y'all so your feedback would be greatly appreciated!

Finally, like always, follow us on our food focused Instagram for all of our homemade cooking and going out food adventures @NushAndDoza.Eats!