New Orleans When it comes to where to eat in New Orleans, food is the primary language. A bowl of gumbo is not a recipe; it’s a novel of history, migration, and survival. This is a city that communicates its deepest truths – about joy, resilience, community, and conflict – through what it cooks. To eat here is to participate in a conversation that has been going on for 300 years.
An essential New Orleans restaurant does more than serve a great meal. It provides a kind of spiritual and cultural nourishment, reminding the city of who it is, where it came from, and where it’s going. Our aim here is not simply to point you to good food, but to share with you places both close to our heart and our hope for the future of the city. They might not always be glamorous – the best booze can come in a plastic to-go cup and life-altering crawfish from a folding table in a parking lot. But they are all honest: neighborhood anchors, family legacies, or community hubs.
There is fried chicken, and then there is Li’l Dizzy’s Café’s (@
lildizzyscafe504) fried chicken, which is about as good as it gets. The restaurant, founded by legendary New Orleans restaurateur Wayne Bacquet, is a love letter to the Tremé neighborhood and its Creole cuisine. And while the gumbo and bread pudding are renowned for good reason, it is the fried chicken – light breading, crispy skin, a snappy bite and tender meat – that brings us back again and again. All it needs is a splash of Crystal hot sauce.
Vaucresson’s (@
vaucressonsausage) century-old sausage making legacy lives on in its signature chaurice, or hot sausage, spiked red with paprika and cayenne peppers. It’s a spicy reminder of the Black Creole heritage of New Orleans’s 7th ward. After Katrina, their sausages were relegated to festival stands, but now they’ve reopened by North Roman St., offering their famous hot sausage po’boy. This simple yet perfect sandwich combines juicy, spicy sausage with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo on crispy Leidenheimer bread.
Where to eat in New Orleans is about more than food – music often takes center stage. After opening in 2017, Bywater Bakery (@
bywaterbakerynola) quickly became a local favorite, attracting neighborhood regulars and jazz icons for impromptu performances. Pastry chef Chaya Conrad creates indulgent pastries and unique dishes like "breakfast gumbo" alongside her husband, Alton Osborn, a designer with deep ties to the local music scene. The bakery is a lively spot, hosting block parties and musical events, celebrating New Orleans culture and supporting local charities.
In the South, storefront churches are not uncommon, and Beignets & More (@
beignetsandmore) is an ascetic temple tucked into a Chalmette suburb strip mall. The name is a cloaking device of sorts: The fresh beignets – a French doughnut that has become synonymous with New Orleans – are almost an afterthought on a menu studded with delicious pho, vermicelli bowls, banh mi and other Vietnamese delicacies. The large, airy beignets, however, are beautifully accompanied by Vietnamese iced coffee.
New Orleans is a city defined by its communal spirit and seasons of celebration, and nothing embodies that quite like the crawfish boil. Amidst the pandemic, NOLA Crawfish King's (@
nolacrawfishking) food truck, run by Chris "Shaggy" Davis and Kat Brennan, became a beacon of hope and community on Franklin Avenue, doling out spicy, citrus-y bags of the stuff from a parking lot by the Happy Discount gas station and liquor store. Now, this royalty has their own palace from which they continue feeding the community.
Booze, Brunch, and Backroom Jazz: Buffa’s
Any proper brunch begins with booze, doesn’t matter where you eat in New Orleans. At Buffa’s (@
buffasbar_nola), they are served in plastic to-go cups, filled to the rim and with no-frills. Head past the broom-closet kitchen to the back for jazz, or unwind in the sun-filled barroom over perfectly cooked omelets, biscuits and gravy, or burgers to rival those of nearby legend Port of Call. Inside, the red walls are bedecked with black and white photos, old signs and other tchotchkes that give it the well-worn personality of your uncle’s home bar.
What began as a small enterprise for Vietnamese refugees De and Huong Tran is now a New Orleans hot spot, honored with a James Beard “America’s Classics” award. While famous for its destination-worthy king cakes during Mardi Gras, insiders know the soul of Dong Phuong (@
dpbakerynola) lies in its savory Vietnamese delights, especially the flaky, meat-filled pâté chaud. As the couple’s daughter, Linh Garza, says, "it sometimes feels like a dream to me…that a small family of Vietnamese refugees could create all of this."
