An Eater's Guide: The Best Food In New Orleans Right Now (15+ Restaurants)
Let’s talk about what is obviously the most important part of visiting New Orleans—the grub. Aside from music, the city is known for the endless options of amazing flavor and variety. Most of the food is creole or cajun inspired, which is a blend of many different cultures so when you eat in New Orleans, you’re literally getting a taste of history. I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you to try the dishes they’re know for like gumbo, étouffée, and jambalaya, but that doesn’t mean that other dishes won’t be favorable. Even the most mundane meal here will most likely still be above average on the flavor scale. The thing about the food is that you may try the same dishes, but you’ll get a different take on each dish at every restaurant. That is part of what makes finding food here so exciting. It would take forever to even make a dent in all the restaurants the city has to offer, but here are the restaurants i’ve been to or those that were highly recommended to me. Hopefully it gives you a starting to point to one of the best foodie tours you’ll likely ever embark on.
1.Oceana Grill
739 Conti St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Oceana was highly recommended by several people, and is obviously a very popular spot I presumed by the lengthy line of people down the sidewalk. I would suggest making a reservation here, although I still was seated fairly quickly. Here, I had the Taste of New Orleans, which the waitress recommended for the reason that you really do get a taste of the dishes that NOLA is known for- creole jambalaya, crawfish etoufee, and red beans and rice with smoked sausage. I don’t typically like my foods mixed together or even touching, but I didn’t mind with this bowl given the amount of flavor. It was delicious and super filling.
2.Neyow’s Creole Cafe
3332 Bienville St, New Orleans, LA 70119
This is where I was told to get the best po’ boy, so I did—shrimp, to be exact. I visited Neyow’s on my first trip to the city and I liked the po’ boy, but the bread was a little on the thicker, stiff side so I was interested in trying another restaurant. I did just that on my second trip, but it turns out that’s kind of the traditional way to eat them. I would say that it definitely helps to have the po’ boy dressed with some sort of sauce because that makes the bread a little softer and more tolerable. Neyow’s no longer takes reservations as they did when I visited in 2017, so I would recommend planning around that.
3.Willa Mae’s Scotch House
898 Baronne St. New Orleans, LA 70113
On my first visit to New Orleans, this was my favorite restaurant. It was the last place I went, and the person who recommended it was not lying when they said it was the best fried chicken ever. In fact, it was named an America's Classic in 2005 by the James Beard Foundation and given “"America's Best Fried Chicken” by The Food Network and the Travel Channel. I had yams, mac and cheese and cornbread as well, which were also impeccable.
My visit was in 2017 before the original location was destructed by fire. At that time, you could not make reservation, which you could imagine gave me anxiety because it’s a highly sought after restaurant and I absolutely needed to try it before getting on a flight home. Thankfully, being a party of one served me well this time, because I never had to stand in line—a table opened right up for me. I highly recommend this place, and you’ll be happy to know that they now take reservations at the new location.
4.Cafe Du Monde
800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Located in Jackson Square, this place is most famous for their beignets and coffee. It’s a high energy place, because there are so many people in and out and it’s never not busy. You seat yourself inside or outside, so you have to grab a table as soon as you see one open. Don’t forget to bring cash with you, since they don’t take cards, but you don’t need much, because it’s very cheap.
5.Deanie’s Seafood
841 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70112
They are known obviously for what’s in the name; I had great shrimp and decent oysters and catfish, all of which I got fried rather than steamed. The food is piled high so you definitely get a bang for your buck. It’s located one street over from Bourbon, so it’s a place you can go that’s slightly removed from all of the noise and rowdiness. I was able to make a reservation years ago when I visited, but they unfortunately no longer take reservations.
6.Red Fish Grill
115 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
The food here was absolutely outstanding. As an appetizer I had the BBQ Oysters, which were hands down the best fried oysters I have ever had—I still dream of them. I also had the Alligator Boudin Balls and the Alligator Sausage & Seafood Gumbo as starters. The gumbo was a little on the smoky side and was probably my least favorite item from this restaurant, but nevertheless still good.
For my entree I had Crawfish Pasta Jambalaya which was impeccable. I was expecting jambalaya with rice, but it was made with pasta. It had so much flavor, and I enjoyed that it had so many types of meat in it (crawfish tails, Gulf shrimp, andouille sausage, roasted duck).
To drink, I had the specialty Frozen French 75 which was also delicious.As far as location, it’s right at the beginning of bourbon street so if you’re walking, you don’t have to go too far into the commotion to dine here.
7.Daisy Mae’s Southern fried chicken and breakfast
920 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Daisy Mae’s has incredible fried chicken. The Chicken and Waffles meal comes with one large waffle and three pieces of chicken—a leg, breast, and a thigh. Typically, I don’t eat fried chicken breasts because they tend to be on the drier side, but here I had the juiciest, best prepared chicken breast I’ve ever had. We waited about ten minutes here for a party of six, but I will caution that it’s small and they do not take reservations, so Daisy Mae’s is another restaurant where you’re betting on getting your timing just right. The very next day after we ate here, there was a line all the way down the sidewalk to get in.
8.The Fiery Crab
925 Common St, New Orleans, LA 70112
Here I had frog legs and hushpuppies as starters—both were delicious. For lunch, I had the seafood boil, which it seemed like they were known for. They have a build your own system where you can choose exactly which seafoods you want included in your boil and how you want it seasoned. I had the headless shrimp, snow crab legs, crawfish, and lobster. It comes with sausage and potatoes as well. For seasoning, I went with the fiery special which is a combination of all of the seasonings they have. I had it by myself, but it’s definitely a shareable meal because you get so much seafood. The flavoring was great and the meal was filing.
9.Olde Nola Cookery
205 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Olde Nola Cookery is located towards the beginning of Bourbon Street and we ended up eating here because they stay open pretty late (1:00 a.m,). We went here the very first night of my second trip to New Orleans and this time I started with the étouffée. That was the perfect choice because it was amazing. I ordered it as an appetizer, but I wished that I had ordered a full portion of it for my meal. They also bring out a plate of gator bites for the table as a starter here and those were delicious.
For my meal, I gave the po’ boy a try and I felt the same way about it as the po’ boy at Neyow’s—it was decent. The thing about New Orleans is that even the meals I felt were just decent are still very good; there are just likely better versions of the meal at another restaurant. There are no reservations here, so you will likely have to stand in a pretty long line to get a table. The good thing, though, is that if you drink, there’s a place called Mango Mango next door. If you’re with a party, you can step out of line in shifts to get a nice refreshing slushy drink.
10.Jimmy J’s Cafe
115 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130
We had Jimmy J’s as takeout for breakfast and I had really good shrimp and grits here. It was interesting to me because the dish was seasoned like a pasta and came with a garlic bread on the side so it was very rich and flavorful. I’ve always had sweet grits, but this meal convinced me that cheesy, savory grits are more my speed than sweet grits.
11.Annunciation
1016 Annunciation St, New Orleans, LA 70130
This was the last restaurant we visited and my favorite thing here was the Lemon Champagne cocktail. I’m really just starting to like alcoholic drinks and I had three of these, if that tells you anything.
For my meal, I had the shrimp étouffée that was very good. It didn’t blow my mind as much as the étouffée from Old Nola Cookery but it was still tasty. I also got a taste of the grilled lamb chops and this were really good as well. This restaurant was located in a quiet part of town, so if you’re looking to get away from all of the touristy areas, I would check this one out. I’d also recommend a reservation here, but walk-ins are welcome.
12. Manchu
1782 N Dorgenois St. New Orleans, LA 70119
Manchu was recommended to me in 2017 by a local who swore this was the best fried chicken in New Orleans, and I have to say it is definitely up there with the best of them. They have since opened a second location in Richmond, which I was elated about. My order here is a ten-piece wing with mambo sauce, cajun fries, and beignets for dessert.
In the south, corner stores, gas stations and storefronts are known to have some of the best food you’ll ever taste, similar to bodegas in the north. Manchu has a corner store vibe where it may not be the best looking restaurant you’ve ever seen, but the food certainly does hit.
13.Li’l Dizzy’s cafe
1500 Esplanade Avenue New Orleans, LA 70116
For a taste of New Orleans soul food, Li’l Dizzy’s offers a spread that’s as comforting as it is flavorful. Known for their fried chicken, gumbo, and other Creole classics, this family-owned spot is a must-visit for a laid-back, hearty meal that celebrates NOLA’s culinary creole roots.
14.Lola’s
3312 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119
Just a five-minute drive down the street from Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe, you’ll find Lola’s in Mid-City as the antidote for your paella craving. This Spanish-inspired eatery is known for its generous portions of seafood-packed paella, garlic shrimp, and sangria that goes perfectly with the rustic atmosphere.
15.Landry’s
620 Decatur St, Unit 1A, New Orleans, LA 70130
Seafood lovers will surely find joy at Landry’s in the French Quarter where fresh Gulf catches are transformed into dishes like blackened fish, seafood pasta, and buttery crab legs. You’ll also enjoy waterside views and an inviting atmosphere to indulge in NOLA’s best seafood.
16.Katie’s
3701 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70119
Katie’s serves up Cajun and Creole comfort food, making it a local favorite in the heart of Mid-City. From crawfish beignets to shrimp remoulade po’boys, each dish is marked by authentic Louisiana flavor.
17.Cochon
930 Tchoupitoulas St Ste A, New Orleans, LA 70130
A love letter to Southern pork dishes, Cochon takes Cajun-style cuisine to the next level. Helmed by award-winning chefs, the menu features slow-cooked pork shoulder, boudin, and house-made sausages, all served in a modern, industrial-chic setting.
