Ultimate New Orleans Food Tour: Top Dining Spots

If you tell someone you are going to New Orleans, you’ll immediately get a list of all the great places to eat from them. We put a question up on our Facebook page asking what people loved about New Orleans, and nearly everyone mentioned their favorite place to eat! That’s because New Orleans food is one of a kind.

The food scene in the city is as much a part of the culture and heritage as Mardi Gras and Voodoo. Everyone is passionate about food, and everyone has their favorite dish or favorite restaurant.

New Orleans Foodie Tour – What to Eat in the City

We came home a few pounds heavier after spending a week exploring all the great eats of NOLA, and now we have our favorite restaurants and New Orleans food favorites to share.

New Orleans has its very own flavor. With famous dishes like jambalaya, gumbo, blackened fish, and chargrilled oysters, you’ll find some of the most unique dishes in America.

It’s important to know what food to try when visiting New Orleans. We were once a couple of novices in the food department, but now that we’re NOLA food geniuses, we decided to share our knowledge of New Orleans food with you so you can be ready to eat when you visit the Big Easy.

1. Gumbo at 3rd Block Depot Kitchen + Bar

We stayed at the W Hotel in the French Quarter, an excellent location on Chartres Street. It was close enough to walk everywhere, but just far enough away from Bourbon Street to be out of the crazy nightlife.

It also has one of the best restaurants in the city. 3rd Block Depot Kitchen + Bar puts a spin on Creole/Cajun cuisine. Chef Nick Ocheltree has infused his flair with classics such as Boudin + Cracklins and Cajun Gumbo to Gulf Shrimp Ceviche and Po’Boys.

Our top pick for 3rd Block Depot is the Cajun Gumbo.

What is Gumbo? Gumbo is probably one of the most common dishes in New Orleans, and you cannot visit the city without sampling a few places. It is a delicious Creole stew made from a thick dark roux (I learned that phrase while in NOLA) made from flour and fat. Usually, it is mixed with sausage, shellfish, or poultry.

Our particular favorite gumbo (and we had a lot) was at the W’s SoBou, where they put a twist on the traditional recipe by mixing it with creamy mashed potatoes instead of rice. I enjoyed the chicken and wild mushroom gumbo of SoBou over the usual shrimp or seafood. I never really loved the seafood gumbos and found this one much milder and delicious.

3rd Block Depot Kitchen + Bar is located in the W Hotel on Chartres Street in the French Quarter.

2. Poboys at NOLA Poboys

During our food tour with Doctor Gumbo Food Tours, we were told about the history of the Poboy sandwich.

The term originated from a streetcar strike in 1929 when former conductors Benny and Clovis Martin opened a restaurant and served their coworkers free sandwiches to keep them full and ready to walk the picket lines. Whenever the strikers came in for their free meal, the cooks would yell, “Here come the poor boys!”

Our guide Ben told us that Poboys were made for energy and can be filled with anything you like.

The traditional recipe consists of fried seafood (usually catfish) with hot sauce. Poboys must always be made on French bread. It’s not a Poboy if it’s on any other bread.

3. Muffuletta – Doctor Gumbo Tours

It was also on our Doctor Gumbo Tour that we tried our first Muffuletta. We’re normally not big on meat sandwiches, but the Muffuletta is yet another unique and delicious New Orleans food dish that we never would have tried had we not taken this tour.

The popular spot to order a Muffuletta is the Central Grocery and Deli, but you can get it anywhere you want.

Like the Poboy, it’s made with French bread but layered with all kinds of meats, cheeses, a gooey helping of olive oil, and don’t forget the most important ingredient: the olive salad. If you aren’t full after eating a Poboy followed by a Muffuletta, then you are ready to move to New Orleans. This town knows how to handle its food. Doctor Gumbo Food Tours meets at SoBou in the W Hotel and lasts 3 hours, so come hungry!

4. Café Beignet – Best Beignet in New Orleans

Beignet is a Louisiana staple, and when visiting New Orleans, you must stop at Café Beignet for their delicious treats. Café Beignet has been in NOLA for 27 years and should not be confused with the more touristy Café du Monde. Beignets are delicious deep-fried dough fritters sprinkled with powdered sugar. Café Beignet also serves full breakfast and coffee. Café Beignet is located at 334 Royal Street in the French Quarter.

5. Must Have Beef Brisket at TuJagues

Dave and I don’t normally eat so much meat, but it seemed that every dish in NOLA was centered around a meat dish. They know how to cook it!

When traveling, we tend to go with the flow, so when we were tasting Beef Brisket at New Orleans’ second oldest restaurant, we gave it a shot. It melted in your mouth deliciously.

But the history of the restaurant was even more fascinating. The beef brisket dates back to the 1850s when owners Guillaume and Marie Abadie Tujague served only two dishes at lunch: a spicy cold shrimp dish and their famous beef brisket.

It was in this bar that brunch was created in America. That’s something we heard a lot in New Orleans. It’s such an old and established city; a lot of firsts happened here in America. Tujague’s is located on Decatur Street in the French Quarter.

6. Louisiana Hot Sauce at Pepper Palace

While taking our food tour, it was confirmed that Louisiana truly loves its hot sauce. If you want to get to the root of New Orleans cooking, pop into Pepper Palace. They’ll let you taste any hot sauce they have in the store and explain what each one is used for and how to cook with it.

They have all their hot sauces labeled from 1 to 10, with 10 being the hottest. If you want to taste #10, you must sign a waiver.

We tasted a 10, but not “THE 10.” As our guide said, “We still have two more hours of touring; you may not want to suffer for the rest of the trip.”

7. Chargrilled Oysters at Casamento’s for something different

Dave and I like to think of ourselves as purists and weren’t too keen on eating chargrilled oysters. We do love raw oysters. Why ruin a good thing, right? Wrong. Now we are super fans of chargrilled oysters. Once we tasted chargrilled oysters in New Orleans, we wondered why we didn’t try them earlier.

Casamento’s is a small local eatery on Magazine Street that is packed with people. While eating our lunch, there was a line out the door. This place is popular.

We understood why; the chargrilled oysters with garlic and parmesan cheese were savory and satisfying. We ordered a mix of raw and chargrilled oysters, and I must admit, we enjoyed the chargrilled best!

Make your way up there after touring the mansions of the Garden District. Magazine Street is a hip and chic neighborhood where all the cool locals hang out. Casamento’s is located on Magazine Street near Lawrence Square.

8. Pralines – Leah’s Pralines

One of Dave’s favorite ice cream flavors is pralines and cream.

Lucky for him, I can’t stand pralines, so he got my extra portion when we had some samples at Leah’s Pralines.

However, I totally indulged in the fudge and bacon brittle. I was literally like a kid in a candy store.

If you like sweets, you’ll love pralines. They’re all over NOLA, and Leah’s Pralines is one of the top spots. The original French pralines are made up of almonds, but in New Orleans, pralines are made from pecans, sugar, syrup, and milk.

9. A Step in the Past – Commander’s Palace

Located in the Garden District, a dinner at Commander’s Palace is a must. Commander’s Palace has been an institution since 1880.

Owned by the Brennan family (who own several restaurants in New Orleans), Commander’s Palace is one of those nights out that make you feel as if you have stepped back in time.

They require a reservation and have a business attire dress code. Jackets are preferred for men, and no shorts are allowed. Most people in the restaurant were dressed to the nines, and we enjoyed prettying ourselves up for the night. We went full-on New Orleans traditional food ordering, trying the turtle soup and seafood gumbo.

They were a bit strong for our taste, but I can see why seafood lovers enjoy it. Luckily our main dishes were divine. I devoured the pecan-crusted gulf fish, and Dave indulged in the bluefin tuna toro.

Our Garden District walking tour guide Sheila of Welcome New Orleans Tours told us that at one time, if you were a valet at Commander’s Palace, you were the best paid in town. Commanders Palace is located in the Garden District directly across the street from Lafayette Cemetery.

10. Meril New Orleans – Warehouse District

Celebrity Chef Emeril Lagasse has his roots in New Orleans and was actually the executive chef at Commander’s Palace in the 1980s.

He has opened his fourth restaurant in New Orleans, and this one is called Meril. Located in the Warehouse District, it focuses on small plates to share.

We sat at the kitchen bar watching the cooking staff at work as they churned out plates. We went gaga over the yellowfin tuna wraps and the rock fin tacos.

But what a treat it was when they sent us over some cotton candy for dessert. Just when I thought I couldn’t eat anymore, the cotton candy went down with ease.

Meril is another restaurant located in the up-and-coming Warehouse District. This one is on Girod Street, and it was a 15-minute walk from the French Quarter.

11. Pierre Maspero’s – Touristy, but Popular

Like many of the buildings in New Orleans, Pierre Maspero’s has a dark and interesting history. This was the original slave exchange of New Orleans and the spot where Andrew Jackson planned for the Battle of New Orleans.

Today it’s a popular tourist eatery because of its central location in the French Quarter. It’s the first restaurant we came upon on our first visit to New Orleans, and they serve the standard NOLA food like crab cakes, crawfish, and even fried alligator.

It was here that we tried fried green tomatoes for the very first time and finally understood what all the fuss was about.

Trenasse inside the InterContinental NOLA

Our first trip to New Orleans kicked off with dinner at Trenasse inside the InterContinental NOLA, where we enjoyed a Cajun-Creole dinner. It was one of our favorite restaurants in New Orleans, which says a lot because New Orleans has one of the best food scenes in America.

That is all you need to know about New Orleans food and dining. When you visit the city for Mardi Gras or just for an escape into history and Creole culture, you’ll be armed and ready with what foods to eat and where to find them.

A highlight of our time in New Orleans was definitely the dining experience. During each meal, we were already planning where to eat next. A lot of people come to New Orleans to party and spend time on Bourbon Street, but if you are looking for an elegant vacation with upscale dining, there are plenty of options in NOLA.

Staying at the W Hotel gave us the freedom to walk or take an Uber, and its modern design and New Orleans-inspired themed rooms made us feel like we were having an authentic and sophisticated NOLA experience.

From going out on the town at night to watch smooth jazz with the locals at Snug Harbor on Frenchmen Street to tasting signature cocktails at SoBou and Sac-A-Lait, we had an elegant and sophisticated week in New Orleans while still getting a taste of that Mardi Gras nightlife.