Must Try New Orleans Food

Peppers for Weeks

There are a few key dishes that are near and dear to most New Orleanians and I am going to share them with you in this post. Many of us grow up watching our parents or grandparents make said dishes, and our best advice to visitors is to show up at a local’s house to eat them. For myself, I enjoy making and perfecting certain foods that we all love, and I always throw my own twist into it. As a creative cook, it’s fun to start with the traditional dish and put your signature on it. From red beans and rice to seafood gumbo to fried chicken, I’ve eaten it all and cooked most of it.

Classic New Orleans food is something unique and delicious, and we are going to get into it shortly. One other mention: the world is on board with our big heads regarding our food. Check out this article touting New Orleans as the #1 best city for food. Let’s dig in (pun intended).

Yes, I Ate Them All By Myself

It’s a good question. New Orleans is known for a lot of things, and that list keeps growing as chefs and restaurateurs get more creative and fun in the world of food. Traditionally, we are known for red beans and rice, beignets, gumbo, oysters, and more that I'll highlight below. Each person has his or her own iteration and opinion of how to make all of our dishes and what tastes the best. It’s makes it our own. But what isn’t an opinion is that the types of foods are absolutely divine. They taste like no other dishes from anywhere else in the world, and we are very proud of that.

Go into any New Orleans institution and you will find a version of several traditional New Orleans dishes, and I guarantee they will probably be delicious. Since I know it will be hard to cover all of them in just one trip, we expect you to come back and continue the journey of eating well in the Big Easy. You’ll be hooked!

Homemade Red Beans

Not only does New Orleans have the best foods in the country, it’s argued that New Orleans has the best foods in the world by some publications. As I mentioned above, the article from Time Out votes us the best food city in the world, and Trip Advisor voted us (in 2024) the best US city, coming in 8th in the world. Not too bad for our crazy little hometown. Year after year, we have our tried and true restaurants that live on, and newcomers on the scene. It creates a festive environment for eating out, and oh how we love to dine out. We’re social creatures, after all, and we love to tell you all about our mom’n’em when we talk to you. Belly up to a bar, specifically one of the ones I have listed here, and let’s eat some grub. Only the best for you.

While we don’t have any Michelin star restaurants (shockingly), we do have some hotels with a Michelin nod. The awesome part about that is that some of the hotels have restaurants attached that are amazing. If they don’t, the front desk will gladly point you in the right direction for a delicious meal in New Orleans. For more on the best area to stay in New Orleans for you, my blog will have what you need. In fact a few of the hotels on my list are Michelin starred, so you are going to be in great shape choosing a place from this list. You’re in very good hands here, I promise you that.

Homemade Gumbo

The Classics

Gumbo

Could this be THE most famous of our Creole food? Arguably so. I’m very partial to seafood gumbo, myself, but we love to make it all kinds of ways. You could mix chicken and andouille sausage, or do a combination of any of it. Truly, gumbo is a melting pot, much like New Orleans. It’s a stew made with dark roux to start, adding in things like our holy trinity of vegetables: onion, celery, and bell pepper. Spoiler alert: I personally don’t like bell pepper and substitute jalapeno pepper in everything, but that’s my creative part. Gumbo is a must try. Try it at Commander’s Palace for a really special meal and the quintessential New Orleans experience.

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is probably the easiest thing on earth to make. Everything goes in one pot, and it has many influences: Spanish, African, and Caribbean. Some will argue that you do or don’t put tomatoes in there, but both are right. The Creole style has tomatoes; the Cajun variety does not and is spicier. Me? I mix whatever the heck I want in there and it’s delicious. It’s a rice dish, which is reminiscent of paella, but naturally it’s New Orleans style, so not quite the same. Ingredients often include chicken, shrimp, and sausage. It’s a very comforting dish that you can get at Jacques-Imos. Bring your appetite and your TUMS!

Red Beans and Rice

I’m not a purist cooking red beans and rice by any means, but boy do people love my version of it. Your best bet to get it is somewhere like Mandina's or Joey K’s, and they will likely cook it just the way I grew up eating it, ham bits in there and everything. The problem for me was that I became a vegetarian at 12 years old, so my mother would make my dad and me our own pot without the meats, and I got used to eating it that way. I then forced it on everyone else, with my own version of a jalapeño replacing the bell pepper and delicious cajun and creole spices I buy at the farmers market. When people ask me where the best red beans are, I say my house. Some come on over, chers. 

Po Boys

Get in my belly! Our po boys are made on the most delicious fresh French bread (if you go to the right place) and there are so many types to try. My very favorite is a shrimp po boy dressed. What does dressed mean? Mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickle is how we traditionally eat it. Whether you’re getting a roast beef po boy or a shrimp or even a hamburger one, you are going to leave stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey. Speaking of, Parkway Bakery, where I would recommend trying your first one, does a Thanksgiving po boy, with turkey and cranberry sauce and stuffing. If they don’t load it with stuffing, it’s some good eats. 

Crawfish or Shrimp Étoufée

I grew up eating homemade crawfish étouffée, and it was so good. Buttery and lemony goodness served over rice was the ultimate dish. You know it also has to have the holy trinity in there as well. I’ve never made this dish myself, but after writing this I’m going to and serve it to my willing participants. Hey, I’m a good cook! It’s a relatively simple dish but does take time to get right with the roux. Roux can be a real test of will if you’re not familiar with how to do it. Practice a couple of times if you need to, or head over to Jacques-Imos again. In fact, stay there for the next dish too.

Shrimp Creole

Unlike the buttery goodness of crawfish or shrimp étouffée, shrimp creole is a dish with a tomato base. There’s also no roux, which saves a little time and effort However, the holy trinity its till in full force for this dish, which you will find is the case with many New Orleans style dishes. The tomatoes make it a little tangy, and a bit heartier in my opinion. It’s a good dish, and one that I think is a solid must try New Orleans food. While this creole dish is not first on my list, it’s still on the list. 

Muffuletta

I’m going to discuss the muffuletta from my own perspective, which is a little odd for this food item. Because I don’t eat meat, I have been ordering a vegetarian muffuletta from Central Grocery as long as I can remember. There was a time when they had to special make them, and now I believe they have them ready to go, as I singlehandedly made it popular. I kid, but it is now a thing there. For those of you who eat it the regular way, Central is the way to go. It’s served cold with the best olive salad around, and you must get this. A quarter of the sandwich is plenty, and half is a huge amount. You can buy it half or whole, so choose wisely.

Fried Catfish To Go

Seafood Only

Oysters - All Ways

We covet raw oysters around here, and we grow up sucking them down with a hot horseradish, lemon, and ketchup “sauce” that we mix ourselves. Hit Casamento’s for some of the best. Through the years, chefs have gotten creative with their oysters, and you can find them in many ways. Chargrilled in buttery goodness is probably the most common, and we have Oysters Rockefeller (go to Antoine’s), fried oysters (on a po boy at Domilise’s), Oysters Bienville, and oyster stew (R&O’s in Metairie). Anyway you have them, they are good here. Seaworthy is also a great spot to get oysters many ways.

Crawfish

In my blog about when is crawfish season in New Orleans, I mention some places to get them. Crawfish is one of our favorite types of seafood in New Orleans. Luckily for us, many companies put them in 1lb freezer bags so we can buy them all year. One of my favorite ways to eat crawfish is in the pie form. It’s what I run to at French Quarter Fest every single year. If you have the chance to get boiled crawfish, I recommend eating trying them at least once, with the chaperoning of a local, so you get the hang of how to peel them. I’ve taught many people in my day. Another favorite is crawfish and corn bisque. But truly they are good anyway they are served.

Fried Shrimp or Catfish

Simple and a staple around these parts, friend shrimp and catfish are one of our favorites. When you want to let it all hang out and not give a hoot about calories, get a fried shrimp or catfish plate. Want to go crazy? Get the combination and add the soft-shell crabs. You’ll walk away feeling like a ton of bricks are in your stomach, but there’s not much more delicious than eating bottom-feeding catfish and shrimp with a side order of fries. It’s so New Orleans, and oh so delicious. You can find this almost everywhere around the city.

Beignets and Coffee at The Vintage

Desserts

Beignets

There are not enough days in the week to eat all the delicious beignets around town, but you can certainly try. No matter how many I have in my life, I still love them. I eat them at a muss less frequent rate than in my younger years, but hey, if you’re on vacation, go crazy. A few of the places I recommend getting them are: The Vintage (where you can order just one or small bite sized ones), Morning Call (I grew up going there), Loretta’s, Cafe du Monde, and Cafe Beignet. Pick your poison, and you’ll be happy with them all.

Pralines

Dangerous! I could eat an entire box of these. These are a pretty simple treat that are incredibly tasty and light, so it makes eating them way too easy. You can find them around town in gift shops and different stores because they are all the rage to take home or give as gifts. Pop into the New Orleans School of Cooking for some cooking lessons and grab a box of pralines when you’re leaving. Don’t blame me if you gain 10lbs!

Bananas Foster

Get yourself dolled up and go to one of our most iconic restaurants, Brennan’s, for some Bananas Foster dessert. It’s an experiential dessert, made at your table, and it has a fun presentation, complete with flames. Yes, fire is involved and it’s a show. When you’re in Rome, or New Orleans…you must try this dessert. You can get this dessert all over the city, but this is where it was born, so why not make it a memorable time? The food is good, and the menu is large, so most will be happy.

Bread Pudding

Traveling back uptown to Commander’s Palace, we will get the classic bread pudding. I’m not going to lie, this is not my favorite dessert. Don’t come at me! I don’t like soggy bread, but many people do. There is something special about how they present it, and I fully support anyone trying it. My personal preference is not this, but who cares what I think? You’re here to try our must eat foods, and this is definitely on that list. Try it once, and we can discuss your taste for it.

Sazerac House

Drinks - A Bonus!

Coffee with Chicory

While you’re grabbing your beignets at Morning Call, get a coffee with chicory. It’s a unique taste, and you will either like it or not. Many of our coffee shops serve it, so you can order with or without.

Sazerac

The best place to try out the sazerac drink is the Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel! It’s a great place to wind down for a little bit and try this cocktail. Want to make it at home? Go to the Sazerac House museum and buy the ingredients after. It’s strong and will put some hair on your chest.

Hurricane

I’ve had one too many of these bad boys, but I would say it’s worth a try, or at least a few sips. To get the most famous and original one, go to Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter and have one. Sit in the piano bar for some entertainment, and then follow it with copious amounts of water. It’s very strong and will hit you like a Mac truck if you’re not careful.

French 75

One of my favorite light drinks around, the French 75, or Soixante Quinze in France, is a perfect cocktail in my opinion. It has champagne, gin, lemon, and simple syrup. Try it at Jewel of the South, a favorite restaurant and bar of mine, and also in my favorite bars list linked here.

Pimm’s Cup

The presentation of a Pimm’s Cup is one of my favorites. While I’m not a huge fan of lemonade drinks, this one is quite refreshing and perfect on a summer day. The best place to get it is at the Napoleon House, so you must try it there. You must!

If you are ready to go it alone with New Orleans style cooking, I greatly support this. You can find so many great recipes, and I will share some cookbooks that will make it relatively easy to get these dishes when you’re away from our amazing foodie city. Thank you for coming and trying our most favorite and famous dishes, and I hope you come back for more….with your appetite, of course.

Cooking Up a Storm

River Road Recipes

Mosquito Supper Club

Modern Creole

The Plantation Cookbook

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