When it comes to visiting a new city, nothing beats getting recommendations from locals. Locals know which tourist spots are overrated, and know the spots you’ve never heard of (and never would have). On our recent trip to New Orleans, we got lucky enough to get picked up from the airport by an Uber driver who was a born and bred New Orleanian. Once she learned it was our first time in New Orleans, her eyes lit up.
“I do!”
I replied.“At the next red light I’m gonna AirDrop you my list of recommendations.”
So here it is. From breakfast to live music spots, here is the list of recommendations from a New Orleans local:
Breakfast/Brunch
☐ French Toast
☑ Cafe Beignet
☑ Ruby Slipper
☐ Up & Adam
☑ Drag Brunch at The Country Club
Other Meals
☐ Marrows (Sunday brunch or dinner)
☐ Daisy Dukes (24/7 breakfast lunch and dinner / really good wings)
☐ Nice Guys NOLA (brunch + lunch / great vibe)
☐ Neyows (creole)
☐ Atchafalya (creole)
☑ Acme Oyster House (oysters and seafood)
☐ Dragos (seafood/steak)
☐ Peche (seafood)
☐ Superior Seafood (great drink! and seafood)
☐ Fraddys (poboys / hot sausage)
☐ Parkway (shrimp poboy)
☐ Superior Grill (Mexican / really good margaritas)
☐ Cochon (good meats)
☐ Katie’s (something for everyone)
☐ Lil Dizzy’s (southern comfort food)
☐ Brown Butter (Mid City)
☐ Blue Oak BBQ
☐ Banks meat market 24/7 (cheap drunk people food / NOT A DINE IN)
Drinks/Desserts
☐ Gazebo (ice cream daiquiris)
☐ Tropical Isle (hand grenades – frozen or on the rocks – GET BOTH)
☑ Loretta’s (praline beignets and sweet potato cookies***** / order them individually wrapped so you can take some home)
*****she specifically told me to put stars next to the sweet potato cookies because they were one of her top recommendations
☐ Stuph’d (stuffed beignets 10/10)
☑ Beignets at Cafe du Monde
Bars/Clubs
☐ Hot tin (rooftop)
☐ Tchoup House
☐ Wrong Iron
☐ Apres
☐ Treehouse
☐ Bayou Beer/Wine Garden
☐ Bacchanal
☐ Ace Hotel Rooftop
☐ House of Blues
☑ Preservation Hall (Music)
Tram
($1.25 one way or $3 for day pass)
☐ Garden District – Green street car (Garden district tours are nice)
☐ Cemetery – Red street car
☐ Magazine street (get dropped off at Dat Dog)
☐ Frenchman street (live music) (get dropped off at Dat Dog)
I was pleased to see a few things that were already on my itinerary (validation!), and curious to check out the rest.
One afternoon we were strolling the French Market and I saw Loretta’s booth. “Wasn’t that on the list?” I thought. And so I checked my screenshots, and there is was! So we stopped and ordered the sweet potato cookies…and I now understand the asterisks. Exquisite. And we probably never would have stopped if I hadn’t remembered seeing it on that list.
We obviously didn’t get to go to everything on this list, but if those cookies were any indication of what else is on here, I thought I had to share it with you all. Enjoy!
The AirDrop.
That is such a great way to put together a local travel guide.
She had been putting it together for years. Pure gold! She said she airdrops it to every rider she has whose first time it is in the city.
What a fantastic guide this is Anna. I went to New Orleans a very ling time ago so am due a visit. I have pinned this so I can refer back to it one day soon! I actually remember going to Cafe Beignet!
Cafe Beignet was one of my favorites! In addition to the beignets, I also had a 10/10 breakfast sandwich there. YUM!
It’s always great to get recommendations from locals! Thanks for sharing these of New Orleans 🙂
I think so too!
I am loving the checklist! I have only been to New Orleans for work and I didn’t get out much. I definitely need to visit for fun and soon! Thanks for sharing and inspiring!
Luckily the city is small enough that you can definitely get around pretty quickly and easily!
How wonderful that she shared your list with you! I wish I had it when I visited New Orleans a few years ago.. but I do recall some destinations. Loved the garden district and was a bit hyped when seeing Sandra Bullocks House
She was a GEM! So grateful!
Loving this! Recommendations from the locals are always the best!
I LOVE NOLA. Such a helpful and in-depth list. I’m leveraging this for when I go again 🙂 All the food spots, I’m so excited!
Wow, lucky ride! Great that she is so generous with her tips and recommendations 🙂