2 Girls Who Travel Share 10 Cool Places to Eat, Drink and Hang Out in New Orleans

 

 

 

New Orleans is one of those cities you could visit a hundred times and have a different experience each time. Well, 2 Girls Who Travel are back in the Crescent City. We actually went last year and enjoyed the Bywater area. Check out last year’s visit for another great guide to the city. We break down some places to go in several neighborhoods around the city – just a Lyft or Uber ride away.

Now, there are some things that we love to do every time we come to town, but we do like to break away from our usual routine every now and then and try new things. Since Essence Festival is coming up, we want to share 10 cool places to eat, drink and hang out in the Big Easy!

1. Broussard’s, 819 Conti St, New Orleans, LA 70112 – Let’s just start by saying this French Creole restaurant offers the best bottomless mimosa and rose’ brunch! We tried the southern fried chicken and waffles and the crawfish omelette Mornay. We enjoyed both items… the chicken was moist and well-seasoned and the omelette was full of crawfish. Pro-tip: If you like bread, try their bread basket. It’s full of yummy house-made breads and pastries to soak up all the mimosas and rose’ you’re gonna have.

2. Terrance Osborne Gallery, 3029 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115 – This native New Orleans artist is known for his use of vibrant colors and telling the story of New Orleans. His passion comes through to the canvas and if you see his work, you’ll know what we mean. Plus, he’s a cool guy. Stop by his gallery and check out his work. He encourages photos, so take pics and share! Pro-Tip: The gallery is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Plan accordingly.

3. Morrow’s, 2438 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117 – Now this is one of our favorite repeat restaurants… and we’ll repeat it the next time we’re in town… it’s a whole vibe. The music, food and the drinks are all great. Don’t miss the char-grilled oysters, gumbo and the fried seafood platter is full of beautifully fried shrimp, plump oysters and crispy catfish. Pro-tip: Get the mac and cheese instead of fries and thank us later.

4. The Vintage, 3121 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115 – This Magazine Street spot has your coffee, beignet and frose’ fix for the summer! We love this spot… very cute and the beignets are really good… don’t get us wrong, we love Cafe du Monde… but sometimes you gotta try something new and glad we did!

5. Heard Dat Kitchen, 2520 Felicity St, New Orleans, LA 70113 – Now this isn’t your typical NOLA hotspot… this is a little off the beaten path, but don’t let that keep you from trying this place. We wanted something good and Heard Dat delivered! That sauce! Mmmmm. just look at the pictures… enough said!

 

6. Parkway Bakery and Tavern, 538 Hagan Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119 – Parkway is a spot we love to visit each time we’re in NOLA. It’s a cool neighborhood spot that’s a short Uber or Lyft ride away from the Quarter. Our go-to poboy is the surf and turf. It has juicy pot roast and fried shrimp. There are other options too… fried catfish, fried oysters, smoked alligator and more. Pro-Tip: Their happy hour menu is pretty good.. some good drink options! Make it a double!

7. Drago’s, 2 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70112 (located inside the Hilton Riverside New Orleans Hotel or if you’re outside of the city there’s a location in Metairie too) – “Home of the Original Charbroiled Oyster” – This restaurant has some of the best charbroiled oysters in the city. Plus the menu has a ton of other options if you’re not an oyster lover… think fried seafood, pasta, lobster and more.

8. Frenchmen St. – Nightlife spots like Blue Nile, The Maison, The Spotted Cat and Snug Harbor keep us coming back to this super fun street. We enjoyed live jazz, house DJs and more all up and down Frenchmen. Just pop in these clubs and see what you like. It can get crowded very fast… Find the vibe you like and get a good spot for the shows!

 

Not really in New Orleans… just a quick 30 minute bus ride. Something else to do like Tiffany Haddish did, but we didn’t have a  Groupon! LOL! 

9. Airboat Adventures Swamp Tour, 5145 Fleming Park Rd, Lafitte, LA 70067- The Airboat Adventures tour was something totally different we decided to do. We always hang out in the city, but wanted to do something a little “off the beaten path.” We opted for a swamp tour. Why not? It was actually kind of fun. Plenty of gators to see!

Honorable mentions – Late night eats:

10. Willie’s Chicken Shack (multiple locations) and Dat Dog (multiple locations): We tried both of these restaurants while hanging out on Frenchmen St. and looking for something good and quick. Surprisingly, we really enjoyed Willie’s Chicken Shack. The fried chicken was crispy and the seasoning was on point. They also offer seafood and serve beer and daiquiris!

And Dat Dog’s crawfish etouffee fries are a must-try. If you’re in the mood for a hot dog, they have a cool concept: Pick the bread (steamed, toasted or vegan), sausage (think brat, alligator, crawfish, duck, and more) and the toppings (guac, bacon, bleu cheese, etouffee, chili cheese and a ton of others). Dat Dog also offers chicken and burgers.

If you’re in New Orleans for Essence or just visiting for a good time, we hope this list brings you as much fun and fullness as it did us! Laissez les bon temps rouler! And tell ’em 2 Girls Who Travel sent ya!