9 Places to Eat in New Orleans (with Gluten-free and Vegetarian Suggestions)
So many types of food are unique to New Orleans. Gumbo, jambalaya, po-boys, and so many different kinds of seafood! Oysters, crawfish, shrimp, and more. We also learned very quickly that hot sauce was served with every meal and we LOVED it. Every meal we had in New Orleans was fabulous so it was impossible to narrow down our recommendations. So here are 9 places you need to eat at when you’re in New Orleans!
Deanie’s Seafood Kitchen
So many people we met in New Orleans recommended Deanie’s Seafood Kitchen so we knew we had to go! We kept hearing people talk about the oysters in New Orleans, but to be honest, we were nervous! We had never had them and thought they might be slimy. We ordered the charbroiled oysters that had garlic and cheese on top and it was delicious! It reminded us of escargot in Paris. We also ordered barbecue shrimp that was out of this world and seafood gumbo (first time trying gumbo as well!). Each table got baked potatoes as well so we ended up sharing all of the dishes and it was more than enough. We kept going back and forth trying to decide which of the dishes were our favorite, but it was definitely our favorite restaurant in New Orleans!!
Willa Jean
Willa Jean was our first stop after getting off our plane. The menu was full of delicious looking food but almost none of it was vegetarian and/or gluten free. The waiter came up with a solution to serve me eggs and cheese grits, which were fine but not my favorite breakfast. This restaurant was, however, perfect for Nick. He ordered the biscuit with country fried pork and sausage gravy and of course, added some hot sauce to it!
Dat Dog
Our Airbnb was literally right around the corner from Dat Dog. It was such a fun restaurant. You can choose one of their specials or you can choose from a selection of different types of hot dogs and toppings. Nick got the Italian sausage with onions, sour cream, and tomatoes. I got a vegan, gluten free hot dog on lettuce with guacamole, pico de gallo, onions, jalapeños, and chipotle sauce - it was so messy! We both loved our hot dogs, and we shared cheese fries, too! Nick went back another night to try their house made blueberry soda!
Green Fork
We discovered Green Fork randomly as we were walking through the city. I was hungry and we saw on their sign the words vegan and gluten free so we knew this would be a good place to stop! Everything in the shop is gluten free and there were a ton of vegan options! We just wanted a snack so we got the banana chocolate muffin and a Happiness juice (carrot, pineapple, apple, ginger, mint, and lemon). We couldn’t believe how soft and moist the muffin was and the juice was incredible. I wish we had restaurants like this everywhere we travel.
Pho Cam Ly
One of our Lyft drivers told us that in the 70s, a large number of Vietnamese people immigrated to New Orleans. Because of that, there are a bunch of really good, authentic Vietnamese restaurants in New Orleans. Nick found Pho Cam Ly only a few blocks away from our Airbnb so one night we walked down to try it! We ordered crab ragoons, rice with stir fried tofu and vegetables, and Bún Bò Huế (spicy beef pho). The portions were so large and my meal came with a free soup. Everything was fantastic! We heard that the bahn mi were delicious here but there was no way we could eat more!
Bearcat
Bearcat was the number one place I wanted to try! They have so many vegan and gluten free options, it was hard to choose! I was really tempted to get the Vegan Bearcat (tofu scramble, vegan sausage, and breakfast potatoes) but I went with the gluten free Chai Pancakes - so delicious! Nick got the Brisket Hash, and we ordered an extra side of their “crispy potatoes”, which was such a smart choice. Everything was delicious and we used lots of a hot sauce called Crystal - amazing!
Cafe Beignet at the Old Coffee Pot
Beignets, deep fried square shaped dough topped with a ton of powdered sugar, are hugely popular is New Orleans. Everyone (and I mean everyone) goes to Cafe du Monde, so we believe it must be amazing but the line was out the door and down the block! We decided to go to Cafe Beignets at the Old Coffee Pot on St. Peter Street. We passed by the other locations later in the day and it was much busier there, perhaps because St. Peter Street isn’t as touristy. For only a few dollars, we got an order of beignets (3 come in an order), and yes, they totally live up to the hype. There have other food there as well, but most people were just eating the beignets!
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
We were determined to find a good po’ boy on this trip. Parkway Bakery and Tavern was pretty far from the touristy part of the city yet it is rated so high, we knew it must be good! There was a pretty long line but it moved fast and we were so excited to try it, we didn’t mind waiting. Nick got the fried shrimp po’ boy and I got a beyond burger with lettuce, tomatoes, and pickles. They do have a couple vegetarian po’ boy options but I didn’t think they’d be as good without the bread. We also got a side of fries and a side of fried pickles! It was one of the best meals and it was so fun sitting on the patio, sharing all the food!
District Donuts
Walking home on Magazine Street, we randomly saw District Donuts, which was great because we had already planned to go there! Not only do they have a ton of donuts (and gluten free donuts!), they also have burgers, sandwiches, fries, etc. We just got a donut each to try! We got the Parent Trap, which had peanut butter frosting and oreo pieces (get the reference?) and a cinnamon sugar gluten free donut. Both were delicious! Nick actually needed a fork to eat the Parent Trap, it was so messy!
We didn’t even get to go to all of the restaurants recommended to us. I don’t think you can get a bad meal in New Orleans!
- Jess
