While a trip to New Orleans is incomplete without pit stops at the city’s most iconic cuisine hotspots, the aftermath of your NOLA food extravaganza might be startling as you glance at your credit card statement and choke on your midnight snack at of course, Cafe du Monde. Though it’s hard to hit all the NOLA classics without going broke, here’s an itinerary for how to eat in New Orleans on a budget, all in 24 hours.
7:00 am: New Orleans Cake Cafe & Bakery
Waking up bright and early, you head to New Orleans Cake Cafe & Bakery. The cafe offers a wide variety of options ranging from crab omelets to a Costa Rican breakfast, which includes black beans, rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, eggs, and tortilla chips. To make it even better, you can add a cupcake to your order for only $1. The restaurant ranges in price from $8 to $12.
My Order: Costa Rican Breakfast
Cost: $8.50
10:00 am: Bearcat Cafe
As your morning caffeine need kicks in, you find yourself passing Bearcat Cafe. Although the name might be off-putting, this trendy coffee shop offers a great selection of coffees and teas, such as hibiscus, earl grey, and blue eyes. In addition, they sell house-made bottled drinks like cucumber mint lemonade, guava mint green tea, Valencia vanilla kombucha, and carrot ginger kombucha. All beverages range from $2 to $4.
My order: Skim Latte
Cost: $3.50
12:00 pm: Parkway Bakery and Tavern
After a few hours of exploring, it’s time for lunch. Because a trip to NOLA is incomplete without a po’ boy, you head over to Parkway Bakery and Tavern for a New Orleans classic po’ boy sandwich. From fried shrimp and fried oysters to smoked sausage and fried sweet potato, Parkway offers a wide range of po’ boy combinations.
My order: Golden Fried Shrimp Po-Boy
Cost: $9
3:00 pm: Hansen’s Sno Bliz
After a few hours in NOLA, it’s clear that the sun and humidity play a major role in New Orleanians daily lives, especially when choosing food. In order to cool off, you find yourself at an iconic sno-ball front– Hansen’s Sno Bliz. Hansen’s has been using the same machine since 1939, when it originally opened. All the flavors and toppings are made from their original recipes, like coconut, cream of wedding cake, mint chocolate, and honey lavender.
My order: Chocolate Mint Sno-ball
Cost: $3
6:00 pm: New Orleans Social House
While dinner in New Orleans is typically expensive, if you go to the New Orleans Social House (NOSH) between 4 pm and 7 pm, all the food on the happy hour menu costs $5.00. NOSH offers modern American food like cheese flatbreads and tuna and avocado boulette, and even has 75 cent oysters (that you can’t leave NOLA without trying). If you’re looking for something to take the edge off, brews cost $5, while wines and cocktails cost $7.
My order: Tuna and Avocado Boulette and Oysters
Cost: $5.75
12:00 am: Cafe du Monde
As it approaches midnight, you can guess what’s next – time to grab a midnight snack with friends at my personal favorite, Cafe du Monde. Famous for their fresh, sugary beignets and coffee, Cafe du Monde is a tourist hot-spot and is always perfect for the best kind of late night high– a sugar high, obviously. Three beignets come in one plate, which makes it great for sharing.
My order: Beignets
Cost: $3
3:00 am: 13 Bar and Restaurant
After hitting the clubs and bars, your drunk cravings kick in (if you’re 21, of course) so you make your way to 13. Whether you indulge in the tacos, which are loaded on crispy tater tots, or you devour the breakfast burrito, 13 has you covered. To make it even better, the restaurant is vegetarian-friendly, so bring your tree-lover friends along. The food ranges $7 to $12.
My order: Borrachos Tacos
Cost: $9.50
While New Orleans cuisine may seem expensive, I ate my way through NOLA in 24 hours and only spent $45.00. Whether you’re a college student on a budget or you have family coming to the city for a day trip, you’ll survive New Orleans without leaving in debt with these tips and recommendations. Good luck and happy eating.