Attending sessions, perusing the Exhibit Hall, and navigating the Job Center at the upcoming 127th annual meeting may leave you with a healthy appetite. Check out this list of cheap eats in New Orleans to find out where to eat if you are on a budget.
Mena’s Palace, 200 Chartres St., 504-525-0217. No reservations. 7 a.m.–3:00 p.m., Sunday until 1:00 p.m. Inexpensive. A neighborhood-style restaurant, a rarity in the French Quarter. Classic New Orleans food, including red beans and rice, roast pork with oyster dressing, and po-boys. Breakfast and Lunch only.
Napoleon House, 500 Chartres Street, 504-524-9752. Monday, 11:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; Tuesday–Thursday, 11:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m.; Friday–Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. Inexpensive. Loads of atmosphere in this 1814 building. Traditional New Orleans dishes (gumbo, po-boys), plus salads, panini, and a cheese board. Many locals swear allegiance to the Napoleon House’s muffuletta—a New Orleans sandwich of deli meats, cheese, and olive salad—which is served warm, in contrast to most places. You can also order a vegetarian version.
Johnny’s Po-boys, 511 St. Louis St., 504-525-8037. No reservations. 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Inexpensive. You have to love a place with the motto “Even our failures are edible”! One of the largest po-boy menus in town, plus such local standards as red beans and rice and gumbo.
Rouses, 701 Baronne Street, 504-227-3838. 6:00 a.m.–midnight. This upscale grocery store is part of a regional chain. A well-stocked deli and a variety of prepared foods, including well-seasoned boiled shrimp and other local specialties, make takeout a cinch, or you can eat inside the store near the gelato bar. Pizza, burritos, and sushi are prepared to order 10:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. This is also a good place to stock up on coffee with chicory, hot sauce, and other local items, and you’ll find a nice selection of cheese, wine, beer, and liquor. If you’re in the French Quarter, you might seek out a more compact Rouses at 701 Royal Street.
Cochon Butcher, 930 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-588-7675. 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m., until 11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, until 4:00 p.m. Sunday. Inexpensive. Limited seating. Just around the corner from the restaurant Cochon, you’ll find this meat market and sandwich shop. Not much here for vegetarians, but if head cheese and boudin are your idea of heaven, step right up.
Central Grocery, 923 Decatur St., 504-523-1620. Tuesday–Saturday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. No reservations. Inexpensive. Limited seating. The menu at this Italian grocery contains one food item—the muffuletta. This oversized sandwich, consisting of ham, salami, provolone cheese, and olive salad on a sesame-topped round Italian loaf, was invented here in the early 1900s.
Coop’s, 1109 Decatur St., 504-525-9053. 11:00 a.m.–till. No reservations. Inexpensive. Outstanding rabbit and sausage jambalaya plus a typical menu for a bar/restaurant hybrid in New Orleans—burgers, shrimp and oyster po-boys, and red beans and rice. As the web site says, “Our snarky bartenders asked us to tell you we don’t take reservations, and due to the presence of video poker machines only those 21 and over are allowed in the restaurant.”
Domilise’s PoBoys, 5240 Annunciation St, (504) 899-9126.
Frankie and Johnny’s, 321 Arabella St, fried and boiled seafood, po-boys, muffalettas, etc.
Luizza’s, 3636 Bienville St, fried and boiled seafood, po-boys, muffalettas, beer served in giant frozen mugs.
Mother’s, 401 Poydras Ave, Poboys, etc.
In addition, check out these cheap eats just a short walk from the meeting location:
- Riverwalk Marketplace Food Court
- 500 Port of New Orleans Place
- Arby’s
- Smoothie King
- McDonald’s
This post first appeared on AHA Today.
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