Cafés and Late Night Dining in the French Quarter

Posted by Benson

The French Quarter is a lively place with something to pique your interest around every corner.  For those of you planning on coming down for the boil, I heartily recommend staying in the quarter.  Along with antiques, fashion, art galleries, quirky shops (and of course bars and clubs); the quarter has a wide range of dining opportunities that range from some of the oldest and finest restaurants in New Orleans to delectable street food.

Today I’m going to give ya’ll a rundown of some of my favorite cafés and late night dining opportunities around the quarter. 

One of my favorite places to grab a cheap bite to eat is Café Maspero.  Maspero is located at 601 Decatur, which puts it right in the middle of the action.  Decatur is a main drag trough the quarter and is the closest street to the river.  Along Decatur you’ll find Jackson Brewery, Jackson Square, Café Du Monde, and the French Market.  North Peters St. actually follows the bends of the river, but it merges into and runs along with Decatur mid-way through the quarter, a few blocks on either side of Jackson Square.

Maspero is at the corner of Decatur and Toulouse, right across the street from Jackson Brewery.  It is conveniently located and has a nice atmosphere.  The food isn’t the best that you’ll find in New Orleans, but then again you can find some of the best food in the world in New Orleans.  The food is decent, the prices are very good, and the portions are generous.  You’ll have the most luck with the sandwiches, especially the muffaletta.  You can get fried seafood, red beans, and jambalaya at Maspero, but you can get those most anywhere in the quarter, and it’ll usually be better elsewhere.

On the down side, Maspero tends to be crowded, especially during the tourist season, and it only takes cash.  If the line at Maspero is long, you can walk in and sit at the bar if you like.  Even so, there are plenty of other great places to eat nearby, such as the Green Goddess.

The seating here is actually in Exchange

The Green Goddess is an awesome place to eat.  It is about three blocks or so away from Maspero, on Bienville midway between Chartres and Royal.  The Green Goddess is actually located at 307 Exchange Place, but by the time Exchange hits Bienville it is little more than an alley.  Although that may sound confusing, the Green Goddess is well worth whatever effort it takes to find it.

The Green Goddess is a relatively new restaurant in the quarter, but it is absolutely fantastic and is a fast-growing favorite.  The menu is deliciously eclectic with dishes such as Brûléed Apple French Toast and Armagnac-Soaked Mission Figs.  The restaurant also features an extensive cheese menu in addition to a wide array of wines and specialty drinks.  The décor is classy, yet funky, and even the plating is spectacular.  The Green Goddess definitely deserves a visit if you are in the city.  The chefs have demonstrated a fresh New Orleanian cunning in the field of culinary creations that you will not easily forget.

For something a little less eclectic than the Green Goddess, and a tad easier on the wallet, a quick step out of the quarter and into the Marigny neighborhood will bring you to a great little place called 13.  It is located on Frenchman street midway between Chartres and Decatur.  It is on the opposite side of the quarter from the Green Goddess, and you’ll have to cross Esplanade to get there, but it is only a short walk from the French Market.  If you are in the area, it is a great place to check out.

13 makes excellent sandwiches and pizzas.  It also has a good selection of tasty vegetarian options, and it is very easy on the wallet.  Weekend brunch is particularly good if breakfast is your thing.  I am especially fond of the tots and gravy, a deliciously simple dish of tater tots, sausage gravy, and scrambled eggs covered in melted cheese.  It’s the kind of cheap, less-than-healthy indulgence that you only allow yourself when eating out for breakfast, or in this case brunch. Tots and gravy at 2 p.m., count me in!  It is a good thing that I don’t live in the city; otherwise I might find myself at 13’s brunch more often than was good for me.

Speaking of cheap, stomach-filling comfort food, if you are out late in the quarter and in need of something to fill up on after too much time spent on Bourbon Street, take a walk (or a stumble) over to Déjà Vu.  Déjà Vu is a block off of Bourbon at the corner of Conti and Dauphine.  It is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, much like Bourbon Street.  It offers a range of decent, inexpensive dishes ranging from biscuits and gravy, to steaks and fried seafood platters.  If you are still up for it, Déjà Vu also has a decent little selection of local craft beer on tap.  Hopitoulas by NOLA Brewing Company is a winner.  You can also get a stiffer drink if you are in need of a nightcap or a little wake-up call.

Finally, no discussion of cheap and easy French Quarter eats would be complete without mentioning a staple of New Orleans dining and a personal favorite of Doug’s: the ubiquitous Lucky Dogs stand.  Lucky Dogs have been a staple of late night French Quarter dining for much longer than I have been alive.  The unique, weenie-shaped carts are a familiar sight on the streets of the quarter, and the dogs are good enough to have withstood the test of time.  If you need to slow your roll after one too many hurricanes, grab a snack to perk yourself up after too many hours of hoofing it around the quarter, or enjoy a hassle-free meal while strolling around the river walk, look no further than the nearest Lucky Dogs stand.