Lucy Boone Opens in Uptown With Ice Cream Flights — and More New Orleans Restaurant Openings to Know Right Now

To keep track of all the new restaurants, bakeries, and bars in New Orleans, here is Eater’s ongoing roundup of 2023 openings diners need to know right now, arranged chronologically (mostly). This curated list of notable openings will continue to be updated, so if there’s something we’ve missed, send us an email. For Eater’s guide to the hottest new restaurants in New Orleans this month, see here.

March 2023

Lucy Boone Ice Cream

3918 Baronne Street, Milan

Lucy Boone was among a small number of remarkable ice cream pop-ups that emerged during the pandemic in New Orleans, finding a home for its classic flavors at Port Orleans for the last two years or so. Now couple Abby Boone and Aaron Schnell have opened their standalone shop in the Milan area (near Mosquito Supper Club) for ice cream pies and sandwiches, milkshakes, scoops, and pints — but did we mention ice cream flights? Customers can order four mini scoops of homestyle flavors like strawberry crisp, salted caramel, and chocolate pretzel toffee that come in an appropriately-designed dish. Open daily from noon to 9 p.m.

Moon Garden

3138 Magazine Street Suite C, Irish Channel

Moon Garden first brought its bubble tea to Pythian Market in August 2022 after popping up around town, but has luckily landed its own Magazine Street storefront since the food hall’s closure (and it’s in the same building as Levee Bakery). There are sections for hot or cold bubble tea in flavors like mango vanilla, honeydew, and red bean; smoothies; fruit teas; and brewed teas. Customers can top drinks with boba jelly, made from tapioca but often in a square shape, crystal boba, made from konjac, regular bursting/popping boba, and most excitingly, boba ice cream bars, which come in three sweetness levels. The new shop adds charcuterie, all-day brunch, and grab-and-go sandwiches.

Dough Nguyener’s Bakery

433 Lafayette Street, Gretna

This exciting new bakery and cafe in Gretna debuted on March 17, combining a production bakery for baguettes, doughnuts, and king cakes with a restaurant and drive-thru for coffee drinks, savory Vietnamese pastries, sandwiches, stews, and desserts. The range of menu items, from frozen daiquiris and pate chaud to the whole-fried chicken dinner, is simply astounding. It’s open Monday through Saturday from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m.

High Grace NOLA

733 Saint Peter, French Quarter

This brand new bar has big shoes to fill — it’s taking over the space formerly home to legendary dive bar Johnny White’s. Call itself an “upscale dive,” the space has a new look thanks to blue-tinged lights and dark wood, along with a few neon signs and funky murals, but you can still spot the sporty Johnny White’s spirit. Beyond posing itself as an industry haven by offering a nightly discount, High Grace is having fun with lighting drinks on fire and topping them with mini rubber duckies.

Nina’s Creole Cottage

Caesars/Harrah’s New Orleans, 228 Poydras Street

Rounding out the trifecta of celebrity chef-owned restaurants in the newly rebranded Caesars New Orleans is Nina Compton’s quick-service restaurant, opened in the casino in mid-March. Joining Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay and PizzaCake by Buddy Valastro, it’s billing its fried catfish sandwich, hot fried chicken sandwich, and shrimp and grits.

Devil Moon BBQ

1188 Girod Street, Warehouse District

This new barbecue restaurant with a DC-based restaurant group operator seeks to define South Louisiana barbecue. The kitchen is led by Shannon Bingham, the chef behind food stalls and pop-ups Emmylou’s BBQ and Buttermilk, rounding out a menu of Southern snacks like pimiento cheese and smoked onion dip with plates of pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled pork, turkey breast, and Louisiana smoked sausages like boudin and chaurice. Sides, particularly white beans, dirty rice, and chicken sauce piquant reflect a Cajun to Bingham’s barbecue style.

February 2023

Pizza Cake and Bobby’s Burgers

Caesars/Harrah’s New Orleans, 228 Poydras Street

February 10 marks the debut of two restaurants at Harrah’s Casino, soon-to-be Caesars New Orleans: the sixth location of Bobby Flay’s Bobby’s Burgers, and the second location of Buddy Valastro’s PizzaCake. They’re part of a celebrity-driven mini food hall that’s part of the rebranded casino, which will eventually also include a restaurant from local star chef Nina Compton, to be called Nina’s Creole Cottage. Luxe sushi brand Nobu will anchor the casino with its first New Orleans restaurant, which is set to debut in 2024.

Mucho Mas

8201 Oak Street, East Carrollton

This highly-anticipated destination for Mexican cuisine and large-format cocktails has opened on Oak Street. Julio Machado, the former chef and co-owner of Metairie’s Tacos del Cartel, has been working on the restaurant for a few years, taking over the large Oak Street space that was previously home to DTB (Down the Bayou). With an eye-catching, trendy vibe and over-the-top decor, Machado serves mashups like barbecue birria tacos and Mexican ramen as well regional Mexican dishes like carne asada tasajo and snapper a la talla, with many dishes grilled on charcoal.

January 2023

Sammy’s Ethiopian Kitchen

422 S. Broad Street, Mid City

When acclaimed Ethiopian restaurant Addis NOLA moved into new digs, it didn’t mean a loss of that cuisine from Broad Street, luckily. A veteran of Addis NOLA, Samuel Shifferaw, opened Sammy’s Ethiopian Kitchen in its place, after more than 30 years of either working in or running Ethiopian restaurants, and the food reflects it — Sammy’s tibs, kitfo, atakilt wot, and shiro are standout. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Cafetomas Uptown

1506 S Carrollton Avenue, Carrollton

A second location of Kenner’s delicious Colombian cafe, Cafetomas, landed in Uptown this year, bringing a friendly, family-run destination for jibaritos, arepas, burritos, smoothies, breakfast, and fresh juice to lucky Carrollton Avenue. Don’t miss the specialty coffee, shakes, or treats like watermelon paletas either — this place is a delight. Open Thursday through Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Lagos Taqueria

5223 Spain Street, Gentilly

There’s an exciting new taco truck in Gentilly, Lagos Taqueria on Filmore Avenue between St Roch Avenue and Spain Streets. In addition to brisket barbacoa, cochinita pibil, and pulled chicken tacos, options abound — quesadillas, burritos, taquitos, and even chilaquiles are available to grab from the truck, with fresh, spicy green and red sauces made daily. Taco Tuesday is a steal — five 4-inch tacos go for $10. Order online or stop by Tuesday through Friday between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. and Saturday between 3 and 7 p.m.

Chapter IV

1315 Gravier Street, Downtown

There’s a new breakfast, lunch, and Sunday brunch restaurant downtown, anchoring a new residential building owned by Tulane University. Chapter IV has big-name backing with Edgar “Dook” Chase IV, grandson of the legendary Dooky Chase’s restaurant founder and culinary icon Leah Chase and her husband Dooky Chase. The daytime spot celebrates Creole comfort food like gumbo, crab bisque, and fish and grits, as well as trendier items like squid ink seafood pasta and fried chicken sandwiches.

Habana Outpost

1040 Esplanade Avenue, French Quarter/Marigny

This once-controversial restaurant that was 10 years in the making has finally made its debut on a prominent corner at the edge of the French Quarter, bringing a lively, colorful outpost of the popular New York-born restaurant to New Orleans. A simple, to-go-friendly menu of Cuban-Mexican items like nachos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, tacos, vegan options, and the restaurant’s signature Cuban sandwich is available weekends only for now — Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. You can’t miss it — just look for the Mexican flag-adorned inflatable tube man and branded car out front.