What to Eat at French Quarter Fest

The French Quarter Festival, New Orleans’s free, four-day festival held along the Mississippi River, returns this week after a two-year hiatus, bringing with it the beloved marketplace of iconic food that has become so essential to the attendee experience over the decades.

Nearly 60 local vendors are set to sling everything from smothered rabbit po’ boys to crawfish pies and sno-balls from April 21-24, a group that includes a number of new faces and dishes to look forward to. With so many options, it’s important to figure out what you want to eat ahead of time and to plot your day around it, naturally. To help, here are Eater’s top 25 food picks and where to find them, from longtime favorites to exciting newcomers, arranged alphabetically by vendor.

For a full list of this year’s FQF vendors, see here.

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Addis Nola: Collard greens sambusa

The Old U.S. Mint

Ajun Cajun: Soft shell crab po’boy

Canal Street/Plaza

Cafe Dauphine: Fried green tomatoes and shrimp remoulade

Kohlmeyer Lawn

Cafe Maspero: Maspero muffuletta

Jackson Square

Cottage Catering: White chocolate bread pudding

Kohlmeyer Lawn

Court of Two Sisters: Turtle soup

Jax Lot

Desire Oyster Bar: Duck and andouille gumbo

Palm Lawn

Galatoire’s: Fried sweet potato and pecan pie

Jackson Square

Jack Dempsey’s: Soft shell crab po’ boy

Jax Lot

Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant: Crawfish pie

Jax Lot

Loretta’s Authentic Pralines: Praline beignet

Kohlmeyer Lawn

Ma Momma’s House: Combo plate

The Old U.S. Mint

Miss Linda’s Yakamein: Shrimp and beef yak-a-mein

Jax Lot

Morrow’s: Oysters Morrow with garlic bread

Kohlmeyer Lawn

Mrs. Wheat’s Pies: Shrimp and andouille pie

Palm Lawn

NOLA Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue: Whole hog platter

The Old U.S. Mint

Patton’s: Oyster patties

Jackson Square

Plum Street Snoballs: Nectar cream sno-ball

Jackson Square

Rib Room: Prime rib debris po’ boy

Kohlmeyer Lawn

Southerns: Fried chicken sandwich

Jax Lot

Tujague’s: Seafood stuffed mirlitons

Jackson Square

Vaucresson Sausage Co.: Creole hot sausage po’ boy

Jackson Square

Voleo’s Seafood Restaurant: Smothered rabbit po’ boy

Jax Lot

Walker’s Southern Style BBQ: Cochon de lait po’ boy

Kohlmeyer Lawn

We Dat’s: Chicken wings and fries

Jax Lot

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