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.
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