While longtime owners Beau and Laura Nguyen serve up homemade Vietnemese-inspired pho and chicken wings every day of the week, the real draw of this well-maintained Black Pearl gem comes down to two essential words for Evans: Uptown Thursdays. “Thursdays Beau and Laura serve ‘off the menu’. That means five Korean pork tacos and either a can of Pale Ale or a shot of scotch for $5.” Unlike some corner spots, solid tables and a TV set-up mean patrons linger to chat. “Between bites, swap hiking stories with a Tulane student or mingle with Beau and Laura, the neighborhood’s most in-love husband and wife.” 

Come lunch, this Carrollton corner store does a solid hot plate business among on-the-go tradesmen. Rotating specials include stuffed peppers, smothered turkey necks, red beans, fried catfish, mac and chees,e and greens. Looking to host quick? Jake’s carries the goods for an impromptu barbecue: an extensive beer selection, including local craft brews, and a genuine meat counter. 

For those looking for an alternative to a poboy or perhaps a hangover cure, Evans recommends a stop in this Central City corner spot for a piping hot bowl of Red-Rooster’s “yet-ca-mein” or yakamein, New Orleans’ take on beef noodle and egg soup. For more yakamein spots, here’s a map.

Despite sitting in the shadow of the 1-10 overpass, purple-hued Manchu continues to draw lines for its fried chicken. “Two years ago I was standing on the corner of Claiborne and Esplanade shooting second line footage. It was the first day of shooting for Corner Stores,” Evan recalls. “Out of deep foodie passion and pure New Orleans kindness, one of the dancers ordered me a 6-piece meal of Manchu fried chicken. Supremely seasoned. Cooked to perfection. Manchu, I love you.” Manchu, also known for yakamein, is on Eater’s list of 38 essential New Orleans restaurants.

No list would be complete without it. In a neighborhood geared towards high-end table service, Verti Marte offers a welcome, budget-friendly respite. The oyster and shrimp and dripping “all that jazz” poboys have been saving incalculable numbers of the late night hordes from the mother of all hangovers for years. A wide ranging menu includes the usual suspects but also breakfast and Italian-inspired pasta. 

Note: Take out and cash only. Service can be slow when crowded.

“Don’t be fooled by the plain, brick entryway—Mardi Gras Zone is an almost mythical touchstone in New Orleans’ wild rough of corner stores,” says Evans. She suggests starting with an elephant-ear sized slice of pizza (vegan available) fresh out of the wood-burning stove. If it’s Monday, be prepared to stand in line as red beans and rice are on the house.

Also worthy: the Zone’s unimaginably vast non-alcoholic drink selection. Evans notes part of the fun is simply combing the aisle for “essentials you never knew you needed: mushroom rice burgers, barley wheat juice powder, raisin olive chutney? Still bored?” Upstairs an all-year-round carnival party awaits, replete with beads, hats, masks, feather boas. Open 24/7.

Off-beat decor, outlandish stories, and longtime characters spell “a good feeling” for Evans whenever she steps into this Bywater corner spot. “It’s the kind of corner store you write home to your mother about. I did,” she says. Menus include tiny muffalettas, stuffed mirliton, a Thursday beef liver and onion plate, as well as the $5 “grumpy old man” breakfast plate. 

Pizza and inexpensive, flavorful vegan fare draw Evans to this Bywater corner spot. “In the back hides an unexpected, delicious food discovery called the ‘Pizza Garage,’ she says. “Caribbean flavors offer a bite of the unexpected. If you’re a regular, Chef Karen will whip you up a personal dish.”