Domilise's is a po' boy institution dating back to 1918, and what many consider the classic po' boy operation in New Orleans. It's an incredibly delicious hole-in-the-wall experience, where you can't go wrong with a fried shrimp or oyster, dressed.

This cheese shop has dominated the casual lunch game since opening in 2007 with a menu of sandwiches featuring cheeses from French brie (on a baguette with ham) to Rogue River's Smokey Blue (with thin sliced roast beef), not too mention a Ploughman's Lunch of cheeses, paté, chutney, a green salad, and bread. Both locations also offer some of the best entree salads in town.

If meat is what you're after, head to this casual Cajun eatery in Mid City from chef Isaac Toups, where the chef's lunch (boudin, burger, and a beer) will set you back about $23 but the house signatures, like confit chicken thigh and the double cut pork chop with dirty rice, are not to be overlooked. The patio makes for an especially pleasant lunch setting.

This Bayou St. John po' boy staple is a favorite among locals and tourists in the know. The fried shrimp is a classic, but it's the Thanksgiving po' boy that has locals lining up around the block on Wednesdays in November. Bonus: An excellent Reuben and gumbo.

This Garden District beauty made famous by renowned restaurateur Ella Brennan has been known known for its twenty-five cent lunch martinis since introducing the promotion in the 1990s. For food, chef Meg Bickford offers an affordable three-course prix-fixe special for about $40 or so, featuring the restaurant’s most famous dishes: turtle soup, lacquered quail, and bread pudding soufflé.

The buffet at this Treme landmark is legendary (when it’s available, per COVID safety protocols), and one of the best ways to experience the late Leah Chase’s iconic restaurant. Try it all at once — gumbo, fried chicken, fried catfish, greens, lima beans — or order from the new takeout menu, which also includes daily family meals, which covers gumbo, salads, po’ boys, and more.

A majority of Stein’s customers know their order before they go in, lest they get skipped over in line. There’s not much seating at this sandwich icon — a few more tables are outside on Magazine — but most people grab and go anyways, eager to savor a Rachel, Reuben, and any of the other fantastic sandwiches in the privacy of their own home (or car).

This nationally-acclaimed sandwich spot in the LGD might be New Orleans’s best lunch destination to open in the past decade. Distinctive and incredible eats like hogshead cheese tacos, a fried bologna sandwich, any specials, and perhaps best of all, the collard green melt — slow cooked collards, Swiss cheese, coleslaw, and cherry pepper dressing served hot on rye — make this an essential lunch visit for locals and tourists alike.

Visit Peche for lunch when it’s a little less busy and settle in the naturally lit, spacious dining room for an indulgent but light lunch — if you so choose. With plenty of shareable plates of crab claws, hushpuppies, and raw oysters, as well as soup, salad, and entrees featuring the fruits of the Gulf coast, it’s a crowd-pleaser.

This Bourbon Street landmark is famous for its Friday lunch, where the drinks are strong and the menu is bursting with classics — oysters Rockefeller, eggs Sardou, Galatoire Goute, pompano with crabmeat. Show up early to snag a table (and bring a jacket, gentlemen).

Head to this Susan Spicer classic in the Quarter for a leisurely Saturday lunch on the intimate back patio, when themed, four-course prix fixe menus — wine pairings included — are a relatively affordable $65. The regular lunch menu is also available Friday and Saturday.

It's hard to go wrong at this Cochon annex, where Link Group shows off its incredible charcuterie skills and even more incredible sandwiches. The muffuletta is one of the best in town, but it's hard to go wrong with anything from a Cubano to a serving of boudin.

This Sicilian family-run Chalmette icon is about a 20 drive from downtown, but well worth the trip with an old-school operation where huge portions of macaroni and cheese, red gravy, stuffed peppers, and perfectly fried soft shell crabs are doled out on the daily.