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25 Great Spots For Food and Drink Along The Parade Routes

As parades approach, consult this handy guide of the best places to eat, drink, and catch some throws. Updated on Monday 2/9 with four new locations.

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It's Carnival Time
| Matt Byrne/Flickr Creative Common

For some, eating and drinking while watching parades is a DIY affair. Some enjoy fast food (you've got Popeye's, Cane's and Wendy's on St. Charles in the LGD) and others will turn to one of the awesome food trucks dotting the Uptown route. However, area restaurants are happy to sell their wares and perhaps offer shelter, a seat, and most importantly, a bathroom to those who stop by and partake.

The below options are mostly on (or just off) St. Charles, but there are a few on Magazine between Jefferson and Napoleon, which is where several of the parades kick off. Also included are a couple of options for Endymion in Midcity.

UPDATE: Freshly updated on February 12, with new restaurants added from Ian McNulty's parade coverage.

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Mais Arepas

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Mais Arepas is only a block off of St. Charles Avenue, which means arepas-break whenever the parades break down. Totally worth it.

Emeril's Delmonico

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Emeril's LGD spot is open regular hours for the most part, but only open from 5-9 on Sunday 2/15 and Monday 2/16 (closed on Tuesday, of course.) Delmonico will also be offering a King Cake Doughnut dessert and three festive cocktails - Classic Hurricane, King Cake Horchata, and a barrel-aged Vieux Carre.

Toups Meatery

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On Endymian Saturday, the restaurant, which is a block away from the beginning of the parade (Orleans and Carrollton) will serve cocktails, sodas and food to go from their patio, from 11am-4pm.

Columns Hotel

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The beautiful hotel with a sweeping veranda offers reserved seating with food on Bacchus Sunday at $100/adult and $65/child and on Mardi Gras at $125/adult, $75/child. Pre-paid reservations required. On 2/12-17, you can also get a $10 pass that allows you to hang out buying drinks and food.

Slice Pizzeria

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Slice, home of pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and more, Get your food to go or sit for full service. Great drinks too.

The Delachaise

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Besides offering the adult beverages that make most parade-goers happy, The Delachaise will be serving up a simplified menu to folks who want to enjoy the spectacle from the patio or from inside.

The Grocery

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The Grocery at 6th St. and; St Charles is THE place to get beer, cold drinks and parade food like nachos, burgers, and hotdogs.

Avenue Pub

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The beer mecca of New Orleans, conveniently located right on the parade route will offer a high end (but low-ABV) selection of craft beer served in plastic to-go cups along with a limited menu of easy to eat stuff (think Frito pie with homemade chili and Cajun bangers & mash) and, of course, bathroom access. It is also the only time of the the Pub has Bud Lite on draft.

Tivoli & Lee

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From February 12-17, Tivoli & Lee, along with Belloq, will be hosting a food stand right on the corner of St. Charles Ave. and Lee Circle, with red beans & rice, jambalaya, and BBQ chicken po’boys - along with specialty cocktails and select beers.

Aline Street Beer Garden

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Just one block off the parade route, catch your bearings and a liter of beer at Aline Street Beer Garden. There's outdoor seating and enormous go cups so you can run back up to St. Charles and not miss any parade moments.

Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar

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Superior Seafood has balcony and table reservations available, and if you miss out on that (or don't want to spend the cash) they'll also have crawfish and cocktails to go.

Twelve Mile Limit

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Hit up Twelve Mile Limit for the Endymion party it's throwing with live music from Sweet Crude and Dirty Bourbon River Show and the La Cocinita and Burgers Ya Heard food trucks. Plus all the awesome potables coming from 12ml's bar staff, so, yeah, it'll be epic.

McClure's Barbecue

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Get your meat on at McClure's which will see the krewes of Cleopatra, Pontchartrain, Pygmalion, Carrollton, King Arthur and Merlin, Alla, Femme Fatale, Druids, Nyx, Muses, Okeanos, Mid-City, and Toth all pass by that stretch of Magazine from Jefferson to Napoleon. They'll be serving up a reduced menu of sandwiches, sides, gumbo, burger specials, hot dogs for the kids, and for the cooler nights, hot chocolate.

Ole Saint

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Just on the other side of Canal, the Ole Saint offers great southern food and local beer, the latter of which you can get to go in either a 16 or 32 oz. size.

The Irish House

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The restaurant has tickets to a private grandstand which includes a buffet dinner, booze, and bathrooms. Call the Irish House to find out more.

PIZZA Domenica

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For the krewes that head down Magazine before turning up Napoleon to hit St. Charles, Pizza Domenica is looking to take care of the parade-goers on that stretch. with $10 pepperoni or cheese pizzas and a couple craft drafts for $5, to go.

Vitascope Hall at Hyatt Regency New Orleans

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This is a great place to wait for the end of Endymion. Celebrate with the king cake burger, (available only through Feb 13-17) or other Mardi Gras specials like Gulf shrimp and okra hush puppies, BBQ shrimp & grits, and king cakes with Cajun milk punch cocktail for dessert.

Fat Harry's

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No longer just where the frat bros go, Fat Harry's has settled into great neighborhood bar, according to one neighbor and Eater tipster, who is also a pretty discerning beer geek: "Fat’s has pretty killer food these days, since they renovated after the fire, and their beer selection is actually one of the best on the parade route, and really pretty strong in the greater context of the city. Nothing crazy, but a solid cross-section of locals and national brands."

Mosquito Supper Club at Cleaver & Co.

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Cleaver & Co. is taking a much deserved break for Carnival, and in its place is the Mosquito Supper Club popup, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Through Sunday, 2/15, they'll be serving breakfast from 9-11 and plate lunches between 11am-6pm. The dinners require reservation (looks like the only available reservation is on 2/15 at the time of this writing), check their website for more details.

ManhattanJack

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Need a hearty, homemade breakfast before hitting St. Charles? Hit up Manhattanjack on Prytania to get breakfast sammiches, fried chicken on a biscuit, a variety of coffee drinks, and perhaps some baked goods to take with you for later.

Blue Oak BBQ

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Check this place (located in Chickie Wah Wah) out for Endymion nourishment with BBQ menu items like pork sandwiches, smoked wings, and brisket chili frito pie.

Zara's Little Giant Supermarket

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The tiny supermarket fires up the grill outside with grab-and-go burgers, ribs, chicken and more from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. February 14-15.

The Kingpin

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Food truck Saigon Slims will be parked out front during Muses, and the bar hosts more trucks on the regular during Mardi Gras.
Carry out red beans, gumbo, meat pies, pulled pork po-boys & nachos abound.
Chef Michael Gulotta and team will deliver chicken wings to folks camped along the Endymian route on Friday night. They also have 50 packs of wings available before 4 p.m. When the parade actually rolls on Saturday, you can also head over to MoPho for a taste of their roasted whole hog.

Mais Arepas

Mais Arepas is only a block off of St. Charles Avenue, which means arepas-break whenever the parades break down. Totally worth it.

Emeril's Delmonico

Emeril's LGD spot is open regular hours for the most part, but only open from 5-9 on Sunday 2/15 and Monday 2/16 (closed on Tuesday, of course.) Delmonico will also be offering a King Cake Doughnut dessert and three festive cocktails - Classic Hurricane, King Cake Horchata, and a barrel-aged Vieux Carre.

Toups Meatery

On Endymian Saturday, the restaurant, which is a block away from the beginning of the parade (Orleans and Carrollton) will serve cocktails, sodas and food to go from their patio, from 11am-4pm.

Columns Hotel

The beautiful hotel with a sweeping veranda offers reserved seating with food on Bacchus Sunday at $100/adult and $65/child and on Mardi Gras at $125/adult, $75/child. Pre-paid reservations required. On 2/12-17, you can also get a $10 pass that allows you to hang out buying drinks and food.

Slice Pizzeria

Slice, home of pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and more, Get your food to go or sit for full service. Great drinks too.

The Delachaise

Besides offering the adult beverages that make most parade-goers happy, The Delachaise will be serving up a simplified menu to folks who want to enjoy the spectacle from the patio or from inside.

The Grocery

The Grocery at 6th St. and; St Charles is THE place to get beer, cold drinks and parade food like nachos, burgers, and hotdogs.

Avenue Pub

The beer mecca of New Orleans, conveniently located right on the parade route will offer a high end (but low-ABV) selection of craft beer served in plastic to-go cups along with a limited menu of easy to eat stuff (think Frito pie with homemade chili and Cajun bangers & mash) and, of course, bathroom access. It is also the only time of the the Pub has Bud Lite on draft.

Tivoli & Lee

From February 12-17, Tivoli & Lee, along with Belloq, will be hosting a food stand right on the corner of St. Charles Ave. and Lee Circle, with red beans & rice, jambalaya, and BBQ chicken po’boys - along with specialty cocktails and select beers.

Aline Street Beer Garden

Just one block off the parade route, catch your bearings and a liter of beer at Aline Street Beer Garden. There's outdoor seating and enormous go cups so you can run back up to St. Charles and not miss any parade moments.

Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar

Superior Seafood has balcony and table reservations available, and if you miss out on that (or don't want to spend the cash) they'll also have crawfish and cocktails to go.

Twelve Mile Limit

Hit up Twelve Mile Limit for the Endymion party it's throwing with live music from Sweet Crude and Dirty Bourbon River Show and the La Cocinita and Burgers Ya Heard food trucks. Plus all the awesome potables coming from 12ml's bar staff, so, yeah, it'll be epic.

McClure's Barbecue

Get your meat on at McClure's which will see the krewes of Cleopatra, Pontchartrain, Pygmalion, Carrollton, King Arthur and Merlin, Alla, Femme Fatale, Druids, Nyx, Muses, Okeanos, Mid-City, and Toth all pass by that stretch of Magazine from Jefferson to Napoleon. They'll be serving up a reduced menu of sandwiches, sides, gumbo, burger specials, hot dogs for the kids, and for the cooler nights, hot chocolate.

Ole Saint

Just on the other side of Canal, the Ole Saint offers great southern food and local beer, the latter of which you can get to go in either a 16 or 32 oz. size.

The Irish House