13 Unforgettable Bars and Restaurants Near Bourbon Street You Can’t Miss

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This post is about Bourbon Street.

People flock to New Orleans for many reasons, but one of the main draws is the world-famous Bourbon Street. Known for its thirteen blocks of back-to-back bars, it can be very daunting to decide which ones to spend money on and which ones aren’t worth it.

I also want to be fully transparent and say that Bourbon Street really is not my scene. I love a good bar crawl, but this place is not high on my list of places to return to. That being said, it is almost a rite of passage to visit this street when you are freshly of age and looking to have a good time.

Definitely glad I experienced it especially with my sister though! Isn’t the saying that you should try everything at least once? Bourbon Street falls under that category of a one and done. But the rest of the city is totally worth exploring! You can read about all of the things I recommend you do on your own trip to New Orleans in this blog post.

Here I am going to break down everywhere we ate and drank on our trip. I’ll also go into detail on which ones to actually go to versus the ones you can probably skip. Most of these places are off of Bourbon Street but close enough that you can reach them by walking or taking the streetcar a short distance.

I will also preface that I am vegetarian, so I had to do a lot of research beforehand to find places I could eat at. But I also wanted to find vegetarian food that mimicked the Creole spices and flavors in the famous jambalaya and gumbo and po’boys. I was on a mission! So just an added bonus to this post – all of the restaurants listed here have at least one vegetarian option.

Without further ado, let’s get into all of the places you should eat and drink at near Bourbon Street.

Places to Eat Near Your Hotel on Bourbon Street

Jimmy J’s (breakfast)

Starting with the most important meal of the day, we have Jimmy J’s café. If you are looking to sit down for a good breakfast, this is your place. We found the food so good that we came back for seconds the next day. 

Another plus to this place is that you won’t find much of a wait time compared to the other places because it is very much a hole in the wall type of place. Our servers were very friendly and made the whole experience that much better.

This place is located a couple of blocks off Bourbon Street making it less than a ten-minute walk to some good food to nurse your hangover from the night before.

I will say that the other breakfast places listed here were on my list to visit, but the lines for them were so long that it just didn’t seem worth it. Most breakfast places do not take reservations, so be warned that you may have to get up pretty early to line up before they open.

Other Bourbon Street Cafe:

• Bearcat
• Elizabeth’s
• Stanley’s
• Ruby Slipper Café

Lunch and Dinner

NOLA Cookery – Bourbon Street Chicken and Shrimp

Looking for some good food right on Bourbon Street? You should definitely check this place out. My sister had their po’boy for the first time and loved it! My pasta was quite delicious as well and a great meal before an entire night of drinking.

I would definitely say that it’s not the place to eat, but it was very convenient and a great place to rest from a long day before heading out to take on Bourbon Street.

New Orleans Creole Cookery

Now don’t get these two mixed up. Because this place was fantastic! If you are looking for a budget friendly fine dining experience, this is your place. I cannot get over how adorable this place was. The outside seating area was so nice!

But obviously you want to hear about the food. My sister got the redfish which we were recommended by our airboat tour guide as it is locally caught. And I finally got to try out a vegetarian jambalaya which was incredible! Of course, we also got some gator bites and hushpuppies for appetizers.

I cannot recommend this place enough! Especially because it is only two blocks off of Bourbon Street. Just far enough away to escape the rowdiness of the drunken foolery for a nice meal.

Cornet

A must for me while visiting New Orleans was to enjoy a meal on a second story balcony. If you have ever seen New Orleans architecture, many of the buildings have these beautiful iron structured balconies on the second or even third floor that overlook the streets below. I thought what better way to experience Bourbon Street than to people watch from a balcony where you could see all of the chaos below.

We actually visited this bar restaurant twice. Once just for drinks and another for dinner. It is definitely a little more laid back than the rest of the places you will experience on Bourbon Street which is probably why I liked it so much.

The food was great, and the drinks were great! My sister having a barbecue chicken sandwich and I another vegetarian Creole pasta. Even if you don’t pick this place, I highly recommend at least one of your meals being on a balcony just for the aesthetic pictures alone.

Shaya

I have to admit that this was my favorite meal of the entire trip, but sadly it is not New Orleans inspired cuisine. Middle Eastern food is probably my favorite type of food, so this Israeli restaurant was at the top of my list.

I even got my sister who is not the most adventurous with food to try something new. And we both loved our dishes so much! I got to try baba ghanoush for the first time and tasted the most amazing hummus I have ever had in my entire life! 

This place also had such a nice atmosphere, and did I mention the endless supply of fresh pita? Yes, you get all the pita you can eat that they make fresh in their brick oven, and you even get to watch them make it right from your table!

Unfortunately, this restaurant is located in Uptown, so you will have to take the streetcar from Bourbon Street. But I think it is 100% worth the effort! If you want to know how to ride the streetcar with ease, I explain it in my recent blog post here.

Origami

Lastly, who doesn’t love a good sushi place? After spending the morning exploring Uptown, we stopped in for lunch and consumed way too much sushi.

It was a great place to hide from the hot sun and refuel before heading back out to explore. Again, this place is not very close to Bourbon Street, but if that sushi craving hits, I definitely recommend this place to fulfil your needs.

BEIGNETS

And of course! Who the hell is going to come to New Orleans and not at least try a famous beignet?

Café du Monde

The most famous place to get beignets is Café du Monde. The original café is located just a few blocks off of Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, so it is totally worth a visit. It has also become a chain, so there are a bunch of other locations around the city to choose from.

The internet tried to scare me into thinking that this place would be packed, and we’d be waiting in line for hours. But we visited during the Jazz Festival, one of the most popular times of the year, and we never waited more than five minutes.

Café Beignet

Another chain of cafes that sell amazing beignets is Café Beignet. There are a few located right off of Bourbon Street, so they are very easy to find.

Funny enough, this café had the longest line! Maybe because they sold actual breakfast too instead of just beignets and coffee like Café du Monde. But yes, be prepared to wait a good twenty to thirty minutes to snag some beignets in the morning.

Bourbon Street Bars

Now for what everyone here probably wants to know: where the hell can I get a drink around here? Well first let’s start with the places on Bourbon Street I recommend.

Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop Bar

This is my all-time favorite bar on Bourbon Street which is kind of funny because it is probably the opposite of what you are looking for. This is the oldest bar in the US! They have preserved the bar pretty well with the original fireplace in the center of the one room bar.

And my favorite part is that there are no lights! You get to drink by candlelight which I think is the coolest thing in the world and will definitely be implementing into my every day drinking life. 

They also are one of the only places on Bourbon Street where you can get an old-fashioned hurricane. Most hurricanes you drink on Bourbon Street will have added sweeteners, but Lafitte’s makes them the way they are supposed to be made. It was probably the best hurricane I ever had, and I have sampled quite a few.

Just visiting this place for the history alone is worth it!

Tropical Isle – The Bourbon Street Cam

There is no way you are going to visit New Orleans and not stop at one of the five Tropical Isle bars on Bourbon Street. This place is known for the one and only Hand Grenade. The ingredients list is patented, so this is one of the only places you will ever get to drink one.

But be warned! These drinks are extremely dangerous because of how strong they are. I recommend pacing yourself, but it’s also a great hack because just a few of these and you’re drunk enough for the night! Very budget friendly!

Saints and Sinners

My sister came to New Orleans with a mission. Spend the entire night in Saints and Sinners and wait for the owner of the bar, Channing Tatum, to show up. Sadly, he didn’t make it the night we were there, but his cardboard cutout sufficed.

This was a nice little bar that I highly recommend specifically because of the bartenders. This dynamic duo was the best comedic show I have ever seen. We simply ordered another round just to stay and chat with them because they were so funny.

They are also a restaurant before 7pm, and then they turn into a bar for the remainder of the evening.

Other Places on Bourbon Street I Want to Try:

• Funky 544
• Beach on Bourbon
• Famous Door
• Cat’s Meow

Bars Off Bourbon Street

Carousel Bar & Lounge

This was my absolute favorite bar of the entire trip. Located inside the Monteleone Hotel, the Carousel Bar has a working carousel surrounding the bar which you ride as you drink. What better way to drink than to allow the inner child in you enjoy a ride on a historic carousel!

They service both food and drinks here, but the food seemed a little overpriced to me. The drinks were phenomenal, and I highly recommend ordering a Pimm’s Cup here.

If you are looking to ride the carousel, you either have to arrive very early in the evening or wait it out. We had to scout for seats at the actual carousel for well over two hours before we gave up. But don’t worry, they have plenty of other non-spinning seats to enjoy the atmosphere and live music from.

Monolito

This Cuban bar and restaurant was a lovely little hole in the wall someone had recommended to me. And it did not disappoint! Even though the inside was crowded, we sat outside and listened to the neighboring Bourbon Street reveries as we sipped on our cocktails.

If you are looking for a more low-key drinking experience with a great cozy vibe, this is the place for you. I couldn’t recommend this place enough.

Things to Do in New Orleans

And there you have it! The ins and outs of Bourbon Street! Now you can easily plan your trip with all of the bars, restaurants and tours you need to visit in order to have a fantastic trip just like my sister and me.

Looking back on the trip, I definitely think if I ever get to visit New Orleans again, I’d love to spend more time in Uptown as well as on Frenchman’s Street rather than Bourbon Street. But again. To be young and free, you must spend some time on Bourbon Street!

Don’t forget to check my last post on all things you should see and do in New Orleans to plan the perfect trip!

This post is about Bourbon Street.