Author Topic: Tell me about New Orleans  (Read 4591 times)

freeazabird

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Tell me about New Orleans
« on: March 07, 2018, 11:01:19 AM »
I've always wanted to visit New Orleans. I need to plan a trip on the cheap. Please share with me some of your  low cost food and entertainment favorites there.

swampwiz

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2018, 12:16:05 PM »
If you have the ability to get there, I recommend Rocky & Carlos's in Chalmette.  It used to have the absolutely rock bottom prices for large portions, but after Katrina, with a complete renovation (the pre-Katrina place was a time warp back to the '50s), the prices went up (although it's still fairy cheap).  When I got back there for a few days to dig my stuff out of my Katrina-flooded home, I would sit next to, ironically, Rocky's little brother Tommy in the FEMA cafeteria (Tommy knew me well for the frequency that I would go there for takeout).  BTW, Rocky (now deceased, like Carlos before him) was a cook in Mussolini's army.  Another good place, that is accessible from the Magazine bus line, is Parasol's.  As for entertainment, I would recommend the Rock n' Bowl, which is a bowling alley that is more famous as a bar.  I'd also recommend the various places in the Faubourg Marigny, just downriver from the French Quarter.  And oh, if you want the biggest strongest drink ever, go to the Port Of Call and get the Neptune Monsoon.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2018, 12:21:58 PM by swampwiz »

Jrr85

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #2 on: March 07, 2018, 12:38:20 PM »
I've always wanted to visit New Orleans. I need to plan a trip on the cheap. Please share with me some of your  low cost food and entertainment favorites there.

Good, low cost food is generally not going to be available where you would spend time on a visit.  Just finding good, not really expensive food can sometimes be a challenge in the french quarter.  But generally, to my knowledge, all of the Brennan's restaurants (on both sides of the split) have avoided becoming tourist traps.  Maspero's is a solid "cheap" option we've used (but your still talking $10-$15 for a sandwich or poboy option). 

One way to get really good food at reasonable if not cheap prices is to eat off schedule.  Many of the high end restaurants have food happy hours on weekdays from around 4-6, where they have small plates for $5 -$10, so you could be relatively full if not stuffed for $20 to $30 per person.  Some restaurants also have late night menus that are reasonably priced.  Some of the restaurants also do their happy hours on the weekends, but not as many.   

freeazabird

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2018, 01:06:08 PM »
I've always wanted to visit New Orleans. I need to plan a trip on the cheap. Please share with me some of your  low cost food and entertainment favorites there.

Good, low cost food is generally not going to be available where you would spend time on a visit.  Just finding good, not really expensive food can sometimes be a challenge in the french quarter.  But generally, to my knowledge, all of the Brennan's restaurants (on both sides of the split) have avoided becoming tourist traps.  Maspero's is a solid "cheap" option we've used (but your still talking $10-$15 for a sandwich or poboy option). 

One way to get really good food at reasonable if not cheap prices is to eat off schedule.  Many of the high end restaurants have food happy hours on weekdays from around 4-6, where they have small plates for $5 -$10, so you could be relatively full if not stuffed for $20 to $30 per person.  Some restaurants also have late night menus that are reasonably priced.  Some of the restaurants also do their happy hours on the weekends, but not as many.

Thanks! I have no issue eating outside of touristy areas. In fact, I prefer to eat outside of these areas. I find often times, I find the best food at hole in the walls. It's just difficult to locate them in cities I;m not familiar with.

Jrr85

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2018, 04:13:24 PM »
I've always wanted to visit New Orleans. I need to plan a trip on the cheap. Please share with me some of your  low cost food and entertainment favorites there.

Good, low cost food is generally not going to be available where you would spend time on a visit.  Just finding good, not really expensive food can sometimes be a challenge in the french quarter.  But generally, to my knowledge, all of the Brennan's restaurants (on both sides of the split) have avoided becoming tourist traps.  Maspero's is a solid "cheap" option we've used (but your still talking $10-$15 for a sandwich or poboy option). 

One way to get really good food at reasonable if not cheap prices is to eat off schedule.  Many of the high end restaurants have food happy hours on weekdays from around 4-6, where they have small plates for $5 -$10, so you could be relatively full if not stuffed for $20 to $30 per person.  Some restaurants also have late night menus that are reasonably priced.  Some of the restaurants also do their happy hours on the weekends, but not as many.

Thanks! I have no issue eating outside of touristy areas. In fact, I prefer to eat outside of these areas. I find often times, I find the best food at hole in the walls. It's just difficult to locate them in cities I;m not familiar with.

I can't help you with the real hole in the walls, but this place is a little off the beaten path and is cheaper and very good:
http://www.elizabethsrestaurantnola.com/menus.html

A couple that are outside of the touristy areas but well known enough that they are not cheap (although a good value):

http://jacques-imos.com/jacques-imos-menu/
http://parkwaypoorboys.com/menu/

A place that is probably overpriced, but still relatively cheap and very popular:

http://www.turkeyandthewolf.com/menu/



Eric

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #5 on: March 07, 2018, 06:13:50 PM »
The main reason that New Orleans is awesome is that there are tons of street musicians, and sometimes full bands, playing on the streets in the tourist areas at all times of the day.  The music is flowing day and night.  Find one you like and hang out for an hour.  It'll cost you a few bucks in tips.  If you want a beer, grab one from the corner store and simply drink it right out in the street as you chill or walk.  Even bars that have music generally have no cover, although you may be "required" to buy a drink.  Many places have pretty good happy hour specials as well, like half off or even cheaper.  And of course since this is New Orleans, happy hour lasts a long time. 

If you get sick of the French Quarter, walking around the Garden District and checking out all of the old mansions with great landscaping and architecture is also free.  It's really a fun city to wander around in, just taking in the sights, since it's so unlike any other city.

There's plenty of places to get po' boys or crawfish for not too much money.  You should probably try a beignet and a praline too.  While you can find better value outside of the French Quarter, even in the super touristy areas I don't think things are that overpriced.  The whole French Quarter is either a bar or restaurant or both, so there's a lot of competition. 

mozar

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #6 on: March 07, 2018, 08:05:01 PM »
Food trucks:
https://roaminghunger.com/food-trucks/la/new-orleans/

New Orleans is actually pretty well known for its asian cuisine, some of which can be really cheap, like a banh mi in Gretna.
https://traveler.marriott.com/new-orleans/new-orleans-actually-has-great-asian-food-here-are-the-best-places/

The audobon zoo/ aquarium is pretty nice. I also wouldn't miss a swamp tour.

CoffeeAndDonuts

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #7 on: March 07, 2018, 08:55:37 PM »
Juan's flying burrito. Personal favorite is the pork bahn mi tacos. $9 and pbr is $1-$2.

Red's Chinese. Not super cheap but something really hard to imagine anywhere else.

$6 for a dozen raw oysters on the half shell and half price beer during happy hour at Pascal manales uptown in the bar, just 3 blocks off the street Charles Street car line.

See music box village as a to-do.

Second parasols for a poboy.

Chart room for super cheap beer, possibly cheapest in the quarter. And worth it, Imo, regardless. Was a usual stop for me meeting my wife and her co-workers/friends while working downtown.

Feliepe's is good and reasonably priced Mexican in the quarter. No great ambiance but worth it.

Verti Mart for a sandwich, carry out.

Sylvain at the bar for their chicken sandwich. Great ambiance. Price is good as long as you keep alcohol in check.

Up to three $.25 martinis with entree in fench qtr. https://www.neworleans.com/articles/post/25-cent-drinks-bringing-back-the-three-martini-lunch/

Take the ferry across the Mississippi to Algiers and see NOLA from a different vantage. Algiers is pretty quiet. Recommend during mid day. Free ferry.

Depending on season and brazenness, sneak into hotel with rooftop pool. I've not but I know people that have.

Zoo is smallish but good. When we lived there, spent a lot of time with my son there.

Walk around the lake in Audubon park. Maybe have a picnic under the oaks.

Look up new Orleans festivals. Tons and tons of them. Many free but for the food and drink stands, often with music.

Look up Wednesday night concerts at Lafayette square, walkable from French quarter, in the CBD. Free. Often good lineups starting about 5pm. Runs through around June 1.

If you have a car and are there April 25-29, drive to layayette la for festival international de louisiane. Free francophone line up that's very diverse and fun. Parking can usually be found for free if you'll walk 10 blocks or so. Lafayette is cool. Can drive in just for the day. https://festivalinternational.org

Speaking of which, daily car rentals at Hertz convention center are often reasonable with some advance booking. Best downtown fq source of cars in my experience.

Another driving option that is truly odd is the angola state prison rodeo. Twice a year, April and Oct. Buy tickets in advance.
http://www.angolarodeo.com

Rent a bike if at all possible. It's the best way to see new Orleans. Really.

Man I miss it.

placoors

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #8 on: March 08, 2018, 10:23:08 AM »
Long time former resident as well:

Go during French Quarter Fest:  April 12-15

The Club Ms. Mae's- Cash only, cheap drinks

The Bulldog- Uptown

Balcony Bar and Cafe

The Jimani

Felix's Oyster Bar

Ryan's Irish Pub

Port of Call

Central Grocery
« Last Edit: March 08, 2018, 10:26:52 AM by placoors »

acroy

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #9 on: March 08, 2018, 11:32:30 AM »
Just spent 3 days with the whole fam there :)

- stayed in Algiers, which was awesome. history, quiet, cheap, scenic, great self-guided walking tour of the historic houses & buildings. little non-touristy cafes etc for coffee, breakfast
- Ferry is $2 each way. get the app and spend $7/day (iirc) for infinite bus/ferry/trolley rides
- food: stick with Cajun. seriously, go to NOLA and get Chinese, wth??
- finest cheapest po'boys are here in Algiers. something like $17 for a 32" (yes, 2foot 8 inch) shrimp po'boy: https://www.facebook.com/pages/River-Fine-Food-Store/127583620620671
- pack your foods/drinks and walk/trolley around the city.
- church tour if you are into that kind of thing. some of the churches rival Europe's best.
- food/drinks in French Q are crazy expensive unless you can find special deals. get it a mile away and it's better and 1/2 the cost.
- visit an old cemetery. awesome.
- human feces everywhere
- City Park is kinda cool but just a big park
- Loius Armstrong Park, Lafitte Greenway is cool and great walk
- swamp tour is cool but it will burn most of a day

Enjoy! fun city.

Jrr85

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #10 on: March 08, 2018, 12:07:48 PM »
Just spent 3 days with the whole fam there :)

- food: stick with Cajun. seriously, go to NOLA and get Chinese, wth??
- finest cheapest po'boys are here in Algiers. something like $17 for a 32"

I would disagree with this, depending on where you are from and how long you are staying. 

New Orleans is the food mecca of the south.  Only place that would compare is Atlanta simply because it has roughly five times the population.

If you are not coming from a major city, you are probably going to have better food options in New Orleans across a range of cuisines.  If you are only staying a few days, then sure, stick to creole.  It's what you're there for and can also be a cheaper option. 

But if you're going to be their a week, as a port town, there are good options for most styles of cooking and lots of fusion options available.     

HawkeyeNFO

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #11 on: March 08, 2018, 06:24:59 PM »
+1 for Rocky and Carlo's.  Roast Beef Po' Boy with the gravy.  And the mac and cheese. 

Juan's Flying Burrito is super good also.

I lived at the airbase in Belle Chasse, and 2 places that cannot be beat over there are Salvo's and Big Jake's burgers.  At Salvo's everything was awesome, and the seafood was probably caught that day.  Pound of beer steamed shrimp, please!

Big Jake's looks like someone slapped together some plywood into a large box, and started grilling burgers inside it.  It's across the street from the sheriff's office.  I promise, you'll not get a better burger anywhere in the world.  Pan right on this link:  https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x889e1e3e4ec6328b:0xdfe8f5664d6c02e9!2m22!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m16!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e5!2m2!1m1!1e4!2m2!1m1!1e6!3m1!7e115!4s/maps/place/belle%2Bchasse%2Bbig%2Bjake/@29.8566663,-89.9843847,3a,75y,214.07h,90t/data%3D*213m4*211e1*213m2*211sRGE-0XkL0U7CNphszsQFqQ*212e0*214m2*213m1*211s0x889e1e3e4ec6328b:0xdfe8f5664d6c02e9!5sbelle+chasse+big+jake+-+Google+Search&imagekey=!1e2!2sRGE-0XkL0U7CNphszsQFqQ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjJlfWHid7ZAhWoT98KHYi5A5kQpx8IejAK

For the tourist to get the true New Orleans food experience, it takes a long time, because there are too many restaurants.  Basically stay out of the French Quarter, and don't be afraid to enter buildings that look like they would be condemned in the rest of the USA.  That's where the best food is, and it's not expensive.

« Last Edit: March 08, 2018, 06:31:40 PM by HawkeyeNFO »

swampwiz

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2018, 05:55:22 AM »
+1 for Rocky and Carlo's.  Roast Beef Po' Boy with the gravy.  And the mac and cheese.

Yes, Rocky & Carlos's macaroni & cheese is legendary, although I would recommend it with the red (Parmesan) gravy; heck, I'd recommend the veal Parmesan over anything (although their veal cutlet is great too).  In the 15 years I had lived there as an adult, I think I've eaten there in the quadruple digits.

HawkeyeNFO

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #13 on: March 09, 2018, 07:50:45 AM »
http://www.wwl.com/shows/food-show-tom-fitzmorris

This guy does NOLA restaurant reviews for 2 hours a day, 5 days a week.  He definitely knows his stuff too.  Talk about a great side hustle!

RWD

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #14 on: March 09, 2018, 08:08:09 AM »
I didn't particularly enjoy my trip to New Orleans. People were rude. Lots of loud construction. French Quarter was way overrated. Parks were mediocre.

I did really enjoy eating at Barcadia, though.

NoVa

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #15 on: March 09, 2018, 09:13:12 AM »
We went 3-4 years ago, definitely a mixed bag. Most of our time was spent in the French Quarter.
The Good:
    -Food was great, you could get expensive or cheap.
    -Street musicians and music in general was spectacular
    -Churches and sightseeing, unusual and interesting
    -Took a swamp tour, highly recommend it.

The Bad:
    -Woldenberg Park along the river, open drug use (needles and crack, not pot)
    -Homeless and panhandlers abound near the river, one had a sign that read "Crack don't grow on Trees", I will give him points for honesty
    -Bourbon Street did nothing for us, nude bars and drunk people. I had no idea Hustler had an actual club

SaraArch

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #16 on: October 05, 2018, 07:24:46 AM »
Hello everyone! I went to New Orleans with my family last week and I really loved it.  Personally, one of the most important thing about this trip was keeping it on budget and I barely did it. I considered some recommendations I read in this article before traveling http://www.wickedgoodtraveltips.com/2018/05/5-top-tips-for-visiting-new-orleans-on-a-budget/. Basically: - Schedule your meals - Stay in the suburbs  - Check for the festivals before you go. What do you think about these tips? Have you ever been in a city with a limited amount of money? How was it? On the other hand, hope these tips help someone!

mountain mustache

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #17 on: October 05, 2018, 07:41:11 AM »
I grew up and lived in New Orleans until I was 21. Here's a few suggestions:

-Stick with the Garden District/Uptown New Orleans, it's less crowded/touristy than the French Quarter, and with cheaper/more authentic things to do.
- get a po-boy at Domelise's. When I was in high school, we used to ditch school to eat here. It's amazing. It never used to have a website, but looks like it does now: http://www.domilisespoboys.com The oyster and shrimp po-boy (fully dressed) is the best!
- have a picnic on "The Fly" which is the part of the levee behind the Zoo in Audubon Park. You can sit in the grass next to the river, and eat your po-boy!
- Walk around the path in Audubon Park, there's about 2-3 miles, and it's a beautiful walk and good views of some of the very old, victorian houses, and very old oak trees.
- have a snowball at Plum Street snow balls. Best in the whole state, and super creative flavors.
- Creole Creamery for ice cream.

MrsPete

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #18 on: October 06, 2018, 11:03:06 AM »
I didn't particularly enjoy my trip to New Orleans. People were rude. Lots of loud construction. French Quarter was way overrated. Parks were mediocre.
I'm with you.  So many people love this place -- not me.  In addition to your comments, Bourbon Street was smelly, and the whole place was just dirty.  I would not return. 

As for saving money, we had a great hotel just outside the French Quarter -- it was a Marriott, but I can't remember which one -- which we "won" on Priceline for something like $40/night.  Love Priceline.  One  negative note:  The hotel charged an additional fee for parking; apparently that's standard in New Orleans. 

PizzaSteve

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Re: Tell me about New Orleans
« Reply #19 on: October 06, 2018, 11:07:13 AM »
New Orleans has great things to do, but I agree to avoid Bourbon St.  Try Frenchmans instead, or better yet go out to the Garden or other Districts to eat and enjoy the city.  Great food and music, if that is your thing.  Research happy hours near French Quarter and you will find some amazing deals at top quality restaurants.