1: Mother's

401 Poydras St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA   [504 523-9656]    website

A New Orleans Classic

2: Acme Oyster House

735 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA   [504.522.5973]    website

Can be very busy for good reason. Try off-hours or considering sitting at the bar to avoid the crowds.

3: Central Grocery

923 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116, USA   [504 523-1620]

4: Johnny's Po-Boy Restaurant

511 St Louis St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA   [504 524-8129]

Classic New Orleans Po-Boy and breakfast joint since 1950

5: Napoleon House

500 Chartres St, New Orleans, LA 70130, USA   [504.524.9752]    website

Napoleon House has become one of the most famous bars in America, a haunt for artists and writers throughout most of the 20th century.

Hello Travelers!

New Orleans is full of fantastic eating establishments that have been generating enthusiastic word-of-mouth of happy patrons and visitors for generations. These places, long ago, sprang from a stove and house special to become a part of the Pantheon of New Orleans cheap eating. Each of the following restaurants have been around for so long that they are now synonymous with The Big Easy. No doubt that we are not telling you anything new however we are telling you the places that everyone visiting NOLA should know.

Here is a brief timeline to help you keep the follwing businesses in their historical context:

• 1821: Napoleon invited to stay in what is now The Napoleon House
• 1826: Thomas Jefferson Dies
• 1861-1865: American Civil War
• 1906: Central Grocery Opens and 1st Muffulettas served
• 1910: Original Acme Oyster House Opened
• 1914: Impastato Family take ownership of Napoleon House
• 1914-1918: WWI rages in Europe
• 1924: Original Acme Oyster House burns, new and present location opens
• 1929: Great Depression begins
• 1938: Mother’s opens as NOLA shipyard booms
• 1941-1945 USA in WWII
• 1950: Johnny’s Po-Boys opens
• 1960: Central Grocery’s Muffuletta gets famous outside of NOLA
• 1969: Moon landing / Hurricane Camille destroys Gulf Coast
• 2005: Hurricane Katrina makes huge impact on New Orleans and Mississippi Coast
• 2008: Central Grocery, Acme Oyster House, Napoleon House, Mother’s and Johnny’s still going strong!

1. Central Grocery: 923 Decatur St. New Orleans 504.523.1620

Opened in 1906 in much the same capacity as it is today, a grocery and deli. Central Grocery is famous for inventing the Muffuletta which was originally created by the founder to feed Sicilian truck drivers dropping off produce at the farmers’ market. Central Grocery has the look and feel of a typical Italian grocery found throughout Italy where people in the neighborhood stop by to pick up their necessities and grab a panino. The Muffuletta is a brilliantly designed sandwich that is user friendly in terms of eating on the run and delicious due to its Italian meat, cheese and olive spread. The trick is to get one of these treasures is to know when Central Grocery is open: Tuesday to Saturday 9-5, closed on Sunday and Monday. Muffulettas are sold by the whole for $13.12 or half for $7.12. We split a half and it was plenty.

2. Mother’s Restaurant: 401 Poydras St. New Orleans 504.523.9656

Situated between the waterfront and courthouse, in 1938 Mother’s began by serving po’ boys to longshoremen, laborers, newspapermen and attorneys. During WWII Mother’s became a hangout for The Marine Corps who nicknamed the restaurant the TUN Tavern New Orleans, which was the tavern in Philadelphia that was used for the original Marine Corps recruitment drive. Mother’s decor is a lot of diners in the USA, but it distinguishes itself because its walls are adorned with souvenirs from the last 70 years. This diner is one of those classic places where you can spend a good hour looking at the pictures on the walls and imagining all of the lives that Mother’s has participated in. In addition to the typical NOLA fare Mother’s serves breakfast all day 7 days a week complete with Bloody Marys.

3. Napoleon House : 500 Charters St. New Orleans 504.524.9752

Thank goodness for treasures such as Napoleon House! Completely distinctive from every other place in New Orleans, The Napoleon House is the distilled essence of The French Quarter. This establishment gets its name because a prominent New Orleanian offered his house, the current Napoleon House, to the French General during his exile in 1821; Napoleon never made it but the name stuck. The cafe serves up a selection of po’boys, salads and various assortments. Drinks are among the least expensive in the Quarter, thus the “going back in time” theme extends beyond the decor and classical music to the bill as well.

4. Johnny’s Po-Boy Restaurant: 511 St.Louis St. New Orleans 504.524.8129

Just off Decatur Street on St. Louis, Johnny’s has been serving NOLA since 1950. Johnny’s dining space is alive with both locals and tourists, who because they have ventured 100 feet from the main street, have smiles like they have just discovered a lost temple. However, even though Johnny’s has long since been discovered and is now a part of the well trodden path it maintains all the charm of a secret breakfast and lunch spot. The cheap food and drinks coupled with the friendly atmosphere make Johnny’s a perfect breakfast or lunch choice. They are open 7 days a week from 9am to 4pm and just in case you need it, they deliver.

5. Acme Oyster House: 724 Iberville Street 504.522.5973

Originally opened in 1910, Acme has that easy atmosphere that tends to elevate a good time into a great one. Many of the locals that we spoke with have at least one fond story of a good time that they had at Acme Oyster House. So with all those positive memories and energy, Acme is a Great destination for anyone visiting New Orleans. In the genre of other famous Southern joints such as Charlie Vergos Rendevous in Memphis, Acme is a must. However, with this said Acme can be a little intimating from the outside because of its Hollywood red carpet get up, but do not worry it is really just a friendly classic po’boy, gumbo and crawfish joint.

Happy Travels and bon apetite,

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