Eating My Way Through “Food Mecca”- New Orleans Food Tour: Everything I Ate (and Ranked)

New Orleans has been at the top of my U.S. travel wishlist for years. It’s one of those cities I always knew I’d get to someday – I  just needed the right excuse. Mine came in the form of a work conference, and I happily extended my stay to experience the city beyond the convention center.

Before we even got off the plane, a passenger a few rows ahead exclaimed, “We’re in Food Mecca now!,” unknowingly setting the tone for my trip. His enthusiasm aligned with everything I’d heard from friends and discovered through my own research: New Orleans is the place to eat. Unlike most destinations where I spend time searching for standout restaurants, my New Orleans Google Maps list seemed to build itself. 

I was eager to try as much as I could, but with only a few days, I needed to be intentional with my time. Food tours are one of my favorite ways to get to know a place, and this Viator tour felt like the perfect introduction to such a renowned city. History, good eats, and a little exercise? You can always count me in. 

I arrived at our meeting spot in the French Quarter with an empty stomach and open ears. Over the next three hours, I took in rich bites of New Orleans history and culture – both literally and mentally. The best part? Every sample I tried was new to me. Naturally, I ranked everything – so let’s dig in.

Praline Cookie 

📍French Quarter

I’m not one to shy away from dessert before a meal, so starting the tour with something sweet was right up my alley. Even so, this praline cookie was a bit too sweet for my taste (6/10 for me, but 10/10  if you have a serious sweet tooth).

Beignet and Cala

📍Bon’s New Orleans Street Food

You can’t go to New Orleans without trying beignets at least once – or three times in my case. Surprisingly, I preferred Bon’s beignets over the famous ones from Cafe du Monde. They were fresh, pillowy, and perfectly dusted with powdered sugar (8/10).

We also tried a cala – a fried rice fritter covered with a sweet twist. It wasn’t my favorite compared to everything else on the tour, but I’d be open to trying it again (5/10).

Gator Sausage

📍N’awlin’s 

My dad jokingly calls me a carnivore, so he wouldn’t be surprised to hear that gator sausage immediately caught my attention when our guide announced it as our next stop. A couple from Amsterdam even noticed my eyes light up and joked about it on our walk over. Seasoned and cooked to perfection – this ended up being my favorite bite of the day (8.5/10). 

Muffuleta

📍Alberto’s

This was the most surprising sample on the tour. Before we dug in, our guide encouraged us to try it as-is before removing anything (it’s like he knew my habits!). Everything worked perfectly together – salty, crunchy, and flavorful (7/10).

Shrimp Po’boy and “Nate’s Drink”

📍Market Cafe

Shrimp is my favorite seafood, and bread is my favorite carb. Put them together? It felt like a guaranteed win. I was extra delighted to learn that the restaurant has French bread delivered multiple times throughout the day, so it’s always fresh. Although the flavor fell a bit short for me, this was still a solid sample (5/10).

I love an off-menu special, so when our guide, Nate, mentioned he had one here, I was game to try it. Somehow, this mix of a Bloody Mary and pickle juice – topped with crispy bacon and green beans – turned out to be a strange yet surprisingly tasty combo (6.5/10).

Gumbo Yaya

📍Creole Cookery

By the time we got to the gumbo, I was stuffed. My mouth oozed at the classic, comforting flavors, but my head told me enough is enough. I still gave it a shot, but was ultimately let down by the lack of spice (5/10).

Praline Candy

📍New Orleans School of Cooking

We came full circle, ending the tour with praline candy. The sweet pieces crumbled right in my mouth – but at that point, I was completely tapped out (4/10 with a full stomach bias).

Overall, the tour was a worthwhile introduction to New Orleans culinary culture. The rest of my trip was filled with even more incredible meals, including revisiting some of these staples. I left the Big Easy with a bigger appreciation for the U.S. food scene (plus a few extra lbs. in beignets!)

Now I have to know – which of these bites would you try first?

Joyfully,

Temitayo