The Best Magazine Street Restaurants

Billed as a Caribbean Taqueria, the Rum House serves up lunch and dinner dishes like Red Curry Shrimp Rundown -- jumbo Louisiana shrimp in a creamy red curry sauce served with coconut mango rice, and Island Style Cuban Steak -- medium rare flank steak in a ginger soy pineapple marinade served with black beans and cornbread dressing. True to its name, there's an extensive rum list representing rum from more than 20 countries.

For a more elegant dining experience, Lilette offers French and Italian-inspired cuisine with an emphasis on fresh local ingredients. It is counted among the best restaurants in New Orleans by locals and is perfect for a long, upscale lunch or a romantic dinner on the heated patio. Classic starters include escargot and duck confit. 

Sure, you can get hot dogs anywhere, but only on Magazine Street in the Big Easy can you eat alligator and crawfish dogs topped with andouille, crawfish, etouffee, or any other of 30 available toppings at no charge. Fish, vegetarian, and vegan options are also available.

La Petite Grocery is in an old Creole building that was a neighborhood grocery for years, hence, the name. Now it's a comfortable neighborhood bistro in Uptown serving great food. The menu changes often to take advantage of the fresh seafood and produce in season.

Joey K's is a casual neighborhood restaurant that serves comfort food New Orleans' style. Daily blackboard specials include White Beans and Pork Chops on Mondays and Creole Jambalaya on Fridays. This is a lunch spot that's unpretentious and reasonably priced. 

Serving up Southern cuisine with an emphasis on locally sourced products, but inspired by international cooking styles, Coquette is housed in a late-1880s building that was once an auto parts store in the Garden District. Dining rooms are on two floors and there's a 12-seat bar. House special meals include a three-course brunch and a five-course blind tasting dinner.

Chef Alon Shaya blends Israeli cuisine with Southern flavors, drawing influence and inspiration from North Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, Turkey, and Greece. The menu highlights seasonal and locally sourced ingredients based on daily availability. Vegetarians will find plenty of menu options.

Mahony's is a typical New Orleans po-boy shop with some gourmet po-boys added to the traditional menu. A po-boy -- or po’ boy -- is a traditional sandwich native to Louisiana that is served on French bread stuffed with meat or seafood. If you're not in the mood for a po-boy, there's traditional Lousiana comfort food like crawfish etouffee with melted cheddar over a mound of fries, or seafood gumbo.