Where To Find The Best Beignets In New Orleans

Every bite of a beignet is worth the minor inconvenience of the powdered sugar that rains down onto your shirt. A highlight of the New Orleans food scene, beignets are as deeply embedded in the city's culture as Mardi Gras. The puffy, deep-fried pastries are similar to donuts, but are square rather than circular, and don't have a hole in the middle. Another big difference between donuts and beignets is that beignet dough generally only goes through one rise during preparation, while donut dough is subjected to two.

If you're planning a trip to New Orleans and want to sample one (or five) of these doughy delicacies, your biggest problem will be deciding where to dine. There's no shortage of stellar eateries serving beignets in The Big Easy, but some are significantly more tasty than others. Not all beignets are alike, either. While beignets – which were introduced to New Orleanians by French colonists in the 18th century – are traditionally unfilled and topped with a generous helping of powdered sugar, you can also find them stuffed with all kinds of tasty fillings. I lived in New Orleans for several years and still visit regularly, so it was hard to narrow down the list of the city's best beignets, but these restaurants and cafés serve some of the best. Whether you want your beignets sweet, savory, topped, or filled, you'll find what you crave at one — or several– of these eateries.

Since 1990, Cafe Beignet has delighted New Orleans locals and visitors alike with its delicious take on the traditional beignet. With four locations dotted around the French Quarter, you don't have to walk far to find a Cafe Beignet eatery. Although all of its locations serve up its namesake doughy treat, each one is known for unique characteristics.

For example, its newest outpost on Canal Street is located on the outskirts of the hustle and bustle of the French Quarter. It's housed in a building dating back to the 1800s and faces the streetcar line. Meanwhile, the Decatur Street eatery is situated in the historic Jackson Brewery, while the Bourbon Street eatery features an outdoor courtyard with bronze statues of local musicians, and its inaugural location on Royal Street treats customers to a lush tropical courtyard and charming European café setting. I've enjoyed beignets at the Royal Street location many times over the years, and have determined that they are some of the best classics in town.

Cafe Beignet serves traditional handmade beignets in groups of three and an impressive array of breakfast and lunch offerings. Along with its fresh-from-the-fryer beignets, customers can also sample some New Orleans specialties such as crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, BBQ shrimp and grits, red beans and rice, and muffuletta sandwiches. Its piping hot beignets are best washed down with a café au lait, aka a combination of strongly brewed coffee and steamed milk. That makes a café au lait different from a latte, which uses espresso.

cafebeignet.com

Multiple locations

The world-famous Cafe du Monde has served up traditional beignets and steaming hot mugs of café au lait since 1862. This quintessential New Orleans coffee spot has 10 locations throughout the New Orleans area, and its recognizable green and white awnings beckon to tourists seeking an authentic beignet experience. If you're lucky, you may even come across a food truck while you're roaming around the city.

Whenever I arrive in New Orleans, one of my first stops is always Cafe du Monde, where I enjoy a plate of its classic powdered sugar-dusted beignets with either a hot or iced café au lait. If the mound of powdered sugar atop your trio of beignets isn't enough, some locations also offer tableside shakers of the sweet stuff so you can cover the fried dough to your liking. More than once, a plate of these world-famous beignets and a cup of café au lait have served as my dinner — they're that good.

Cafe du Monde's beignet mix consists of wheat and barley flour, milk, buttermilk, salt, sugar, a leavening agent, and flavorings, giving the fried dough its signature taste and texture. While you can purchase the beignet mix to make at home, there's nothing quite like watching its skilled bakers make the dough from scratch through glass windows and eating the freshly fried treats onsite. The coffee stand only serves the beignets one way, but the dough is fried to such perfection that you won't miss the fillings and toppings here. Cafe du Monde also offers a unique frozen café au lait beverage to cool you off on sweltering hot New Orleans summer days.

shop.cafedumonde.com

Multiple locations

The Morning Call Coffee Stand is another historic beignet staple in New Orleans, established in 1870 in the French Quarter. Like Cafe du Monde, Morning Call serves traditional beignets that are fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, covered in a generous dusting of powdered sugar. Similar to Cafe du Monde, beignets are served in groups of three and taste best when savored with a hot cup of café au lait.

Today, Morning Call is located on the streetcar line at the intersection of Canal Boulevard and City Park Avenue. Morning Call takes pride in the fact that its beignets are rolled and cut by hand rather than with a machine. When I ate there, I could taste the love and care that went into each perfectly fried square of dough. You can also request to have your beignets lightly sprinkled or fully covered in sugar, depending on your preference. 

Morning Call's menu also includes other types of local fare, including red beans and rice, gumbo, jambalaya, muffuletta sandwiches, and crawfish etouffee. Although beignets make the perfect breakfast or snack all on their own, they're also a satisfying dessert after a full meal. Another thing that sets Morning Call apart from the many other beignet shops scattered around the city is that it still makes its café au lait using the traditional French drip method, with hand-sewn filters and custom-made drip units. It also serves a variety of cocktails, such as Irish coffees and margaritas, plus wine.

morningcallcoffeestandnola.com

(504) 459-2086

5101 Canal Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124

Nestled on the bustling Magazine Street, The Vintage's beignets are anything but traditional and ordinary. The quaint, upscale café is known for its wide variety of unconventional beignets stuffed and topped with unexpected ingredients. As if that's not enough, The Vintage also serves champagne, beer, and a unique collection of cocktails, many of which are made with coffee. Its cocktail list is largely split into three sections: vintage cocktails that originated before Prohibition, those created during Prohibition, and those that debuted in the years that followed. Rotating draft wine and beer are also on tap.

While you can find traditional plain beignets topped with powdered sugar at The Vintage, its claim to fame is its line-up of stuffed and topped varieties. The Vintage's most elaborate beignets are filled with everything from cream to fruit jelly, topped with the likes of cinnamon, chocolate, and nuts. During Mardi Gras, the casual-yet-classy eatery even offers king cake-inspired beignets. You can purchase classic beignets in orders of three, as well as bite-sized versions of its fritters dusted with powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar, or flights of its most OTT flavors, which is a good way to sample a few specialties at once. If you prefer a savory beignet, try one smothered with bacon gravy and served with a poached egg. 

Although I prefer the restaurant's sweet beignets, especially the decadent, seasonal king cake versions, you can't go wrong with any of their options. Here, you don't have to decide between having your pastry filled or topped because you can have it both ways. 

thevintagenola.com

(504) 608-1008

3121 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Stuph'd Beignets & Burgers is in a league of its own, boasting a menu bursting with unique stuffed beignets. Situated in the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans, this casual restaurant goes above and beyond with its beignet offerings, filling the pillowy, soft fried dough with various sweet and savory ingredients. What makes the eatery's beignets even more special is that it stuffs them with locally-inspired goodies, such as Creole crawfish, shrimp, and crabmeat.

If seafood isn't your thing but savory beignets are, try those filled with Philly cheesesteak or beef. As another unique touch, Stuph'd Beignets and Burgers also offers a build-your-own stuffed beignet option, allowing customers to choose from ingredients such as mushrooms, cheese, pepperoni, and grilled chicken. According to Eater New Orleans, the beignets at Stuph'd Beignets & Burgers stand out among other NOLA offerings due to the large number of ingenious options.

On the sweeter side, you can have your beignets filled with an assortment of fresh berries, apple, pecan or sweet potato pie filling, brownies, various kinds of cheesecake, sweet cheese, and even Oreos. Traditional beignets topped with powdered sugar are served in groups of three, while the specialty beignets come in pairs. The restaurant also has a creative line-up of refreshing homemade lemonades, including cucumber and strawberry flavors.

stuphd-beignets-burgers.restaurants-world.com

(504) 459-4571

3325 St. Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117

La Petite Grocery is a James Beard Award-winning eatery on Magazine Street, best known for its savory blue crab beignets. The charming restaurant and bar debuted its savory, seafood-stuffed beignets back in 2007 when the pillowy squares of fried dough were largely known as just a dessert treat. Since then, the mouthwatering seafood bites have drawn customers back to the gourmet eatery time and time again. La Petite Grocery's blue crab beignets are offered on its appetizer menu, along with other tasty starters such as steak tartare, ricotta dumplings, citrus-glazed pork belly, and chicken and andouille gumbo. The restaurant also has a full bar, serving up a variety of dessert wines, cocktails, whisky, and tequila. 

This eatery's crave-worthy beignets are light and airy, filled with sweet and tender blue crab meat in a rich, creamy sauce. Both beignets and blue crab are New Orleans staples, and the combination of the two delights is nothing short of delicious. When I tried these crispy, savory bites, I was immediately impressed by the way the beignet seemed to melt in my mouth, perfectly blending with the creamy crab filling. La Petite Grocery owner and executive chef, Justin Devillier, blends the Louisiana shellfish with ingredients such as mascarpone, chives, and shallots to create the beignet's savory stuffing, and fries it in a dough made with flour, beer, and cornstarch until it's golden brown. The crispy beignets are served with a New Orleans-style remoulade sauce for dipping.

lapetitegrocery.com

(504) 891-3377

4238 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115

Katie's Restaurant & Bar has been tucked away in the city's Mid-City neighborhood since 1984. It prides itself on being an old-school, family-operated establishment that reopened in 2010 after being devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Beloved for its warm, welcoming atmosphere, Katie's is known for its tasty crawfish-filled beignets.

In Katie's version of savory beignets, crispy pockets of dough are overstuffed with a mixture of crawfish, mozzarella and cheddar cheese, jalapeños, and caramelized onions. The crawfish tails give the beignets a quintessential New Orleans flavor, while the bite of the peppers and the sweetness from the onions blend beautifully. This seafood and cheese combination is fried to perfection inside crispy beignet dough. As if that isn't decadent enough, the beignet is topped with a rich and creamy jalapeño aioli for an added spicy kick. There's a reason that Katie's beignets are swooned over by many local and national food critics. 

The popular beignets are in good company on the restaurant's appetizer menu, which features other local-inspired meal starters such as chargrilled oysters, crab cakes, seafood-stuffed mushrooms, and swamp fries covered in cheese and debris gravy (which combines beef gravy with pieces of meat). Entrees include a fried seafood platter, blackberry and jalapeño ribs, and catfish meunière.

katiesinmidcity.com

(504) 488-6582

3701 Iberville St, New Orleans, LA 70119

Another eatery to add to your New Orleans bucket list is Beignets & More, an authentic Vietnamese restaurant serving fresh, warm beignets daily. Located in the heart of Chalmette, east of downtown, the restaurant's menu is loaded with goodies such as bánh mì, also known as Vietnamese po-boys, fried rice, and rice vermicelli, plus its namesake food. If you're craving some traditional beef noodle soup, or pho, along with your beignets, the eatery offers that as well. When I was lucky enough to taste these delicious beignets, they served as a decadent dessert after a bowl of the restaurant's light and flavorful soup, with their crispy exterior and pillowy soft interior working together in perfect harmony.

Beignets & More lists its delicious beignets on the appetizer menu, along with Vietnamese egg rolls, crab rangoons, and gyoza dumplings. You can purchase full-size beignets in groups of three or as an order of nine bite-sized treats. The sweet beignets are also covered with powdered sugar and served warm. Instead of a café au lait, try washing the pastries down with a classic Vietnamese coffee, which is typically espresso combined with condensed milk.

beignetsandmore.com

(504) 459-9233

W Judge Perez Dr Suite C, Chalmette, LA 70043

The elegant Criollo Restaurant is located inside the historic Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street in the famous French Quarter. It's known for using fresh, seasonal ingredients and making Louisiana's seafood bounty the star of its menu. The restaurant blends the flavors of several different cultures — including French, Italian, and Caribbean – while focusing on traditional tastes. 

Criollo Restaurant is beloved for its inventive menu filled with Southern staples such as fried green tomatoes, seafood and andouille gumbo, and jumbo lump crab cakes, as well as its weekly jazz brunch. Even among all of these delectable dishes, Criollo's beignets stand out for their unique flavor and presentation. The beignets are made in the traditional French Market style, but are served with fresh strawberries and a rich, decadent praline sauce. The powdered sugar-topped beignets are brought to a new level of sweetness when dipped in said sauce, which has a melted caramel-like consistency. I stopped in the restaurant for its historical significance and unique ambiance, but was just as charmed by this combo. The doughy delights were the perfect vehicle for delivering the sweet and creamy sauce.

The restaurant welcomes people staying at the beautiful Hotel Monteleone, which has been in operation since 1886, as well as non-guests. After enjoying a meal at Criollo, you may want to consider stopping in at the unique Carousel Bar & Lounge, which is also located inside the hotel and is New Orleans' first (and, as of right now, the only) rotating bar.

criollonola.com

(504) 681-4444

214 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Just when you thought that beignets couldn't get any sweeter or more delectable, Luca Eats – a casual restaurant known for its large menu of New Orleans-inspired sandwiches – changes the game. While the eatery offers a top-notch lineup of local fare, including the flavor-packed favorite that is a muffuletta sandwich, fried green tomato BLTs, and fried green bell pepper rings with a spicy Cajun dipping sauce, it's the Oreo-stuffed beignets that steal the show. 

The popular chocolate sandwich cookies are dipped in a traditional beignet batter and then fried to a golden brown. As you bite into this only-in-New Orleans dessert, your mouth is hit first with a slightly crispy exterior, then the doughy softness of the beignet, and finally the gooey goodness of the warm, partially melted Oreo cookie. The two unexpected sweet treats meet to create a symphony of flavors that every New Orleans visitor must experience at least once. The delicacies are so good that the eatery once won the Crowd Favorite award at the city's Beignet Fest in 2016.

lucaeats.com

(504) 866-1166

7329 Cohn St, New Orleans, LA 70118

Each fall, New Orleans hosts the super-sweet Beignet Fest on its City Park Festival Grounds. The food festival showcases the city's most decadent and delicious beignets — from salty, savory seafood-stuffed dishes to the traditional powdered sugar-topped fried dough pillows. The culinary celebration pays homage to the best of New Orleans' iconic treat, with food vendors over the years including local eateries such as the Ruby Slipper Cafe, Loretta's Authentic Pralines, PJs Coffee, The Vintage, and Cafe Beignet. In addition to beignets topped and stuffed every which way, the fest also offers a variety of seafood, fried chicken, and other locally inspired dishes. Beignet Fest Awards include Most Original, Crowd Favorite, Best Sweet, and Best Savory. 

When attending the Beignet Fest, bring your friends and family along with your sweet tooth, as the event features kid-friendly activities, live entertainment, and local musical acts. You can also find arts and crafts vendors selling locally made treasures onsite. As if the event wasn't sweet enough, all proceeds benefit children with autism and their families.

beignetfest.com

4 Friederichs Ave, New Orleans, LA 70124