Cafe du Monde – New Orleans

When I said I was going to visit New Orleans, I was told by several people that I absolutely HAD to go get beignets at Café du Monde. I just didn’t have it in me to wait in the long line during the French Quarter Festival. Good thing I would be coming back to New Orleans for another day before taking off to my next city.

You might think that Café du Monde is just a tourist trap centered in the French Quarter across from Jackson Square, but it really is worth the wait. In fact, I even found the line moved fairly quickly.

Café du Monde originally opened in 1862 as part of the New Orleans French Market, and they have been serving joy ever since. I learned that the cafe is open 24 hours, which I imagine is frequented by people rolling off Bourbon Street in the middle of the night after a string of libations.

What I think makes this cafe such a successful place (other than the history and prime location) is the simple menu. They pretty much only serve beignets (and a few drinks). If you want great beignets, this is the place to do it because it it all they make. As many people as they have coming in here, they are able to move them out quickly because of how fast they can put out these orders of beignets.

I went in with my aunt, my two teenage cousins, and my aunt’s two grandkids. The six of us squeezed into a small table. We placed 4 orders of beignets (3 per order) and I got a coffee and chicory (another thing I was told I must try).

In not very much time at all, we had our beignets and coffee. I was surprised to see exactly how much powdered sugar was being served on these doughnuts. These were beautiful fluffy doughnuts with a pile of snow on top.

These beignets were unbelievable. They came fresh from the fryer, so they were still so warm when you bit into them. The texture was amazing. I felt like I was eating little clouds of fried dough. I don’t know how to explain how this coffee was different than other coffee, but I also really liked it.

Cafe du Monde is absolutely worth the hype. It was such a neat experience to just be there to witness the magic and eat these glorious beignets. I would 100% go back if I ever find myself in New Orleans again.

The cafe is situated right alongside the Mississippi River, so after your beignets and coffee, you can go get a gorgeous view of the river and the city. It was a beautiful day for this on Tuesday when we went.

I’ve been so busy touring around various cities, that I haven’t had a lot of time to write. I am trying to pump these post out when I can because I have so much to say about my fantastic food adventures in the past week. Stay tuned for more!

*This post reflects my honest views. I did not receive any compensation or other incentives to post this review.

Café du Monde
800 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 525-4544