Gretna Louisiana Banh Mi and Westbank Food

Gretna Louisiana banh mi is one reason to cross the Mississippi River. The Westbank, the part of metropolitan New Orleans on the river's other side, holds a large Vietnamese community with bakeries, pho shops and sandwich counters, alongside old Gretna's courthouse streets and a string of family kitchens along the Westbank Expressway.

Here is how to spend a day on the other side of the river, and how to judge what you find when you get there.

Why try Gretna Louisiana banh mi?

Vietnamese families settled across the Westbank in the decades after the Vietnam War, and their bakeries and sandwich counters became part of everyday life there. A banh mi in Gretna is typically made on a crisp, light loaf with pickled vegetables, cilantro, chili and a filling such as grilled pork or chicken. Compare it with the heavier po-boy and you taste two cousins of the same French bread tradition.

For the East Side version, see the Vietnamese food in New Orleans East guide.

Where is Westbank New Orleans Vietnamese food?

Westbank New Orleans Vietnamese food is clustered along main roads in Gretna, Harvey and Marrero, where shopping centers hold bakeries, pho restaurants, grocers and cafes. Park once and walk the strip. Many family-run counters sit at the front of a market, with a kitchen at the back. Early mornings are best for bread, and lunch is best for noodle soups.

Ask the counter what is freshest. A baker who just pulled the loaves will tell you. Many counters sell a few sweets and drinks beside the sandwiches, such as coconut treats and iced coffee with condensed milk, and a small order of each turns a sandwich into a proper meal. Bring cash in case a small shop prefers it, and expect a short wait when the lunch crowd arrives.

What is a good Gretna lunch?

A good Gretna lunch could be a banh mi, a bowl of pho, a plate of rice with grilled meat or a local po-boy or plate lunch near the courthouse. The old downtown is compact and walkable, with small counters that serve workers from the courts and offices. Go before one o'clock for the widest choice.

If the day is warm, take a sandwich to a bench. Gretna's shaded streets are made for it. The old downtown has a small-town feel that surprises visitors who expect the Westbank to be all highway, with historic buildings, a courthouse square and festivals that fill the streets with food stands at certain times of year. Check the festival organizer's page before you plan a day around one.

How does an Algiers Point ferry lunch work?

The ferry from the foot of Canal Street crosses the river to Algiers Point, a quiet historic neighborhood on the Westbank. An Algiers Point ferry lunch means a short ride, a walk through old streets and a meal at a neighborhood counter or dining room before you ride back. Check the current ferry schedule with the operator, since times change, and confirm which places are open on the day you travel.

Allow a leisurely hour. The ride itself is part of the pleasure. Walk off the ferry and look at the houses, many of them old and brightly painted, then turn toward the levee for a view back across the water to the skyline. Bring a hat in summer, and take the return boat with a pastry in hand if you found a bakery.

What are Westbank Expressway restaurants like?

Westbank Expressway restaurants line a busy highway through Gretna, Harvey and Marrero. Expect big parking lots, family seating and menus that run from seafood and po-boys to Vietnamese, Mexican and Southern comfort food. The road is built for cars, so plan on driving between stops, and look at side roads, where smaller kitchens sit.

Traffic can be heavy at rush hour. Eat slightly earlier or later than the peak.

How do you plan a day on the Westbank?

Start with a pastry and coffee from a bakery, ride the ferry or drive to Gretna for a walk by the courthouse, eat lunch from a banh mi counter, and finish with dinner at a family seafood or Italian-Creole room. Bring cash for small counters, and take a cooler for bread and groceries you may want to carry home.

Check hours the same day. Small kitchens sometimes close on a weekday for family reasons.

How do you rate and remember a Westbank meal?

Rate each dish. In the Mosey app, add the place and stars, name the banh mi or the pho, and add tags such as Vietnamese, Bakery or Great Value. A note on the bread and the broth helps the next reader. A list called Westbank days keeps your finds together, and you can share it with a friend by invite link.

If you ate with friends, tag them and they can add their own rating of the same meal.

Where do you go after the Westbank?

Return to the city with the Metairie guide or the Italian food guide. Compare the bread with a po-boy in the how to rate a po-boy guide. The Louisiana hub lists the rest, and the US food guides cover other towns.

Pick up the Mosey app before you cross the river, rate the banh mi by the dish and save the bakery to a list.