Late Night Food in New Orleans: Where to Eat After Dark

Late night food in New Orleans comes from a short list of places that stay open past midnight, from a French Quarter deli known for po-boys to a pub kitchen on Burgundy Street. Two guides agree on a few names. Hours change often, so call before you go, and eat something real before the bars.

What is late night food in New Orleans?

Most New Orleans kitchens close around the time the bars get busy, so late night food is a different category from dinner: a counter, a deli, a pub kitchen or a diner that keeps the grill on. The tourism board's late night guide, and a Where Y'at list of places open after midnight, are the two sources behind this page.

They agree on three places. None is a ranking. They are the ones both lists mention, which makes them a safer start than a place you only heard about.

Where can you find New Orleans food after midnight?

• Verti Marte, on Royal Street in the French Quarter, is a family-run deli known for its hefty po-boys. Where Y'at lists it among the late spots, and Time Out names its po-boys, including the All That Jazz, with turkey, ham, cheese, fried shrimp and mushrooms.
• Melba's is a po-boy shop with locations including Elysian Fields Avenue and Tulane Avenue. Where Y'at describes po-boys, wings and burgers.
• Three Legged Dog, on Burgundy Street in the French Quarter, is a dive bar with a kitchen. Both lists mention it, and Where Y'at lists its battered mushrooms, fried macaroni and cheese and crawfish.

Because hours can change without notice, call to confirm that a counter is still serving at the hour you plan to arrive. A late-night kitchen may close the grill earlier than the bar.

What is a good late night po-boy in New Orleans?

A late night po-boy is a sandwich built to eat standing up: hot roast beef with gravy, a pile of fried shrimp or a sausage with grilled onions on French bread. Verti Marte's counter is known for its hefty sandwiches, and Melba's is a po-boy shop first, so both fit the idea.

Order something that holds together, ask for a half if you are sharing and take napkins. The po-boys guide explains what dressed means, which matters at a counter at midnight.

Is there a New Orleans 24 hour diner?

There is more than one place described that way, and the lists name a few. One list includes a 1950s-style diner on Bourbon Street for breakfast and burgers, and the tourism board's list includes a Canal Street shop for Mediterranean food and groceries. Only Verti Marte, Melba's and Three Legged Dog are named here because two sources confirm them, so confirm any other place with its own page before you rely on it.

For breakfast after a night out, the diner format is the point: eggs, hash browns, coffee and a booth. The beignets guide covers the daytime end of the same routine.

How do you plan French Quarter late night eats?

• Eat before the bars, not after. A real meal at an earlier hour is easier than a hunt at 2 a.m.
• Choose a neighborhood. The Quarter has the most options, Mid-City and the Bywater and Marigny have a few and Uptown has pub kitchens.
• Carry cash and a charger. Some counters and bars are cash-friendly, and you will want your phone for the walk back.
• Share a table. A plate for two cuts the wait and the cost of a second order.

Walk with friends, keep to lit streets and arrange your ride home before you eat. The French Quarter guide covers the daytime streets, and the Marigny and Frenchmen Street guide covers a late-night strip.

How do you rate and keep a late night find?

A late night plate is easy to forget by morning, so rate it as soon as you are home. In the Mosey app only the place and stars are needed, and "Rate each dish too" lets you name the po-boy, the burger or the fries. Add a tag so your note says what you actually ate, because a rating of the dish tells the next reader more than a star for the room. If someone at the table avoids an ingredient, the Hide dishes that list filter hides dishes where a place has listed that allergen, and a dish with nothing filled in says allergens not listed, so ask the place before you order.

Keep a list called After midnight with the counters you would go back to, and share it by invite link so others can add theirs. Then open the map and switch on the Open now layer to see what is open at the moment you are hungry. The ratings page explains the steps, and the lists page explains sharing.

Where next in the city?

For the stadium side of the night, the Saints game day guide, and for student hours, the cheap eats near Tulane guide. The New Orleans hub lists every page for the city, and the US food guides cover other towns.

Download the Mosey app, rate your late night plate by the dish and keep the counters worth a return trip on a list.