Highest-rated cheap eats in New Orleans by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the New Orleans area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

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John & Mary's Food Store

1 / 30

#30. John & Mary's Food Store

- Rating: 4.5/5 (27 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3238 Orleans Ave. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Vietnamese, Convenience Stores, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp

J'aime Le Cafe

2 / 30

#29. J'aime Le Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (110 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1977 Barataria Blvd. Marrero, Louisiana
- Categories: Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Stop Jockin Snoballs

3 / 30

#28. Stop Jockin Snoballs

- Rating: 4.5/5 (51 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3600 St. Bernard Ave. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Fast food, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Shaved Ice
- Read more on Yelp

LUCA eats

4 / 30

#27. LUCA eats

- Rating: 4.5/5 (215 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7329 Cohn St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch, American
- Read more on Yelp

Congregation Coffee

5 / 30

#26. Congregation Coffee

- Rating: 4.5/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 240 Pelican Ave. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Coffee Roasteries, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

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J & J Seafood

6 / 30

#25. J & J Seafood

- Rating: 4.5/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 632 Franklin Ave. Gretna, Louisiana
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Quarter Grocery & Deli

7 / 30

#24. Quarter Grocery & Deli

- Rating: 4.5/5 (205 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 836 Burgundy St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Grocery, Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Treme Coffeehouse

8 / 30

#23. Treme Coffeehouse

- Rating: 4.5/5 (161 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1501 St. Philip St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes, Bagels
- Read more on Yelp

Milk Bar

9 / 30

#22. Milk Bar

- Rating: 4.6/5 (346 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 710 South Carrollton Ave. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Alberto's Cheese & Wine Bistro

10 / 30

#21. Alberto's Cheese & Wine Bistro

- Rating: 4.6/5 (241 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1100 North Peters St. Ste 11 New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Sandwiches, Modern European, Waffles
- Read more on Yelp

Adams Street Grocery & Deli

11 / 30

#20. Adams Street Grocery & Deli

- Rating: 4.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1309 Adams St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Grocery, Sandwiches, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Juneau's Sandwich Shop

12 / 30

#19. Juneau's Sandwich Shop

- Rating: 4.6/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4016 7th St. Marrero, Louisiana
- Categories: Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Singleton's Mini Mart

13 / 30

#18. Singleton's Mini Mart

- Rating: 4.6/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7446 Garfield St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Convenience Stores, Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

Empanola

14 / 30

#17. Empanola

- Rating: 4.6/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 628 St. Ann St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Empanadas, Coffee & Tea, Latin American
- Read more on Yelp

Small Mart

15 / 30

#16. Small Mart

- Rating: 4.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2700 Chartres St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Vegetarian, Bagels, Indian
- Read more on Yelp

Thai Djing

16 / 30

#15. Thai Djing

- Rating: 4.6/5 (25 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Food Trucks, Thai
- Read more on Yelp

Pho Kim Loan

17 / 30

#14. Pho Kim Loan

- Rating: 4.7/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1530 Lapalco Blvd. Ste 1 Harvey, Louisiana
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

Shawarma on the Go

18 / 30

#13. Shawarma on the Go

- Rating: 4.7/5 (257 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3720 Magazine St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Mediterranean, American, Middle Eastern
- Read more on Yelp

Piccola Gelateria

19 / 30

#12. Piccola Gelateria

- Rating: 4.7/5 (319 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4500 Magazine St. Ste 5 New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Gelato, Creperies, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Birds Nest Cafe

20 / 30

#11. Birds Nest Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (21 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6508 Spanish Fort Blvd. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Hong Minh

21 / 30

#10. Hong Minh

- Rating: 4.7/5 (138 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2101 8th St. Harvey, Louisiana
- Categories: Chinese, Asian Fusion, Noodles
- Read more on Yelp

Fatma's Cozy Corner

22 / 30

#9. Fatma's Cozy Corner

- Rating: 4.7/5 (185 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1532 Ursulines Ave. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea, Turkish
- Read more on Yelp

TM Breads & Pastries

23 / 30

#8. TM Breads & Pastries

- Rating: 4.7/5 (172 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 335 Baronne St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Bakeries, Coffee & Tea, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Le Cafe Eblouir

24 / 30

#7. Le Cafe Eblouir

- Rating: 4.7/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2112 Belle Chasse Hwy Ste 1 Gretna, Louisiana
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Petite Clouet Cafe

25 / 30

#6. Petite Clouet Cafe

- Rating: 4.7/5 (44 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3100 Royal St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Cafes, Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

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Frady's One Stop Food Store

26 / 30

#5. Frady's One Stop Food Store

- Rating: 4.7/5 (131 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3231 Dauphine St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Grocery, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Rainbow Grocery

27 / 30

#4. Rainbow Grocery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (34 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4837 Magazine St. New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Beer, Wine & Spirits, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Bonafried

28 / 30

#3. Bonafried

- Rating: 4.8/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Food Trucks, Southern, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

Beignets & More

29 / 30

#2. Beignets & More

- Rating: 4.8/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 8700 West Judge Perez Chalmette, Louisiana
- Categories: Vietnamese, American, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria El Poblano

30 / 30

#1. Taqueria El Poblano

- Rating: 4.8/5 (33 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.

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