If you have been reading my articles for Her Campus since the start, you may remember an article I posted detailing the best coffee shops in New Orleans for your study sessions. Oh, how I’ve changed and grown since that article. For starters, access to a car has allowed me to travel past the mile-radius around campus. Secondly, I have determined that not all coffee shops are created equal. Just like music, New Orleans’s coffee shops have different “genres” that best suit your needs. Here, I present my revised version of the best coffee shops in New Orleans based on very specific grading criteria. Enjoy!
- The “Mobile Order”: Petite Rouge
-
Have you ever noticed that many of New Orleans’s finest coffee shops are transportation-themed? French Truck, Streetcar Cafe, and my favorite…Petite Rouge Coffee Truck and Cafe. Great coffee isn’t just about taste, although Petite Rouge earns high praise in that respect. Every time I walk into the cafe, I am greeted by personable staff. Plus, the Baby Blue Mobile Truck is adorable!
- My Favorite “Haunt”: Z’otz
-
One unique characteristic of New Orleans is the mystery and intrigue of the supernatural. Ghost tours and voodoo shops exist all throughout the French Quarter. A certain sub-section of coffee shops serve that need to satiate your supernatural desires and your thirst for coffee. While Sacred Grinds in Mid-City earns a close second place in this category, I ultimately have to award the best coffee “haunt” to a coffee shop classic: Z’otz. To enter into Z’otz is to enter into another dimension. I wish I had the narrative capacity to explain exactly what attracts me to this coffee shop, but Z’otz truly leaves me speechless. Visit it for yourself, and wish you were in the year 2018 so you could walk over to Mellow Mushroom to grab a slice of pizza after a difficult study session.
- A Modern Affair: Cherry Espresso Bar
-
Located a few blocks away from my apartment, Cherry Espresso Bar seems to have it all. Open seating indoors and outside, great coffee, and a modern feel. I hit up Cherry Espresso Bar whenever I want to feel like a modern, professional woman who has it all.
- The Great New Orlenas Bake-Off: Old Road
-
Have you ever tasted a muffin so good you still think about it months later? Yeah, I have, and that muffin comes from Old Road in Treme. It’s a bit of a drive, but totally worth it. They have some of the best baked goods in the city. When you order a muffin, make sure you get a coffee on the side, too.
- It’s Off The Chain: Gracious Bakery
-
Gracious Bakery, you have my heart. Usually I try and stray away from chain coffee shops (looking at you, Starbucks) but local chains like yours have a special charm. Without fail, I can’t just get an iced mocha. The turkey sandwiches are delicious and I am always tempted to buy one of the many desserts in their displays.
- The Coffee Shop That Once Was: Cafe Luna
-
For almost a decade, Cafe Luna sat on the corner of Nashville and Magazine Street. Last Fall, Cafe Luna permanently closed its doors. What I would give to visit once more, sitting out on the house patio on a Sunday morning and watching the day go by. Though you may never get to visit this marvelous cafe, I feel I must tribute it appropriately by adding Cafe Luna to my list.
I still have many names of businesses I want to try on my list. With a little over a year in the city, I believe I may not get to them all! But trying coffee in this city is my own form of exploration. What’s your favorite coffee shop and where should I try next?
