You love Café du Monde. Everyone loves Café du Monde. But the line snakes around the block, powdered sugar coats every surface within a three-block radius, and you’re wondering if there’s another way.
There is.
Morning Call: The 150-Year-Old Comeback Story
Morning Call opened in 1870—just eight years after Café du Monde. For over a century, locals argued which was better. Then Morning Call lost its City Park location to Café du Monde in a lease bidding war. The place sat empty for two years.
But in 2021, Morning Call came back. The new location sits at Canal Boulevard and City Park Avenue, right where the streetcar ends. You’ll spot that neon sign from blocks away.
The beignets are hand-rolled, hand-cut, and fried by actual beignet masters. Not machines. They come out fluffy and warm throughout the day. The French-drip coffee uses the same method they’ve used since 1870—hand-sewn filters, custom drip units, the whole deal.
Skip the tourist trap. Morning Call delivers the same history with none of the hassle.
Location: 5101 Canal Blvd., New Orleans
Loretta’s Authentic Pralines: The Secret Weapon
Loretta Harrison was the first African American woman to own and operate her own praline company in New Orleans. She passed in 2022, but her family keeps the legacy alive at two locations in the French Market and on Rampart.
The praline beignets are what you came for. Gooey caramel and pecans hide inside fluffy fried dough. One reviewer called them the best beignets in New Orleans, period. Another said the crab-stuffed beignets were “maybe the best thing I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
Get there early. The special beignets sell out by end of day.
Locations: French Market (Stall 9, 1100 N Peters St.) and 2101 N. Rampart St.
Streetcar Cafe and Hot Benny’s: The Dark Horses
According to one family who tested every major spot, these two won easily. Not Café du Monde. Not Café Beignet. These guys.
Streetcar Café sits in the CBD with house-made beignets that are light, fluffy, and perfectly crispy on the outside. The place serves full breakfast, so you can actually get protein with your sugar bomb.
Hot Benny’s opened recently on Canal Street. The beignets are soft and puffy—almost cloudlike. No massive tourist crowds. Just good beignets and strong coffee.
Streetcar Café: Various locations in CBD/Uptown
Hot Benny’s: 364 Canal St., New Orleans
The Upscale Twist: La Petite Grocery
Chef Justin Devillier won a James Beard Award in 2016. His blue crab beignets with malt vinegar aioli are fancy. They’re golden, crispy, and filled with warm blue crab. Three to an order, sprinkled with sea salt, served with lemon.
This isn’t your powdered-sugar street snack. This is what happens when a chef takes Louisiana tradition seriously.
Location: 4238 Magazine St., New Orleans
The Bottom Line
Café du Monde built the legend. But Louisiana has 150+ years of beignet innovation happening in kitchens across the state. Morning Call brings the history. Loretta’s brings the creativity. Streetcar and Hot Benny’s bring the quality without the chaos.
You don’t need to wait in that line. The best beignets in Louisiana might be the ones you haven’t tried yet.
