You could spend a weekend agonizing over where to brunch in New Orleans. Biscuits here, boudin there, every corner promising the definitive plate. Or Food Network could just hand you the answer. The network’s “Top 10” ranking named Commander’s Palace’s cochon de lait eggs benedict the best brunch dish in the United States, with Katie’s Restaurant in Mid-City landing at No. 9 for its crawfish beignets. Two New Orleans institutions. One national list. New Orleans brunch didn’t just show up; it took the top spot.
What’s Actually on the Plate at Commander’s Palace
The cochon de lait eggs Benedict is a Creole reinterpretation of a brunch classic — slow-roasted suckling pig replacing the usual Canadian bacon, draped in hollandaise, and served inside one of the Garden District’s most storied dining rooms.
Commander’s Palace frames its weekend service as Jazz Brunch — Saturday from 11 AM to 2 PM, Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM at 1403 Washington Avenue. The room hums with live music, and brandy milk punch is a featured order on the Jazz Brunch menu. This isn’t brunch as a meal; it’s brunch as a ritual, the kind New Orleans has been performing long before the word became a portmanteau people argue about on social media.
The ranking breaks down to two essential facts for any food traveler:
- Commander’s Palace’s cochon de lait eggs benedict claimed No. 1 on Food Network’s “Top 10” best brunch dishes in the U.S.
- Katie’s Restaurant at 3701 Iberville Street in Mid-City placed No. 9 for its crawfish beignets.
The episode is currently available to stream on the Food Network website.
Mid-City Answers Back With a Crawfish Beignet
Katie’s crawfish beignet isn’t a newcomer to national attention — it has been quietly earning this recognition for years.
Guy Fieri already put a camera in front of it on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Now it sits on a national top-ten list. Katie’s crawfish beignet at 3701 Iberville Street carries the kind of repeat media validation that tends to mean a dish genuinely delivers — not a one-cycle trend, but a signature that holds up across multiple rounds of scrutiny.
Together, both restaurants confirm what most food travelers already suspected: New Orleans doesn’t just have a brunch culture — it has the brunch culture.
If you’re building a New Orleans food itinerary, you now have two anchors and a very specific argument for the weekend slot. Commander’s Jazz Brunch runs on Sunday from 10 AM. Katie’s holds down Mid-City any time you need a crawfish beignet and bragging rights. Plan accordingly.
