In week three of attempting to have our “go-to” spots compiled in one place, we’ve got you covered with everything from swanky happy hours to holes in the wall with surprisingly delicious eats to the trendiest new bars in town. Whether, you’re being challenged to think of the hottest spots by your visiting friends, or you are looking to hit the bar and restaurant scene yourself this weekend, we’ve got you covered with 5 go-to places that we can’t get enough of right now!
Happy Hour: Meril
424 Girod St
Chef Emeril Lagasse’s latest addition to the city is perfect for a happy hour with your babes after work. The menu offers a wide range of small plates, as well as wood oven flatbreads, pastas, and a selection of grilled meats. Some of our favorites for sharing are the boudin tamales, the Mexican style corn and the calamari with white bean purée. Happy hour is daily from 4 p.m.–6.p.m, and includes $5 well drinks, $5 select wines by the glass and $5 flatbreads.
Lunch: Shawarma on the Go
3720 Magazine St (inside of Jetgo gas station)
We know what you are thinking: shawarma from a gas station? Sounds sketchy as hell. The saying “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” very much applies in this situation babes! Yes – the first time we graced this place was with our largest sunglasses on hoping not to run into anyone during Sunday recovery. But, now we can’t stop thinking about it. The flavorful gyro and chicken is moist, the hummus is creamy, and the salad well-dressed . Yum! The gyro wrap, falafel, and chicken shawarma plate are all excellent choices. Everything is extremely affordable.
Dinner: DTB
8201 Oak St #1
The best new addition to grace Oak Street in quite a while, DTB is the perfect dinner spot to take a date. Opened by Jacob Naquin and Chef Carl Schaubhut just a couple of months ago, this spot serves extremely tasty modern takes of Southern Louisiana’s coastal cuisine, and delicious cocktails, all in a seriously gorgeous atmosphere. Not to mention, everything is super insta-worthy. We can’t recommend this spot enough.
Drinks: Effervescence
1036 N Rampart St
This newly opened champagne bar is every babes dream. We just can’t believe someone didn’t think of it sooner. Champagne on tap, champagne flights. Need we say more? We know we said drinks, but we can’t fail to mention the tasty small plates they are serving up as well. The charred octopus is literally OMG.
Late Night: The Tchoup Yard
405 Third St
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again, Tchoup Yard is like the F&M’s for young professionals. Tipsy bros and babes flock to the giant outdoor patio in groups, but are allowed to sit down at a table and talk instead of grind on each other atop a pool table. We know, it sucks growing up. Sigh. The yard is a great place to drink your responsibilities away with huge ice cold beers or frozen margs after pretending to be sophisticated for a couple of hours at one of the city’s trendier bars. Tchoup is open until 2AM on the weekends. If for some reason you feel like you need to keep grooving past then, check out Alessandra’s late night spot on this list.
We hope these picks keep you entertained for the week! Check out week one’s picks here, week two here, and stay tuned for two more weeks of go-tos! Let us know your favorite spots right now in the comments,
XOXO
