600 Decatur St.
New Orleans, LA
No phone listed
Cafe Beignet on Decatur St.
My journey here started with a desire to go to Cafe du Monde, but finding that the lines to get in were almost impossible (or at least would significantly decrease my time for seeing other French Quarter sights). I think going to Cafe Beignet was an excellent decision. For one thing Cafe Beignet itself got to full capacity right after I ordered, and more importantly I accomplished my mission of finding excellent beignets (the specialty of both restaurants).
The restaurant is located in the old Jackson Brewery building
Cafe Beignet is located in the old Jackson Brewery Building (home of Jax Beer) next to a parking lot labeled “Premium Parking” on Google Maps. The hourly rate charged at the lot was another reason I wanted to minimize the time waiting for my beignets, but as I found out there was probably no reason to pay for what I think would have been an extra hour in order to try Cafe du Monde.
In truth I do not know how any beignets could be better than the ones I had at Cafe Beignet. This was truly one of the best sweet treat experiences I have ever had (although many in New Orleans call it breakfast). It is possible that the beignets at Cafe du Monde are better, but I did observe that they were smaller (even though I wasn’t able to order anything there I walked in and saw what they were serving).
Beignets
Order of beignets
Beignets are deep fried dough covered with powdered sugar. This description does not make it sound like something special, but the ones I tried here definitely were a special treat. It is not something I want to repeat at regular intervals knowing what the nutritional content and calorie count must be, but it was certainly something I enjoyed for a special experience.
The pastries come in an order of three for $3.99, and I certainly thought this was a bargain.
Coffee
Caramel au Lait with beignets
Being a cafe, coffee is the other main attraction here. I am not a coffee drinker, but the lady at the counter talked me into a Caramel au Lait because it was “mostly milk with not much coffee.” Even this did not convince me to become a coffee drinker, but I enjoyed it as a one time experience (especially with these wonderful beignets).
Sandwiches
Croissant sandwich
I did not order a sandwich, but they are available as evidence by the one shown in the photo. Cafe Beignet has fruit cups and other items that will give you a good breakfast even if beignets are not on the agenda for you. It was interesting, though, that many patrons included drinks from the bar as part of their breakfast menu.
General Information
Both Cafe Beignet and Cafe du Monde have other locations, but most people seem to flock to the ones on Decatur Street for both restaurants. I enjoyed the atmosphere of Cafe Beignet which included an open air setting and patio tables if you want to eat outdoors.
My friend who ordered the croissant had to wait for what seemed to be an inordinate time for it, but otherwise the restaurant lived up to my expectations for a great beignet experience.
RATING: N/R
Cuisine: Cafe
Cost: $$
Hours: Open daily (8 am to 10 pm)
Accessible: Yes
Smoking: No smoking
Alcohol: Bar
Most Recent Visit: Nov. 25, 2017
Number of Visits: 1
Best Item: Beignet
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Beignet |