1. Willa Jean
My all-time favorite brunch restaurant in New Orleans, Willa Jean is located downtown on O’Keefe Avenue, just a 15-minute ride from Tulane’s campus. Their biscuits are truly the best I’ve ever had, and they come with the sweetest homemade strawberry jam. Their avocado toast is fresh and fabulous along with their incredible plate of scrambled eggs. I’ve gotten many different pastries and baked goods: the highlights are their monkey bread drenched in the perfect syrup, their banana bread which comes with the most amazing butter to spread, and their cookies and milk combo. Willa Jean has a great drink menu to choose from, my personal favorite is the brown sugar cold brew. I highly recommend this beautiful brunch spot!
2. Bearcat
Bearcat, located on Jena Street, has some of the best coffee I’ve ever had. Some of their coffees and juices come in gorgeous glass bottles, which is amazing. I got an iced vanilla cold brew with almond milk, truly the best I’ve ever had. They mix homemade simple syrup with vanilla bean paste to create an incredible vanilla syrup for coffee. I got their mushroom scramble, which was soft and flavorful. Their fresh fruit plate with their short stack of pancakes made a good pair. Their crispy potatoes are incredible and a must-have here. My favorite thing on the menu is their breakfast club, which has eggs, bacon, avocado, and roasted tomatoes. Overall, it is a great, cute brunch place with amazing service and two locations!
3. Birdy’s Behind the Bower
The ambiance of Birdy’s Behind the Bower, located on Magazine about a 15-minute ride from campus, is absolutely unmatched! With a large menu filled with great choices, Birdy’s stays at the top of my list. Their classic breakfast is truly incredible, although simple, incredible. They have the fluffiest, freshest eggs and their tots come in these 4 large balls that are more like buttery hashbrowns. Their biscuits melt in your mouth with their homemade whipped honey butter; I highly recommend their biscuit board!
4. Luca Eats
Luca Eats is a small brunch place on Cohn Street, about a 20-minute walk from campus. Although very small inside, their food and drinks are out of this world. Their watermelon lemonade is amazing (I always take one to go) and tastes so fresh. Their coffee flavors are so unique and amazing for each and every season. My personal favorite here is their avocado toast with freshly sliced avocado and an incredible olive oil drizzle. Although they don’t do scrambled eggs, their fried egg is amazing. A great lunch option and a fan favorite is their turkey sandwich. They call your name out loud on the loudspeaker, which makes the whole experience so fun!
5. Good Bird
Goodbird has a breakfast selection if you can make it there before 11 am. If you can’t make it before 11, they have avocado toast all day. My favorite is the Original Toast with an additional scrambled egg. This is a great spot for a quick brunch in between classes, and it is located on Freret Street. The best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had was from here — I strongly recommend venturing out before 11 am to pick this up and try it. I also suggest going here for lunch and getting one of their amazing wraps. Goodbird has super-fast service and great food!
6. Camellia Grill
Camellia Grill is great for an old-time diner vibe. Their hashbrowns and tater tots are the perfect breakfast side. Their scrambled eggs and bacon were fantastic as well as their sandwiches and wraps. Although it’s super small inside and everyone is basically sitting at the same counter, it’s nice to get to know the people around you. This is a must-try for your hungover morning meal.
7. Crack’d
With a scenic location, right off Magazine Street, Crack’d has a remarkable ambiance with photo ops both inside and out. They have awesome starters/shareable options, including a bread basket filled with muffins and biscuits, along with a monkey bread option, which is to die for. They have cool bacon options including duck bacon, which is super crispy with great flavor, and their shakshuka is a unique brunch dish. This could make for a great start to a shopping day on Magazine Street!
8. La Boulangerie
La Boulangerie is a top-notch little café on Magazine Street right near all the boutiques. They have a beautiful display of all their pastries and cakes, which are amazing. Their cakes are moist and super pretty, my recommendation being the chocolate cake. Their avocado toast is a great breakfast option, and if you’re feeling lunch I highly recommend Le Dindon. This is a fantastic turkey sandwich, with fresh sliced turkey and other great condiments on homemade six-grain bread. They make all their breads and pastries in-house, so everything is fresh. Everything here is super quick, and it makes you feel like you’re sitting in a café in Paris!
9. Satsuma
Satsuma is a Tulane fan-favorite, located on Maple Street. This restaurant is counter service, with super nice workers and quick service. Their breakfast sandwich, with any combination of eggs, cheese, and meat is amazing. My personal favorite here is their avocado toast with a scrambled egg added. Their pesto vinaigrette makes this toast different from others, and I’m totally here for it!
10. Baya Bar
Coming from someone who loves acai bowls, Baya Bar is the way to go in New Orleans! Located on Freret Street, this is a great spot to grab a quick bowl, toast, or smoothie. Their acai is sweet and delicious, which blends very well with their homemade granola. Toppings such as strawberries, bananas, pineapple, mangoes, and blueberries are cut and freshly made to order for each bowl. My order recommendation is the Pacific Beach acai bowl, with added peanut butter and dark chocolate.
