While New Orleans is practically overflowing with great happy hours, the drink specials tend to get all the attention. Happy hour snacks are not to be overlooked! If you want that fine-dining experience without cringing when the waiter brings your tab, happy hour dishes are your best move. Here’s five of our favorite spots where you can leave with a satisfied stomach AND wallet.
1. Chais Delachaise
The sister wine-bar of the original Delachaise is a great spot for a glass of frozé and happy hour snacks. Every day from 4-6 pm you can try a variety of globally inspired small plates either in the trendy dining room or outdoor patio perched on Maple Street. Our personal favorite happy hour item is the famous Delachaise goose fat fries served with Gochujang ketchup and the highly addictive malt vinegar herb aioli. Chais Delachaise also offers “reverse happy hour” Fridays and Saturdays from 10 am-12 pm for a far more appealing alternative to your average breakfast routine.
PHOTO: Chais Delachaise
2. Avo
Every Monday-Thursday from 4-6 pm you can score happy hour dishes from this charming regional Italian restaurant. Avo offers a variety of happy hour plates all under $10, which is a steal considering the high quality ingredients and generous portions. They even offer some of their handmade pasta dishes at happy hour, such as the mouth-watering Cacio e Pepe. Avo’s ivy-clad courtyard also serves as the perfect spot for a romantic date night!
PHOTO: Avo
3. Cavan
Happy hour at Cavan gives you the opportunity to munch on tasty $5 plates in an elegant Victorian Mansion restored from the 19th century. On weekdays from 4-6 pm, Cavan offers a rotating happy hour of $5 snacks with a whimsical twist. The current happy hour, titled “Ducks in a Row,” features a variety of duck dishes ranging from duck drumsticks to duck liver parfait. If duck isn’t your thing, just wait it out until the next happy hour rotation. We can’t wait to see what they feature next!
PHOTO: Cavan
4. Johnny Sanchez
John Besh offers great happy hours at a number of his restaurants, but the one at Johnny Sanchez is pretty heard to beat, especially with a generous four hour running time. From 2-6 pm on weekdays, you can score $2 tacos at the trendy brainchild of celebrity chefs John Besh and Aaron Sanchez. If you can’t get off work in time, you can still catch “Club Sanchez,” a late night happy hour offered every Thursday night starting at 9 pm. Bonus: make sure to stop by on the first Tuesday of every month, when $2 tacos are offered all day!
PHOTO: Johnny Sanchez
5. Basin Seafood and Spirits
Fresh, local seafood at an affordable price can be hard to find. Basin’s happy hour offers just that every Monday-Friday from 3-6 pm on the main stretch of Magazine Street. One of our favorites on the happy hour menu is the blue crab and crawfish beignets. Enjoy these fresh local dishes in their dining room, outdoor patio, or front sidewalk for ideal people-watching. Make sure to stop by Basin on a Monday for 50 cent raw oysters after 3 pm!
PHOTO: Basin
Cover Photo: Johnny Sanchez
What’s your favorite happy hour spot? Comment below!
