DoorDashing for college students has become an epidemic. More time is spent scrolling on the app than doing homework or going outside! Luckily, Tulane’s campus is a 15-20 minute walk from many incredible restaurants on Freret Street. This short walk also allows students to get the Vitamin D and exercise they need.
Starting with fast food. Five Guys and Shake Shack are very enticing options when they will be delivered right to your door, but on Freret Street these can be replaced with Bub’s NOLA and Company Burger. Bub’s NOLA is a little counter service joint with a big circular burger sign hanging above it. Their menu has burgers any way you want, fantastic sides, and even great cookies. Company Burger is a burger joint serving up burgers, sandwiches, sides, and ice cream. Aside from their five burger options, they have hot dogs, fried chicken sandwiches, and grilled cheese. Fries, tater tots, and onion rings are just a few of their sides that pair perfectly with their burgers. Lastly, the most important thing for me at a burger joint is the ice cream. They have soft serve and malted shakes, what more could you want?
A new addition as of April 1st is CAVA! CAVA, also found on DoorDash, is a nice, healthy fast food place with Mediterranean bowls made to order. All of their ingredients are very fresh and delicious. This is easily one of my favorite fast-food restaurants, and now it’s just a quick 15 minutes from campus!
Let’s talk about pizza. If you’re looking for a quick pie, Blaze Pizza is the place for you. You can get a build your own or choose from one of their amazing pizza creations. This is all made to order, so no pre-made cold pizzas. Additionally, if you’re looking for more of a sit-down Italian pizza place, Ancora is the place for you. A little farther down Freret, you will find Ancora Pizzeria and Salumeria. Here, they have some Italian classics like Burrata and Arancini to start. Their pizza menu is endless with their chef creations and an option to build your own. My personal favorite is the Margherita pizza with added chili oil! If these two pizza places don’t satisfy you and you’re looking for some good late-night eats, Freret Street has Domino’s. Whether you want pizza, cheesy bread, or brookies Domino’s has it all.
Moving on to sandwiches. Sandwiches are very important to me, there’s nothing better than a good sandwich on a sunny day. Look no further than Goodbird. They offer sandwiches, wraps, bowls, salads, and toasts. Although the only protein option is rotisserie chicken, it’s unbeatable. There are vegetarian options for those that don’t eat chicken. Again, all of their products are made to order, so there are no pre-packaged sandwiches. My personal favorite here is the Eagle Street salad with chicken in a wrap. Everything is so fresh and yummy here, I have no complaints. Chi Chi’s Chicken & Beer also offers Korean Fried Chicken sandwiches that are great. This restaurant has awesome sauce choices for your sandwich, which really elevates them to the next level. They also have wings with the choice of soy garlic or gochujang, which is their signature sauce. Highly recommend checking them out! If you’re looking for more of a pre-packaged sandwich situation, Rouse’s supermarket has anything you could want. You could get your food shopping done and have lunch!
Diving into the sushi situation on Freret. Just after the Starbucks, about a mile from campus, you will find Origami. This restaurant has a huge menu with just about any sushi roll you could imagine along with Japanese entrees. Their crispy rice, which comes with two medallions topped with salmon and tuna, is easily the best I’ve ever had! The portion sizes here are large and great for sharing. The sushi is some of the best in the city, so it’s definitely a must-try. If the Korean fried chicken sandwiches weren’t enough from Chi Chi’s, they also serve some crispy rice and sushi sandos. So, there are two awesome sushi/Japanese food options!
As breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, having a good selection nearby is very important! Bearcat is one of my favorite restaurants in all of New Orleans. It is a little farther down by South Claiborne Avenue, but it’s worth the walk. They have bottled drinks like lemonade and coffee, which are to die for. The service is super quick, once you get seated and the food is super fresh. I highly recommend getting the Breakfast Club with pancakes!! Goodbird also has the most incredible breakfast sandwiches. Their brioche bun bread is soft and delicious. Be sure to get there before 11 am for breakfast! If you’re looking for a good fast bagel near campus, Humble Bagel is the way to go. Their bagels are made fresh each morning, and they are open until they sell out or until 1 pm a couple of days a week. Being from the Northeast, I’m often craving a good bagel so this is a great choice. Not in the mood for a breakfast sandwich? Just across the street from Humble Bagel is Baya Bar. This is a juice bar serving awesome smoothies, bowls, and toasts. Their acai and avocado toast is just so good!
If you’re looking for good Mexican food, go to Val’s! I cannot recommend this place enough. Everything is made in-house, down to their corn tortillas. They have beautiful outdoor seating which is perfect for a nice sunny day. This is a great sit-down restaurant option on Freret.
Lastly, let’s discuss the dessert situation on Freret. Many of the restaurants have their own dessert menus which are pretty good, so I recommend taking a look at those if you’re out to dinner. Sucre, located next to Baya Bar, is a French bakery with creamy gelato and fresh macarons. All the desserts and pastries are little works of art making it difficult to decide which to get. I’m not a macaron person, but these are too good to pass up. A little farther down Freret, just before Bearcat, is Sweet & Boozy. This ice cream shop serves both boozy ice cream with alcohol-infused and regular ice cream. They have all sorts of creations or mix-ins and milkshakes. The S’mores creation might be the best ice cream I’ve ever had.
All in all, I love DoorDashing; nothing beats the delivery of your food right to your door. But, as the weather gets warmer I urge everyone to take a walk down Freret Street and experience some of the amazing food options we have so close to campus.
