HOW TO EAT YOUR WAY THROUGH JAZZ FEST 2024

For many fans, it’s a toss up. Do they come to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for the 13 stages of music and deep dive into New Orleans arts and culture? Or is it he curated feast that reels them in — their pick of crawfish Monica, Vaucresson creole hot sausage po’ boys, trout Baquet, and quail and andouille gumbo? Now that’s a tough call.

The festival runs Thursday through Sunday, April 25 - 28 and May 2 - 5 at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course, with the Rolling Stones closing out all stages on May 2. Several festival staples will be missing this year — the oyster bar in the Grandstand area remains MIA, and gone are the Creole stuffed breads from Lafayette restaurant Creole Lunch House. But overall, the festival’s famous food lineup is robust. Altogether, there will be more than 200 food items at Jazz Fest this year, from 60 vendors.

Start with the good news. Although Panorama Food owner John Ed Laborde took his gooey, crawfish-studded bread out of the running last year, it’s back for 2024. Bennachin, chef Fanta Tambajang’s West African restaurant on Royal Street, is also back after taking a year off; Jamila’s Cafe, from Moncef and Jamila Sbaa, is too.

Remember that the entire festival is cashless. Attendees can use cards, but also digital payment methods like Apple, Google, and Samsung Pay, and there will be cash exchange stations located throughout the grounds. Food costs, in turn, are higher than ever, so it’s important to choose wisely. Below are Eater’s picks for more than 40 items to eat and drink this year, both sweet and savory, and where on the grounds to find them.

For a full list of this year’s Jazz Fest food vendors, see here.

Congo Square

Bennachin: Jama jama (sauteed spinach), plantains and poulet fricassee (chicken on a stick)

Gambian Foods: Dibbi (grilled steak on pita), spicy grilled tofu

Marie’s Sugar Dumplings: Sweet potato pie

Palmer’s Jamaican Cuisine: Curry chicken patty

Strawberry lemonade

Food Area 1

Catering Unlimited: fried chicken

Clesi’s: Boiled crawfish

CCI Catering: Duck and shrimp pasta

DiMartino’s Famous Muffulettas: Muffuletta

Love at First Bite/Walker’s: Cochon de lait po’ boy

Ms. Linda’s Catering: Yak-a-mein; Huckabuck frozen cup

Papa Ninety Catering: Shrimp and lump crab ravigote

Patton’s Caterers: Crawfish sack, oyster patties, and shrimp beignet plate

Smoke Street Catering: BBQ jackfruit sandwich

Stuf Hapn Event Catering: Creole stuffed crab

TCA Brocato: Buffaleaux oysters

Ten Talents Catering: Spinach and artichoke casserole

Vaucresson Sausage Co.: Hot sausage po’ boy

Vucinovich’s Restaurant: Fried oyster spinach salad

WWOZ Community Radio: Mango freeze

Food Area 2

Ajun Cajun: Yakiniku (garlic ribeye) po’ boy

Big River Foods: Crawfish Monica

Caluda’s Cottage Catering: Crawfish strudel; white chocolate bread pudding

Carmo: Grilled gulf shrimp or fish taco

Fritai: Haitian crab macaroni au gratin

Galley Seafood Restaurant: Soft shell crab po’ boy

Jamila’s Cafe: Lamb tagine

Loretta’s Authentic Pralines: Crab beignet

Mrs. Wheat’s Pies: Spicy meat pie

Prejean’s Restaurant: Crawfish enchilada

TJ Gourmet: Cajun chicken and tasso with Creole rice

Wally Taillon: Jambalaya

Heritage Square

Ba Mien Vietnamese Cuisine: Banh mi xiu mai (Vietnamese meatball po’ boy)

Baquet’s Li’l Dizzy’s Café: Trout Baquet; crawfish bisque

Café du Monde: Frozen cafe au lait

Down Home Creole Cookin’: Meaty white beans; peach cobbler

Around the grounds

Carmo & WASKA Nola at the Cultural Exchange Village: Empanada de pollo y papa (chicken and potato), ceviche de camaron

Francofonte Catering: Chocolate Azteca gelato, ice cream sandwich

Jumbo Peanut Company: Glazed pecans

Mr. Williams’ Pastries: Cherry pie; sweet potato pie

Roman Chewing Candy Company: Roman candy

Sunshine Concessions: Rose-mint tea

2023-04-28T15:00:59Z dg43tfdfdgfd