Neighborhood: The French Quarter, plus multiple satellite locations (City Park, Riverwalk, Metairie, and even Louis Armstrong Airport)
Let’s start with the oldest, and most famous. Yes, the Quarter location is touristy, with lines down the street at peak times (mid morning to mid afternoon, but they’re open through midnight on weekends), but it’s hardly a guilty pleasure for locals to eat here, too. The open-air patio under circus-tent-style, green-and-white striped awnings is close to the river, and an army of paper-hatted servers keep the classic beignets (plain, with powdered sugar) coming. A serving of three hand-cut beignets with cafe au lait is less than ten dollars: great value for a classic New Orleans experience (that’s also basically the whole menu). The other locations have fewer crowds, and there’s that airport outpost for visitors’ immediate, or last-minute cravings.