New Orleans is rich in flavorful food, colorful music, and unique cultures, but you need not be rich to experience the best of the city. For this installment of NOLA on $50, we spent our dollars supporting LGBTQ-Owned businesses. Check out the itinerary below for all the food we ate, attractions we visited, and things we did on $50(ish) a day in New Orleans. 

*Editor’s Note: Totals for all food and beverage purchases include tax and gratuity. 

Start your day in the Bywater with breakfast at Alma, a woman/ LGBTQ/ minority-owned restaurant that specializes in Honduran cuisine. We ordered the Breakfast Tacos, which comes with soft scrambled eggs, potato, avocado, poblanos, and cheese. With tax and 20% tip, our total was $16.30.

Bywater Houses
Rebecca Todd
Bywater Houses

Next, take a walk around the Bywater and check out the colorful street art. First, check out artist B Mike’s murals at Studio BE that surround the façade of the building. You can then head to St. Claude Avenue for street art from several different artists, including the Big Freedia mural at The Art Garage. Heading west on St. Claude Avenue, turn onto Elysian Fields for more murals, including the You Gay Girl mural from Hugo Girl.  

Now that you’re right outside the French Quarter after all that walking, you’ll be ready for lunch.  

Enjoy a classic, no-frills burger at gay-owned Clover Grill. You have the choice to build your own burger starting at $9.79. Our total with tax and tip was $15.34. 

Next, browse the art over at Dutch Alley Artist’s Co-Op. This store features art for purchase from several different artists. It’s a great place to grab a gift or your next piece of décor.

Our next stop is the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum, which is an informational and entertaining look at Voodoo practices in New Orleans. One ticket was $11.97 with taxes and fees. 

For a dinner-time snack, American Townhouse is a beautifully renovated, gay-owned restaurant on the edge of the French Quarter. We got the boudin and cream cheese egg rolls, which are served with a side of jalapeňo ranch. The total with tax and tip was $10.03.

With several gay bars in the French Quarter, including Café Lafitte in Exile (the oldest continuously operating gay bar in the country) you can easily enjoy an evening out. So many businesses are LGBTQ-friendly in New Orleans—look for the Welcome Sticker on the outside of shops and restaurants.  

Check out our list of LGBTQ-owned businesses here and create your own personalized itinerary.  

Final Price Breakdown

Alma: $16.30

Clover Grill: $15.34 

Voodoo Museum: $11.97

American Townhouse: $10.03

Grand Total: $53.64