How to Spend $100 in New Orleans: Local Picks for Food, Music, and Fun

You Booked Your Stay, and Now You'll Have Your Gift Card* - Here are Some Ideas on How and Where to Spend it

If someone handed me $100 in New Orleans, I’d finally make it happen: gather a few friends and order our way through the entire menu at Bar Pomona. We’d probably go a little over budget, but trying new dishes together is exactly how I’d spend the $100. Then we’d head to Kajun’s for karaoke, because the best nights in New Orleans don’t have to end when the dinner bill arrives, and karaoke is free!

- Evie Bories, @Evie_Eats, Local Influencer

If you handed me $100 and told me to spend it in New Orleans, I'd start by grabbing a Firecracker Shrimp poboy from Parasol's and taking it over to The Fly to hang out by the river for a while with some friends. After that, I'd walk through Audubon Park and wander down St. Charles to grab happy hour oysters and a glass of wine at either Superior Seafood or Pascal Manale's. Then finish off the rest of the budget with a "Life Gives You Lemons" lemon cheesecake dessert and an espresso martini from Pigeon & Whale. The $100 probably doesn't cover everything with tip, but it takes the guilt out of saying yes to an extra round of oysters or another drink. In fact, I might go do all that this weekend...

- Chase Guillory, @ChasingMyAppetite, Local Influencer

I would take a ferry for $3 over to Nomad Books in Algiers Point and buy a used book. Then I'd go to NOLA Mix Records or Euclid Records and buy an album, followed by a sno-ball at Hansen’s. For lunch, I'd go to  Frady’s One Stop Food Store or Camelia Grill and finish the day with steak at Turtle Bay for dinner

- Larry Everage, Video Editor, New Orleans & Company/NewOrleans.com

I’d spend the first $20 on sno-balls from Chance in Hell SnoBalls or Hansen’s Sno-Bliz. There's no better way to beat the heat than a New Orleans-style sweet treat. I love trying their rotating seasonal flavors. Nectar Cream, Blackberry, and Satsuma are my favorites at Hansen’s, while the Ube at Chance in Hell is worth the trip on its own.

With the rest, I’d head to Bacchanal. I’d grab a bottle of wine, order a few small plates, and settle into the backyard for an evening of live music. It’s one of those uniquely New Orleans experiences where a simple afternoon can easily turn into a memorable evening.

- Scot Pilié, @ScotPilie_wx, Chief Meteorologist at WDSU New Orleans (and local influencer)

I’d go to Superior Seafood for their happy hour deal. Six dozen raw oysters would be $90, and two glasses of beer would be $10, putting you right at $100. You could also do fewer oysters and go for the frozen French 75 instead. 

- Sadie O’Neill, Marketing Intern, New Orleans & Company/NewOrleans.com

As a foodie here in New Orleans, my $100 would be spent mostly on food and beverages. I'd start with a $3 RTA streetcar day pass and grab a matcha from Trumpet and Drum or Lower Coast Coffee ($7) before spending the morning strolling Magazine Street. I'd set aside about $20 for shopping at local boutiques, including a stop at Bonfolk for a pair of their Louisiana-made socks that also support a great cause. For lunch, I'd head to Bao Mi for one of their delicious Vietnamese-inspired Asian fusion dishes ($20), then hop back on the streetcar to wander through City Park and take in one of the city's most beautiful green spaces. To end the day, I'd treat myself to dinner at Chada ($50), a stunning Thai restaurant serving incredible dishes that are worth every penny. With great food, local shopping, and some of the city's best scenery, that's a pretty perfect $100 day in New Orleans.

- Karen Phan, @AintThatPhancy, Local Influencer

I would bike to Parkway and get a half-shrimp, half-roast-beef po-boy, then bike over to City Park for a picnic under the oaks. I’d then bike to The Chloe and spend the afternoon poolside with a glass of wine and finish the day up at Camellia Grill with an omelet.

- Mary Beth Romig, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations, New Orleans & Company

If I were given $100 to spend however I want, I would definitely get dinner/drinks with a friend. My friends and I love Delachaise bar on St. Charles Avenue or Chais Delachaise on Maple Street. Both have great food and drinks.

Superior Grill for dinner with a margarita on the side is also a great option. I'd take the streetcar wherever I go because it's super cheap and can get you close to anywhere in the city.

Basically, I'd use the money somewhere I don't have to drive to, and that has good food and drinks!

- Jordan Higgins, Social Media Intern, New Orleans & Company/@VisitNewOrleans

Ok, if I were gifted $100 to spend in New Orleans, I'd spend it in various places throughout the day, eating good food and soaking up the culture. First, I'd have pastries and coffee at Lagniappe Bakehouse, a James Beard-nominated bakery in the historic Central City neighborhood. Order their Africano latte and Vaucroissant (a croissant stuffed with local Vaucresson Sausage). Next, I'd wander the Lower Garden District to soak up the architecture and then head back to Central City for lunch at Heard Dat Cafe-they've got an incredible "skeesh" sauce and a chicken sandwich I've been dying to try. After lunch, I'd head down to Treme and visit the Backstreet Cultural Museum to admire their gorgeous Black Masking Indian suits & history of the tradition. After the museum, I'd need a sweet and cold pick-me-up so I'd head to Chance in Hell Snoballs–the ube flavor is my favorite at the moment or the spicy lime (add tequila). Lastly, I'd end the night at whichever local bar Que Pasta NOLA is popping up. She's usually at R Bar! Chef Amanda is a Cuban & Honduran chef serving up fun takes on the dishes from her cultural roots. Her pupusas and Modelo Mac are so good, but save room for the flan from OnlyFlans, too! 

- Nicole Caridad Ralston, @EatenPathNOLA, Local influencer

I'd employ a bit of "girl math" along Magazine Street and put my extra $100 towards a piece of breezy clothing at Lekha (perfect for the summer temps) or a cool vintage find for my house (Merchant House and nearby Left Bank both have an incredible selection of unfussy, curated antiques). Something that I know I'll get a lot of wear/use/happiness out of and that feels like a bit of a treat or splurge, but that also doesn't feel quite as indulgent when you factor in a free hundo (See? Girl math). Or I'd let my stomach win and head to Sukeban for handrolls or Porgy's for as many raw/chilled dishes as I can eat. 

- Hartley Wasser, Director of Editorial and Content Marketing, New Orleans & Company/NewOrleans.com

More Ways to Spend $100 in New Orleans