Visit New Orleans: Cafe du Monde

When I think about New Orleans, three things come to mind - Cajun food, jazz, and beignets!  Although there are many places in New Orleans to get beignets, no visit to New Orleans would be complete without a visit to the famous Cafe du Monde, maker of world-renown Beignets!

Beignets, brought to Louisiana by the Acadians, are fried pieces of dough drenched in powdered sugar, and people from around the world visit this French Market landmark.  

On our first day in New Orleans, we drove past the original Cafe du Monde on Decatur in the late afternoon, and saw a very long line.  Not wanting to wait in a long (or any) line, we decided to go bright an early on our last day in New Orleans.

Founded in 1862, the French Quarter mainstay offers just a limited menu of beignets and drinks, such as chocolate milk, coffee, and orange juice.

Our hosts sponsored us with 5 coupons for Beignets and a drink each.  Each serving of Beignets come with three of the freshly-made, heavenly confections.

We got to Cafe du Monde just after 7am, and there was no line.  We were the third table to be seated by 7:15am, and in no time, we were presented with the sweet delights.

Each Beignet is nicely-sized, and I thought I would just eat one, but they were so amazing, that I decided to have another.  They were crispy on the outside, and so soft and pillowy on the inside.

I couldn't finish a third, but everyone else in my family ate three Beignets each.

It's impossible not to spill any powdered sugar on yourself, but just enjoy the delicious mess - it's all part of the experience!

Cafe du Monde also offers a separate take-out line for those who do not wish to sit down in the cafe to enjoy their Beignets.  

And if you can't make it to the original French Market location, there are nine other locations throughout New Orleans to get your Beignet fix!

Cafe du Monde

800 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 587-0833