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Seafood Nachos, Po’boys, and Gumbo Are Football Fan Favorites in New Orleans
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Seafood Nachos, Po’boys, and Gumbo Are Football Fan Favorites in New Orleans

Here are places to eat around the Dome, also known as Caesars Superdome, before or after a New Orleans Saints game.

Courtesy of Sodexo Live!Courtesy of Sodexo Live!

Centrally located in one of the world’s best party cities, just a 20-minute walk from the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, Caesar’s Superdome It’s an absolute scene on match days. “Who’s that? Who’s that? Who said they would beat the Saints?” Ring in as New Orleans Saints fans parade through the streets and tailgate in black and gold. Champions Square and is unofficially located under overpasses around the stadium that will host Super Bowl LIX on February 9, 2025.

The options here for where to eat and drink before, after, or during an NFL game are nearly endless and easy to love; here are a few powerful ways to get started.

Caesar’s Superdome

Courtesy of Sodexo Live!Courtesy of Sodexo Live!

Some stadiums go all out for their captive audiences, but the Dome is making a legitimate effort. “Because New Orleans is such an iconic culinary city, we make it a point to serve dishes that reflect the local cuisine, and these items are often among our most popular items,” says regional executive chef Lenny Martinsen. Sodexo Live!operating food and beverage operations at the Superdome and adjacent Smoothie King Centerhouse New Orleans Pelicans basketball team and nearby National World War II Museum.

Shrimp baskets and jambalaya at the Bayou Market stalls are the stadium’s most popular dishes, while seafood nachos, po’boys and gumbo have become fan favorites in recent years. Do you want to eat alligator sausage? No problem here. How about jumbo baked potatoes stuffed with Louisiana crawfish or turducken? These are the latest crowd pleasers to hit the menu.

Martinsen has been with the Saints for 18 seasons and has already played in one Super Bowl. He and his team consume a staggering amount of food and drink during each home game; these include nearly 500 gallons of local beer. Abita Brewing Company; 1000 pounds Gulf shrimp; and 200 gallons of daiquiris among 2,400 gallons of cocktails. Given the competition in the region, Martinsen says it’s all about trying to learn from fans’ feedback and complement the matchday experience to create unforgettable moments. “There’s something about eating a hearty gumbo while watching the Saints play (live) that you can’t get out of the Superdome.”

Where to eat in New Orleans

Legendary Creole spots Dooky Chase Restaurant To newcomers like the Mexican seafood wonder at Tremé to the pityFrom the 2022 F&W Best New Chef Ana CastroIn the Bywater, just about anything you could desire during a game is either a quick walk or short bike ride away, as pedicacks line the streets to ferry fans into a ride on big days. Getting away from the hustle and bustle around the dome also increases your chances of finding a place in small or trendy businesses.

“If you go into the Warehouse District, around St Joseph Street, near Tchoupitoulas Street, there are some beautiful places,” says saxophonist and singer Marty Peters. Marty Peters and the Party Counters, jumping houndsAnd Wurst Case Scenario. check out cocon or sandwich sister Butcher of Koçon For popular Cajun dishes, Gus’s music venue for fried chicken RepublicAnd fromattached to a nice little local bar Howlin’ Wolf Music Club.

TV-free restaurants and award-winning restaurants like Acamaya Pêche Seafood Grill Those in the Warehouse District aren’t that busy during the Saints game, but they can be busy depending on how the game goes. “If we win, people will order food, food, drink, food; They celebrate. “If we lose, people go home,” Castro says, joking: “I think we need to fire this coach because we’re losing money right now.” Castro and 2024 F&W Best New Chef Nicole Cabrera MillsPêche recommends grabbing fried chicken from the famed McHardy’s Chicken & Fixin’ in the Seventh Ward the night before the game and eating leftovers on the way to the stadium the next day. The texture is so good it “will last all day,” says Mills.

Whether you want to ride the waves at a beach-themed Tiki bar, the French Quarter is also close to the Dome. Beachbum Berry’s Longitude is 29Listen to great live music and drink some local absinthe after the match. Mahogany Jazz Hallor watch the game from a dive bar like the Chart Room. Stroll down any street in any other neighborhood and you’ll come across a simple bar there, too, teeming with locals and cheerful people, whether it’s on anyone else’s radar or not.

“The real magic of New Orleans is that everyone keeps an eye on the Saints and gathers in their neighborhood for the games; it’s part of living here,” Peters says. Some fans bring sounds that sound like bells and drums to their neighborhoods; Others bring trays of food, including sausages, cornbread, churros, even red beans if the game is on Monday, often for free—a gift you might call lagniappe. The atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable.

“You buy drinks, share a big treat, and hang out with Saints fans,” Peters says. “These are the places I like to go.”