Cheap Places to Eat in Westwego

"Chef Hao Gong elevates everything he touches to an ethereal level, and while his mastery with sushi is Luvi’s calling card, his Chinese dishes, both hot and cold, are fantastic as well. Open for curbside pickup, delivery, and dine-in, the menu changes often, but usually features heavenly curried favor dumplings — beef and caramelized onions wrapped in the featherweight dough and swimming in a lightly curried broth — as well as Shanghai baby back ribs and crispy spring rolls."

"A former donut shop, LUVI is a small, lovely restaurant with bespoke woodwork and pops of bold colors and patterns. The pan-Asian menu, not common in NOLA, includes Japanese dishes, plus some favorites from the chef's hometown of Shanghai. Try the Lion’s Head, a savory crab-and-pork meatball in bone broth; the Mala Holla, spicy slices of beef; and Chef Hao’s Mama’s Dumplings (his actual Mama’s recipe)."

"While LUVI’S chef’s choice tasting menu may be the star of this beautiful little spot on Tchoupitoulas Street, I’d surely be scolded for leaving out mama’s dumplings. No surprise, chef Hao Gong’s dumplings get their name from his mother’s secret recipe. These one bite wonders are stuffed with crabmeat, pork, and crunchy water chestnuts."

"An old firehouse in the Freret Street corridor transformed into a stylish, dimly lit cocktail lounge that’s been a local favorite spot since 2009. Largely credited with revitalizing the now-bustling neighborhood, Cure won the coveted award for Outstanding Bar Program from the James Beard Foundation in 2018. Expect creative drinks and an eclectic array of dishes."

"Freret Beer Room opened about three years ago on Freret Street, and back then, it was more of a restaurant that had beer on tap. Now it’s more like a taproom with a really abbreviated menu, and it’s perfect for sitting down for a pint. They work with a lot of local microbreweries, and the food is also fantastic."

"In a city that takes its libations seriously, Cure, a former firehouse, stands out with menus devoted not just to classic drinks, but to seasonal, “obscure” and even reserve cocktails. The “bonded” Sazerac relies on rye whiskey from E.H. Taylor and Nouvelle-Orleans absinthe for its greatness."

"BywaterThis NYC-style pizzeria in the Bywater offers vegan cheese for all its pizzas, and always has margherita pies and at least one vegetarian/vegan special available every day. Vegetarians can also find pasta options and market salads for even more variety."

"Liuzza's by The Track is a local gem famous around the city - the country, maybe even the world - for its gumbo. Made with a dark roux base, this gumbo is packed with freshly cooked seafood, homemade local sausage, 13 spices and a few secret ingredients. Your chicken finger and french fry experts will be happy with some of the best chicken fingers featured on a local kid's menu – definitely not from a freezer bag, plump and juicy."

"Liuzza’s by the Track is more than ‘just’ a Po Boy shop located near the Fairgrounds Race Course. With a full bar as well as a menu that features burgers, salads and a full range of seafood plates, it’s more of a neighborhood restaurant. However, despite its varied menu, Liuzza’s signature dish is its BBQ Shrimp Po Boy Po Boy."

"This breakfast and lunch spot is a local favorite on Magazine Street. Slim Goodies serves classic comfort food with bold twists, all made with fresh ingredients (and lots of love). Everyone loves the slammers: hash browns slathered in something delicious – think crawfish étouffée or chili with bacon and cheddar cheese – but the sweet potato pancakes are not to be missed."

"Ten years old and going strong, Magazine Street's quirky, always-slammed early morning to lunch time diner, is known for their Slammer options, a hangover-helper made with hashbrowns and scrambles of various sort (eggs, chili, tofu, what have you). There is also a potato latke/crawfish etouffee dish called the Jewish Coonass, not PC, but a fan favorite."

"Slim Goodies Diner is a dive-y diner located in the Garden District/Irish Channel portion of Magazine Street in New Orleans. The venue has a retro feel with the old Coke signs, red leather booths and counter stools. Breakfast/brunch is the specialty here, and waits can be long if you come at peak times, say around 10 am."

"2008 Clearview Parkway, Metairie, (504) 889-2837; www.eatatbens.com. A Big Ben is a two-patty cheeseburger topped with bacon, chili-cheese fries and house sauce."

"I am officially, 100% percent ripping that off,” Fieri told Avery’s owners Christy and Justin Pitard after devouring their kicked-up Fried Potato Salad. That’s just one of their twists on local classics. Another featured was the couple’s riff on Oysters Rockefeller in—you guessed it!"

"4848 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Suite B, Metairie, (504) 780-9964; www.bonefishgrill.com. Wood-grilled cobia is served with a choice of sauces such as lemon butter, mango salsa or Oscar style with crabmeat and asparagus. Reservations accepted."

"One of the pioneers of the contemporary scene on Julia Street, the Arthur Roger Gallery inhabits an architecturally award-winning space that is itself a work of art. Showing both emerging local artists and nationally lauded veterans, the gallery is an anchor of the New Orleans art scene. It expanded in 2008 to include Arthur Roger@434, dedicated to new media artist exhibits, such as digital projections and interactive video."

"Just around the corner from the Ogden Museum is Arthur Roger Gallery, one of the first galleries to open when the city’s art scene was just beginning to bloom in the late 1970s. Now Roger has an expansive roster of roughly 50 artists, including New Orleans natives like Ida Kohlmeyer and Robert Gordy, as well as internationally known artists such as glass sculptor Dale Chihuly and photographer Edward Burtynsky."

"In 1978 Arthur Roger opened his gallery at 3005 Magazine Street in New Orleans’ Garden District. A year earlier the Contemporary Arts Center had opened in downtown New Orleans. The artistic scene in the city was beginning to burgeon."

"Since 1983, LeMieux Galleries has been showcasing artists from the Southern US. It’s a mix of pop-surrealist narratives, vibrant colors and remarkable Louisiana landscapes from painters like Thomas Deaton, Kate Samworth and Billy Solitario. Here, you’ll find artwork which captures the rich atmospheres of New Orleans to take home with you. But if you’re not looking to buy, it’s still worth investing an hour or two to see some of the Southern visual culture on display."

"Callan Contemporary stands out for its abstract and figurative paintings and sculptures. This Julia Street gallery is a well-lit space with a sophisticated atmosphere. You can drift through the open white rooms admiring a mixture of unexpected mediums, textures and colors."

"Jung’s is a popular spot Chinese-American fare, with a few Korean and Thai dishes thrown into the mix. A fixture in New Orleans for close to four decades, Jung’s keeps prices low even for specialty items on their Chinese menu, which offers the likes of boiled fish in hot sauce, spicy pan-fried chicken, and fiery ma po tofu. For the more conservative of palate go-tos include shrimp with lobster sauce and pork fried rice."

"Jung’s Golden Dragon a restaurant of Chinese take out masters. On the rare occasion that I actually eat in the restaurant, I’m normally one of the only, if not the only person in there. But that is miles from saying they aren’t busy, and light years away from saying they aren’t good."

"3009 Magazine St., (504) 891-8280; www.jungsgoldendragonii.com. The Happy Family includes beef, chicken, shrimp and pork cooked with vegetables in brown sauce served with fried noodles."

"About Pralines: New Orleans isn’t known for many sweets, but we love Pralines (praw-leens). These pecan-filled caramels are melted down and worked over until they almost look like chocolates. They are a refreshing twisting on the standard chocolate pecans found elsewhere in the United States."

"Southern Candymakers specializes in a praline with a less gritty feel (a common peril, given just how much sugar is packed into the candy) and a sweet potato variation that's just killer."