The Best Things To Do in New Orleans, LA
The best pet-friendly restaurants, bars and adventures in NOLA
Read about ghost-hunting — with a frozen Irish coffee in one hand, and my dog in the other
My Uber driver, who was a local to the area, probably said it best when he said New Orleans was the original “city that never sleeps.”
I replied, “is that because it’s haunted?”
However, walking around and exploring the town, you begin to understand what he meant.
New Orleans, or NOLA, is full of life, color and even, darkness.
New Orleans overcame catastrophic events and pushed forward. Yes, some tragic things did happen here, but that doesn’t overshadow all the beauty that still stands.
I’ll begin by adding that we stopped in New Orleans in route to our new home in North Carolina. My husband had never been, so I was eager to show him the city. The caveat: we had our dog Jax.
We were worried about boarding him in a new city, so we decided to bring him with us to the French Quarter and hoped for the best!
Top Pet-Friendly Restaurants In The French Quarter
· Café Amelie, Royal Street – The café courtyard is quintessential old New Orleans - the cast iron black water fountain, the exposed red brick, the magnolia trees. My husband and I ordered a catfish and BLT sandwich and some of the best Bloody Mary’s.
· Evangeline, Decatur St – This restaurant also has a charming courtyard. We shared a sausage platter which I highly-recommend, and had their red beans & rice along with their gulf shrimp. They have daily happy hours and my favorite was the Evangeline’s Rum Punch.
· Café Beignet, Decatur St - Yes, you read that right. My recommendation was actually not the famous, Cafe du Monde. But I promise this was not intentional or malicious. I think it’s important to highlight other local businesses that don’t have the same hype, but also have delicious food.
Parks
A few blocks from the French Quarter is the beautiful serene, Louis Armstrong Park. For the time we were there, we completely forgot we were smack downtown New Orleans. The park is peaceful and pet-friendly. It was a nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of downtown.
The Riverwalk is located alongside the Mississippi River, a block away from the Quarter. It’s a great option if you have pets and are looking to stretch your legs and get your steps in.
Ghost Tour
If you want to experience a little bit of spooky New Orleans history, you must book a haunted walking tour. We personally used Ghost City Tours but there are many other options that you could fit in your itinerary. They conduct tours daily, rain or shine, at either 6 or 8 PM. Since we are old, tired, 30-year-olds, we decided to do the 6 PM option. The tour lasts around an hour and a half and yes, it’s also pet-friendly for well-behaved and leashed pups.
Erin Rose, Conti St
Yes, this bar gets it’s own little section in my post. It was recommended by a friend and now I want to recommend it to you guys. Three words: frozen Irish coffee. You won’t be sorry! Unless, maybe you have more than a couple.
Overall, I would recommend bringing a dog to New Orleans if you’re okay with not late-night partying. If you’re primarily going to do daytime exploring, I think a calm-mannered, well-behaved pup would appreciate the beauty of New Orleans just as much as we do.
Cheers!