Section 4: FOOD

- return to Awards Page

---

Best Sandwich:
Winner: Domilise’s
Runner Up: Mahoney’s Po-Boys
Other Contestants: Casamento’s, Crabby Jack’s, Parasol’s

Domilise’s Po-Boys, the rundown abode located at 5240 Annunciation Street, is home to some of the most famous po-boys of New Orleans. It would be hard to spot the place if it weren’t for the perpetually long line snaking out the door. The oyster and shrimp po-boys are regular favorites, and there is even an option for a “peace-maker,” which is half and half. If seafood is not your thing, the restaurant also features a popular sausage and roast beef po-boy. The regular standbys are also available, and every option should be tried as often as possible. Entering Domilise’s feels like walking into a familiar place, even if it is your first time there. It’s inviting atmosphere features not only New Orleans’ favorite sandwich, but also has many classic Louisiana snacks. Have Barq’s rootbeer or speciality Abita beer to go with your choice of sandwich and Zapp’s chips to complete your meal. Most importantly, top it off with a dash of Crystal or Tabasco sauce. –CL

---

Best Brunch Restaurant:
Winner: Dante’s Kitchen
Runner Up: Oak Street Cafe
Other Contestants: Surrey’s Café and Juice Bar, Muriel’s, Palace Café

Brunch is all about relaxation: Dante’s Kitchen offers the perfect spot to kick off a lazy Saturday or Sunday and enjoy a sumptuous meal. Nestled on the corner of Dante Street and River Road, the restaurant is either a leisurely mile-and-a-half stroll away from campus, or a quick streetcar ride to the end of St. Charles Avenue, if you’re particularly hungry. Waiters hustle between the shaded outside patio and the cozy, two-roomed interior of the restaurant serving brunch favorites such as brioche French toast and eggs Benedict. Look for the New Orleans influence in their two most popular dishes, the debris (chopped roast beef) and poached eggs and the shrimp and grits. With exceptional food, service and ambiance, it is unsurprising Dante’s has won the loyalty of locals as well as Tulane students. –ER

---

Best Pizza:
Winner: The Dough Bowl
Runner Up: Reginelli’s
Other Contestants: Slice, Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza, Fresco Café

Few things have the ability to blot out all rational thought like the need for pizza from the Dough Bowl — “Boot Pizza” as it is known to the drunken Tulane masses. On any given Friday night, red Solo cups in hand, Tulane students can be spotted making their journey to pizza heaven, often in desperate need of something to soak up that record-breaking keg stand. The Dough Bowl makes and delivers full pies, but the majority of students prefer to order a slice at the window and eat outside. Seated on the bench or crowding the sidewalk outside The Boot, students wolf down oversized slices of cheese-dripping thin-crust pizza. The Dough Bowl is a social as well as a dining experience; while burning every taste bud on your tongue because you simply can’t wait 10 seconds for your slice to cool, expect to have the most meaningful heart-to-heart you’ll never remember with the most understanding person you’ll never see again. –ER

---

Best BBQ:
Winner: Voodoo BBQ
Runner Up: Squeal
Other Contestants: The Joint, Mrs. Hyster’s Barbecue, Boucherie
If Voodoo BBQ only had their great New Orleans Style BBQ and nothing else, it’d still be fantastic. The restaurant offers ribs, brisket and pulled pork so slowly cooked, it’s like a drawn-out explosion of taste in your mouth — and that’s before adding one of the three awesome special sauces. Served alongside that succulent array of rubbed meats, however, are side dishes that are, quite simply, magical. Case in point: their mouthwateringly sweet corn pudding and melty macaroni and cheese. If you’re not satisfied with the all-too-few Tulane events that the folks at Voodoo cater, take the streetcar over to the St. Charles location for a delicious barbeque meal. –JE

---

Best Place to Eat With Your Parents:
Winner: Jacques-Imo’s
Runner Up: Commander’s Palace
Other Contestants: August, Herbsaint, La Crepe Nanou

Most Tulane students are at least vaguely familiar with Jacques-Imo’s, nestled between boutiques and coffee shops on Oak Street. From the outside, it looks fairly unassuming, but within you will find a lively, flamboyant restaurant where the prices correlate positively to the outstanding service and spectacular food. Starting off with fresh cornbread muffins, you will quickly fill up with a delicious spinach side salad that comes before every meal, followed by your choice of entrée and two side dishes. You can’t go wrong with any menu item at Jacques-Imo’s, but the crawfish etouffee is an excellent option for a more traditional Cajun fire, while the grilled mahi mahi is a highly recommended special. Just be sure to get to Oak Street early — Jacques-Imo’s is packed every night of the week except Sunday, when it is closed. Reservations are only taken for parties of five or more. –MPL

---

Best Mexican:
Winner: Juan’s Flying Burrito
Runner Up: Felipe’s
Other Contestants: Superior Grill, Taqueria Corona, Nacho Mama’s

Located on one of the funkiest blocks on Magazine Street, Juan’s Flying Burrito serves up yummy burritos bursting with equal parts sass and salsa. Surrounded by offbeat industrial art pieces and waiters that display more tattoos than they do food, Juan’s patrons can choose among an array of overstuffed burritos packed with steak, shrimp, fresh vegetables, spicy peppers or even specialties like the jerk chicken or the restaurant’s namesake burrito. Each dish is accompanied by two mouth-watering sauces, both of which compliment each plate nicely, and the restaurant offers some of the best salsa and guacamole in New Orleans. Once you’ve had your fill of the burritos, move on to the quesadillas and enchiladas — these dishes cram so much Mexican flavor that your mouth will experience sensations that are positively delicioso. –AM

---

Best Sno-Ball:
Winner: Plum Street Snoballs
Runner Up: Hansen’s Sno-Blitz
Other Contestants: Beaucoup Nola Juice Bar, Sno Wizard, Tee-Eva’s

A sno-ball is so much more than a snow cone. Plum Street Snoballs doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the flavors produced in that little shack are more explosive than the colors on the rainbow umbrella that’s always posted over their picnic table outside. A sno-ball is made of much more finely shaved ice than a snow cone, resulting in a smoother texture and concentration of flavor. Plum Street boasts an entire wall’s worth of flavored syrups. They also make “cream” flavors by combining flavored syrups with homemade sweetened condensed milk. Customers also have the option of adding toppings like fresh pineapples or gummy bears to their frozen treat. Whether you go for the traditional lime or the more daring strawberry shortcake, no one leaves Plum Street Snoballs disappointed. –JG

---

Best Coffee House:
Winner: Rue de la Course
Runner Up: Zotz
Other Contestants: PJ’s, First Cup, CC’s

It’s easy to pick Rue de la Course — located on the corner of Carrollton Avenue and Oak Street — over the campus PJ’s, despite the 15-minute walk. With its amazing coffee and quiet, academic atmosphere, the shop is particularly conducive to more studious endeavors. If you’re on Magazine Street, you should check out the Rue de la Course location next to Funky Monkey, which offers a similar structure with a bit more sociability. It’s homey and matches the bohemian Louisiana Avenue and Magazine Street area. Rue de la Course offers free Wi-Fi and is a great place to study off campus or just grab a cup of coffee with friends. Make sure to try a piece of the Seduction Cake, but keep cash on hand, because they don’t accept cards. –MC