Looking for local Latin flavor? Here are the best Mexican and Latino restaurants in New Orleans East

The next time someone says there’s no real Latin food in New Orleans, take them to New Orleans East.

by Megan Braden-Perry | December 4, 2018

The next time someone says there’s no real Latin food in New Orleans, slap them and take them to New Orleans East.

Having stayed on campus at Dillard University for college, despite being born and raised in New Orleans, I made plenty of friends from places like Texas and California, places with so much great Latin food that it’s practically taken for granted. My schoolmates would get homesick, though, and be sad Latin food wasn’t as plentiful in New Orleans as it was in their hometowns. Back when I was staying on campus, two years pre-Katrina and two years post-, most of greater New Orleans’ Latin food was deep in Kenner, and I’m assuming the Westbank. (I’m assuming because the Westbank was another country back then, so I’m not sure what the Westbank had aside from a dollar toll.)

Now, however, so much delicious and affordable Latin food is available right in New Orleans East, easily accessible by bus too! Here are some of my personal favorites.

Feel free to chat comida con ella at @megandoesnola on Twitter and Instagram!

Burritos Grill 

Burritos Grill is one of my favorite restaurants, especially for Taco Tuesday. There’s both Tex-Mex and traditional Mexican, and the happy hour margaritas are good and strong with tinted salt.

Burritos Grill - New Orleans
$$$$
Getting there
7009 Read Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70127, USA
Hours
Mon-Sat 10:30 AM – 9 PM
Sun Closed
More Info

Casa Honduras 

Rice and fish at Casa Honduras. (Photo: Megan Braden-Perry)

My favorite things to get at Casa Honduras are pescado frito con tajadas (whole fried fish and green fried plantains with cream sauce and pickled cabbage), platano maduro frito (sweet fried plantains with thick Honduran cream and crumbly Honduran cheese) and gifiti (traditional Garifuna drink of rum steeped in herbs, served like tequila).

4611 Alcee Fortier Blvd
Getting there
4611 Alcee Fortier Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70129, USA

El Catratcho Panaderia y Tienda 

This place smells amazing. There are a lot of great smells in the East (coffee plants, the lake, greenery), but this might be my favorite. Stop at this Honduran bakery for conchas, pegaditas, marranitos, conchas, and a few bodega staples.

13801 Chef Menteur Hwy
Getting there
13801 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129, USA

La Consentida

Chef Highway from about Read to Bullard took a heck of a beating in February 2017, but rebuilding is largely done there and La Consentida is just one of several bright, shiny new businesses. Sharing a strip mall with Freezy Street, Island Flavor Bar and Grill, Odds and Ends Thrift and more, La Consentida sells everything you’d expect at a bodega. The other location, on Alcee Fortier, sells more clothes.

10715 Chef Menteur Hwy
Getting there
10715 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70127, USA

Latino’s Market

One of my best friends recently moved here from Brooklyn and felt at home here. In addition to selling everything you’re used to finding at a bodega, Latino’s Market often serves baleadas, tacos, soup, pollo con tajadas (Honduran style fried chicken with green plantains) and other hot food specials.

LATINOS MARKET
Getting there
Ye Ole Village Shopping Center, 13235 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129, USA
Hours
Mon-Sun 8 AM – 9 PM
More Info

Taqueria La Coyota

Incredibly affordable and traditional Mexican-style tacos. Of all the taco trucks, this is my favorite. For just $20 including a generous tip, I get four tacos, a chile toreado (grilled pepper) and an agua fresca. My favorite New Orleans East Taqueria La Coyota location is the one on Chef, outside of Winn-Dixie. You can just sit out on the sidewalk outside the car parts store and enjoy your meal.

9701 Chef Menteur Hwy
Getting there
9701 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70127, USA

Taqueria Estrellita 

This taco truck is fairly new and sits outside of La Paisa, a clothing store on Chef Highway. I’m a huge fan of baleadas (Honduran specialty consisting of a tortilla filled with refried beans, cheese, cream, avocado, eggs and meat) and they are only $5 here. (The aforementioned combination is the baleada con todos. The baleada sencilla and baleada especial contain fewer ingredients and are about as cheap as $2.) You can legit have a baleada for breakfast and forget to eat until much later.

14368 Chef Menteur Hwy
Getting there
14368 Chef Menteur Hwy, New Orleans, LA 70129, USA

El Tio 2 Taqueria y Supermercado  

Aside from the delicious and affordable beef tacos and Honduran specialties in the restaurant, there’s a huge Latin supermarket, with a wide selection of produce, seasoned meats, dairy products and more.

4664 Alcee Fortier Blvd
Getting there
4664 Alcee Fortier Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70129, USA

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Megan Braden-Perry

Megan Braden-Perry

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