Perhaps a bit dumb of a thing to walk away with, of all the possible places to get food in New Orleans, of the multitudes of cajun options, taco places, beignets, whatever else there is to do in NOLA, but this was my favorite place I ate at during my entire time here. We decided to walk back from the zoo to see everything in between there and the downtown area for something besides the French Quarter and this was the perfect place for a meal, especially in the heat of New Orleans (pre?)-summer. I don't know how bad the weather here gets (personal opinion here, everyone has theirs), and this was extremely refreshing in terms of both the welcoming environment that the owner sets up and the immediate calm that a humble side cafe leaves. I've never had shawarma, or whatever it is, because that looks like a wrap and I'm sure I didn't eat any gluten that I could see here, but it was all-encompassing. It might've been high heat at 2:00 pm exhaustion, I don't know. Perfect timing here is transcendental, and the owner is reserved and friendly and lets you enjoy this place however you want. I'm sure you can find tons of great places on Magazine Street, and this stuff did wonders after a couple miles and 80+ (I'm not very heat tolerant) degrees.
My husband loved gf blueberry donut (not truly GF because cooked in same fryer as gluten items - for celiac people). We loved key lime, chocolate, and especialy dirt cake donuts too! Cakey, flavorful, fresh even though we went after dinner! Nice and strong iced latte too!
I have lived in NOLA for over 15years… been visiting over 22… not a huge fan of the drive uptown from where I live in 7th but my visit to Mister Mao was one of the best experiences and dinners I have ever had periodt.
I’m not a skilled in describing food- but everything, and I mean everything that we tried was fantastic, many of the flavors were firsts for me and all of them were so wonderful together. This might sound ridiculous but it was smart food, With plenty of spice- The drinks (where i am more of an expert ;) were so so good & there was something for everyone at our table. I don’t care for sweet- other guests did… we all loved what was recommended.
Big Up Bonus
I have celiacs and we called ahead to make sure I could eat there in the first place- they took extra amazing care of me and made sure nothing was cross contaminated.
Anyway if you’re a foodie, or in my case- not - this is a dope spot. Two thumbs up an a little pinky for when I’m drinkin cocktails 🍹
4500 Magazine St UNIT 5, New Orleans, LA 70115, USA
Gluten-free options
CafeItalianIce CreamDeliveryTake AwayKid Friendly
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K Rhodes
PICCOLA GELATERIA IS THE REAL DEAL!
Ria creates gelato with love, knowledge, and only the purest ingredients! If are buying “gelato” any where else in New Orleans, you are not eating the real deal. Other “gelato” storefronts are serving you Ice cream dressed up as gelato. Piccola Gelateria creates the softest, smoothest, creamiest, yummy goodness! She has dairy-free options that have no right to be called dairy-free. All but the Cookies Black are gluten-free. Take a trip to Italy without leaving New Orleans and visit PICCOLA GELATERIA
The staff at this location is great! Matcha was delicious & the interior design of this location was super cozy & nice! They also have gluten free options for my celiac friends!
Accommodating Gluten-Free