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Central Grocery, New Orleans, LA

Photo: Paul Lowry, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Eat & DrinkFoodie FavoriteLocal GemHistory Buff

Central Grocery

923 Decatur St · New Orleans, LA

Why you should go…

Central Grocery is a family-run Italian grocery on Decatur Street, founded in 1906 by Sicilian immigrant Salvatore Lupo, who is credited with creating the muffuletta. The sandwich is still built with meats sliced in house, locally baked bread and the family's olive salad, which you can also buy by the jar. Shelves are lined with imported pasta and olive oil, and you can eat at the back counter or take your sandwich to go. The shop is now run by the third generation of the family.

  • #muffuletta
  • #italian deli
  • #french quarter
  • #sandwich shop

Good to know

General eat & drink guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Go early or go late

    The simplest way around a wait at a popular room is to sit down before the rush or after it.

  • Reservations open on a schedule

    Where bookings are taken, tables tend to be released a set number of days in advance, often at a fixed hour.

  • Menus move with the season

    Treat any dish you read about online as a maybe, not a promise, especially anything local and seasonal.

  • Ask what the place is known for

    Staff will point you at the thing worth ordering faster than any list will.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Central Grocery, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Cajun Encounters Swamp Tours

    $25–$50

    Swamp boat tours near New Orleans with sightings of alligators and cypress forest wildlife.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Tours

  • Shopping
    Iconic

    French Market

    Free

    Browse the flea market, craft stalls and food stands of a French Quarter market district that dates to 1791.

    Right next doorSwitch it up: Shopping

  • Eat & Drink
    Iconic

    Cafe du Monde

    Under $25

    Order the beignets and a cafe au lait, then join generations of visitors dusted in powdered sugar.

    Right next doorMore like this

  • Attractions
    Iconic

    Jackson Square

    Free

    Street artists, tarot readers, and brass bands surround this landmark square in front of St. Louis Cathedral.

    Steps awaySwitch it up: Attractions

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    Crescent City Brewhouse

    $25–$50

    French Quarter brewpub serving Louisiana Creole fare with house-brewed beer and nightly live jazz.

    0.3 mi awayMore like this

  • Eat & Drink
    Foodie Favorite

    Antoine's Restaurant

    $50+

    Dine on French-Creole classics in the French Quarter restaurant that created Oysters Rockefeller, open since 1840.

    0.4 mi awayMore like this