Reviews of Southern Food and Beverage Museum & Museum of the American Cocktail (Museum)

Becka Reed

Focus demo with Cheg Dee was fun and interesting. Absinthe exhibit was rad. Otherwise very unexciting and not worth $10.50.

Mike Aurilio

Really cool place to check out the history of kitchen and food appliances.

Dung Ngoc Dang

Cute little museum with a decent exhibit. Staff is very friendly. There was a cooking and a cocktail demonstration when we were there. Spent around 2 hours there.

Nate Tinner-Williams

A wealth of information here! Various signs and displays for each state in the South, including fun facts and artifacts about their unique food histories and idiosyncracies. Fascinating stuff! Often fun events here as well, like tastings, talks, fairs, cook-offs, and the like. I came here for one and, while the museum was technically closed during the free event, I made my way around and read everything anyway. ;)

Sara Soriano

Friendly greeting at the door and a beautiful space. I wasn't raised in New Orleans so it was a very educational experience for me. The demo kitchen is impressive so I'd like to head back for a cooking demonstration sometime!

Jennifer Orr

Not a fan of Idol worship but interesting place

Eleni O'Neill

This place was odd. Inconvenient for us without a car. Not really much for the kid to look at or do. Wished it was a little less cluttered/packed and had a little more explanation included with exhibits.

William Archer

This is a hidden gem in New Orleans. By no means the largest or grandest museum around, it is very cheap and packed full of some interesting exhibits and facts. It doesn't hurt that you can bring a drink in from the bar next door. I would say that kids would not be entertained but for any adult with a thirst and hunger for knowledge should be happy!

Mac Moore

A nice place to learn about the history of food and liquor! It's a small display but informative. It's a nice stop for a day out on the town.

Tano Gentile

This museum honestly didn't have much. It's like walking into a local grocery store, but you can't buy anything. Some of the decorations looked nice, but not much to learn here. Maybe if you don't live in the south, this set up would look different or nice, but for someone who lives here, it's like walking into a Rouses with empty boxes everywhere. The cooking demo was awful. I walked out as soon as the "chef" brought out a bottle of pre-made pasta sauce for a recipe.

Steve Williams

A great New Orleans museum for locals.

Jeff Roser

Hard to find because it is shut down

Brian Burke

Outstanding Experience..! Enjoy it !!

Justin Mackiewicz

There is a bar inside the museum

Jamel Raymond

Algood

Meggan Dwyer

I learned a lot and got some great bean related costume ideas. You can walk around the exhibits with drinks from the bar and touch whatever you want.

Jack Chelton

Great museum for anyone interested in cooking or bartending. Lots of interesting exhibits that really showcases the unique culinary and bartending history behind New Orleans.

Taryn Alexander

I enjoyed the museum. There was an amazing history section on Popeye's chicken that was informative and interesting. There were items from Schwegmann's Supermarket that I hadn't seen in quite awhile. The large area dedicated to absinthe didn't pique my interest much and it was huge. The only gripe I have, which isn't large, was the several stands of other location's food history. This didn't just cover the south. We are known for our culture, especially food, I thought there would be more to offer. Maybe they are just starting this collection so I hope to see it grow. I think it would be a great museum to have for both locals and visitors.

Mark Green

Great place to emerge yourself in the colorful history of all things food in Louisiana, was fascinating to hear about the cultural influence the German immigrants had on our sausage production especially in the Laplace area during the late 1800's

Dennis Gehrke

Fantastic, worth a visit. The people are wonderful!! Neat southern food history.

Cam Luu

Interesting to see how southern cooking differs from region to region.

Aaron Dingle

Do the cooking demonstration, it's a great Neal and a great lesson in NOLAs rich culinary history.

Bess Hensel

Great tour If you get a chance to go to their cooking demo go!!!

Katie Bolin

Went for a cooking class for my 10 year old daughter, she seemed to enjoy it!

courtney holden

Overwelming too much stuff in one room!!!

Keante Robinson

Hhh

Octavia Cobb

DEFINITELY not what i expected. That's all i can say.

Matt Uhlman

What a delight is the Southern Food and Bev museum. Easily one of the more enjoyable and unique museum experiences we've ever had. It's located at the end of the riverfront mall complex, past the food court, just before heaven! The pleasantries begin with a tutorial on how sno-cones came to be and given a great overview of all things cornbread, pralines, rice, sugar and Yoo-Hoo among other things. The section off to the right goes over the foundings of modern BBQ and gives, to date, the best overview (possibly in the Universe) of what constitutes BBQ in different areas of the US. The American Cocktail Museum is was incredibly informative and gave an amazing overview of all things liquor through the years. The most impressive area however was the bar in the back of the store. It is seriously a spectacle to behold. It spans the better part of a room and contains an amazing collection of Absynthe and other libinatious delights. A wonderful place to kill a few hours.

Sylvia Rogers

This is a very cool place. You can wander around and look at all the interesting kitchen devices as well as see interesting exhibits about southern food. I especially like that they have a bar and restaurant and encourage you to walk around with your drink and snack while you look at everything.

Hannah Brinker

Lovely small museum, loved all the old kitchenware and seeing the displays state-by-state. Husband wishes they had had samples!

Bhavita Kumari

Boring to my taste!

Raymond Sweet

This place is quite interesting. I think it's overcrowded. And it could use more placards and name cards.

Tom Schmidt

What a great cozy museum. Even the building itself is historical, but then again in New Orleans, what isn't? If you are a fan of Al Copeland there is a very prominent, almost a wing of the museum, exhibit on him and his endeavors. Also check out the restaurant that is part and parcel of the museum.

Antoinette de Alteriis

Fascinating!

Brook Beard

Interesting place. Neat to see all the old timey things

B. Schneider

Large collection of all sorts of items related to food - food sample, cans, bottles, scales, posters, furniture, stoves, grills ... you name it, they have it. Still in the end I was a bit underwhelmed. Still a nice place to visit for an hour or so, if you happen to be in that part of town. The adjoining restaurant has great food, albeit not exactly cheap.

Lisa Nwachukwu

I love cooking, food, and history so I should have loved this experience but I did not. It all started with the restaurant. We were visiting NO from Atlanta. We were looking for the classic southern experience and had lots of it. We wanted to continue the party at where else... a southern food and beverage museum. We did not expect it to be the best and knew we were going to overpay for it but we wanted the all in one package...museum + food. The food was such a disappointment... it was so over done and was lacking in southern charm. I know we are in an era of hipster, artisanal cuisine but when you visit NO you want the classics. Bring on the sweet tea (they had none) and keep your aioli. We were super disappointed. We never shook off that disappointment and I am sure it affected how we saw the museum. The museum itself was just ok - if you are choosing between this place and another ... choose the other. This was not a must see.

Will Sampson

Very nice staff but the museum itself is a little cluttered, rather expensive, and not well curated. It definitely has potential and it is fun to see as is but it could be something g better. Toups is attached and a great restaurant.

Christopher Ruszkowski

Eclectic!

Alexander Vallar

It's a very unique atmosphere and full of information which is any museum enthusiasts dream! The museum even allows you to drink on your self guided tour; I fell in love with New Orleans "Sazerac" drink due to this luxury. The employees/guides are very knowledgeable and will answer any questions!

Eva Frank

Great place great people and great history I learned so much and loved the experience

Jon Petrie

Very historic view of New Orleans food and restaurants

Gerald Wilson

Unique collection of items from southern historical and food pop culture. Still growing and expanding. Fun visit

Jessica Ragan-Williams

They are doing some awesome things here! Demos and food history. It's such a great place! Definitely check out their website for events.

Christina

I liked the museum, especially the Popeye's exhibit and the photo exhibit on food scarcity. Took a star off because while I was waiting at bus stop, the estaurant staff who also was waiting with me was on his cell phone talking trash about my daughters who asked if there were any vegetarian options and when he said no, they asked if he had any suggestions, and he was going off about them to whomever he was talking to on the phone. Not cool

Andrea F

The aisles can be a bit narrow, and I am not sure this is a good place for small children, but this is an interesting museum highlighting the foods and cuisines of the Southern part of the US. It seems like a monumental task, and some visitors think they have their own connections and can be upset when they are not represented. It just seems like a lot of stuff crammed into a space that is increasingly becoming too small for all of this. Parking in the area can be an issue.

Kim Welan

This is a great resource for foodies, food lovers, (food) history buffs, and anybody in the service sector who wants to learn more about it. Keep an eye out for chef presentations for culinary display and demonstrations! It costs 10 dollars and change to get in the museum and you can wander back to the demo kitchen in the back when you start smelling some thing really good being cooked.

Chris Eckert

Very cool collection of vintage food and beverage memorabilia and ephemera, with solid informational placards. I know it's new-ish and actively growing its collection, but it really shines when it goes in depth on a particular subject like absinthe or Dooky Chase. If it went deeper rather than wider in what it covered it would get that extra star. Still super worth it if you enjoy food culture or packaging design.

Huaiyu Li

展品丰富，很能体会深南风情。旁边的配套餐厅可以体验大料味的苦艾酒。

Cookie Carmen

Museum is pretty interesting and great food

William Batson

We had heard about the museum from several different sources, (magazines, internet articles, word of mouth, etc.) and it was every bit of what we expected. Since we are from Alabama we didn't necessarily know the hours and showed up a little late, but the concierge understood our situation and let us in. They do close the doors at 6 so I would recommend calling if you are close, but otherwise the showing of absinthes, the bitters collections, and antique bar tools and spirits was exactly what we were looking for. Very informative and the folks that work there are happy to answer any questions or show off. Thanks again

Carol Hutchison

Interesting place. They offer good cooking demonstrations.

Joseph Santiago

This place has many services attached to it. When I went there was cooking being done and the food was shared with everyone to try it. There is a bar and a library. I Loved checking out the absinthe collection from over the years. I recommend this place

Akiva Marcus Cole

It looked cool enough, but I didn't go in because we didn't have time.

Carol Sheriff

Great food

Noël Lemen

I attended the Creole-Italian cooking class here and it was AMAZING. Aside from the incredible food, the history and context and sheer knowledge base was one of the most wonderful experiences I've had in New Orleans.

Alistair Adkinson

Good exhibits, but kind of small and half-finished.

Tristan Carter

Neat lil joint!!

Thomas Raines-Morris

This was disappointing; I had been looking forward to it. I was hoping for a historical and cultural exploration into Louisiana's rich food and drink traditions, delving into Cajun, Creole, African slave, native American, and pirate histories, and how food and drink shapes our world to this day, with opportunities to sample the foods so unique to this wonderful state. This exhibit is a senseless amalgam of displays of some foods from each Southern state (including a display of empty beer bottles from Maryland!), complete with aged placards in very small font, and an attached restaurant. The most informative booth was about Popeye's fast food. In a city with so many amazing things to do, this should be skipped.

Steven Minegar

Great museum. Loved all the information about food from each state, and the American cocktail museum was really informative. Look forward to possibly attending some of the classes someday. Neat collection of history!

David Rosazza

Great museum

Hannah Fisher

Super interesting small museum, great for tourists and locals alike. Seems very popular, constantly holding classes and events. There's a nice little restaurant and bar attached, but I didn't visit due to the prices.

Gerald Prangl

(Translated by Google) Somewhat confusing the exhibition - unfortunately on this day due to illness no cooking demonstration (Original) Etwas verwirrend die Ausstellung - leider an diesem Tag wegen Krankheit keine Kochvorführung

Anson Dillon

Amazing place for foodies and people in the industry. A must go.

Joleen Walther

Small but a great museum! Lots of stuff to see! Took us 90 minutes to see it all.

Keewi Haller

Cool place! Very informative & interesting museum! Highly recommended if you are a foodie.

Adam Scott

Great place with tons to see

Jarrod Daughtry

A little pricey admission fee ($10.50), but a fun, educational and well done collection.

Andrew Morehead

This place was a blast. It's a free form style museum in which you can just mozy about the space, exploring each state as you wish. Covering each state in the south with feature exhibits for Popeyes, the market that used to be there, and some other smaller features, the museum will make for a great afternoon stop. Make sure to get there for the cooking demonstration and then stop into the bar for a drink to take around the museum. It is worth the little walk through the neighborhood from the St. Charles line (I think Shel Silverstein visited this neighborhood for 'Where the Sidewalk Ends'). I'm sure you will learn something about the state you live in.

Stephanie Tritico

Fun stop to get out of the heat and educate yourself on southern cuisine. Self guided tour.

Lauren Johnson

The exhibits were so well done and so fun to see and read about! Every Southern state was represented. There were lots of cool food-related antiques. It's not a huge museum but is packed with stuff to see. It could take you a few hours to get through if you wanted to read it all. There happened to be an event open to the public in the kitchen-classroom that day and that was a nice space too.

Michael Gerhold

The Museum is great but the real Jewel is they offer numerous cooking classes and demonstrations all at reasonable pricing. Some of the classes check not only show you how to prepare the food in a real New Orleans fashion but when you're finished you're actually get to sample the food that you just learned how to prepare. if you're a tourist and you come to New Orleans which is a town that's famous for it's unbelievable cuisinewhat better thing can you do is take a few hours out of your schedule to go to a cooking class and learn how to cook some of the fantastic food and even better yet when you finish you get to sample it. their meat curation program is headed up by Dan Robert who is an excellentteacher and has been at the profession for over 40 years

David Potter

Go on Sunday just for the cinnamon bun! You're welcome.

Travis Waggoner

#cocktails

David Owen

Interesting museum, and great venue for a pop up dinner.

Eddy T

I loved my visit here during Smithsonian Museum Day live. The live cooking demo was awesome.

Thomas Kerkovich

Interesting place

Scott Howdeshell

As tourists arriving close to closing, the gentleman at the desk still let us make a trip through the cocktail area of the museum, and it was thoroughly enjoyable. Highly recommend a trip here if you have a few hours in New Orleans.

Steve Anderson

Awesome spot. Great addition to the New Orleans scene.

Judson Adams

Great museum

New Orleans Guide

This museum is a growing work, and well laid-out for the small space they have. Keep in mind it is a museum, not a children's museum. The little ones might be bored, as there are few interactive displays, and no multi-media or child-oriented galleries. The content of the museum is extremely informative and well-signed. The layout is excellent, and you will see a small gallery for each of the southern States, as well as galleries for groceries, Absinthe, cocktails, and fast food. We went through slowly and thoroughly, reading everything and it took about 2 1/2 hours. For a more casual visitor, it could take closer to an hour or hour and a half to see everything. The curators have put a lot of effort and emphasis on high-quality displays and presentation, earning this museum a 4-star rating from us. For a smaller museum off the beaten path, it is well worth the visit for any cook, bartender, or food/drink enthusiast. You are guaranteed to learn some very interesting things about culinary history you did not know before your visit. If you get the opportunity to attend a cooking class or demonstration here, the demonstration kitchen is beautiful and top notch.

Leigh Davis

Great event space.

sambo722rt

Nice little museum to visit. Lots of history to learn about some of Louisiana's retail franchises.

Ryan M

Not worth the entry fee. I've seen more informative gift shops.

Alex Forsythe

Absolutely amazing experience. Looking forward to doing a culinary demonstration soon at this venue.

Janis Balsamo

Very nice museum. Was lucky to learn about how to build a St Joseph Altar during my visit!

Nick Lentz

They have a great collection of cocktail memorabilia, but much of the museum appears to be crammed into this new space. It needs to be mounted and displayed properly. The volunteer who worked the front desk was amazing.

Xavier Resendez

Great brunch

Mike Padilla

Not a stop worth taking

Patrick Garner

This was a glorified Popeyes museum. Which is fine, just wish I would have known that going in. The bar is great!

Mike Gerhold

My son and I went there for a class on boudin making it was fantastic chef was very good to talk to class the place is an excellent venue for a cooking class couldn't have asked for more prices are reasonable

Madiha Khan

This review is just for the museum, we didn't attend any classes and maybe that's why we just didn't rate it. It's a bit like a ramshackle second hand shop, exhibits aren't clearly laid out and there's not much in the way of consistent commentary. Some of the information is interested, it's maybe worth 30 mins of your time at a push, but at $10.50 each it's pretty expensive. Not worth going out of your way for.

Jon Högman

Honestly a bit all over the place with no real curating to help you through the exhibition where quantity of objects seems to rule over quality. Surely interesting enough for nostalgic reasons for whoever can remember the cans, food and brands of the old days. The history of Popeye's exhibiton was nothing but an ad in a museum space. Hopefully the old cocktail recepies I snapped picture of will make it worth the visit.

Shiraj

Fascinating

Nitra Weeks

Really good history moment.

Fien MTheory

A true delight. What's not to like? You are allowed to see the museum with a cocktail in your hand. Try to attend a cooking class hosted by Dan Robert (Sunday after lunch) and learn how to make Louisiana Andouille or Tasso or one of the other Louisiana gems. The man is witty, a true genius in cooking and is so easy on the ears. We definitely recommend Dan and the museum.

J Dee

Great place to visit while in New Orleans to learn more about the food industry and how it has evolved into what we eat today. It is detailed not just to New Orleans, but the southeast region of the country.

Lawrence VanZomeren

Pretty neat

Cara Scovill

We did a cooking demo which was educational and entertaining, the tour was interesting and the history element really added something special. Jyl gave us incredibly helpful tips for the best places to eat in the city. 10/10 would recommend checking out this place