Morning Call Coffee Stand

100% better than Café Du Monde! Come here for your bingiets and enjoy your au lait beneath the moss-​covered Oak trees. The food was great, we took it to go to explore the park but next time we’ll dine in and enjoy the live music. City Park is beautiful and historic, the pond is practically a swamp. We came here on recommendation from a local and very glad we did!

It’s OK. The beignets were not as good as Café du Monde — I don’t know what some of these people are saying. The Morning Call beignets are way too greasy and doesn’t have nearly as much volume as the Café du Monde ones. We stopped by since we were hungry at the park — and it’s fine. They are really aggressive about tip, even though the food is very slow — so I’d recommend getting take out.

Stopped in to wait out the rain and was very glad I did.
The beignets were yummy. I left feeling fat and happy.
All the employees were super friendly and lots of smiles on their face.
I’ll definitely be going back on my next trip.
Till next time

Great beignets and coffee! I don’t normally drink coffee but I had to try a café au lait. Apparently, they make their own coffee. It’s a chicory flavor, very strong. The café is also located in the New Orleans city park. There is outside seating, which was very beautiful and fun. The ducks are friendly and seem to be used to humans as they came right up to us when we were eating our beignets. I’d love to come back to New Orleans and try the crawfish etouffe they had here.

Arrived in Saturday morning around 9:00am. Walked right in and an employee immediately asked if we wanted take out, or dine in. We seated ourselves and had a server come by almost immediately. The beignets were delicious, and they provide a shaker of powdered sugar in the table, so you can control the amount of sugar that you want.
The food and coffee was served promptly, and it was delicious. Very good service, fast and friendly. Only negative is its cash only

The beignets were warm, flakes and delicious!!! There is a shaker of powdered sugar on the table to you can be in control of how much is on your treat. The café was busy and a live band played. There were only a few servers so they tried to be as attention e as they could… lol
All in all a good experience.

Beignets were very delicious light and delicate and unsugared. You add as much sugar as you personally would like. I was with a large group and the restaurant was pretty busy. I had a very nice server. Unfortunately, others in my group did not have as much luck with a nice or attentive server.
Fast moving pace there on the holiday weekend day I visited.

I’m glad the tour bus stopped at this place because I would have missed out on the best beignets in NOLA. I even tried café du monde twice and café beignets. Morning Call won the battle of beignets. You can control the amount of powdered sugar. These beignets were not doughy or heavy. They were hot light and puffy. They are next to the park so people can relax. I also got bottled coke which I have seen I a long time.

What a cute spot in the park for dessert and coffee. It looked awesome with the tables and lights outside in the evening. We were there at 8pm on a Sunday night and it wasn’t that busy. They had live music tonight out in the patio and people practicing salsa dancing in the gazebo near by. The servers were very attentive in taking our order but no one came back to check on us later so we had to go inside to pay and our water was not refilled. They only take cash by the way. The beignets were good, nice and crispy. They don’t serve it with powdered sugar. You sprinkle the amount of powered sugar to your own liking which I preferred. The place is great because it’s not as busy as Café du Monde.

The best beignet in the city hands down. And the best coffee au lait hands down.
I have had so many beignets in the city of New Orleans and I have to say if you want a good one this is the place! It’s light, airy, and tasted heavenly. The dough is filled with pockets there is no dense spot like some of the others. No heavy flour on the outside which makes the perfect light crunch on the outside without dense shell.
The coffee au lait is creamy with the milky taste that you only find here.
Love it

By far my favorite place for beignets and café au lait! There’s hardly ever a wait to be seated or served. The powdered sugar comes on the side so you can put as much or as little as you prefer on your beignets. They will even give you a hat to wear if you ask! Be sure to bring cash or be prepared to use the atm located inside.

Stopped here during a city tour and grabbed some quick snacks :
Beignets came out hot and ready to be doused in powdered sugar to your liking. The sugar shakers are on the table made the experience a little less messy! I think these were pretty comparable to Café du Monde just something missing not sure what.
The mini Muffalettas were great. My first time trying the type of sandwich and the bite size made them even better to pack up and go back on our tour.
Also got a blended café Au lait the perfect pick me up!
Service was great, they were kind enough to pack some of the order really quickly for us in time to catch our bus.
Place was so good we came back again before we left town.

During our city bus tour, we stopped in here for a quick pit stop. It’s just like the more popular Café Dumond but less crowded. They serve HUGE beignets at about $ 2.20 for three pieces. They serve them nice and HOT and you can sprinkle as much (or as little) powder sugar as you want.
Service was good, price amazing, and beignets delicious! Skip the tourist hypes of the other place, skip the lines and crowds, just come HERE!

Top notch beignets served warm and crisp! You slab on your own powder sugar so you get to decide how sweet you like it! It is right next to the sculpture garden and the museum of art so no reason not to hop on over for some top notch beignet! I would give the mango freeze a pass though as it tastes nothing like a fresh strong mango.

A coffee and beignet store in New Orleans City Park, probably Café du Monde’s biggest competitor in the city.
Food: The menu is based on coffee and beignets, those wonderful French donuts topped with powered sugar (similar to funnel cakes for those unfamiliar), but there are other items as well. I’ve only had their beignets and coffee. There are multiple locations, but this one seems to produce inferior product to CDM. I was thoroughly unimpressed. 2 stars
Service: Expect long waits at this tourist favorite, particularly during daylight hours. Like the food, service was middling-​to-​subpar. 2 stars
Facilities: Nicely situated near Popp’s Bandstand (where there is occasional live music), it is easy to get to, but hard to park at — not nearly enough spots for the area. Signage makes it easy to see from the park roadway. There is ample outdoor seating, but inside is cramped. Bathrooms were clean. 3 stars
Overall: If you happen to be in City Park and are craving a coffee or snack, this is just about the only place to go. It’s fine enough, but CDM has superior product (if being a bit more messy). Go there early or late, or try one of their other locations. 2 stars

I stopped here during my bike tour for a break. I split the gator sausage and mini muffolata sandwiches. The sandwiches weren’t that good and the sausage tasted weird. Food was a bit pricey, but that’s to be expected considering the location in City Park.
My friend loved the Beignet’s better than the ones at café du Monde. That’s the only positive thing I can really say.

If you are visiting NOLA and decide to try Café Au Lait and Beignets, please.
forget Café du Monde’, they lost their way a long, long time ago.
GO down to City Park, and try Morning Call.
Under serene Spanish moss filled Live Oaks, you’ll stroll toward Morning call.
There to be greeted by the friendliest staff, and piping hot, fresh coffee.
Beignets hot and fresh, you’ll thank me.
I miss Café’ du Monde, believe me I do.
But, they have forgotten their past and now live solely on their past accolades and the cash from foolish, foolish tourists.
You truly can’t beat City Park for beauty, serenity and if you are looking for a NOLA experience, what better way than a stroll through City Park.

While going around the Sculpture Garden, my boyfriend and I met a few locals taking their friends around, and they recommended to try Morning Call, so we decided to head over there to experience a favorite local spot. We’ve tried the other popular beignet places around town and we think this one is okay. The beignets here are still tasty, but they don’t serve them with powdered sugar, you do it yourself, which is fine, but I liked mine’s really smothered with powdered sugar from the beginning. They also do serve other food such as gumbo, jambalaya, étouffée, and other breads. I also ordered the crawfish bread and that was good. My boyfriend had the café au lait and said it was pretty standard.
What’s nice about this place is not only is there parking, there’s plenty of it since it has a park next to it and the place itself is spacious even with tons of people. This place is definitely more kid-​friendly with lots of room for them to run around outside and adults enjoying their coffee over some live music.
This place is self-​seating indoor and outdoor. The servers come to you and then you order. And it’s CASH ONLY, but there are ATM machines. Since it is open 24/​7, it felt really sticky on the tables and chairs, with a place open 24 hours, they need to wipe down the counters with more than just a wet rag.

Prefacing my review with the fact that it was Lundi Gras, at 10:30ish and the weather couldn’t have been more beautiful.
It was a packed house with Valerie Sassyfras on the keyboard outside entertaining the masses with her high energy (if you haven’t caught a Valerie Sassyfras show, she’s there every Mon, Wed, and Fri 10 – 7).
Parking was super easy in the park. While I was hoping to not see anyone considering how disheveled I looked, I bumped into at least two friends whilst heading to the to-​go line also looking to get their sugar rush on. This place is Cash Only, and they have two ATMS, one is near the bathroom (not the best spot when it’s a packed house) and one by the front door facing the street. I think it was a $ 2.75 ATM fee.
There is a ton of energy surrounding you with coffee being poured, trays being filled, and people watching to be had while waiting in line. Throngs of tour groups, families with their kids, and friends bringing their traveling buddies in for a local tradition. They have a system, I think, though at times you could see the frustration on waiting patron’s faces that weren’t into a molasses kind of morning and needed to get those fluffy pillows of sugar in their bellies ASAP.
The wait I do feel was longer than usual because from what I overheard the beignet maker broke down, or they had a bad batch come out, so they were backed up on orders. I did finally get my little bag of donuts and sugar though I had no idea how they fit six in this tiny bag but they did. I also bought two hot chocolates. If you get them to-​go, the cups are only half-​filled (probably what is a full cup if you stay but still mildly disappointing). This cost me around $ 10. On the way home the bag did topple over and it looks like I’ve been having one too many parties in the car this Mardi Gras… The beignets tasted OK when I got home but all the fluffy-​ness had been squashed by this little brown bag it comes in.
My suggestions… do not get beignets to-​go. Just don’t do it. It’s not the same «experience». It’s like sitting on Santa’s lap in July. I’m sure if this scenario ever happened you’d be like…“what am I doing, this is so weird.” That’s how I felt eating kinda smooshed beignets out of a brown paper bag filled with sugar in front of my TV. That’s not how you’re supposed to do it.
All the employees were very nice, and I will be back sooner than later to adjust the rating. Pull up a table, chill with Valerie Sassyfrass, and enjoy the wait and the park, because it’s beautiful… and a New Orleans tradition (without having to fight the Quarter crowds).

I stopped in here one evening after viewing the holiday light display at the gardens. There was no line so it was easy to find a seat and get served right away. The spot is cute and the staff is dressed in white and black with white caps and white aprons reminding me of the 50’s. Not that I was alive then, but I watch a lot of tv.
I was disappointed in the beignets because they didn’t seem hot enough. Maybe they had been sitting around awhile since there wasn’t a huge crowd so late in the day. They seemed on the dry side, too. Not only that, they came naked without sugar. It’s apparently your responsibility to pour it on but since I had never had a beignet in NOLA before, I didn’t realize I was supposed to bury it in sugar to the point of it being lost. That is, not until I saw what they did at Café du Monde. These puppies definitely could have used more sugar because they tasted a little bland. But I was glad to have tried them and would stop in again if I was at the park.

Really weird, disappointing experience here on Thursday 11/​19/​2015. We sat outside overlooking the park and ordered a bowl of gumbo, coffee and an order of beignets. A white man in his late 40s wearing a newsboy cap (maybe a manager) was berating the staff in front of the guests. Instead of calling a waiter to come to him, he whistled and snapped to beckon him.
Our waiter was no where to be found. We searched inside the place and finally found him to ask for the check. He stated it would be $ 17.25 and Pete handed him a $ 100 bill. This would later turn into a discussion between me and Pete — why you should not produce monies without first receiving and reviewing a bill, but I’ll keep that offline.
15 minutes later (I’m not exaggerating!) after searching for the waiter again, I go «give me the change.» And he goes, «I didn’t run away with your $ 100. Hmmm let’s see, the bill was $ 18.75» and I’m like «that’s more than you quoted earlier, plus, give me a receipt.»
He stated they didn’t have receipts or bills, because they’re cash only. No problem, I said and took out my phone’s calculator. The bill was $ 16.78 when I accounting for 10% tax which is more than this city’s tax. The waiter was befuddled and gave Pete $ 83 back. Pete handed him back $ 3 and we left.
Walking around the park, full of sugary carbs, Pete questioned what just happened. I didn’t really know but I had powdered sugar allllll over my dress.

Self touted as New Orleans’ «most famous coffee drinking place», Morning Call has been serving café au lait and beignets to New Orleanians and visitors alike since 1870. So trust me when I say that they know what they’re doing.
For all you non New Orleanians who never heard of café au lait or beignets (blasphemy), here’s the quick and dirty version. Café au lait is simply a rich chicory coffee brewed in the «French drip» method. But what sets it apart is that it is mixed nearly ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ with whole milk that is served just below boiling. Trust me (again) when I say that it’s something special. Beignets are a hand cut puffed donut, similar to a fritter (no holes) that are fried and served hot. They are meant to be topped with powdered sugar, and the more the better.
The original location on Decatur Street in the French Quarter moved to Metairie, LA back in the 1970’s. However, it’s the City Park Casino location that I prefer for a few reasons. The «Casino» building in which it is located is as old as I remember and is part of New Orleans’ history. I also like the City Park location better as you can sit outside and enjoy the park’s views while you enjoy your café au lait and beignets. Even though this location gets a lot of tourist activity, especially in the form of tour busses, it’s still my go to spot. And it’s open ²⁴⁄₇ every day of the year except for Christmas day.
I have never ordered anything off the menu except for café au lait and beignets; and chocolate milk for my kid. And speaking of kids, this place is totally kid friendly. As a bonus, there’s a playground next door and an entire park for your kids to run around.
Next time you want café au lait and beignets and don’t want to fight the French Quarter traffic or don’t want the hustle and bustle of Metairie, LA, try Morning Call in City Park.

We stopped here because we spent the day walking around the art museum and park with all the art down there and it was convenient with nothing else really around. We didnt have a car and were starving!
I ordered the jambalaya and my boyfriend ordered the gumbo.
It was OK, but I was really expecting more!
The service was ridic!
Its one of those places where you walk in and there no sign or anything saying if you should wait to be seated or just seat yourselves and none of the people working there said anything. We finally sat down after seeing other people do the same. Our waitress didn’t come around for a while and the service was decent. She brought us our food and there was some kid screaming at the table next to us, so I guess that didn’t help the experience.
I was too scared to order beignets for fear of disappointment.

J’avoue né pas bien comprendre l’engouement pour ce lieu! Le cadre n’est pas désagréable, mais le service n’a vraiment pas été particulièrement sympathique en ce qui me concerne, et les beignets né sont pas mauvais, mais rien d’exceptionnel!!! Bref, je né recommanderai pas ce lieu!