A Glazed & Amused drivable route

The Beignet Route

Louisiana's state doughnut, from a Baton Rouge counter to the Alabama beach.

A beignet is a square of fried dough buried in powdered sugar. Say it ben-YAY. Wear dark clothes at your own risk.

French settlers brought the idea to Acadia, in eastern Canada, in the 1600s. When the British pushed the Acadians out, many landed in Louisiana, became Cajuns, and brought their cooking with them.

For most of their life in New Orleans, they weren't even called beignets. French Market vendors sold "French Market doughnuts," and the new name took over in the 1950s. In 1986 the Legislature made the beignet Louisiana's official state doughnut.

For most of a century, New Orleans called them French Market doughnuts.

Driving it

It's almost all I-10. Start in Baton Rouge, spend a night in New Orleans, and finish on the Alabama coast. Between New Orleans and Mobile, the Mississippi coast is a drive, not a stop: we haven't found a beignet counter there we can stand behind yet. If you know one, tell us.

The route, west to east

Rolling out the map…

Positions are approximate.

1Coffee Call
3132 College Dr, Baton Rouge, LA · since 1976
Vincent Cannatella opened Coffee Call in 1976. His son John and granddaughter Brandi Catoire run it now, and his recipe hasn't changed.
Beignets are cut to order, squares or strips, and fried in cottonseed oil. The kitchen goes through about 1,700 pounds of flour a week. It turned 50 in May 2026 with a brass band second line.
Known for: Made-to-order beignets, squares or strips
Written about, not listed. A café first, so it lives on this trail rather than in the listings.
2Morning Call
5101 Canal Blvd, New Orleans, LA · since 1870
Morning Call opened in 1870 at the far end of the French Market from Café du Monde, and the two competed for more than a century. Rising rents pushed it out to Metairie in 1974.
Today it's on Canal Boulevard in the cemetery district, near a streetcar stop, still serving beignets and café au lait.
Known for: Beignets and café au lait
Written about, not listed. A coffee stand first, so it lives on this trail rather than in the listings.
3Not Another Donut Cafe
4301 Canal St, New Orleans, LA
A family-owned shop in a blue corner building in Mid-City, on the same Canal corridor as Morning Call.
Hot glazed donuts, novelty flavors, beignets, and shrimp and grits if you need something that isn't sugar. Closed Mondays.
Known for: Hot glazed donuts, beignets too
4City Donuts & Café
3301 S Claiborne Ave, New Orleans, LA
Open 24 hours, with the full case: apple fritters, bear claws, donut holes.
If you get into town after the French Quarter stands close for the night, this is your stop.
Known for: Donuts around the clock
See the listing →
5Café du Monde
800 Decatur St, French Market, New Orleans, LA · since 1862
The stand has sold beignets and café au lait in the French Market since 1862. The Fernandez family has owned it since 1942.
The menu fits on a napkin: coffee with chicory, black or au lait, and square doughnuts under a heap of powdered sugar. It closes on Christmas, and in bad hurricanes.
Known for: Beignets and café au lait since 1862
Written about, not listed. A coffee stand first, so it lives on this trail rather than in the listings.
6Loretta's Authentic Pralines
1100 N Peters St, French Market, New Orleans, LA · since 1983
Loretta Harrison opened her praline shop in 1983, the first in New Orleans owned by a Black woman. She died in 2022, and her family runs it now.
Her beignets come stuffed: praline, crabmeat, or burger. Same market as Café du Monde, a short walk away.
Known for: Praline and crab beignets
Written about, not listed. A praline shop first, so it lives on this trail rather than in the listings.
7Mo'Bay Beignet Co.
451 Dauphin St, Mobile, AL
Jaclyn Robinson started with a beignet mix and syrups, sold as a college fundraiser. The first shop opened on Dauphin Street in February 2020.
Hot beignets, dipping syrups, and coffee with chicory.
Known for: Beignets with dipping syrups
Written about, not listed. Mo'Bay now franchises, so it sits outside the directory's rules.
8Café Beignet
Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, AL
Two beach-town counters where the beignets come out hot and go straight under the powdered sugar. The Gulf Shores shop fills them, vanilla pudding with chocolate syrup among the options.
They sell out. The local tourism board's advice is to get there early.
Known for: Beignets at the beach, some filled

The powdered sugar follows you home, on your shirt and in the car, for weeks. So does the craving. Here's what's near you.

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The route, west to east

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