New Orleans is a food town, no doubt. Too many great restaurants and eateries slip through the cracks of bigger names. Consider this your underground foodie list, curated by locals just for you.

1. Red’s Chinese

Red’s Chinese fuses new-wave Chinese with local ingredients, a chef from San Francisco, and good vibes. Plates average out to about $12. Worth every cent.

Where it’s at: Bywater

Must try dish: General Lee’s Chicken

2. Willie Mae’s Scotch House

A perfect example of a long-time local institution serving totally humble but excellent food.

Where it’s at: Treme

Must try dish: Fried chicken

3. Dooky Chase

A long-time bastion of local tradition and ingredients. They have an entire buffet of Nola classics.

Where it’s at: Treme

Must try dish: Go for the buffet.

4. Surrey’s

This cafe and juice bar is a go-to breakfast and brunch spot. It’s busy but cozy. You can sip fresh-squeezed juice while eating perfected shrimp and grits at Surry’s.

Where it’s at: Lower Garden District

Must try dish: Shrimp and Grits

5. Sompere Lapin:

Sompere Lapin brings you a twist of Creole and Caribbean cuisine. The menu and aesthetic is influenced by Caribbean folk tales. Prices are higher, but you’re getting dishes like Curried Goat with Plantain Gnocchi and Cashews.

Where it’s at: Warehouse District

Must try dish: Curried goat

6. Angelo Bricato

A mid-city favorite for desserts. Stepping into Angelo Bricato’s is like stepping into a 70s Italian cafe. Did I mention they make their cannolis in house?

Where it’s at: Mid-City

Must try dish: Cannolis

7. Cafe Reconcile

This cafe uses local ingredients and cuisine to a higher purpose, employing teens from high-risk neighborhoods. They have their own take on classic and creole dishes.

Where it’s at: Central City

Must try dish: Banana’s Foster Bread Pudding

8. Liberty’s Kitchen

All of their food items are made from scratch. Similar to Reconcile, Liberty’s Kitchen employs vulnerable New Orleans youth so that they can acquire skills for later in life.

Where it’s at: Upper Ninth Ward

Must try dish: Refresh Breakfast Sandwich