At the end of May and the beginning of June, I went to one of the most beautiful cities in the South with three of my best friends. I have never been to the state of Louisiana before so I was so excited to be able to go there.

This is my first major vacation since turning 21 which means I got to try all the famous drink that the French Quarter and New Orleans is known for. Let me just tell you that those drinks could really put you on the floor if you aren't careful.

The most exciting part for me before the trip even started was that I was going to be able to eat a lot of good Southern food. Southern food is one of my favorite foods to eat. The flavors are wonderful and almost everything is fried so how can you not love it.

1. Pat O'Brien's 

One of the most famous drinks that the French Quarter is known for is called the Hurricane drink. The drink contains two ounces of light rum, two ounces of dark rum, and a couple of fruit drinks. Pat O'Brien was actually the place that invented the drink back in the 1940s.

This drink is very good. You can definitely taste the alcohol but the fruitiness of the drink makes it great. You should only have one at a time though unless you want to be on the ground in the French Quarter.

2. Très Bon

My friend was dying to try this Cajun dish called a boudin ball which contains the boudin sausage and rice in a ball form. We were traveling around the New Orleans area when we found this local bbq place that had exactly what he wanted.

Personally, I got the cheese fries with pork. They were some of the best cheese fries I have had in my entire life. This place is full of some good cajun bbq that you have to have. We loved this place so much we went back the next day!

3. Mabile's 

Mabile's is a little mom and pop shop located in LaPlace, Louisiana which is about 30 miles outside of New Orleans. The restaurant has a lot of options for a po' boy which is a traditional Louisianan sandwich. I got to go here two different times while I was in Louisiana because the place was so good.

The first time I went I got a fried shrimp salad which was good but the second time I went I got a fried shrimp po' boy.

At first, it did feel weird to have friend shrimp in sandwich form. I instantly grew to love these po' boys. If you ever want seafood in a sandwich form then you definitely need to go here to eat them.

4. Golden Chips

If you are looking for a quick snack while drinking and walking around the French Quarter then you need to stop here. Golden Chips are home to Belgian style fries, fresh Louisiana-style chicken tenders, and fish tenders.

The fries are very crispy and salty which is the best type of fries in my opinion. They have a variety of different sauces to try with the fries. I tried the Chipotle sauce which contains pink mayonnaise with a touch of Chipotle peppers. It was a very good flavor to go along the crispy and salty fries.

5. New Orleans Original Daiquiris

Frozen daiquiris are the perfect alcoholic drink for the summer and this is the place you need to get them at. New Orleans Original Daiquiri is a regional chain that is all over southwest Louisiana that serves over 20 different flavors of daiquiris including the famous hurricane drink and margarita.

My friends and I were definitely here a couple of times during our stay. Most of the times I went I got the Strawberry Margarita flavor of the daiquiri. The drinks were so fruity and yummy so you should stop by and get some drinks. The best part about this place is that it was a drive-thru. That's right people. DRIVE-THRU ALCOHOL!

6. The Jambalaya Shoppe

Jambalaya is a popular Louisianan specialty that everyone has to try at least once in your lifetime. It is a dish that traditionally contains meat like chicken, andouille sausage, seafood like shrimp, vegetables, and rice. It was coming up to our last few days in Louisiana without eating this dish yet so we found this restaurant in LaPlace, Louisiana.

When we got there, I saw that they had way more than just jambalaya. They had a pasta version of jambalaya which they called pastalaya. It was hands down the best meal I had when I was in Louisiana.

They give you so much food for not a lot of money. I think I only spent $5 dollars and was so full that I literally went into a food coma. You have to go to this place while you are in the New Orleans area.

7. Frostop

Frostop is another little mom and pop shop located in LaPlace, Louisiana. The restaurant has a lot of options for a po' boys and burgers among a long list of other food items. They are also known for their root beer that is homemade.

When I went here, I got another fried shrimp po' boy with a side of fries. The only difference between the po' boy I got here at Frostop and the one I got at Mabile's was the bread.

The bread is a very important part of a sandwich and it can honestly make or break it. The bread at Frostop was less dry than the bread at Mabile's. This is the best po' boy I got while I was in Louisiana.

New Orleans is home to some pretty amazing Southern and cajun food. Food is definitely an important part of any vacation. These are just some of the places that you need to go if you ever make a trip down to the Big Easy.