Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center – Foodie Guide

You better bring your appetite when visiting the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center in the beautiful city of Kenner, Louisiana. That’s because Kenner, like its noteworthy neighbor New Orleans, is full of one-of-a-kind restaurants foodies won’t want to miss.

Many of the restaurants in Kenner are seafood-focused, which makes sense given that this city is located right on Lake Pontchartrain. So if you’re in the mood for some fried catfish, seafood gumbo, raw oysters, or any other Southern seafood staple, you’ve come to the right place.

Kenner has much more to offer than just seafood, though. Visiting foodies can also enjoy authentic international cuisine, gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, and everything in between.

If you’re curious about what dining options will be available to you during your upcoming visit to the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center, take a look at the list below. It features a variety of restaurants located within a five-mile radius of the convention center.

Williams Seafood and PoBoy

If you travel to Louisiana and don’t wolf down a po’ boy, were you ever really there at all? Honestly, no. These sandwiches are as synonymous with Louisiana as Mardi Gras and jazz music.

Fortunately, you don’t have to venture far from the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center to get your hands on one of the best po’ boys in Kenner. The place serving them is Williams Seafood and PoBoy, a hidden gem just under a mile from the convention center.

The menu at Williams Seafood and PoBoy features a number of different po’ boys. Of course, they’ve got traditional ones like fried shrimp, fried catfish, and roast beef, but some unconventional options as well, such as smoked sausage, veal cutlet, and soft-shell crab.

The other half of Williams’s name is “Seafood,” and there’s certainly no shortage of that there either. They serve seafood platters, seafood gumbo, grilled seafood, and more.

If you prefer turf to surf, Williams Seafood & PoBoy has plenty of options for you too. Try their fried chicken either on its own or in a po’ boy. For something lighter, go with the grilled chicken salad.

Little Chinatown

Chinese might not be the first food that comes to mind when you think of Louisiana, but it just might be after a meal at Little Chinatown. This sit-down Chinese restaurant is a cut above your neighborhood takeout joint with its menu full of authentic dishes. And it’s only a little over a mile from the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center!

When we say that a lot of the dishes at Little Chinatown are “authentic,” we mean it. So don’t be surprised if they’ve got specials like whole fried fish when you show up. Consider stepping outside of your culinary comfort zone by giving dishes like this a try.

If your taste buds aren’t feeling particularly adventurous, however, don’t fret. The menu at Little Chinatown features plenty of Americanized Chinese dishes too. General Tso’s chicken, beef and broccoli, and lo mein are just some of the familiar favorites you can enjoy there.

Café Du Monde

Café Du Monde is a New Orleans institution. The original Café Du Monde opened in New Orleans’ French Market back in 1862, where it still stands today. Getting there from the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center takes roughly 25 minutes by car.

If you don’t have time to make your way over to the Café Du Monde in New Orleans, you’ll be glad to hear that they’ve got a location in Kenner just under two miles from the convention center. The beignets and coffee there are just as good as they are at the original location; the only difference is that the Café Du Monde in Kenner isn’t open 24/7.

Don’t expect to find a big menu at Café Du Monde. They do a couple things and do them well. Their two specialties, as we mentioned before, are beignets and coffee.

Beignets, for those unfamiliar, are fried fritters. They’re pretty much like donuts, only better. At Café Du Monde, they douse theirs in powdered sugar and serve them in orders of three.

The coffee at Café Du Monde is unique in that it’s blended with the root of the chicory plant. The root is roasted and ground, then added to the coffee. This practice dates back to the Civil War, when a coffee shortage prompted New Orleans Creoles to begin using chicory as an additive. Many people say it adds a chocolatey flavor to the coffee; try a cup and see for yourself.

The Big Cheezy

Grilled cheese sandwiches are a comfort food classic. Cheese, butter, bread… what’s not to like? If you get a hankering for one during your visit to the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center, take a short ride over to The Big Cheezy.

Don’t let the cheesy, Big Easy-inspired name fool you; they really do know how to make a mean grilled cheese sandwich at The Big Cheezy. It’s why they’ve been featured on Food Network, Travel Channel, and Good Morning America, as well as in USA Today. It’s also how they’ve managed to open multiple locations, one of which is in Kenner.

There are two types of grilled cheese sandwiches on the menu at The Big Cheezy. The Original keeps things simple with Cheddar and American cheese on fluffy country white bread. The namesake Big Cheezy, on the other hand, is a triple-decker sandwich with Gouda, mozzarella, Cheddar, Swiss, Monterey Jack, and Parmesan on Hawaiian sweet bread.

There’s more to The Big Cheezy than just grilled cheese sandwiches, though. They serve plenty of other cheese-forward dishes too, including melts, skillet mac and cheeses, and cheese fries, as well as a tomato basil soup that’s perfect for dipping sandwiches in.

Vincent’s Italian Cuisine

You’re never far from a good Italian meal at the Pontchartrain Convention & Civic Center. That’s because Vincent’s Italian Cuisine, one of the area’s most popular Italian restaurants, is just a few miles away in nearby Metairie.

Vincent’s was opened by native New Orleanian Vincent Catalanotto back in 1989. Since then, they’ve become known for their delicious food, comfortable atmosphere, and friendly staff. So well known, in fact, that they were able to open a second location in the heart of New Orleans less than a decade after opening their first one.

The menu at Vincent’s features an assortment of classic Italian dishes, including lasagna, fettucine Alfredo, and osso bucco. In typical Italian restaurant fashion, the portion sizes are remarkably big, so you definitely don’t need to worry about leaving hungry.

As delicious as all of the food at Vincent’s is, the dish they’re most famous for has to be the corn and crabmeat bisque. This luscious soup is packed with tender chunks of crabmeat, which contrasts perfectly with the pop of fresh, sweet flavor provided by the corn. The bread bowl they serve it in puts the whole thing over the top.