Many of the food vendors at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival have been doling out food for decades, distributing their homemade, family recipe food to devoted customers.
Jazz Fest would not be what it is today without its food and beverage vendors who helped build and grow the festival from the ground up.
The Daily Reveille sampled some of New Orleans’ tastiest creations. Here’s our top ten list of must-try entrees, treats and beverages for first-time jazz festers, in no particular order:
1. Alligator po-boy
There’s no better time to try some good ole’ gator than at a festival, and Jazz Fest does it better than all the rest. Alligator pie was also available. With some fried green tomatoes to pair, it’s an irresistible combination.
2. Café au Lait
This infamous Café du Monde favorite is a sweet pick me up on the hottest of festival days. While the booth also sells hot and iced black coffee and café au lait, it’s best enjoyed frozen. A cool treat that doubles as an energetic boost, what’s not to love?
3. Any form of Crawfish
Crawfish is a hot commodity at the festival as one of its best-selling items, available in many forms: crawfish bread, Crawfish Monica, crawfish pie, on a po-boy or boiled by itself. It’s impossible to not like this old festival favorite. The festival experience is considered incomplete without having tried some type of crawdad. 
4. Strawberry Lemonade
The most popular non-alcoholic drink at the festival, one can’t go wrong with an old fashioned, refreshing strawberry lemonade in a cup bigger than your face. It has actual chunks of fruit too. Their festival booth’s flavored teas, which include the rosemint herbal, mandarin orange and regular iced tea are also worth a try.
5. Po-Boys
Let’s be real, any po-boy you get at the festival is going to be bomb. The crawfish-sausage po-boy, fried soft-shell crab po-boy and the cochon de lait po-boy are always popular.
6. Sno-balls
A New Orleans original is hard to pass up, especially when it’s in the form of an icy, sweet and colorful treat.
7. Muffuletta
New Orleans has everything, even its own sandwich. One doesn’t have to be Italian to enjoy this Big Easy classic, especially with boudin on the side.
8. Pheasant, Quail and Andouille Gumbo
There’s nothing better than a roux done right. Jazz Fest doesn’t do anything ordinary, including its gumbo. For fest goers who want to try something different, the meaty bowl is a good way to go.
9. Mango freeze
This well-loved frozen indulgence has long been a popular dessert found only at Jazz Fest, until select Rouses Supermarkets began selling the the mango recipe. But, this smooth treat is still a festival trademark.
10. Fried chicken
Simplicity at its finest. There is a time and place for fried chicken: all the time and everywhere. Iva and Ernest Jones have made a name for themselves with their fried chicken by making it the ideal to which all other chicken is compared.

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Greta Jines

Food vendors sell alligator po-boys Friday, April 22, 2016 during the first day of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.