We’ve all been there. You work up the energy to trek all the way across town to a favorite lunch spot that you just don’t get to often enough only to find that dreaded note on the door. “It’s August. We out,” the owners say in somewhat more professional language. While we would never begrudge anyone their much-needed downtime, it’s hard not to get a little grumpy when you’re hungry and standing outside a locked restaurant. In the name of being a less frustrated populace and saving y’all a little bit of time, we’ve put together a few of the restaurants around town that have decamped the city for their annual vacay.
Luvi
Closed Through August 7
This tiny but mighty hotspot on Tchoupitoulas is taking the week off. Anyone looking for their first taste of their fusion foods will have to wait until they get back next week.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlwM9hHnrZ2/?taken-by=luvirestaurant
Hi-Volt Coffee
Closed Through August 14
This Lower Garden District spot for smart takes on breakfast sandwiches and high-end coffee is dark for the first two weeks of August. Nearby Mojo’s can handle your caffeine fix for the time being, but anyone wanting one of those sweet Dom sammies will have to stick it out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOhkv0gDQIb/?taken-by=hivoltcoffee
Pizza Delicious
Closed Through August 20
The best pizza in the city (fight me) is taking a bit of a break. These Bywater purveyors of kale-topped New York-style slices can’t come back soon enough. Expect lines come the end of August.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BleC3asgfd4/?taken-by=pizzadelicious
Good Bird (Freret Location)
Closed Through August 14
This is more of an Uptown problem than a city-wide catastrophe. The Freret home of these chicken-slinging sandwich and salad artists is shuttered until the 15th. However, their stand at the St. Roch Market remains open!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BlLP7hOn4Cp/?taken-by=goodbirdnola
Cafe Amelie
Closed Through August 23
This French Quarter date spot with a killer menu and a jaw-dropping courtyard is leaving lovebirds behind for most of August. If your Tinder matches can hold out, it will be back before the month’s out.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Blqbpi5neft/?taken-by=cafeamelie
Bywater Bakery
Closed Through August 29
This crucial corner cafe selling breakfast pastries and fresh-baked bread to downtown residents is taking most of the month and high-tailing it out of town. Fans of delicious muffins and unexpected piano jams are rightly devastated.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl5m2vmBwCz/?taken-by=bywaterbakerynola
Pax Treme
Closed all August
We doubt that the owners of this Claiborne Avenue coffee shop would call their break a full-on vacation. They’re using some of the down time to work on their menu and build a courtyard for their customers. But either way, thirsty folks along I-10 will have to find somewhere else to get their caffeine fix until they re-open at the beginning of September.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk7xKncHdWu/?taken-by=pax_treme
Red’s Chinese
Closed All August
Similarly, this St. Claude staple near the Spellcaster Lodge is sitting things out until September. They’re doing a bit of cosmetic work on the building and fixing some other issues before roaring back with their absolutely essential Hawaiian Fried Rice.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVYMJhNh1V7/?taken-by=redschinese