The Top 6 Up-and-Coming Food Influencers in New Orleans
New Orleans food influencers who punch above their follower count: 6 up-and-coming creators with up to 3 times the typical engagement of their size, and how to book a visit.
Most New Orleans-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers get about 8 likes and comments per 1,000 followers on a typical Reel.
1. @itsmeal_ertime: happy hours, coolinary and neighborhood spots
happy hours, coolinary and neighborhood spots
- Engagement Strength
- 22.63x the typical New Orleans food account
- Followers
- 6,567
- Avg. views per Reel
- 10,988
- Reels, last 30 days
- 7+
This account covers restaurants, coffee shops and bars around New Orleans and Metairie, often with a set menu or a happy hour. Recent posts include the limited pizza bagel set from Shug's Bagels and Il Supremo Pizza on Maple Street, which reached 73,861 views, the happy hour beef tenderloin and $10 cocktails at Doris Metropolitan in the French Quarter, and wonton soup and General Tso's chicken at Ming's in Lakeview.
The strongest fit is a happy hour, a COOLinary menu or a limited collaboration with a clear date and price. The bio lists an email address.
See @itsmeal_ertime's Instagram
2. @nola.food.guy: food trucks, late night and local favorites
food trucks, late night and local favorites
- Engagement Strength
- 20.93x the typical New Orleans food account
- Followers
- 44,610
- Avg. views per Reel
- 24,422
- Reels, last 30 days
- 5+
This account reviews everyday New Orleans food, from food trucks and home kitchens to late-night spots and cheap breakfasts. Recent posts include the strawberry stuffed cheesecake snowball at Ice Queen Snowballs in the Bywater, which reached 35,536 views, the Big Chief Seafood food truck on Bayou Road, and Sunday brunch with sweet heat shrimp at His Mama's Cooking.
The strongest fit is a food truck, a small owner-run kitchen or a late-night spot with a story behind it. The bio lists an email for inquiries.
See @nola.food.guy's Instagram
3. Destiny, @imperfectlydes: local spots, late night and food tours
local spots, late night and food tours
- Engagement Strength
- 18.82x the typical New Orleans food account
- Followers
- 23,511
- Avg. views per Reel
- 11,669
- Reels, last 30 days
- 9+
Destiny helps locals find New Orleans food, from New Orleans East and Gentilly to LaPlace, and runs a food tour for locals. Recent posts include lunch and happy hour with a new smothered turkey dish at Morrow's, which reached 26,500 views, a tour through Gentilly and New Orleans East, which reached 30,804 views, and late-night snacks at Henry's Original.
The strongest fit is a local spot outside the usual tourist areas, especially one that could host a group. The bio lists an email address.
4. Jasmine, @jasmine_shante_: barbecue, ladies nights and new openings
barbecue, ladies nights and new openings
- Engagement Strength
- 14.52x the typical New Orleans food account
- Followers
- 14,699
- Avg. views per Reel
- 4,369
- Reels, last 30 days
- 10+
Jasmine covers New Orleans restaurants, festivals and nights out, with some lifestyle posts mixed in. Recent posts include barbecue from Dynasty House BBQ under the Claiborne bridge, which reached 36,192 views, the $45 Ladies Night pitcher and dishes at Dolfy's, and a burger and loaded seafood fries from Roul's Deli ahead of its West Bank opening.
The strongest fit is a barbecue spot, a new opening or a restaurant with a ladies night or group deal. The bio lists an email address.
5. @hownola: new restaurants, nightlife and festivals
new restaurants, nightlife and festivals
- Engagement Strength
- 14.32x the typical New Orleans food account
- Followers
- 41,390
- Avg. views per Reel
- 28,007
- Reels, last 30 days
- 7+
This account is run by two creators who show how New Orleans eats, drinks and celebrates, from the Marigny to Oak Street. Recent posts include the meatball, orzo and pork chop at Pulcinella in the Marigny, handmade pastas at the new Procida in the Marigny, which reached 21,000 views, and tofu bánh mì and bao at Bao Mi off Tulane Avenue.
The strongest fit is a new restaurant, a bar or an event with a clear date. The bio asks for collaboration and event requests by DM.
6. @fork.with.us: cocktail deals, coffee and new openings
cocktail deals, coffee and new openings
- Engagement Strength
- 12.42x the typical New Orleans food account
- Followers
- 28,465
- Avg. views per Reel
- 18,364
- Reels, last 30 days
- 7+
Twin sisters run this account, covering New Orleans restaurants, coffee shops and bars, with some travel. Recent posts include the $25 flight of five mini martinis at Hungry Eyes in Uptown, which reached 98,110 views, fall specials at Puccino's Coffee, and cocktails and shareable bites at the new rooftop bar Charles and Julia downtown.
They suit a bar or restaurant with a drink deal, a seasonal menu or a new opening. The bio lists an email address.
How to reach New Orleans food influencers and get a visit booked
Finding someone you want to work with is the start. You still need a reply, agreed terms, a visit on the calendar and the content afterward.
Find their business email, follow them and reach out
Look for the email button on their Instagram profile, a business-inquiries address in their bio or a contact page on their linked website. If they list a manager for collaborations, use that contact.
Follow the account and watch a few recent restaurant videos. Then email a specific invitation: which restaurant you run, where it is, what you would like them to try and what you are proposing in return. Mention a relevant post of theirs so they can see why you chose them.
Send a short DM pointing them to your email. If their profile asks businesses to DM rather than email, start there. The goal is to get the invitation seen through the channels they use for work.
Follow up and get your terms in writing
If you do not hear back, follow up after a few business days. If there is still no response, move on to another good fit. Stop if they decline.
Once they are interested, agree on the food credit, any cash fee, guest count, content they will produce and posting deadline. Include raw footage and commercial usage rights if you need them. Permission to advertise from the influencer's account is separate from permission to run their video from your restaurant's account.
Get those terms in writing before you book. A friendly yes does not tell you whether you are getting a Reel, a few Stories or any files you can use afterward.
Schedule the visit and tell your team what was agreed
Offer specific dates and service windows. Confirm the influencer's name, party size, arrival time, dining credit and who they should ask for when they arrive. Give your team the same information.
Send a reminder before the visit. If the date changes, update the booking and your team so the new plan is not buried in a DM.
Follow up until you have the content
After the visit, check the posting deadline, review anything that requires approval and collect the files you agreed on. Follow up if the content is late. Save the finished video, raw clips and written permissions together so you can actually use them later.
Keep track of the influencers whose content, attitude and follow-through you liked. Those are the people to invite back. You do not need to start a new search every month when you have relationships worth continuing.
Want local influencers without managing all that back-and-forth?
You can do this yourself. The work is keeping a dozen different conversations moving: who replied, who agreed to your terms, who needs a date, who rescheduled and who still owes you content.
Remy gets interested local influencers to apply to work with your restaurant on your terms. You approve the influencers and their content. Remy handles scheduling, reminders, rescheduling and content follow-up, and you keep the relationships so you can invite good people back.
Instead of chasing every person on a list, you can choose from influencers who have already applied to work with you.
Looking for another city? See our food influencer lists by city, including New York City, Boston and Las Vegas.
About the numbers
Engagement Strength is the likes and comments a typical recent Reel gets per 1,000 followers, using each account's newest Reels from the past 90 days. We screened 70 New Orleans-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers and checked each finalist for real New Orleans restaurant coverage. The typical account we screened scored 8. Data collected 2026-09-24.