The Exprience: When I first moved to New Orleans, there were a lot of things that were immediately appealing to me: drinking in the streets, easy going pace of life, low cost of living. But when I discovered that I could do my laundry at a bar, I was almost angry that I didn’t think of the idea myself! What better way to pass the time while waiting for your delicates than to grab a beer, nosh on a burger, and shoot a little pool?
Igor’s Buddha Belly is not necessarily the spot you’ll crave when you are in the mood for a nice meal. It’s the kind of spot at which you find yourself ending up after a night on the Mardi Gras parade route, or a night seeing music at Tipitina’s down the street, or, of course, a night when you’ve run out of clean socks and need to do some laundry. And in each of those scenarios, Igor’s burger and fries hits the spot.
Burger Ordered: Classic Cheeseburger
The Taste: I put some quarters and a PBR on my tab, threw two loads into the washing machine, and ordered their classic cheeseburger. This is a no-frills meal; they only offer cheddar cheese, it’s a very traditional flat frozen patty, and you don’t exactly choose how you want it to be cooked. I asked if it could be done medium rare, and he said it kind of just depends on how hot the grill is. The burger comes with fries, onto which I added cheese.
This burger was immensely satisfying. It was probably closer to medium well, but I actually didn’t even mind, which is pretty out of character me. I only wish it would have included a tomato to go with the lettuce, onion, and pickle. Beyond that, it hit the spot, and the fries were delicious. This meal was nothing showy and nothing I’m going to be reminiscing about. But it was exactly what I wanted in that moment, and the price was right.
The Verdict: New Orleans surprisingly does not have a lot of late night food options. But if you find yourself on Magazine Street, itching for some greasy food after an eventful night, Igor’s is just what the doctor ordered.
Igor’s Buddha Belly is located at 4437 Magazine Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Sign up for Burger Weekly email updates!
