Café Bourbon Street in Columbus: New Orleans-Inspired Coffee, Beignets, and a Short North Address
A small café serving New Orleans-style coffee drinks and fresh beignets from a storefront in Columbus's Short North neighborhood, Café Bourbon Street occupies a niche that very few spots in the city attempt seriously.
What It Is
The menu centers on Louisiana coffee culture: chicory-blended coffee, café au lait made with the strong, slightly bitter roast that defines New Orleans mornings, and beignets fried to order and dusted with powdered sugar. The format is counter-service and casual. This is not a full brunch restaurant with table service and an egg menu. The focus stays tight, which is either the appeal or a limitation depending on what you came for.
The Menu and Price Range
Beignets are the anchor item, typically ordered in sets. Pricing runs in the $6–$9 range for an order, putting it roughly in line with what you'd pay at a brunch café in the Short North, though the portion logic is different: beignets are a snack or a light accompaniment to coffee, not a full meal replacement. Coffee drinks range from around $4 for a basic café au lait to $6–$7 for specialty preparations. Verify current prices directly, as small café menus adjust seasonally.
The chicory coffee is the detail worth knowing. Chicory root adds a woody, slightly roasted bitterness that cuts through milk differently than a standard espresso. If you've had coffee at Café Du Monde in New Orleans, this is the same flavor tradition. If you haven't, expect something that tastes less acidic and more earthy than a typical Columbus third-wave pour-over.
How It Fits Into the Columbus Café Landscape
The Short North has no shortage of coffee options. Stauf's, with its High Street location, is the neighborhood's long-standing independent roaster and draws a crowd that wants a serious single-origin cup and a full pastry case. Anthology Coffee a few blocks away leans into precision brewing. Café Bourbon Street is not competing in that lane. The differentiation is regional cuisine, not coffee sourcing philosophy.
A closer comparison point might be Fox in the Snow, which also built a following around a short, focused menu and a specific aesthetic. Fox in the Snow has two Columbus locations (German Village and Italian Village) and a longer food menu with egg dishes and sandwiches. Café Bourbon Street runs narrower, with beignets as the clear centerpiece rather than a broader café kitchen. If you're looking for a full sit-down breakfast with eggs, go to Fox in the Snow or Katalina's. If you want beignets and New Orleans coffee specifically, Café Bourbon Street is one of the only places in Columbus doing it as a primary identity.
Who It Suits
This spot works well for Short North visitors who want something quick and distinct rather than a full meal, for people who know New Orleans food culture and want a reference point in Columbus, and for anyone who wants to pair coffee with something fried and sweet without committing to a full brunch reservation. The relaxed, counter-service format makes it accessible for solo visitors or pairs.
It does not suit anyone looking for a remote-work-friendly café with long table seating and reliable Wi-Fi, or anyone who wants a full savory breakfast. The menu is intentionally limited.
What a First Visit Looks Like
Walk in, order at the counter. The beignets come out fresh and hot, so expect a short wait rather than grab-and-go speed. Powdered sugar lands on clothing. This is not a warning so much as a known feature of eating beignets anywhere. The space is small, with limited seating, so weekend visits during peak Short North foot traffic hours can mean waiting for a spot.
Location, Hours, and Parking
Café Bourbon Street sits in the Short North on North High Street, the neighborhood's main corridor. Parking in the Short North is consistently difficult on weekend afternoons and evenings. Street parking on side streets off High Street is your best option, or use the Short North Garage on 4th Street near the middle of the district. Metered street parking is enforced until 10 p.m. on weekdays and throughout the day on weekends.
Hours lean toward daytime and early afternoon. Weekend mornings are the peak window for this type of menu. Confirm current hours before visiting, particularly on weekdays, as small owner-operated cafés in the Short North sometimes adjust weekday schedules based on staffing.
The Short North location means Café Bourbon Street fits naturally into a walk that includes Anthology, local boutiques on High Street, or galleries in the corridor. It is a stop, not a destination requiring a dedicated trip, unless the beignet specifically is the draw.