Southern Food and Beverage Museum

The Southern Food & Beverage Museum (SoFAB) - the flagship of the National Food and Beverage Foundation - is a nonprofit museum, educational, and cultural organization dedicated to the discovery, understanding, and celebration of food, drink, and its related culture and folklife in America and the world - with a special focus on the Southern United States.

The museum quickly expanded from a concept into a physical space in the New Orleans Riverwalk Mall in 2008, then to its current, 14,000-square-foot home on Oretha C. Haley Boulevard in Central City in 2014. SoFAB hosts more than 11,000 cultural artifacts from 15 Southern states. SoFAB believes that food is an often forgotten, yet incredibly revealing facet of society and can serve as a historical relic as effectively as any piece of art or anthropological vestige. The museum provides visitors with behind-the-scenes access to the history of staple crops and the production of brands and restaurants that defined and still define daily life in the South. To complement and bolster the museum's installations and exhibitions, SoFAB has two commercial kitchens, a teaching garden, and a podcast studio. The two kitchen spaces and garden are used primarily by the SoFAB Education Department to teach both youth and adults cooking techniques and food history. The Boyd Culinary Library and The Research Center at Nunez Community College house more than 40,000 culinary titles, menus, and chefs' papers, and it is used by historical researchers, professional chefs, and food aficionados of many interests.

Testimonials

Recent Google Reviews:
"I came back recently, as the place I had intended to go to was unexpectedly closed. I am so glad I did. They have rearranged things since the last time I was here. It was very well organized and had wider spaces to move throughout. Everyone working was very friendly and informative. I am so glad I came back and I recommend for anyone in the area." Andrea F.

"Please do yourself a favor and take the cooking class!! The sticker price might be a little scary but it's 10000000% worth it! (plus if you account for the fact that it is 3h long, plus you get museum admission and a tour, AND a whole 3-course meal out of it, it really makes sense!)..." Lia C.