Action Bronson Reveals the Restaurant 'Every Single Person' Should 'Eat at First' When Visiting New Orleans

Mar. 15, 2025

Action Bronson at Pepsi NOLA Eats Fest on February 8, 2025 in New Orleans.Photo:Tasos Katopodis/Getty

Tasos Katopodis/Getty

DuringSuper Bowl week, thousands of football fans descended upon New Orleans for a non-stop lineup ofcelebrations, parades, eventsand, of course,fantastic food.

“I first ate at Willie Mae’s when I came down here [to film] my showF**k, That’s Deliciousand fell in love. It was one of the best pieces of flesh I’ve ever tasted in my life,” Bronson told PEOPLE while appearing at thePepsi NOLA Eats Festin New Orleans on Feb. 8. “Every single person who comes down here, this is where you should eat at first. Get off the plane, drive to Willie Mae’s and get a real taste of New Orleans right away.”

Action Bronson and Larry Morrow at the Pepsi NOLA Eats Fest in New Orleans.Tasos Katopodis/Getty

People begin lining up outside Willie Mae’s Scotch House — named one ofPEOPLE’s 50 must-eat places in Americain 2021 — hours before the restaurant opens for lunch. Their perfectly-seasoned chicken is dipped in a wet batter and deep-fried, creating a crunchy, golden crust that covers the juicy meat within.

“It’s worth waiting in line for,” said Bronson of the restaurant located in New Orleans' Treme neighborhood. “They have the most unbelievable batter but it’s not what you would expect from a fried chicken crust. It’s just gorgeous. Everyone has to also order the white beans. Everyone goes for the chicken but, you know, I sometimes only get the white beans and leave a very happy man.”

Willie Mae’s was one of the 20 local chefs and eateries participating in the Pepsi NOLA Eats Fest, a free, open-air food festival during Super Bowl weekend that celebrated the city’s diverse culinary, music and cultural scene.

“I just feel like there’s no local food festival without them,” said Bronson, who kicked off his appearance with a push-up contest on stage with emcee Theo Mitchell. “I think you need to bring in the true places that are born and bred from this city and showcase that when you bring this many people to town for an event like the Super Bowl.”

Pepsi NOLA Eats Fest.Tasos Katopodis/Getty

Along with staging the food festival at Woldenberg Riverfront Park, Pepsi also brought back — and updated! — their classic cola match-up for Super Bowl. Fans lined up to take thePepsi Challenge, where Pepsi Zero and Coke Zero Sugar went head-to-head in a blind taste-test. (The Challenge will now travel to more than 17 cities around the country.) The brand also sponsored the coveted2024 Pepsi Zero Sugar NFL Rookie of the Year, which was awarded toJayden Daniels, rookie quarterback for the Washington Commanders, at the2025 NFL Honorsceremony on Feb. 6.

After the Super Bowl in New Orleans, Bronson is going back out on the road, filming his food-travel series (“I want to explore South America and India next.") and working in the studio on new music.

“Music is always part of my life. I just take my time and I get it to the way that I want it. I don’t rush anymore,” said Bronson. “I used to rush early on, but now I’m Phil Collins. I’m a middle aged Phil Collins vibe. I’m 41 but I feel 30 — I’m in the prime of my life.”

“It’s a never ending health journey —mentally, body wise. I’m not exactly where I want to be, but I’m close. I was there but that’s life. Up and down, up and down,” he said. “I always need something to work towards so that’s why I’ve done this. I’m just an experiment. I’m the Lord’s experiment.”

Duringan interview in November 2023, the rapper told PEOPLE: “I wake up happy every day. Even when I was real fat I was happy but I don’t know if I was, might have been fake. But it’s just my mentality; I’m just a happy-go-lucky guy,” he said, adding, “It all goes together. But I want to be jacked…. I do.”

He continued: “I wanna stay alive and enjoy all these tremendous opportunities that are in front of us and live all this beauty that is around every day. Honestly, that’s it.”

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source: people.com