Serving Since

New Orleans

Serving since

1939

87 years in New Orleans

Hansen's Sno-Bliz

New Orleans · Sweets

Go here for
Sno-balls
Why go
Sno-balls shaved on Ernest Hansen's original machine, with syrups from Mary Hansen's recipes, since 1939.
Local character
Locals + visitors. New Orleans Magazine (2014) says Hansen's snoballs continue to delight locals and visitors alike.
Good to know
Seasonal: Open from spring through fall..Open spring through fall only.Axios (2023) says to expect a wait of at least 30 minutes.Outside the center: about 4 miles from downtown New Orleans.
Directions Official website

Why it matters

Ernest and Mary Hansen started Hansen's Sno-Bliz in 1939. Ernest, a machinist, built his own ice-shaving machine; Mary sold the sno-balls. The stand still uses the original machine and makes its syrups every day from Mary's recipes.

Their granddaughter Ashley Hansen, who worked beside them for nearly a decade, owns and runs it. In 2014 it received the James Beard Foundation's America's Classics award.

The story

  1. 1939Ernest and Mary Hansen open the stand1
  2. 2014James Beard Foundation America's Classics award2
  3. TodayStill serving New Orleans

Going to New Orleans? Get all places offline, with walking routes: the New Orleans kit, $9.

Details

Address
4801 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans, LA 70115
Ownership
Family-owned
Status
Open · verified Sep 2026

OldScore

A secondary, editorial measure. The founding year above is the fact that matters most. How it works.

Age24/ 35
Continuity15/ 20
Local significance10/ 20
Local food culture15/ 15
Independence10/ 10
OldScore74/ 100

Local character: Locals + visitors. New Orleans Magazine (2014) says Hansen's snoballs continue to delight locals and visitors alike. This is separate from OldScore: a place can be popular with visitors and still belong here.

More like this

Sources

  1. Hansen's Sno-Bliz (official site) Founding year, Ownership, History, What to order
  2. Explore Louisiana (Louisiana Office of Tourism), 'Hansen's Sno-Bliz' Founding year, Address, History, What to order
  3. Southern Foodways Alliance, 'Hansen's Sno-Bliz' (interview Aug 7, 2006) History, Ownership, What to order
  4. WWL Louisiana, Alexis Ware, "Sno-ball season comes early: These 14 stands across Greater N.O. are open this week" (Feb 24, 2026; via Yahoo syndication) Current status, Founding year, Address
  5. NOLA Now, "Sno-ball season kicks off in New Orleans" (Mar 2, 2026) Current status, Address
  6. Axios New Orleans, '10 must-try snoball stands in New Orleans metro' (Aug 28, 2023) Founding year, Ownership, History
  7. New Orleans Magazine (myneworleans.com), 'Hansen's Sno-Bliz: A True New Orleans Icon' (2014) History