|
Bars Off Bourbon – The
Locals' Choices! \
For locals, Wednesdays
at Superior Grill make for good mixing opportunities.
• The
Bars of Bourbon Street and the French Quarter
• Nawlens
Pub Crawl Guide
When locals go to party - and they DO
party – rarely do they head to Bourbon Street.
Instead, they make the move to the many other bars about town. Some
of these we've detailed in our guide to the French Quarter (click on
the above link). But there are many other places surrounded by the neighborhoods
of New Orleans. This is where to get to know the people of this city
and live as they do.
But first, here's a quick guide on where to be and when to be there.
Best Bars/Best Nights of the Week
• Mondays – House of Blues, Decatur Street. It's SIN
(Service Industry Night) and on their night off, all the bartenders
and waitresses have to go someplace. They choose the House of Blues.
There is no live music, but the place rocks.
• Sundays and Tuesdays – Listed together because
it's the same place. The Maple Leaf is REAL Nawlens down-home
fun. This large, rustic bar features some of the city's top local bands.
There's a $10 cover but if the Rebirth Blues Band is playing the cover
is likely to double. So, too, will the crowd. Take a taxi; it's beyond
Uptown.
 • Wednesdays
– It's Uptown night. Start after work at The Superior Grill,
(left) but be up the street at Samuel's by 11. Superior Grill
is an indoor-outdoor cantina that's packed along the narrow bar pathway,
on the patio and even spilling into the sidewalk.
Samuel's is a cool bar in a classic Southern house. It has an old-style
porch, a well-used wooden bar and a great crowd on Wednesdays.
Take a taxi to these places, or even a street car (see our pub
crawl).
• Thursday's – Lucy's and/or Dino's in
the Warehouse District. Plus Vaughn's at 9th and Ward.
• Fridays-Saturdays – It really doesn't matter where
these people start the night because those looking to hook up end up
at Snake & Jake's Xmas Club Lounge (7612 Oak St., 861-2802,
near Tulane). We don't mean to flat-out say this is a pickup bar, but
take a look at the name and also note people don't arrive until 3 a.m.
Anyone going to a bar at that time of the night is up to no good. Before
3, it's just a bar, nothing special. After 3, though, it becomes very
special for some. There's a similar seen at Butler's, which is
located off River Road. Again, take a cab.
The Warehouse District [MAP]
Rebuilt warehouses on the edge of downtown have become a locals' hotbed.
There's a half-dozen place, all within walking distance of one another.
In true Nawlens tradition, all are casual.
Dino's (1128 Tchoupitoulas St. 558-0900) is one of the better
places. Lucy's (701 Tchoupitoulas Street, at Girod Street, 523
8995) has hot bartenders, only two of them who actually pour drinks
(the others tend to stand around and look pretty). It's mostly for after-work,
Happy Hour happy times. The full name of this Tex-Mex place is Lucy's
Retired Surfers Bar and Restaurant. The Red Eye (852 S. Peters
Street, 593-9393) is a brewhouse with a young crowd, low prices (the
two tend to go hand-in-hand) and pool tables.
The Wine Loft (752 Tchoupitoulas, 561-0116, across from Emril's)
is a trendy wine bar with an extensive selection – many by the
glass and 200 by the bottle – plus an Internet cafe so you can
patrol PubClub while there.
On the other end of the bar spectrum is the Howlin' Wolf, a
howling 1,000-capacity live music venue (828 South Peters, 522-WOLF).
The Rebirth Blues Band are among the popular local bands that play here.
Speaking of music, it's technically not in the Warehouse district but
The Circle Bar (1032 St. Charles Ave., 588-2616) is a worthy
stop. Located at the Robert E. Lee statue, it's a bit odd-looking outside
but inside is live jazz and it's a crowded hangout for all musicians.
Uptown Bars, The Garden District [MAP]
Big Mike Smith serves
'em up at The Columns Hotel.
The locals' scene is far different from the frenzy on Bourbon Street.
Generally speaking, locals enjoy drinking in a more toned-down atmosphere.
But that doesn't mean the bars are not lively. Take The Columns
Hotel, for example.
Walking into The Columns is like stepping into the 1800s – without
the slavery, thankfully. It's a plantation-style house with creaking
wooden floors and a quiet reception desk guarding an old staircase leading
up to the rooms. Its signature white columns on the porch just invite
people to stop by and sip mint juleps on a warm day or evening. This
is where the movie "Pretty Baby" was filmed.
Around the corner from this serene setting, much laughter can be heard.
It's coming from the bar. And in that bar is Big Mike Smith, a jolly
man who pours a very smooth – yet potent – drink. That's why
he was named New Orleans' Best Bartender five years running. The bar
has a fireplace, booths, a circular couch and lots of locals happily
getting buzzed. The bar can get quite loud with laughter and for that,
you can thank Big Mike! Tuesdays are one of its best nights.
The Columns (3811 St. Charles Ave, 899-9308) is a bit difficult to
find as it blends into the other great houses in this largely residential
area. It is two blocks, and on the other side of the street from the
Superior Grill. Just look for those white columns.
Superior Grill (3636 St. Charles, 900-4200) boasts a large tequila
selection (though not our favorite, AsomBroso).
Still, that's such a rare treat, we won't hold it against them. What
the Superior Grill does have is a superior crowd. It's big night is
Wednesday and it used to be THE pick-up place in town for the professional
crowd. It's a bit fished out now, but is still packed with potential.
Around the corner is one of New Orleans' classic bars, The Mayfair,
with doorbell to gain entrance and the 90-something hostess Miss Gertie
(no address available but it's the yellow sign just down from Superior).
Miss Gertie will dance with you, tell you all about the party here and
on the street when the Mardi Gras parade rolls by and may even do one
of her signature shots with you. Mardi Gras beads hang from the ceiling,
it has a juke box and possesses enough character – and characters
– to enliven any trip to the city. This is where residents always
bring their friends who are visiting New Orleans.
Headed back to town, two miles away on the same side of St. Charles
as Superior sits Samuel's. Currently undergoing an ownership
change and an overhaul. it in an old house, so it's like drinking in
one of the beautiful homes that line St. Charles Ave. Like Superior
Grill, the crowd is mid 20/late 30s professionals. It has a good food
and a good, late-arrriving crowd (11ish is when it begins to rock).
In the newly hip area of Magazine Street is Le Bon Temps Rouler
(4801 Magazine St, 895-8117). The name is French for "let the
good times roll." It's a straight-up bar with live music. It's
nothing fancy, but that's hardly a requirement in this town for a fun
bar.
The aforementioned Maple Leaf (8316 Oak St., 866-9359) is a
hot, sweaty dance club and bar that brings people in by the swarms to
listen to favorite local bands. The look of the place is something best
described as early fishing cottage. Sometimes, bands don't start until
3 a.m., so around 2, there's a steady stream of people walking through
the door. There's a patio on the side and a super-dark one in the back,
plus a "hanging-out" bar in the rear. But it's on the dance
floor where the place cuts loose.
For more music, the Mid City Lanes Rock 'n Bowl (4133 S. Carrollton,
482-3133) has live music combined with bowling. Best for groups; not
awesome for meeting people.
Then there's F&M's (4841 Tchoupitoulas, 895-6784) a rowdy
bar where people dance on pool tables late, late at night. It also serves
good food well into the night.
Every cool town must have a least one truly off-the-wall bar, and in
New Orleans it's Ernie K'Does Mother in Law Lounge. Erine wrote
the Mother in Law song, making him a true one-hit wonder. He died recently
and received a true jazz funeral. The bar, which is in his old house,
is still going, however. You drink in his living room and pay for the
drinks by leaving "what you think you owe" in a jar on the
counter. Live R&B and soul. Located at 1500 N. Claiborne, 947-1078.
Frenchman Street in the Fauborg Marigny Area [MAP]
Up-and-coming
Frenchman Street is a hip place to hang.
Just a short walk from far the end of the French Quarter (bordering
the Esplanade) is a lovely, boutique-style neighborhood known as Faubourg
Marigny. The street name to look for is Frenchman, and within its few
blocks are classy yet comfortable shops, restaurants and bars.
It's a great place for an afternoon stroll but an even better place
for well-off-the-beaten-path nightlife. As an indication of the crowd,
this newly-revitalized area is attracting Mercedes and BMWs into the
parking areas. The best nights are Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
The up-and-coming "scene" place is d.b.a. If you've
been to New York and it sounds familiar, there's a reason – it's
a spin-off of the club on First Avenue in lower Manhattan. This is a
real happening bar.
As its name implies, Cafe Brasil (2100 Chartres St., 949-0851)
is a hot Latin-spiced dance club. It's where the Europeans in town
go to party. Quite often, the party spills out onto the street and around
one of the owner's antique cars parked outside. The drinks are strong
and for food, it's well known for huge hamburgers.
For dinner and drinks, locals soak up the New Orleans-style seafood
at Aldopho's bar and restaurant.
Gay Bars
For guys, the few blocks on Bourbon Street just past the
Tropical Isle are the center of New Orleans' gay life. For women, The
Rainbow Room is all-lesbian. There's not much to it, a dive full
of dikes, but it's about the only place in town for females seeking
females.
 Next
Stop on the Party Bus – The Pub Crawl!
|