Check Point Charlie

As much as I don't want to admit that I only wanted to stop by because Anthony Bourdain liked the place, but yeah. I'm sure they get plenty of idiots like me who come by for this kind of thing, but didn't let it show. You just need to be prepared for the fact that this is a dive bar's dive bar. Drinks come in plastic cups because they don't even have glass ones. They don't have shakers so you aren't getting mixed cocktails. There's a small cooktop so you can get a handful of food items, but I only had beer. This place won't make or break a trip to New Orleans, but it's definitely worth a stop for those who appreciate a real, authentic dive bar.

Jess and the male bartender we're both amazing sweet and very helpful they served me my two sodas and let me use the restroom and I'm going to chill and wait for the band to begin and I can't wait so thanks so much for your hospitality and I will definitely come again!¡!

Great Food, Great People. When in New Orleans, it's hard to rate one place above the other, however, this place was absolutely fantastic. Went in for brunch with my mates, and stayed for the endless Mimosas 😁

They have live music regularly, a small menu of cheap bar food, the drinks are priced well and they dont put up with nonsense.

Mardi gras was a great time . Good live band. I went a week later, and Taylor was working. What a fun great bartender. So cute and funny and attentive. Will definitely come again 😀

The service at Check Point Charlie was top-notch. The bartenders were not only skilled but also passionate about their craft, engaging guests with stories behind the drinks and ensuring each creation was not just a beverage but an experience.

The finest experience for the lowest price in New Orleans. 5 star dining atmosphere, luxury cocktails ,and the cleanest bathrooms. They even have laundry facilities and a game room rivaling Dave and Busters. You won't be disappointed! 🙃

A raised game room that can look down to a sunken barroom. Very spacious. Ran into one guy who grew up 45 minutes from me in Upstate New York, then two girls from Romania. You never know where friendly chi chat can head. Ordered some wings to tie us over and they were cooked crisp like we asked. Not real busy, but a good time.

Checkpoint Charlie's is one of my favorite dive bars in New Orleans. My first experience here was when I was 16; however, my recollection of what I did here is still foggy. Many moons ago, one of my family members managed this bar and coordinated all the bands and events, allowing me full access to some of the best local jazz, punk rock, blues, and metal shows. Looking back, I should have brought a camera to capture these memories, but that was before cell phones, lol! Yes, Checkpoint's is a bit of a mess, but a mess with an enormous amount of character, rich history, and unique vibe. Do I eat here? Well, I have in the past, but at this point in my life, there are some risks I am not willing to take. If you do order from the menu, know that they cook the food right at the bar, so everything is in plain view. Ultimately, I come here for the party and live music. During the day, Checkpoints is pretty much dead; most patrons coming and going are doing laundry (yes, they still have an operating laundry in the back) or playing one of the digital gambling machines. As for me, in the AM, Checkpoint's is one of my favorite places to grab an extra spicy bloody Mary to start my day; alternatively, when the night comes down, Checkpoint's is the spot to be to see great bands, people-watch, enjoy affordable drinks, and make monumental memories. If you have been to NOLA in the past and have never stopped in to Igor's Checkpoint Charlie, you are missing out on a great time. If you do go, I recommend coming after 5pm once the band starts. If you are lucky enough to be in town during Mardi Gras, Halloween, St. Patty's Day, or any other festival, know that the bands, people coming and going, and overall activity here only gets wilder. Let's just say, I am looking forward to returning to Checkpoint's on my next visit to NOLA.

Okay... this place... awesome and humorous service. Food???? Ambiance.. well we come here every time we are in NOLA.

This place was pretty empty on a Friday night but I had a lot of fun playing pool. It was one dollar per game and the bar tender was super nice and the drinks were good as well! We ordered the hurricane and fries and chicken nuggets which I enjoyed.

Such a delightful dive....seriously. You never know exactly what type of crowd you will walk into, however the service is consistently great. Sure it's a bit dingy and the bathroom is a bit scary, but come on, it's a dive, what else would you expect? We often shop along Decatur and Check Point is a great place to take a shopping break. We also tend to go right after events at the mint. They do serve burgers and fries, we tried the fries last night for the first time and they were delicious. A very generous portion, perfectly crispy and topped with Tony's yummy!

This is a great late night place to get a greasy cheeseburger and chicken nuggets. The service was great and the prices are great. They are open 24 hours too.

im visiting New Orleans for the first time and passed this little dive bar and decided hey let's have a drink. I'm so glad I did! Nic our bartender was so amazing!!! He made our drink's perfect and was a great to talk too! I will visit this bar every night we are here as long as he's working

Nic is baddass! such an awesome guy and great service. 10/10 will come again. Would travel back from Ohio here for this service.

Just a great place and a great time. If you need to do some laundry, but also want a cheap burger and beer while listening to live music, this place is perfect.

Checkpoint Charlie's has: - cheap prices for booze - food - a pool table - good country bands - washers and dryers I can't really think what else they could add to improve this place. This was one of my favorite stops when I visited Frenchmen Street for a night out, which is weird because I don't like country music.

Honestly, it's a dive bar. They have cheap drinks, semi-friendly bartenders, and drink patrons. What's not to like!?lol! I asked for a Sazerac or Old Fashioned AB's the bartender informed me it was a dive bar and that's too toney for them. However, The coconut rum and Coke that I ordered was well laden with booze.

This is a pretty standard but cool dive bar. The drinks are cheap and the bartenders are very heavy handed. So that was a great change from the drinks on Bourbon Street. They have a pool table and a jukebox where you can add the songs you like. The restroom was clean but I wasn't sure why there was a laundromat in the bar.

Good drinks, packed on the evening of the Chewbacchus parade. They were out of hurricane mix, but even though they were packed, the bartender made them by hand for me.

We stopped in here on Wednesday night because I liked the music. The place was dead. There was a band playing good music. The bartender was nice. He immediately served us as no one else was there. This is a basic dive bar on the corner. The bathroom was clean. And there was a laundromat on site. Surprised this place isn't more popular. Only down side I can see is that a LOT of homeless were piled up on the side walk on one side. They did drainer the bathroom. They didn't bother anyone or act out.. just used the restroom and back outside. Perhaps the number of homeless outside is the big deterrent.

Best dive bar in New Orleans! Absolutely love this place. Great music, food and bar tenders I think the world of. You've gotta check out Checks!

Okay so I had a hard time figuring out how I wanted to write this review. I love dive bars - this one is super unique and has all the great qualities that I like...except one. The good - good prices on beers, good service, a semi surly barmaid who is actually nice at heart and good food. My wife and I were having a great time and meeting new people - mingling and having a good time. We both ordered the 1/2 pound burger which was pretty good and a great deal for what you get. They have a laundromat and are open 24 hours! The bad - RATS! I was eating my burger and saw something dart behind the bar out of the corner of my eye. I kept looking over in that area and sure enough, after a while the rat came out. He was a brazen little rat and was out in plain sight. I said something to the bartender and she very non-chalantly said "yeah, we call them our bunnies". She seemed to think that they somehow "ate through the concrete wall" but obviously they need to call an exterminator. I was thoroughly disgusted. I'm just glad my wife was outside on the sidewalk petting someone's dog when I saw it. I loved the bar up until that point - my kind of place. But come on, you can't have rats.

Located on or just of Frenchmen st. I came in after getting a tattoo at electric lady land. I ordered a beer, it was a beer. What drew me here was the amazing voice I could hear while walking by. It was open mic night and I stayed to see this beautiful young lady's 20 minute set.

Are you kidding me?! The place was dead and I asked the bartender for toilet paper. Toilet paper: a basic developed-nation expectation in an establishment where you are exchanging currency for goods & services. His response? "I'm eating. No one needs to go that bad. WAIT. " Speechless. Truly. Speechless.

My boyfriend and I stopped here on a Saturday night during our visit to New Orleans and thought that since it was less crowded, it would be a decent place to take a break from all the busier bars before we wandered back on to the streets to see more of what NOLA has to offer. The place was dead -- maybe like 3 or 4 other patrons and one band playing really loud music. Ordered a standard gin-and-tonic was unfortunately was flat and tasted watery (like it had no tonic in it at all). My boyfriend got a beer, which was probably the better thing to order. Overall it was okay -- I love a good dive bar, but this was not one of them. We left after 5 minutes to go find a bar with better ambiance.

My husband arrived to NOLA late, we were starving. This was the only location we could find in the rain at midnight with an open kitchen. It's a whole in a wall dive bar. It was dark inside and they had a live band. We sat at the bar. The waitress/bartender who took our order was playing with her hair, rolling it between her fingers - keep that in mind - but she was pleasant. She was the only employee. My husband ordered the Canebrake Beer which was really good! We both order burgers and fries. Food is made right in front of you, next to the bar - there is no kitchen. I really wasn't paying attention to the food being made until she was putting the lettuce and onions on the bun. I thought I noticed she didn't have gloves on, it was dark and I couldn't see properly. I put it out of my head thinking no, she had to have had gloves on. We get out order, food is mediocre to say the least. While eating, I thought I saw a roach crawling at the end of the bar, but again wasn't sure what I saw because it was dark. Someone else ordered a burger and this time I made sure to watch. Sure enough, she didn't have gloves on. The burger patty was frozen - did not taste good and I saw her dress the buns with her bare hands. I immediately felt sick, then my husband stops eating, says I'm done and asks for the check. I didn't know what was going on, he still had half his food left. He finishes his beer, pays and we head out. As were waiting for our Uber, he tells me a roach crawled out right in front of him. I threw up in my mouth a little. This establishment is disgusting and I will never go there again!

"Checkpoints" is a Dive Bar with a Capital D. At the corner of Esplanade and Decatur just off the Frenchman strip. It's a great place to stop and get Cheap Drinks on your way to somewhere else. They have some very Interesting people watching. Sometimes you luck out and can watch a variety of Live Music for Free. It's scuzzy and dingy and unpretentious and has CHEAP drinks and decent bar food when you probably really need some. Get the deep fried tater tots. And for the record, I have never seen anyone do laundry here, or maybe I was too loaded to notice.

This is an interesting place. It has live music, fairly good food, great drinks and a bartender that is efficient and knows her drinks... and also a laundromat. So that you can do laundry while drinking and listening to music, I guess. Someone at another venue in New Orleans recommended this place, and my Uber driver seemed surprised that anyone would recommend this place. The great thing about Frenchmen street, however, is that you can see live music in almost all the local establishments, find good food and drinks everywhere. This may not be the most swanky venue on or near Frenchmen Street, but I had a good time here.

They charged me $2 for a seltzer with lime. This is after I already paid for two beers and tip. I've never had any bar charge me for a seltzer water ever. And I would've given a tip for the seltzer but that's ridiculous.

TERRIBLE Bar Experience I had the most unfriendly, rude bar experience. I received terrible customer service from the bartender along with the F word being thrown at me 4 times in a span of 5 minutes. As tourists, our group did not know that you had to be paying customers to use the bar bathroom. After following my two friends (who had already entered the bathroom,) the bartender looks at me and says "Woh, what the hell are you doing?" She then charges my friend $10 FOR A BOTTLE OF BEER (needless to say I was upset at her for charging my friend that ridiculous amount, but I did not say anything remotely rude.) All I responded, "Hey, we are not paying for that because that is ridiculous" and she said "The hell you are." I respectfully disagreed with her and she said, "I don't give a F what you say; get the F out of my bar" (wasn't her bar) along with 2 more F words thrown at me for absolutely no reason. I COMPLETELY understand the bar's restroom policy but it is all about how you say it and how you speak to human beings. I treated with her with respect but just wish I got the same in return. If you are looking for a welcoming NOLA experience, do NOT go to this bar.

Great dive bar ambiance. Unless the bartender pegs you as a tourist. Then, expect $12 usd or 12 EU for 2 shots of Jameson's. Let be honest, if I was at the Ritz or Bourbon House, or a dive bar like the Spotted Cat with a steady line of media driven tourists, I get it. But Checkpoint? I've spent hundreds of dollars here on pool and fries at 3 am, and more on the other 2 bars on St Charles. But tonight my wife and I wander in to hear some tunes and a beverage, and we are overcharged like you will be? Gimme a break. Avoid this place til they sort the bar staff.

Next to catching a parade on the corner of Elysian Fields and Royal, this might be the next great spot to see one. Has all you need, beer, food, bathrooms and lots of elbow room. There is pool tables that you can watch guys drink to much and get in a fight to the occasional tore up girl take a small stumble down the short flight of stairs. There is a stage for bands that lets you get upclose and enjoy the tunes. That close stage also gets the band to participate in the random fight that ensues after some slam dancing goes wrong or a girl spills a drink on a band member while stumbling towards the bathroom. The drinks are a good price here and the seating on a non jam night is great. Good place to find a table next to a opening and talk and smoke and drink. They do a very diligent job carding everyone that comes in , so the rando fights and young big boys filled with pee and vinegar is at a minimum. It is also very close to the better parking in the French Quarter, so that makes it a great spot to get the "first" or "last" drink from the car.

This is absolutely my favourite "dive" type bar in all of New Orleans. Even though I moved from the Marigny to Uptown I will always consider it my local. It has an amazing atmosphere and a certain seedy charm. It's a place anyone can go and feel entirely comfortable. The drinks are extremely cheap for the Quarter and Frenchmen and they often have amazing live music. Even when there's not a band there they have a jukebox. They also have a laundromat, video games, poker machines, and a pool table. They do serve food and it's good but I don't go there for the food. I go for the atmosphere and the drinks. Another plus is there's no cover charge.

Why is it that no one in New York has recognized the genius behind combining bars and laundromats? Wouldn't separating your lights and darks be infinitely more entertaining if you're 4 beers deep? Half a bottle of tequila would surely take the sting out of turning all your white shirts pink. Get on this, NYC. And even if you couldn't do your laundry here, Checkpoint Charlie's is a solid bar. They've got a pool table, the same great Bloody Marys as Igor's, and the crowd is always awesome. The last night we were here, the power on the whole block went out. A woman* jumped up on the bar, and started singing an a cappella original: New Orleans is a spooky place You can see it on every face... It was eerie, and magical, and I'll hang out at Checkpoint Charlie's anytime. _________ *Update: a friend of mine saw this and shot me a link to her singing the song: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=57206465395

Don't start me talking. I could talk all night . . . Just when you thought that I was done with my NOLA reviews, there's still a few tricks up my sleeve. How could I forget about Checkpoint Charlie? Located in the Marigny on beautiful Esplanade Ave, this establishment is bar, restaurant, game room, and laundry mat in one! During our voyage to New Orleans, we had a brief encounter here, but the folklore behind this place was enough for me to be a fan, having heard much about this place prior to my first experiences in the Big Easy. When I was a kid, there was a little laundry mat down the street, and it offered drinks and food. It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me as a child, but as an adult, the whole concept is brilliant! However, we weren't there for laundry, but it doubles as a regular hangout just as well. Local musicians were playing when we came in. The drinks were cheap, and the pool tables looked like a good time. Honestly, I would have liked more time here. It was pretty low key, and there was plenty of room to relax and just goof off. A very nice joint in the Marigny!

Great dive bar with great bartenders. I stop by every time I'm in town. Good food also.

The laundry facilities is a nightmare. The machines are old and have roaches. They have the nerve to serve food. It's a nice sized place but it's dark and dirty like a whole in the wall.

This is a hole in the wall dive bar but lots of fun. The crowd here is always laid back usually a good band playing, pool and darts. They do have a 24 hr kitchen if you are out late in search of food. But, let me stress this is again a straight up dive bar so don't expect anything fancy, we usually always end up here though at some point during our trips to New Orleans.

People LOVE this joint, but it's not my favorite. Yes it's kind of awesome to do your laundry and drink ...BUT your wet clothes will absorb all the stinky smoke in the bar like a sponge...or at least that's what my friends who've done laundry there report to me. If there is a band playing it's LOUD. The crowd can be interesting....the other night there was a person full on passed out on the sidewalk outside the bar which isn't that uncommon. I think I prefer day drinking here. And I must admit I don't think I've eaten here ever...in over a decade?

Great Live music, free drinks thanks to a passer by. Who would lie when they say Frenchmen is the place to be! Live Music (check) Pool tables (check) Dirty ol' gents ready to ravish young women (check) Good vibes great times (TRIPPLE CROWN CHECK)... I think this is where I checked out for the night, could taste my vodka pineapple that took a while to slither down. A kind gentlemen and his tiny women fetish talking it up to my friends sister and the laughs that were shared until we partied elswhere~! YES, the checkpoint took home run! but in comparison to all the establishments a bit dodgier with a great set of characters. Don't judge an O'le dog by his colors cause some of them have real spunk and great stories!

It's a Bar! It's a laundromat! It's got a great jukebox! You can play drunk pool! This is my home away from home whenever I'm in N'awlins. We always have a freakin blast at Charlie's. For some odd reason they used to have a DWI machine in there and my buddy Normie blew into it at 10am and all the lights flashed and then the thing went dead - he started jumping up and down yelling "I rolled it over" and then the real drinking began... good times, good times...

Great jazz music. No cover. Open all day every day. Poor guy that worked there had to clean shit off of the men's bathroom walls - felt so bad for him that our friend bought him a shot. Who the hell smears poop all over the walls???!!!! Anyways, the music was legit. I think the beers were pretty cheap too. Can't remember if they served food, but if they do I wouldn't recommend eating there - place is pretty smelly and dirty.

One of my best times in New Orleans. If, like me, you love a hollaring dirty rockabilly brass band gutter punk dive bar full of weirdos and new friends then by god, make your way to Checkpoint Charlie. Yes apparently it's also a laundromat. I didn't really notice when I was there. I noticed the cheap heavy pours, the tight stage and dancefloor, the appreciative crowd, the perfectly wired up sashed together musical styles like you only find in New Orleans. When you want to balance out the more traditional jazz happening on Frenchman's pop in here to get your ears cleaned.

Go for the bar and music and only the food if you are too drunk or starved to care. There are rats and roaches in here and employees seem to have the laissez-faire approach to dealing with it. Other than that, great place to have a drink and stay for a tune if you don't mind your non-human companions.

Charlie's makes damn fine drinks.... This place is just great....I don't know if it qualifies as a 'dive bar' because its pretty clean and in good condition. Nothing beats an early Saturday afternoon and sauntering in here before 4 pm and taking in the slowness of it all. WONDERFUL bartenders who are there to serve (great, great draft beer service). Fun times if you're not in a rush to do anything in particular

This is a diamond in the rough. Fish nachos to die for....homemade pineapple hot saucw just the ticket. DESSERT changes every week i hear but just the same do NOT SKIP. EXCELLENT service and wait staff. FIRST time but not last time. Thank you TACOS DE LIBERACION

The most clutch bar at 3 am. Small dive bar with music, tv's and CHICKEN NUGGETS. (The same chicken nuggets you get at McDonald's, you can get at checkpoint Charlie's) you got laundry to do, too? You can do that there. Awesome bar. No idea why it only has 4 stars.

Great divey bar right on Esplanade. Has a friendly feel, good music where you interact with the band. Cheap beer, great bartender, just no frills.

This has become a traditional one-drink stop during my Mardi Gras forays, about half way between parking and the FQ. Conveniently located on the corner of Esplanade and Decatur, it offers ummmm.... convenience. This is a dive. A world class dive. It has no pretensions of being anything but a dive. The bathrooms would be considered a disgrace in most 3rd world countries. How hungry would you have to be to order food after seeing the bathrooms? And wash clothes? I can't imagine why they would come out cleaner. Having said that, if you close your eyes and don't touch anything, the bar staff is always friendly, the doors are open when the weather permits, they generally have pretty good bands and you are only there for a drink. Consider this a check of your immune system.

Chef does not cook with gloves on so disgusting and hazard to health I didn't even eat my food ! They should really crack down on that .. I took photos to prove it too so nasty

I like this place for live music, but as far as the whole "laundromat" thing, well...I can't speak to that. I'm with Jen L.; the idea of washing my clothes in a smoky bar doesn't appeal to me at all and kind of defeats the purpose of doing laundry in the first place, in my opinion. I haven't been here often, but the few times I have been here have been a lot of fun. The bands are always pretty good and I have found that there is rarely any kind of cover.

Love this spot ;))) The drinks are cheap , no cover... right in the heart of the french quarter. Great place to meet other locals and really just fun. Live music early on and a great jukebox too. The new kind ;) Also, a laundry mat but I have heard you need to monitor your clothes so they don't get stolen. Makes sense.. you are in the quarter mind you. They have food too... as far as I can tell its 24hrs on the food too!!! Great spot for late night/ early morning drinks.... We went at 4:30 AM on a Saturday and it was still poppin.

We only came here for three reasons: (1) a girl my size was most definitely ill-equipped to babysit two full-grown inebriated men; (2) my conscience simply refused to abandon my friends to their own drunken devices (stupid conscience!); and (3) it is positively obscene to go back to our hotel on a Friday night at only 1 in the morning. So what to do? More drinks for my drunk friends? An emphatic NO! Let said friends hit on girls when they were in no position to bring on their A-games? Tempting, but no. Allow friends to sing their drunken hearts out until they sober up to feel shame? OH YES! I really liked this divey place. It has no cover, has a billiards table, and was just really chill. It was full of neo-hippies, hipsters, and other cool people. I made the mistake of showing up in a grown-up dress, complete with hair in a chignon, pearls and pumps (I was out to a fancy dinner prior). After the initial curious glances went away, I was so happy that we stumbled upon this place. It felt as if we and the other people in this joint were old friends just hanging out in someone's basement (complete with the whole room singing "Lean On Me" quite passably at one point). My friends were able to sing off their inebriation while repaying my kindness with their hilarious karaoke rendition of "I Want It That Way." It was awesome! I kept the video in case I need to blackmail them in the future (bwahahahaha!). So if you're looking for a place for your drunken concert amidst laidback people, I would definitely recommend Checkpoint Charlie.

Been coming here for 25 years during Jazz Fest for a post-Frenchman St burger and beer and always enjoyed it. This year there was an aggressive drug dealer peddling his wares at the bar, acting like he owned the place. The management and regulars seemed well aware of and familiar with him-- not cool.

I've been a regular at Checkpoints since before I was of legal age to be in the place (oh so many years ago, but Shhh... don't tell anyone I said that). But in all seriousness (though the above comment is true), Checkpoint in an awesome place! Like so many others have already stated, where else can you go at 2 in the morning, get hot food, play pool, see a live band, wash your clothes and watch drunk people having a great time?

Great Dive Bar! Good Burgers, wonderful music, fantastic locale. Dog friendly bar. SENTENCE FRAGMENTS!

While staying with a friend in New Orleans, she asked us if we'd want to get a drink while she did laundry. Naturally, I assumed that this meant putting laundry in at a laundromat and heading to somewhere close. When we got there, I was pleasantly surprised that it encompasses both and immediately thought "genius!" While this idea probably wouldn't be allowed in other cities due to zoning and permitting issues, it was a cool atmosphere. Our friend tossed in her laundry and we ordered drinks at the bar. A live band was playing, who were neither offensive nor outstanding. We had a few rounds of beer, listened to the band finish out their set, grabbed the laundry and headed out. It is without a doubt the best laundry/bar combo I've ever been to, even if it is the only one.