Katie A.
Yelp
I found this bar at the recommendation of a friend about 2 months after I moved to the city, and boy was I lucky. My very first visit happened to be Customer Appreciation Day: They were literally giving away a keg's worth of Abita Amber. Needless to say, I fell instantly (and drunkenly) in love. Have no fear, though; even when they're not giving away booze, you can get good and shmammered for just a few bucks.
In just a few short months of being a regular, I managed to meet and chat with most (if not all) of the regulars, bartenders, owners, and dogs. It has a really chill and friendly vibe--like you can have a few too many and talk to whomever and not remember their name the next time you see them, and it's okay because they probably don't remember yours either.
What really makes it for me is what happened the other night. I hadn't been in a couple months because I can't bring my puppy anymore, and I walked in to find my FAVORITE bartender in the whole world, Mel, working, and she remembered me. Another bartender came by to ask why I hadn't been in recently, and several of the regulars approached with the same question. What a feeling! Like seeing old friends again. A true neighborhood bar.
Great for watching sports with several high-quality TV's around. Also a great patio area when the weather is nice. Very smokey, but hey, it's New Orleans. I only take off 1 star because occasionally the crowd turns kind of metal and when they control the jukebox, it gets really obnoxiously loud.