Ms. Mae's

Classic Dive Bar Done Right Ms. Mae’s is everything you want in a great dive bar — no frills, no fuss, just strong drinks and a laid-back vibe. It’s cash-only, so come prepared, but the prices are more than fair and the atmosphere is unbeatable if you’re looking for something real and unpretentious. It’s the kind of place where you can grab a cheap drink, relax, and just enjoy the scene — nothing fancy, just good times. A true New Orleans classic that keeps it simple and does it right.

I didn’t want a drink I was walking to work and stop in to use the restroom and apparently they don’t allow you to unless you buy a drink. So I still asked for a bottle water the little white cashier karen type lady said CASH ONLY!!!! I’m pretty sure the color of my skin play a big role in being refused and treated like such. Crazy thing is been living in the neighborhood for years and this is how they treat the very same community that supports them. Smh SPEND YA MONEY SOMEWHERE ELSE. Racism has to stop at some point

I am going to be honest and first say that I have had to refrain from writing this review for almost a month now, because of how upset I feel from my horrible experience here. November 20th was the second time I had been to Ms. Mae's. The first time I had went was uneventful although felt uncomfortable from how standoff-ish the bartender seemed to me which did not make me feel ever welcomed. The second time left me thinking of the lack of compassion and understanding humans can be. On November 20th, I had been on my way to a physical therapy appointment when I had been hit with a suddenly intense wave of nausea. I had no choice but to pull over and rush to nearest restroom I could find which happened to be Ms. Mae's. I was immediately carded (which is no a problem of course) and I had to keep my lips tightly shut because the nausea kept increasing and the last thing I wanted was to was to get sick publicly. I made it to the bathroom and became violently ill which no choice but to call two of my friends to come by to help me home and cancel my appointment. Unfortunately, events like this is not uncommon for me due to my diagnosis of gastroparesis (paralysis of the stomach and delayed gastric emptying). After 30 minutes, my friends had arrived and tried to get into the restroom to help me. That alerted the bartender that I believe had not been aware of the situation. She had then began banging on the door and shouting for me to come out to which I had replied that I needed a moment to, ya know, not embarrass myself further by having a stranger witness this. She then proceeded to unlock the door and aggressively enter despite my request. I sat there trying to gather myself to leave however, the bartender continuously and relentlessly proceeded to yell, shout, and berate me which only caused me to stress therefore making me feel more unwell. My friends tried to explain to her that I have a chronic gastric illness and to let them help me, but she was not having it and refused to listen. At this point, the whole bar began silent and all eyes were on me because of her harsh attitude and raising her tone higher and higher as she threatened to call the police if I did not immediately leave. It angers me how she did not listen to or try be even slightly understanding and rattled on hateful comments. I have never felt so embarrassed before and am still deeply upset about what had accrued. If she had listened or even looked at me as I attempted to show her my medical ID necklace that explained everything she could have *perhaps* realized she was acting in poorly. I strongly believe that everyone who works at this bar needs to have at least some knowledge of how to handle communicating with customers and learning how to better handle this situation rather than causing a hurtful, embarrassing, and hateful scene and threats. I don't know if I had upset her, however I think I am justified in saying that I am definitely more upset and honestly disgusted. Like I'm sorry that I have to deal with a freaking broken stomach and was unwell???? Sorry for the inconvenience??? Sorry you don't know how to listen??? Truly repulsive and you can bet that I will never be stepping back into this dumpster of place.

We had the strangest experience here last night. From the minute we walked in the bartender wanted us out. We were fired up for a local dive bar but the lady bartender wanted nothing to do with us before we said a word. Looks like it has a lot of potential for a cash only dive bar but beware of the bartender with the dog collar. She bites.

Fun spot, great vibes. Nice and warm during the winter, cheap drinks. Only accepts cash!

No southern hospitality. Cold service. Didn't have I.D. or cash. Made to feel like a criminal. I wouldn't go here if a had 100,000 in cash and 20 I.D.s now .

Good drinks, prices, and people. Friends and I hang out and get food outside, play air hockey and pool, have fun. Heather and Damien make the best food, hands down, to sate that late night food urge. Veggie, chicken, shredded beef, fish, shrimp, pork, steak, and more. Tacos, burritos, nachos, and quesadillas.

This place is very much racist I've watched the bartenders put out black people all of the time I also witnessed a bartender named Ryan also known as Sauce spray someone in their face with a bottle of cleaning products for no reason which is assault and nothing was done to stop this bartender I will never be going back to this place

Well, Ms Mae used to live next door to me before she died, and I am so very Gappy and thankful that they kept her name, as well as making a few improvements. Where else in NOLA these days can U find a dive? I don't hang out there, but find it to be a little bit of history. It was one of the most famous dive bars around. And the discos are gone, so nobody else around is open 24/7 to my knowledge. They said that Miss Mae used to sit there, sip her wine, and throw anybody out for cursing in her "bar". The półce station was at that time conveniently located across the street, and Miss Mae always had handsome police escorts ever she went, after her husband died in the house. What a gem of a Lady she was! Very Proud to honor her Legacy.

My wife and I decided to grab a drink and we found this place about 4 blocks from our VRBO. True dive bar that's cash only. We loved the atmosphere and the people were super friendly. Prices were great! And the bartender was spot on with everything and she's a hustler! If you want a few drinks at reasonably low prices with no frills but a friendly atmosphere, come here!

Would rate it 0 stars if I could. Went there to watch the super bowl and they turned it off because there were too many people there. Said it "wasn't a sports bar." The majority of people only went in there to use their bathroom during one of the parades.

Had a pleasant night at Ms Maes. It was quite crowded but what do you expect from a bar on a Friday night. Because of this it was hard to get a space at the bar to order drinks but the drinks were good and cheap so you can't really have any complaints! The back patio was also a nice escape if you wanted somewhere a little quieter or a place to smoke. Also had a pool table (busy) and an air hockey table (not busy).

I don't often try new dive bars, but when I do, it always helps to have a witty bartender looking out for you, making sure you're introduced to the regulars, and mixing drinks strong enough to ensure you'll in fact be a regular soon enough. Glad I tried this bar out on one of Levi's shifts! Highly recommend.

Stopped in here after dinner around the corner after Casamentos. It was a great little hole in the wall dive bar type atmosphere. Jessa the bartender was so sweet. We only wished this was closer to our hotel so we could have gone back easier while we were in town.

We were dining next door at Casamento's for dinner. And if you aren't familiar, you have to wait in line before opening just to get in for the first seating. So we decided to get there early, find parking and grab a drink. Ms Mae's is perfect for that and apparently well known for that. So we get there and park about a block away. We were there at 4:30ish. So the bar wasn't that crowded. The inside is like a very typical New Orleans neighborhood bar. Kind of dark, a lot of locals, video poker machines and a pool table. We noticed right away that they are cash only. But fortunately they have an ATM without crippling fees. So we got some cash, got some beers and went to go sit out on the patio. Bartender was friendly enough and the bar itself served the exact purpose we needed it to. Not sure I will travel out of my way to go here. But I have a bookmark in my head now that visiting there early is the way to go.

Great prices. Probably not the best dive in the city, but certainly in the conversation. Bar tenders are no nonsense.

It was really divey a decade ago, but only mildly divey now. The bathroom situation has improved and the bar area is a lot cleaner. Drinks are cheap and basic. It's mainly beer and cocktails that require minimal pours. Back in the day, we could spend hours here. Now, it's a good spot to re-live the good old days for an hour before you realize you're too old for this ish and Uber it home.

I love this place. If you are looking for Nola's dive bars. Go here. Beautiful neighborhood. Good vibe. I loved the bartender. He made sure each one of us loved our drinks. Super safe for solo travelers.

I'm only giving this business 2 stars because the inside was cute! My friends and I (7 of us) came here at around midnight to hang out and drink, maybe play some games! We had full intention of staying for hours! To start the night off one of our friends went to the bar and bought lemon drop shots for all of us! Him (just like the rest of us) would have been buying for the duration of us being there but he had decided not to open a tab at that moment.... We all go to take the shot and they quiet literally taste like mouthwash mixed with the strongest liquor you can think of, they were so BAD and not what ANY of us were expecting. The friend then went back up to the bar to order something else, I glanced over to see the bartender shaking her head with attitude as she is talking! Our friend heads back to let us know that she says she is not going to serve him anymore drinks as he didn't tip her anything with the first drinks. I do know that a bartender can choose to do so, but in a situation like ours we could have waited until the end to tip, or my friend could have decided to tip at the end of his transaction for all of the drinks he bought but wasn't even given the chance. Her attitude and demeanor was so rude! We are all in our 20's and got the vibe that we were definitely being treated like outsiders. We were not causing a stink, or acting inappropriate and before getting there were extremely excited to have it be our hang out spot for the night. This spot is cute and quiet but we walked out directly after this exchange feeling extremely disrespected! The red headed bartender that was working last night is unprofessional based on the way she treated my friends and I!

Your classic New Orleans dive bar open 24 hours. Cash only. Dirty bathrooms, sticky bar stools, pretty sure they might still have a cigarette machine.... What more do you need from your local New Orleans dive bar?

A great place to hang out!!!Open 24hr, Drinks are affordable recently Renovated I'm loving the vibes here very chill and relaxing Atmosphere

I got a recommendation from a coworker to check this place out and was expecting a good time. My first interaction I had inside was when I asked the bartender to make a certain cocktail and he stated that he has never heard of that drink in particular. After I politely communicated to him what the contents were of the drink, he rudely responded, "That's not going to work here, so you're going to have to order something else." After his response, I just ordered a beer to go. There were a few other patrons next to me who witnessed, and honestly I was embarrassed. The bar wasn't busy at all and I still can't figure out why I received poor service. What I do know is that I will not be going back and putting this at the bottom of my "recommended places to go" list.

Really fun hang out, amazing hours, and cool staff. It is CASH ONLY, so bring money or use the ATM inside. I always enjoy the bartenders and the drinks are extremely reasonable! I like to sit outside on nice weather days or play games inside. Also, they have a really cool Prince themed bathroom and I always single Purple Rain to myself while I use it LOL

I have never had a bad time at Ms Mae's. It is open 24 hours, so I find it is a great place to hang out in the morning and get an amazing and strong Bloody Mary. My friends and I love the bartenders and always have fun. It is definitely a no frills dive bar and they only take cash. They are also right on the Mardi Gras route. I love taking visitors to Ms Mae's for a Bloody Mary and starting a NOLA day off early.

If you need a late Night top off with a Bunch of characters this is the place. Locals mixed with College Scene. Drinks are made real.

Great little neighborhood bar. Sports on the TVs and of course nice outside seating. Great place to watch the world go by!

Yes, it is truly in every sense of what you would think of and describe as a dive bar, but it's a nice dive bar. It has really cheap drinks, and they have quite a large selection of craft beers, so it's a nice dive bar. Add to the mix mostly locals, slot machines, and a couple pool tables, it's a nice dive bar, so go ahead, stop in and have a couple cold drinks for dirt cheap. This place is a New Orleans institution.

Lemme start by saying that I don't do this. I don't write Yelp reviews. I feel like 99.99% of the time written reviews aren't necessary and nobody reads 'em. But this place changed my mind. Anyway. So, Ms Maes? Yeah, maybe try somewhere else. Look, I get it. I like a "good" dive bar as much as the next guy. But no matter the price of the drinks, this place is a shithole by any standard. So lemme set the scene for you. Myself and two friends are in town for St. Patty's Day weekend. We find "the cheapest bar in New Orleans." Sweet. Or not. Lemme walk you through my visit. Let's start with the bathrooms. Dear GOD, the bathrooms. Just opening the door is enough to cripple the strongest of men. If by some miracle you're able to break through this forcefield of stank and even enter this piss dungeon, it instantly becomes a test of your lung strength. Can you hold your breath long enough to do your business and survive? Honestly, I doubt it. You're gonna vomit, let's be real. I'm really not exaggerating here. It's that bad. If you MUST use the bathroom, for the love of God, don't touch anything. Next, and my favorite part, the lovely staff at Ms Maes! Now I said before that me and my buddies were in town for St Patty's Day. This bar exists for the sole purpose of getting everyone drunk in whatever the most effective way possible. Naturally, I order a round of Car Bombs. Not so naturally, the bartender looks at me like I have three heads and says, "uhhh, okay, give me a second." I, politely, said to take her time, and that I wasn't in a rush. She returns after a few minutes and says: "okay you still want those car bombs? I gave ya a second to think about that decision." I replied, "Yeah, I think I do." Then she turns to the rest of the bar (by that I mean, the whole 5 dudes who were there, and friends of hers, if you can believe that) and says, "okay well everyone is going to have to WAIT on the drinks because THIS GUY wants FUCKING CAR BOMBS!" She then proceeds to (finally) start making this St Patty's Day classic that every self-respecting bartender in New Orleans should know and be prepared to make any time Guinness is on tap, but I digress. She starts making the drinks, but you know what she doesn't do? Stop complaining. This is a dive bar, not Dick's Last Resort where you can practice your washed up comedy routine. Gimme my frickin drink. While pouring the Guinness she says, and I QUOTE: "Look, clearly you don't know, but ordering car bombs when it's this busy at a dive bar is just a real pain in the ass. And I know y'all are gonna make a huge ass mess in my bar. I mean, I am working for tips, so like, I don't wanna be a total cunt, so I'm not gonna charge what the other bartenders would charge. I'll charge you $6 instead of $10. Believe me, I'm the nice bartender here, the other ones are grumpy old men." She gives me the drinks and moves to the next person and says, "what do you want? And DON'T ASK for a car bomb." Whew. Well, okay fair enough... Except that... 1. It wasn't busy. This isn't a difficult drink by any standard. AND, you're using plastic cups, you don't even have to clean any extra glassware. Or anything at all, ever. Which leads me to... 2. A mess? In this bar? Am I in the twilight zone? Have you seen this place? Those bathrooms are basically a portal to hell. I couldn't even wager a guess the last time those were cleaned. At this point, you'd probably need Holy Water directly from the Vatican to even get started in there. That part MUST have been a joke. 3. Yeah, you are working for tips, so maybe you should stop bitching and just make the drink. Because whatever tip you were expecting, is dwindling by the minute. 4. Grumpy old men, you say? The nice bartender? Hm. Anyway. All that to say that this was absolutely the worst interaction I've had with ANY bartender. Anywhere. Ever. It even made other customers uncomfortable. I won't be supporting Ms Maes at any time in the future and I encourage everyone to do the same. Spend a couple extra bucks literally ANYWHERE else. Oh. By the way. I think I forgot to mention the bathrooms. They are rancid. Stay away my dudes.

Meh. I think that because we weren't locals we didn't get any attention...Like service wise. At one point I thought some one had thrown something at us, but Senior Chief pointed out that, No, the ceiling was crumbling down on us. Ooookkkay. I guess that's better?..? It's a cute little divey place. I needed a shot and a beer after my shitty meal at La Petite Grocery, so it fulfilled that need. But I wouldn't go out of my way to go here. There are way too many divey places to grab a shot and a beer that will welcome new comers. Especially dressed up ones. Ready to spend some money. Psssh. Whateva. Bye. Ms. Mae!

Went in there with my military service pet and serivce card and was told to leave as they do not support either. Understand there is new ownership and can only ask those who support our servicemen to avoid this establishment.

This is the best bar, possibly of all time. It's open 24/7. It's considerably cheep. It is the embodiment of everything I love in a bar. The bartenders are tough because when you're a bar that never closes your customers can sometimes be fools. I admire that. It's cash only. Just go with it. They have a process and it works. Don't act like a crazy fool or you'll be kicked out, like you should. They have great selections on drive like also carrying the old cheap beers like Schlitz, Dixie, and Highlife. I've sat next to indie rockers like Win Butler of Arcade Fire and Benjamin Booker in this bar. Just chillin like anyone would. I've sat in there until sunrise. I've been day drinking, and watched the pickup basketball games across the street. Magazine Street is the good life.

Fantastic dive bar, cheap drinks and a bartender who is a former Chicagoan. What more do you need? GO HERE. Oh, but don't really ask for Tiki drinks, it's a divey dive. In other words, my kinda place.

The club isn't worth it, but these tacos!!!!!! Oh my goodness. It's so worth the wait. They start making tacos about 12 at night and it's so worth the wait. It was a line at 11:30 waiting for these tacos. I got the fish tacos and steak nachos. The steak is so awesome. Heather is so friendly. Only reason I'm giving it a 4 and not a five is because the club isn't worth your time. BUT THESE TACOS!!!!!!

A great neighborhood dive I was happy to be shown by a local on a recent NOLA trip. I had actually had this place bookmarked but probably would not have checked it out on our own if somebody hadn't taken us. It's located in the Garden District so it's far away from the tourist nonsense of the French quarter and has a completely different atmosphere that attracts locals to just kick back and unwind. Drinks are strong, reasonably priced, and conversation flows naturally as the patrons are very friendly. Not really much else to say besides that but would definitely return if I happen to pass by.

Bartender was the rudest server I've ever had in my life. I complemented her for working hard behind the bar after tipping her (it was a full Friday night) and she yelled at me because I guess $3 tip isn't big enough for an $8 order. A friend asked for change for a single to play pool and she threw the coins at him. I saw the bartender was busy serving drinks so I ask another employee, since the bartender was busy, if he can get me change for a dollar. His response was an eloquent and classy "Fuck no." Now if the drinks were great, you can deal with bottom of the bucket staff. I asked for a rum and Coke and it was crystal clear. Whole cup of rum with a dash of Coke. Worst drink I've ever had and the worst staff I've ever dealt with. I honestly never want to go here again.

UPDATE: ok I've lived here awhile and hung out at Ms. Maes...alot. Great bartenders. Everybody is friendly. Open 24 hrs. Locals and tourists, really cool people. Pretty cool. On Magazine. Don't let the divey look outside fool you. Ok, it's kinda divey, but cool divey. Cheap drinks, good selection. There's pool tables here. Lotta locals. CASH ONLY!! If you're on this side of town, check it out.

One of the BEST BARS in New Orleans, and by extension, the world. They have $1 drinks, 24 hours a day. Let that sink in. This means that EVERY hour you are in Ms. Mae's is the happiest of hours. -Oh, you want a bourbon and coke at 10:30 am, because you want to celebrate finishing your psychology final? That'll be $1. -What's that? You want one more gin and tonic at 6 am, because you think your girlfriend is cheating on you, and you're determined to vomit on her mid-coitus*? A double? $2 please. As reported by the news, Ms. Mae's Bar had been open until recently for 11 YEARS STRAIGHT. According to my calculations, that is 96,360 happy hours in a row. Sadly, this impressive streak was broken by a little storm you may have heard about...and although "the bar stayed open during Hurricane Katrina," eventually "owner Mae Brigham decided to shut down Tuesday at 1 a.m. "Everybody was just worn out," she said. But Brigham reopened about 9 a.m. later that morning." You can't keep a good bar down. Just to give you a little insight into the type of patrons Ms. Mae's attracts (and New Orleans residents in general): Last September, a three-alarm fire broke out in the bar. The Times Picayune reported that "Fire officials say they had some resistance from bar patrons who were reluctant to evacuate because they were WATCHING THE SAINTS GAME." That's dedication. _________ *Who are you to judge me?

Absolutely trash bartender, I went one evening and ask for a Bloody Mary and was asked if I was a girl and got told that bloody Mary's are for breakfast " does it look like we serve breakfast?" I asked if he was serious and he said does it look like I'm joking and then complained when I left a ¢50 tip...I use to love going get drinks here when I lived on Napoleon and Saint Charles. I will never spend another dime here.

If you are a white male in President Trump's America, then stay away from this establishment. Although the the booze flows freely, it is. It without the heavy condensation of institutionalized oppression. I simply disagreed with the "barteneder's" idea of appropriate gratuity and was chastised for the remainder of the evening. In fact, I wasn't served the rest of the night. As this is a "classic" neighborhood" bar one would think the level of consistency would match the level Of advertisement. 1 out 5!

Love this place so much. Bring extra cash because you'll be there a while having so much fun. The bartenders are sweethearts. Love them.

1.50 for a high life. Pool and air hockey. Nowadays they have a outdoor patio, so they aren't quite the diveist of the dive, but still rock with the best. If you are traveling through New Orleans, and want to chill with some Drunken locals, this is your spot. Definitely on my divey rotation.

Excellent dive bar. Cheap, cheap, cheap! Open 24 hours! You can get 2 beers on tap for 6 bucks... Good beers! Or top shelf cocktails for 4 bucks a pop... Good juke box, air hockey, pool table Great place to have a pop or three before going to see a show at Tipitinas.. Win, Win, Win...

Shelly is the best! Great service. Great drinks. love this place. Really enjoyed my time here.

This bar is great in that they really do their due diligence. They don't allow patrons in without a mask and the first thing they do is ask for ID. Their prices are relatively good for the area. However, the female bartender who was working when we were there was significantly over pouring. This might be great for locals or alcoholics, but the point of a mixed drink is to not taste the alcohol. I was also a little disappointed they don't serve hurricanes. Literally every other bar/restaurant does and we walked into the ONE that doesn't.

Cool spot for cheap drinks. Very relaxed and casual vibe. Somewhat diverse crowd. I noticed a pool table, a few arcade games and air hockey. Also there are a few tables in addition to seating at the bar. Music wasn't necessarily my style but it was cool. You can't beat the price of the drinks!

Best place for drinks in the city! $3 wells every night! If you're looking for a ducked off quiet jewel in NOLA this is the place

So dope, Best on magazine Ask Shelly for his Christmas Special! Tell em Marty Mcfly sent you

Great local dive bar. Don't expect it to be clean. While I was having a drink at the bar a roach was crawling on my sleeve. Not a small one either. Probably a regular at this bar. But that is what you get at dive bars. The roach did not bother me. I do like to great beer and mixed drink selections and prices are great. Will return.

Basic drinks, basic prices. Bartenders are friendly, and the vibe is low key. Solid neighborhood bar!

Rude service. Bartender was doing her best to pretend to be friendly but she needs a few acting classes to pull that one off. Drinks didn't make up for anything.

Love Ms Mae's, great prices on drinks, Jukebox Music, Fun Games. Great place to hang with friends.

Fantastically divey. The drinks are cheap. There wasn't a wait for the bathroom and I am pretty sure the place never closes.

I can't believe a place like this exists. I heard it used to be 50 cents drinks, but now it's $3 - $4. Which is still not bad!! It's cash only, but it's opened 24 hours a day! They have foosball, pool table and air hocky. There's also a small patio in the back. This is a very chill dive bar. I enjoyed it a lot. Everyone here was great and it's at the end of all the madness on Magazine St. If divey bars are your scene, check it out!

I came for the Mexican food. When I tell you, the best Nachos in NOLA, I mean it. The chicken is cooked to perfection. As for the bar, I only went in there to use the atm to get the food outside

It's alright! It's a. Cheap. b Full of charactaz and c. Open 24 hours. For all of the above, I'd possible come back, but most likely c. cuz I'm more of a fan of the environment at Buddha Belly across the street (what? they have this side patio... and washing machines!) Gotta give props to Ms Mae's for "always being there," even during a hurricane. It's not especially my scene - I'm pretty sure there isn't a decent wine on the list, let's put it that way... Definitely a place to just get a cheap a$$ drink late at night.

I love this place; it's a great dive bar, full of locals and characters, open 24 hours a day, and man, it's so much cheaper than the other bars on Magazine Street. How much cheaper? Well, a bottle of Miller High Life was $1.50 when I was there. That's a vertiginous drop compared to the $5 to $7 in most other bars on Magazine. Mixed drinks are $4. I paid $17 for a bourbon on the rocks not very far away from here 48 hours earlier. You may wish to go to an ATM before you arrive here - they are a cash-only business. If you want to see the real New Orleans (the good and the bad), visit here for a bit, and, in the bargain, you will also give your wallet a respite from the vituperative assault on your bank account that Magazine Street is capable of.

I'm going to be cranky & "get off my lawn"-ish..but I miss the old Ms Mae's location (where St. Joe's) is now. Yeah, it's 24/7 and the drinks are cheap. But I don't know th vibe is just off for me. However this bar affords AWESOME people watching, especially if you're headed someplace super early on a Saturday or Sunday morning and you're watching the drunks spilling out on to the sidewalk.

Your door guy turned down 11 New Orleans local girls for our friends birthday. He said that "we only had one bartender" and then when he decided we were fit to come in, we told him to get lost. I just want the owner to know how unprofessional he is.