Sweet Lorraine's Jazz Club

This place is vibe by itself. Located off St.Claude 7th Ward Area. I love how this jazz hall takes you back in history to help show case all the great black singers and musicians who ever did it. This jazz hall also expose local talent as well. I just happened to have went on a Thursday night, which is steak night there. The food is so good and the service is royalty like. I admire how you never feel out of place there. The atmosphere is very chill yet vibrant. I highly recommend this place on a Tuesday and Thursday night. Or if there are any major events like Mardi gras, Jazz Fest and Essence festival.

The best meal I’ve had in 20 years across a dozen cities. The steak and shrimp were seasoned and seared to melting perfection and the sweet potato mash and asparagus were perfectly prepared sides. The bar served strong and well-balanced cocktails. The service could not have been sweeter or more attentive and accommodating, even with a packed house. Sweet Lorraine’s is now a permanent must-visit on my NOLA trips. Thank you for a marvelous welcome!

I hope you get to enjoy this establishment, it's off the beaten path but oh boy the trip is worth it. Authentic jazz type feel with amazing ambiance and friendly service. But the food is what made the night for me, the lamb chops paired with the sweet patato puree was esquisite then the sauce paired with the catfish was fantastic. Great flavors all around. Unfortunately, because we arrive quite late in the evening, we only caught the tail end of the live Jazz bandso will visit again to get the full experience.

I went with a group of friends and we had such a good experience. The wait staff was very attentive and really kind. They had great recommendations. Excellent drinks and excellent food. I ordered the rebirth cocktail. If you like old-fashioned, you will love this one. I have an allergy to capsaicin and the staff went above and beyond to ensure my meal was still flavorful even without the spice. This place was everything I wanted out of a restaurant in New Orleans.

A must visit for great jazz. We visited during a show by T. Cherrelle @t_cherrelle. It was one of the best live shows I have seen in years. To say T. Cherrelle and the band were fabulous is an understatement.

Okay, I do not like to leave bad reviews so if I leave a 3-star review then you know my experience was just okay. So on our second day in New Orleans, we visited Sweet Lorraine's Jazz club based on the reviews that I've read about the entertainment and the food. Our show started around 9:10pm, we were seated at around 8:55. My husband and I definitely were looking forward to a good meal here based on the reviews, we we're definitely hungry when we arrived and ready to order shortly after being seated. We waited until 9:20 until a server actually acknowledged we were there. He dropped off some waters and left. Shortly after, we moved to another table because where we were sitting it was extremely cold, the air conditioning and a fan were blowing directly on our heads. In our new area, we sat for another 30 minutes until another server actually came by. I asked her about the salmon tacos, she didn't really know a lot about that, I asked her about the vegan gumbo and again she didn't know a whole lot about that either so I asked her if she can ask someone, so she left and it was another 20 minutes or so before we actually ended up ordering and waited even longer to get our food. The show was from 9:00pm until 11:00pm, we ended up getting our food at around 10:45 p.m. I ending up ordering the salmon tacos which were very delicious and a hit, just wish there were more of them, there were only three. I also ordered the vegan gumbo and unfortunately that was a miss. My husband ordered the wings and unfortunately it was a miss for him as well because he said it tasted like it was cooked in old grease. But on the brighter side we did enjoy the entertainment, but it was hard to fully get into the show when you're extremely hungry, cold and feeling neglected which is the reason for three stars. The sad part about the situation is there was another server working around our area, she clearly saw that we were just sitting there, she passed us numerous times. I even asked if she knew anything about our food and she shrugged her shoulders and kept it moving. Not once did she offer to assist our server who was working our area and was clearly overwhelmed.

As vacationers, we wanted something less touristy and a local jazz spot four our foodies. This spot was WELL WORTH the Uber from French Quarter. The food had heart and tasted like magic. The blackened catfish was perfect. We all loved the Jerk fried chicken (new item) and we had the best grits of the trip here. Bacon, cheddar & jalapeño grits --- we should have come earlier in the trip so we could have those a 2nd time.

My first and last time going to this place. This was a 1 outta 10 experience. Every time my party ordered something "oh we don't have that." Instead of her saying what was available on the menu. I ordered $16 wings and when they came I received 5 small wings with 3 pieces of carrot and celery sticks. The only thing that was good was my $13 non double drink. When we got our bill she didn't show us receipts but handed us the handheld and after we added the tip then she gave the receipt. We noticed gratuity was added to the bill but she failed to mention that and we each gave a nice tip which meant she ended up with two tips from each of us. My friend waited almost 30 minutes for her glass of wine while we all had been sipping on our expensive cocktail. This was definitely a horrible experience and an establishment I'd never recommend.

These Thai chicken wings were next-level good! Crispy skin with that perfect crunch, juicy inside, and tossed in a sweet-spicy glaze that hits you with flavor but doesn't overpower. The balance of heat, tang, and a little sweetness had me licking my fingers like it was mandatory. The service was great. I have visited Sweet Lorraine's in the past. This time everything I order was delivered in a timely matter. The renovation really broth club up to date.

This spot was so much fun! I attended Captain Charles at this event three separate Tuesdays, and his music mixes are incredible--they somehow bring out the 72-year-old in me, and I'm only 34! (LOL) The deals were great: I believe the drinks were $5 and the tacos were $3, and the whole atmosphere was genuinely enjoyable. Even though the crowd on those Tuesdays skewed older, I realized they were having genuine, pure fun. It was really cool to be a part of that and vibe out with them. I truly don't understand why this spot isn't buzzing more or trying to book Captain Charles even more frequently. This venue also has a deep, good historic vibe to it. It's important to remember that: Historic Roots: The club traces its heritage through family ownership back to Melvina & Lorraine's Garden of Joy (1943-1966), which offered a crucial place for community gathering during a difficult time. Community Anchor: It operated as Lorraine's Dugout Lounge (1975), hosting the Mardi Gras Indians and sponsoring a local baseball team. Cultural Legacy: Sweet Lorraine's is recognized as New Orleans' only Black-owned historic Jazz Club. This ownership is key to preserving the club's authenticity and commitment to high-standard Jazz. While it is known for Jazz and live music, the space is open to DJs and different artists in the city, making it a great spot to be at various times. I tend to come for Happy Hour events to kill time while waiting for my kid to finish practice. Outside of Happy Hour, the alcohol is regular price, and I can see how it might be a pricey spot for some. So, I'm not telling you what to do, but I am saying to keep your ear to the street to catch one of their affordable events--they truly are cool and accessible! See you for the next Captain Charles event!

I came on a Tuesday and for happy hour with a friend, hoping to gather content for an upcoming conference and possibly recommend this spot for attendees. Unfortunately, the visit fell short. We both ordered drinks, wings, and fries from the happy hour menu. The drinks tasted like they had no alcohol and I had two. Both food orders arrived lukewarm to cold. When I mentioned this, the waitress blamed me for going to the restroom (I was gone less than 30 seconds washing my hands). She was still dropping off our food when I came back, so the excuse didn't make sense and nothing was done to fix it. When we got the bill, the prices were noticeably off. I was charged $30 and my friend $25 even though our meals should've been $26 and $18 before tip. I asked about it, and the waitress said the wings were $14, not $10. We let it go to keep the evening light. On the way out, I checked the menu and the wings were listed as $10. When I brought it up, she printed a receipt and blamed the difference on my tip, but the math still didn't add up. Again, no accountability or correction, just more excuses. Even after all that, I still tipped and left quietly. But I won't be recommending this place for future events. Between the cold food, questionable charges, and dismissive service, it was a disappointing return to a spot(hadn't been in 10 years) that I wanted to start coming to on a regular.

My introduction to Sweet Lorraine's was during a performance by Niecy B. and Kompani. Niecy B. now has a new fan. The sound quality was exceptional. I was hoping to try the cuisine but the kitchen was closed due to a birthday party. I will definitely return.

They were out of most things we wanted to order however my Cesar salad was decent. The staff were super friendly. The ambiance was very club like and nice! We really enjoyed the feature band Piano G. And the drinks were top tier!

Live music venue with full kitchen !!! Soul RnB love the ambience!! Come early like 7-8pm to get good seat when live band playing !! After 830 standing room early

One of the tables was very unstable and caused a drink to spill. Despite this, the manager refused to replace the drink. The environment is nice, but the service was disappointing.

When I entered the facility, everyone was very nice. Drinks were on point. The purple was delicious.

I have loved this place for many years. It's truly a jewel. However, the service we received on Saturday was horrible. The food a pasta dish and the spinach and artichoke dip were mediocre at best ...once they finally got to the table. Erica Falls' performance was fabulous and made the poor service more tolerable. Come on Sweet Lorraine's, your namesake and customers deserve better.

Ambiance - everyone is friendly and hospitable. The tables are spaced out to be comfortable and enjoy the show. The lighting is comfortable and cute fixtures. The music is great!

The newly revamped Sweet Lorraine's is a must-visit! With incredible music, delicious food, top-notch customer service, and an unbeatable vibe, this venue has quickly become the go-to spot in New Orleans.

Environment, music, hot wings appetizers, drinks are all well worth the visit... New management makes the place much more inviting...

TWO stars b/c everything online pointed to that they were open, took a group of folks there and they were closed, with no sign. I checked the website for music, yes, it was on the calendar. checked for dinner times, yes! but closed when we got there.

The website looked normal and a local magazine dated June 2025 said this place has vegan food. So we arrived in the rain and discovered it was closed for remodeling till the middle of next month. WTF??? Try updating your website and your phone message, dumbsh*t! And your Yelp page.

One of the highlights of our trip. The music and food were phenomenal. On arrival, the vegetarian/vegan menu choices were very limited vs. what was on the on-line menu. We mentioned this to the wait staff...the next thing we saw was the chef who said she would "take care of us". We did not know what we would get, but we trusted her. Everything was vegan and delicious. Beyond delicious. Vegan crab cakes. Vegan fried mushrooms. Both served with what tasted like horseradish sauce which was absolutely perfect. Vegan red beans and rice. Vegan beyond burger sliders, which did not taste anything like you the beyond burger you buy in a grocery. The seasoning was...I'll just say I would give almost anything to know what she did to the generic beyond burger. I'm running out of superlatives. Musically, this was hands down the best show we saw on our trip. High energy flowing from the performers and the crowd, blues to die for. We easily walked from the French Quarter. Try hard to catch a show here while in New Orleans.

Everyone passes this place daily and would never think hey I should try this place. Minimal yelp reviews mostly old etc.. Never judge a book by its cover right? This place looks nothing like you would expect from the outside. Nice bar,stage and eating area. Attended a brunch & burlesque show here presented by the amazing "Hiya Heights". Now the food... Probably the BEST Salmon I have ever eaten in life! A smoked Chipotle Salmon with a corn sauce cooked from heaven. Shrimp and grits bomb. Last but not least!! it's a sin for something to be this good "White Chocolate Bread Pudding Balls" !! Get them!!

Grown folks location which is exactly what I was looking for. The mango habanero salmon was delicious, and the watermelon martini was just right. Music was amazing and the owner was so nice and accommodating. Will definitely be back!

Worth a visit on Saturday night for dates. They have live music and the gumbo is pretty good.

Drinks are watered down I am a whiskey drinker and black bush should not look like this one is neat and one on the rocks

I went to the club last week and had a wonderful time. Loved the salmon. What made it though was the owner and the jazz that they played. There is a small cover for the band. Classy place for grown folks. The band played two sets till 12:00 PM and they place was rocking. The only thing was there was a table that kept on talking and was a minor distraction.

I cannot say this enough, don't waste your money here, choose any other Jazz club you can find. The hours online are wrong, they don't open at 4pm but rather 6pm, the cooks don't get there until after 6:30. You don't get the option to eat from the full menu online as they only do the "days" menu, but it doesn't say that online, anywhere. The drinks are watered down and they don't have everything on stock from their drink menu. And you could be there two hours after they open and you won't hear any live music. The owner gets defensive and rude when you have any questions regarding the menu and the place is empty, dirty and run down. For those vegan customer, they do have vegan options but be aware that they show vegan "Chicken" but it's actually just mushrooms. And because I had questions regarding the spiciness of the fried mushrooms they waited 40 minutes before asking if I still wanted the rest of my order (vegan loaded fries) which looked like a half order with mushrooms instead of the vegan chicken shown on the menu.

Something's happening. Wassup? This use to be a great place to enjoy food, people, and music. Sometimes the place is closed with no notice, warning, sings on the door, ...anything. I think it's going through new management. (Or at least it needs to.) If you are interested in going here, make sure you check to see if they are ready for business. Don't travel over there and get dissappointed.

I want to give it 5 stars hut nit quite there. Food is great, vibe is cool but you can tell they still have a little of that rebuild and renovation after a long shut down feel...if you want to hear a great band and eat hardy, def come hear but just be prepared for a some small hiccups. Nothing crazy, they are a work in progress (which I love they let you know this on the menu)...

It isn't closed!! Amazing food with vegan options. Their vegan sliders are incredible and my boyfriend loved their non vegan options. Everyone here is so so sweet and the music is awesome! Highly recommend!

Great music (Angela Bell!), great food (bbq shrimp is a contender) and great dessert (bread pudding with rum sauce). The cover was only $10. Well worth it for a great band, great venue, a private table, plenty of space with no frat boys spilling drinks or talking throughout the set. If this was in NYC, it would be at least $50 with a 2 drink minimum (and you know how expensive those drinks are.) If you are visiting, this is the one spot you need to go to. If you live here, shame on you for staying in tonight.

Amazing food with a limited menu. Well worth the trip out to the burbs to enjoy the music and the bartender (McKenzie). The drinks are amazing. Great atmosphere. Though an older establishment, it's very modern inside.

This establishment is NOT closed!!! Check their website!!! They have pending shows for the month of November!!!

I'm very biased toward this place, because I do my comedy shows here. :-) And here's why I do my shows here . . . The atmosphere is very cool. Classy ambiance with great people. The musicians who pass through are awesome. Please make sure you make it to Sweet Lorraine's whenever the Kurt Brunus Project performs! Being a native New Orleanian, however, I go nuts over the Creole cuisine. Yum . . . yum . . . YUM.

There are parts of New Orleans that never came back after the storms. Full neighborhoods-buildings and all-that no one ever returned to. The city abandoned them, too; entire swaths of residential district left as dark, foreboding streets. We crossed through, eyeing stray dogs and still forms, and eventually found ourselves at a place called Sweet Lorraine's. Externally austere, we walked through the front door to find a busy, full jazz club. Ethan and I were the only white folks in the room, and all three of us were woefully underdressed in hooded sweatshirts and cargo shorts. This was a well-heeled crowd -suits on the men and hats on the ladies - but we acted normal and everyone was watching the stage anyway. We sat near the back. The girl could sing! She personified soul - confident, loud, sensual. She laughed after each song, and called out to the audience, "Am I right?" "Do you feel that?" Her back-up singers swayed, demure, and filled out the harmonies. They were down from Atlanta, but every few songs she reminded us that her keyboardist was 'One of New Orleans' Own,' drawing cheers. I ordered my Sazerac, and we watched, grooved. The last song was a two-step, and the place erupted - the crowd jumped to their feet and whipped out white kerchiefs, waving them and hollering along with her song. Kerchief-less and uneducated, we watched, I finished my drink, and we headed out for a few moments of sleep before my too early return to Florida.

This is a great place to go for cool, slow jazz. There's a bar in the front which you walk through to get to the music area. This is the kind of place where you sit and listen to the music, so there's ample seating. They also have a waitress who takes your order from your seat, so you don't have to keep getting up. I just found our that they have Creole cuisine, so I can't wait to check that out!!

I've only been there once but was impressed because of the situation. There was a power outage at the time but that didn't stop the management from improvising. They lit candles for all of the tables and put candles out on the front of the stage too. The musicians all had acoustical instruments so the music continued. It all made for a great atmosphere.

This bar has an amazing feel to it. Nice, but not arrogant. The service is great, prices are reasonable, and they have great music. If you really want to experience New Orleans this is one of the places to go. You will actually see people who live in the city at this bar which is a lot to say in itself! I wish we could have spent more time here and will be back every time we visit.

Super friendly service, reasonable prices, consistently good music. I've been on an "on" night-- when things are hopping, and on an "off" night-- and things are still good. This place is so NO, it's unbelievable. Our waitress disappeared for a bit 'cause she had to go home and check on her kids-- "The 16 year old is OK, but that 12 year old, she gonna be TROUBLE." That might be a bad sign in a lot of places, but it made me feel oh so at home. Get here on a Friday or Saturday when you wanna shake it and relax & unwind with a few drinks and listen to excellent LIVE LOCAL MUSIC.

LOVE IT! We went here to watch New Orleans win the SuperBowl, so admittedly we were in a good mood for this review, however on ANY night Sweet Lorraine's is a great place. The owner Paul, and his staff were amazingly welcoming and friendly to us. We had our two little kids with us, and everyone in the place was talking to them and making them feel comfortable. The food was delicious, and the drinks generous. Maybe I'm thick skinned, but I didn't really think the neighborhood was all that bad. I've certainly seen worse in New Orleans. We walked here through the French Quarter from Canal street. It was a fair hike, but we never felt uncomfortable. So many of the jazz places in New Orleans are pretentious and trying to live up to the brand of 'New Orlean's Jazz" - Sweet Lorraine's on the other hand seem down home, comfortable and focused on providing a great experience and great music. I would definitely recommend it to others. Thanks for a great night. Geaux Saints!

I got the stuffed shrimp. It was pretty much like eating jumbo shrimp wrapped in a crab cake. Pretty good. Also tried the fried mushrooms. This place is certainly confident in its frying abilities. There was also some jazz or something going. The place was almost deserted so we got to chat with the musicians. They were really good and looked like they were enjoying themselves.

These guys have a separate, purely vegan menu that is delicious, local New Orleans flavor, and based on a three generation tradition of vegetarian/vegan lifestyle! Yum!

We celebrated my wife's birthday at Sweet Lorraine's with a party of 20 people for the Sunday Jazz Brunch. Everyone had a great time. The music, food and service was very good. I am a native of New Orleans, but have lived away since the early 90's. It was great to be home and great to be at Sweet Lorraine's; Sooooo Sweet. Gregg Honore'

Drinks were water down food was over cooked bad service band was OK. I don't think I'll go back

Great place...(not fond of the smoking inside the building), the people here are sweet and the music, comedy, and other acts are a plus..PLUS, PLUS!! I enjoyed the food. Loving those crab cakes! Yummy! xoxo

Very good, local music. They get top acts in, the sound is amazing, and the stage and seating is perfectly setup. There is also a bar with TVs in case you want to have the ultimate evening of: good cocktails, catching a little football, and then walking over to your table and having a great dinner while listening to unbelievable music.

This is jazz as it is. Musicians can feel comfortable here playing the music they want, not music that tourists want. It is a bit of a hike beyond Frenchman's Street. If you are a tourist in French Quarter, just take a cab. I was very happy with my Red Beans and Rice, Sausage, and Corn Bread. Beer selection somewhat limited, so go with a cocktail instead. In a nutshell, it is a down home venue with good food, good music, good people. If you are into jazz, well worth a visit.

Delicious Sunday Brunch with beautiful live music. Endless mimosas and outstanding French toast. Don't forget the omelet bar--it is off to the side and I sometimes forget it is there.

Oh me oh my Sweet Lorraine's you have made my heart skip a beat. From the moment that I walked into the Bar I could tell that the place was something special. Perhaps it was the décor, perhaps it was the warm smile of the people that inhabited the bar, either way I felt oh so very welcomed. It take a lot of things to make a place great, for Sweet Lorraine's it is definitely the people that make it happen-- the musicians, the poets, the bartenders. Lots of Love for this place, NOLA stays strong.

This place was one of the highlights of our trip. We were blown away by the incredible live jazz! Had the pleasure of hearing the crisp voice of Stephanie Jordon and her quintet featuring her very talented brother Marlon on trumpet. The unassuming exterior surprises you with a sleek and cozy interior that is intimate without being crowded. Friendly service. Diverse and elegant crowd. Hot live jazz like I've never heard before. The club was celebrating its 10 year anniversary, so there was also some special magic in the air that night. Sweet Lorraine's is at the top of my list for all future trips to New Orleans!!

OMG! Just celebrated my BD here, in conjunction with BAMBOULA 2000's CD "WILD BAMBOULAS" release party and it was DA BOMBDIGGIDY!!! The music was AWESOME & the food was GREAT! It's a beautiful club, too..,black & silver Art Deco! It's my BD, but it's ALWAYS fun here!

Terrific, cool jazz club with zero pretensions. This neighborhood can be rough at night, so park close by.