The Abbey

Stay off Bourbon street for drinks, go to Decatur St. found this little dive bar, great drinks, good atmosphere. Went 3 days in a row and as soon as we walked in and Trina, the bartender, saw us she was pouring our drinks. She talked with us and shared some of her stories made us feel like a local. Love this bar , will be our stopping place for drinks and talking to locals. This girl from Kentucky loves it!

We've been here in NOLA for 4 days so far and we are glad we didn't find this sooner as we may not have gone anywhere else. Mickey the bartender was as welcoming and fun as could possibly be, the prices were actually decent (during mardis gras, a bottle of lager was under $3) and the vibe and atmosphere was one of the best bars I have ever been to. Genuinely. It's the bar the locals go to, and even the bar staff go there to have a drink and enjoy the company. Managed to make a couple of new mates on our first visit, and it certainly won't be our last. Honestly not possible to recommend it highly enough. Amazing bar.

One of the greatest dive bars, I have stopped Into, Mickey, the bartender makes ya feel like a regular. Drinks are fair and not overpriced. Stop in an check it out. I promise if you're a bar hopper and enjoy different places to visit. This spot will be on your list when in town. We go to New Orliens every year for Christmas, and The Abbey has just been added to our stop and visit list! ☮️

The Abbey endures, its doors will never close. My favorite bar in the world. $5 beer & shot special, 24/7. Dark, divey, and cozy. Good music, good times, colorful characters. Come as you are, be nice or leave. The regulars never leave, even after they've passed away.

No food but this is the best dive bar ever. First off a beer and a shot for $5. That's just unheard of. Bartender was great. Have us local recommendations. We love it there and will always go back when we are in town

If I could put Zero I would. The most unfriendly bartender I have seen in ages. Rude, short and can’t be bothered with customers. Keep your cheap drinks !! I rather pay more and someone appreciates my visit. Don’t waste your time

One of my favorite dive bars in town. Good juke box. Good staff and cheap drinks. It has been a classic for ages. It evokes the 90s for me, and that isn't a bad thing. Make sure you get a boilermaker! Worth your 5 bucks! You won't regret it!

Great shot and beer special: $5 for High Life or PBR and a shot of Paddy’s or Fireball. Cash only! Trina is awesome.

Jao (if I spelled that right) is an awesome bartender who works the graveyard shift here as this is a 24/7 bar. I was told Decatur Street is where the industry people and locals hang out so we spent quite a bit of time here. It's a true hole in the wall bar with interesting characters. Jao is great at what he does and this place is just chill. Also, this is a cash only bar and they have an ATM onsite.

Dark, dank, divey. Bathrooms in the alley outside so be forewarned. Friendly bartender. No food. Decent drink specials. Pretty typical NOLA hole-in-the-wall establishment.

Great staff, prices so cheap it should be illegal, good music and a true dive bar experience. Definitely will be back the next time I'm in town.

I usta stop by this bar quite a bit. Got kicked off an outside seating area that was empty on a 95° day when the bar was fairly empty.. The quarter is very slow right now. It's dead of summer unbelievably stifling hot and no one's outside Thanks , bartender because I sat down for five minutes??? you just lost a customer.

It's a Cash Only bar! Not a problem, since they have an ATM available (though it is a quite old one and you need a flashlight to see the buttons, though a couple buttons didn't even work). One of my local friends is a regular here and brought our group in last night for some drinks after her show. It is a smaller establishment so I can see it could get cramped if it was busier, but luckily it was a slower night so it was easy to move around. They do not serve food here but their drinks are CHEAP! We bought a round for 7-8 people and the tab was less than $40. And they have some slot machine games, a jukebox, and some fantastic decor. If your on Decatur St, stop in for a drink just to get a taste of the local bar, but it isn't necessarily worth making a special trip.

Walked in at 10 AM on a Saturday, or maybe a Friday. A couple people were playing the machines. There was a semi-loaded chick at the bar. The lighting was nonexistent. I INSTANTLY FELL IN LOVE! The bartender had a busted wing in a sling. He was very friendly while he warned us about the treacherous NOLA potholes. The advice was appreciated. The drink prices were top notch. A vodka drink AND a beer for under 10 bucks in a tourist town!?! Count me in! Three highlights: 1. When the bartender asked where we were from, (Wisconsin) and he said "ahh, the land of staunch alcoholics" -he's not wrong, it was 10AM and we were thirsty! 2. The old lady that owns the joint walking around & being nice to everyone. 3. The big fat orange cat that was snoozing in the outdoor seating area. 10/10 would recommend

Love this place. Hole on the wall but prices are good. Great service! Cash only but that's okay they have a atm

Stopped in for a drink while in the French Quarter. Beers are cheap, bartender is friendly and gave us history of the bar. Would stop again. It's considered a dive bar, my husband and I like to stop in to them.

Visited this fabulous establishment for a last hoorah before we departed for home. Mickey filled us in on the story of Petro "Who the fuck is Petro?"

Where do I begin? The bartender was so rude and nasty to our group of black people. White woman, middle aged, dark hair, ponytail. Within 10 minutes of us sitting at the bar she stated "You cannot just hang out here one drink per person." Directly after this she approached a white customer and actually greeted her with a completely different and more pleasant tone of voice. If you are black do not go to this bar. I am genuinely very lenient in environments such as this but it was very, very unpleasant and very obviously racist. It was super weird and aggressive. No one was loud, no one was disrespectful, it was blatant racism.

I'm a sucker for a comfortingly dark, divey bar. Had a fun, drunken night with a buddy here last weekend. Crazy I had never been in before. The drinks are ridiculously cheap and quite strong. Had some rum and pineapple juice cocktails for only $4 a piece. Yeah, I know have weird taste. Would definitely go back and probably will.

I know every bartender that works here personally. I also enjoy a friendship with the owner. I will say, with no hesitation, that of all the bars in New Orleans, if you ask the bartender for help, you are safe. This is a safe place, and so long as you are a decent and respectful human being, you are welcome. Please, enjoy the French Quarter, and visit the best dive bar New Orleans has to offer. Welcome

The Abbey is a great dive bar in the French Quarter, set off the Main Street. It's cash only. The drinks are strong and cheap. There's an old school juke box. Bathrooms are a little ugh. Service is okay, about what you'd expect at a dive. Seems to be a hang out spot for the local day-drinkers.

So fun total dive place. Cheap drinks-$11.50 for two bud light bottles and a vodka drink. Obviously lots of regulars-one or two should have been cut off at sent home at one in the afternoon lol. Bathroom ugh but bar area itself pretty cool. Cash only. Old school juke box.

Best combo's in town and my new favorite hole-in-the-wall bar of NO. I will be back to this 24*7*365 (no locks on the door) place. Bartenders were awesome and sat down to chat with our crazy crew. Told me that the back courtyard is open on Wednesdays when they do tacos out there (not sure why it isn't Taco Tuesday, but it is New Orleans!). The combos were Fireball, Tullamore DEW, and others (those were the only ones we got) with a 16-oz beer of PBR, Bud Light, Dos Equis, and others.

Definitely a dive bar. Not much in terms of available drinks or food. But you get what you ask for a bar open 24 hours that has chairs. No frills or anything extra. Also only cash. Be sure you bring cash

So, so so so, Elizabeth was there last night. My freaking word. Not only does this goddess exuberant professionalism but she tingles the hair on my forearms with her life and stories. If you ever want to know what it's like to live life come here and look in her eyes, unless you're creepy. Because then no thanks. I'll fight ya brah. Anyway, Elizabeth is the absolute most attentive bartender with the best banter. She smells like honey, not that it matters, and please don't smell her. Want to learn? Want to know anything about anything or maybe the English language she's here. But she'll also throw you a shot and beer but without throwing. You just better pay up (bitches) She rules the bar with an iron fist, and iron fist made of the most beautiful smelling daffodils you've ever encountered. She'll recommend amazing food around Decatur with a smile. Man, if you've ever needed a moment to talk or be understood while cradeling a cocktail or beer she will look you straight in the eye and help you with just that. This epic mama, is a refreshing taste of what it is to visit New Orleans. It's not Olive Garden but damn, she makes you feel like "when you're here ya family". Let us all learn a little something from the wonder and mystic we know by the name of Elizabeth. I did get stoned. But I am here for her, and you should be too. Knee slapping Stoney stumbler.

This has been my home bar since I moved here. Its a critical gathering place for lower Decatur service industry and I've met some of my favorite people here. The staff is extremely no-nonsense but welcoming, the prices are great, and the mood is comfortable. I love this bar.

The Abbey. Old Reliable. So dependably open during Hurricane Isaac (with seats, no less, though it wasn't empty by any stretch). For that, they get three stars easy. Some of the best Bloody Marys, courtesy of the very cool Katie May who made them with extra care and attention, despite the bar filled with regulars demanding her attention (rightfully so) gets them another star. This *made* the eve of my first hurricane in New Orleans. Just what the doctor ordered. Not sure if this would be my first stop with Pravda and Molly's right near by, but definitely up there for a return visit for a Bloody Mary crawl. Plus, I got to hear about all the history associated with this place. Who knew it's been here since the early 70s? Come on, tell me...

Have enjoyed some Christmas shows there. Only went on Tues. & Sat. for Pulse take-over nights. Pretty rowdy crowd with drag shows. Smoke outside on porch. Bars are not fancy, feels like a dive bar in a nicer venue. The inside is really big and takes a lot to fill.

Wow, what a dive. On a recent tour of Nola bars, I ended up at the Abbey. I think my friend and I were trying to walk somewhere else when we were drawn in by the diveyness oozing from the front door. As we walked in I was actually a bit surprised. The bar was nearly empty. Most dives are packed with professional drunks, but other than us, there was only one other patron. Of course he decided he needed to talk to us, which is occasionally entertaining. In this case it was more irritating so we stayed for a drink and left. During our brief stint here, the bouncer nearly got into a fight with his coworker. It was quite heated with yelling and whatnot, but no blows were actually exchanged. Hell, I assume he was the bouncer, but he could have been some random dude. Either way, it was quite entertaining. While I do love dives, the Abbey failed to impress.

My favourite dive bar in New Orleans. Love to stop in for a beer. Nice staff. Moved that some regulars chose to have their ashes there after they died. Hope to be back again soon (alive).

If you are an effete snob or overly fastidious, please stop reading now: this bar is absolutely not for you. I'm sure that a gastropub somewhere will be more than happy to have your insufferable company. I had the pleasure of The Abbey being the first bar I visited in New Orleans. Like prescription medication from third world countries (of which New Orleans is first rate), this bar is cheap, dirty and effective. All sorts of folks make there way here: bartenders getting off shift, friendly locals, and tourists. Maybe people are yelling in time with the jukebox (everything from rock and roll to Lady Gaga); maybe they're having a pleasant conversation about sociology and the meaning of life. Maybe they're even having a drink. This bar is a complicated calculus, and a jewel in the rough for those that appreciate a good dive bar.

I was invited to this bar, told they'd buy me a drink. When the person bailed out I bought the drink I paid for it, left a seventeen percent tip. It is typical that through the course of a night that I'll buy a few drinks leaving fifteen percent tip through each order. The bartender went on to throw the tip at me, make a scene, gathered other people at the bar to cuss me out then it looked like they shamed me on social media. This all happened in a matter of seconds. In less than a minute. Not enough time to finish a drink. If doing a task like opening a beer requires a service fee, then that should be advertised at the door. Had the bartender handled this differently, even subtlety, I would have left a few dollars been on my way and would have found a reason to come back. I left a few dollars but not to be harassed on social media. This click that exists isn't going to serve the place in the long run.

Not particularly cheap and their whisky pour is abysmal. Wouldn't go again. Server could care less even when it's not busy. One finger pour Ina narrow cheap plastic.

One of the oldest and best bars in the quarter serving cheap beer and always a great crowd of strange people who hang in and around the quarter. The Abbey is not just a bar but an experience. Would be five stars if they were not CASH ONLY.

Awesome bar!! Staff and regulars are soooo nice! Such a fun place, pleasantly vulgar! Cheap drinks, heavy pours! Love love love. Home away from home

I don't even go to this place anymore after an unfortunate incident involving whiskey, a few small bits of paper, a highly suspect Chinese mind control device I bought on E-bay and a defective household appliance, but that's another story.... However if I did, I would be sure my ID was not expired and I wouldn't get pissed at the bar if it was......

Been to The Abbey plenty of times but never paid attention to all the details as I do now, sure it's got its hodge podge of gutter punks and train hoppers, but now I know why! They've got the sweetest deal in the FQ when it comes to a beer and a shot combo. For $5 you can order a High Life or a Pabst Blue Ribbon with any of their well whiskeys which include not only the quickly moving Fireball (a cinnamon whiskey--they go through 2 cases of the stuff in a matter of days) but my personal favorite, Tullamore Dew. What a deal! My bf and I were there on a Sunday night when from 8-10 there's a small group that play bluegrass. They were the "something" Ramblers--I can't quite remember. They played to a small intimate crowd, maybe six of us-perhaps even less, but it gave them the chance to converse and joke around. They did a quick cover of NIN's "Closer" when covered in that bluegrass style--takes on a whole new, and ticklishly funny--new meaning. We also saw a dusty collection of children's games up on a shelf behind the bar. Intrigued, we played "Don't Break the Ice" 3 times, and had a blast. One of the highlights of our evening until I started having problems with my ATM card. Trina, I promise, I'll be by with the cash I owe you. Thanks for a great night!

Nice, dark goth -inspired bar with a very lived-in feel. Good prices. Good service. Dog friendly. Cash only.

If you ever need a crash course in charm, head for New Orleans. For all its hustle and decadence, this is one of the supremely civilized cities in North America. When you first enter the Abbey, it is easy to forget where you are. In any other city, you would hire bodyguards just to walk by the front door. But in the Big Easy, even as dark and decrepit a place as this bar exudes its own brand of charm. Just leave your children at the door - they don't speak Shirley Temple in this dive. The Abbey gets four stars for the simple reason that they stayed open all the way through Katrina. We didn't say that they were sane, just that they make really good, strong drinks - and apparently the roof doesn't leak. A great place for adults on a stormy afternoon.

This is one of the dark little bars that is located at the end of Lower Decatur. Abbey isn't one of my favorite spots, but it's a nice haunt where you can stop and grab a beer or a mixed drink for pretty cheap. One thing I really do like about this spot are the booths where you can sit and chat away from the hustle and bustle of the bar itself. They have a jukebox with some pretty interesting tunes, and I like that's it not one of those internet jukeboxes so many places have these days. In general, the crowd is friendly here, but I have encountered a few salty types once or twice. The bartender I have dealt with the last two times I've visited was really funny with a great personality and was open to providing some good conversation. I wouldn't go out of my way to return, but I'd gladly duck in, if I find myself in the area.

This used to be my favorite bar in town (despite the overflowing toilets and stupid cash-only policy), but not anymore. The staff is extremely rude. I was so excited to take my friend there for her first time so she could check out the great jukebox, and the door guy would not accept her completely valid form of ID (the TSA seemed to have no problem with it, so I guess the security is tighter at a dive bar in the Quarter than it is on airplanes now...? Hmmm...) Mind you, we are 39 years old, not some drunk sorority girls wanting to order jaeger shots. I won't be going back. What a shame... the bartender would have made more money off me than the sketchy losers with face tattoos who were milling around the doorway.

Pretty great place to end your night, no matter what time your night ends. I've came here for a night-cap on many a velvet morning after a night of debauchery. Interesting story: One time about 10 or 12 years ago, right after they passed the "rave act" in New Orleans( an act making it unlawful for nightclubs to allow the use of ecstasy-related paraphanalia) I decided to show up at the Abbey around 4: AM with a few friends. We were on the dance-floor when the bartender JUMPED over the bar and grabbed me by the shirt and told me I had to get the hell out of the bar because I had a Vick's inhaler. It was then that I had to explain to him that the Vick's inhaler wasn't being used for any rave related hijinks but was actually filled with cocaine. He sincerely apologized and we continued our revelry straight into the next day. Remember, kids, the best cure for a hangover is to never sober up.

I have only been to the Abbey at 5, 6, or 7am. I wander over here when Molly's closes, I still have cash, and I'm not *quite* ready to head back home. Something amazing could still happen, right? Right. Rachel is an attentive bartender and they stock my favorite tequila. What more could a girl want at 7am. It's dark inside and before you know it you'll forget the sun has been up for a few hours. Only the sounds of the garbage trucks and street cleaners outside remind you. You can keep to yourself or converse with a character or two. You might even find an unknown phone number scribbled on a napkin in your purse later.. Rumor has it that back in the day this guy Max Clevenger(?) owned the Abbey and signed it over to Jim Monaghan on a bar napkin at 5 in the morning. ON A BAR NAPKIN. Just like that unknown phone number. Coinkidink? I think not. CASH ONLY

I moved to New Orleans in the fall of 2011. I knew no one. Stumbled into the Abbey that Christmas Eve after attending midnight mass at the cathedral. It was kind of a mopey night - knowing no one, my closest family about 900 miles away... The bar was dead, save for one or two professional drinkers and a bartender named Trina. Celebrated Christmas Eve in true New Orleans fashion that night - have been coming back ever since. Fast forward to the present. I know every staff member by name and actually consider them among my personal friends. I can't walk into that bar without 80% of the patrons giving me hugs, high fives, and saying hi. Yeah, the abbey is ROUGH. It's dark, a bit dirty, and there's the occasional brawl... But it's a fucking dive. That's where the charm comes from. It's a modern day take on old New Orleans; working class fools, street musicians, worn down bourbon street service industry, and down on their luck old bastards. It's the kind of place where you can find the most motley collection of hard drinking New Orleanians with the best stories and the most questionable hygiene. The Abbey is a real jewel of a dive... The last true pirate bar of the crescent city. Do NOT miss this place.

This place is a dive and runs like one. My main complaint is that the establishment is very 'clicky' if you know what I mean. If the bartender knows you or likes you, you're likely to have a great time. If you're a new face or if you don't look like something that just crawled out of the nearest gutter, you're likely to be treated like a second class customer. I've had good times in there, but I've had one too many encounters with rude staff to consider this place a spot to recommend. I guess if you just want to get drunk for cheap, and don't mind sitting among the gutter punks, give it a try. Pirate's Alley though is near by and much better, so really, just go there and leave the "Scabby" to the gutter crowd.

Excellent dive bar in the quarter. The music in the jukebox is great - punk and metal! Drink prices are great too! My husband got a shot and a beer for $5 and I got a mixed drink for $5. Easy and cheap compared to some of the fancier joints. Plus we fit right in. ;)

What can I say about this place that hasn't been said about a third world country? After all my neighbors in Bywater said I should experience it, I decided to check it out. I was curious why they had a smirk on their face when they gave me such advice, but now I know. If you like the smell of people who haven't showered in weeks and waiting to get your drink while the bartender counts out the change that was used to pay for a round of drinks, then this is the place for you! I had a person that sat next to me who decided that morning he wouldn't wear sleeves so everyone could smell him. To get rid of the present smells, I moved further down the bar. I was then sitting to someone a little less smelling like a foot, but he began telling me why I should buy him a beer while he was covered in either oil or thousands of dollars of tattoos. It seemed like it should be oil from the smell. I am not of the biggest fan of gutter punks and it escapes me how anyone can stand being around them, but this was just offensive. If I wanted to have cheap drinks in a place that smelled like body odor, I would buy a 6 pack of Red Dog and sit in a high school locker room.

I went to several bars on a recent trip to NOLA, but The Abbey was my favorite of them all. A dingy dive bar with cheap drinks and a great jukebox, it's the coolest spot in the French Quarter. My biggest regret is that I only went there once, but I'll definitely be back. Oh, and it's open 24 hours. I miss New Orleans.

Also know as "The Scabby", It is the only bar that has retained 100% of the dark grime and drinking problems that Decatur requires in order to live up to its reputation since the Hide Out closed. And you wouldn't expect that this dive bar that has David Allan Coe on its juke box would also be home to one of the best hip hop nights in town, which is spun by a small group of hip hop D.J.and lead by D.J. Real. Warning, if you are hungry and happen across the abbey I seriously would think twice of joining the 9-5 drinkers in the lunch of free hot dogs. There is just something that doesn't make me feel that this place would pass the local health codes for food preparation even it it were soaked over night in bleached a every inch scrubbed thoroughly.

Grimy, Cheap, Old, Dank, Dark, and Awesome. The Abbey is a bar filled with strangers, punks, travelers and all sorts of people. Some girl from Texas bummed a cigarette and then decided to tickle me. I guess thats like saying hello. Either way, the Pabst was cheap and delicious.

Good cheap local watering hole. Love this place and everyone that works there is amazing! I came across this bar for the first time while traveling across country with my boyfriend during the summer of 2013. We were in town for about a week and stopped in there almost at least once every day during the trip. Instantly felt at home here. And now here we are living in New Orleans as of this past summer. So this has become our go to spot and we know everyone that works there. A good safe spot with the grimey feel to it and no one ever cares what you're doing/saying as long as you're not harming others or being an ass. $5 beer and shot special is definitely a selling point too. And yummy irish coffees for those rough mornings.

Best place to go if you want to watch your bartender socialize for 5 minutes and then give you attitude when you try to order a drink.

Excellent lower French Quarter n-hood bar. The last time I was there the crowd consisted of 2 hookers, a midget and a priest. And those were just my friends. Seriously, tho, great bartenders, killer A/C, and a fabulous martini made by Martha. Very dirty, straight up, 3 olives. The martini, not Martha. Quite the eclectic crowd.

A dive, a dump, a dingy, smoky hole filled with tattooed, toothless souls. Okay, only a couple were toothless. This is a great dive bar for the locals, and friendly to tourists brave enough to like this kind of thing, with a good jukebox selection. You can't close it down, as they are open 24 hours. Jackass was playing on one TV, and Storage Wars on the other.

The Abbey is hands down the best bR in the French Quarter. They beer and a shot for $5 makes them one of the most affordable as well. It's the best sort of dive bar frequented by the best sort of dive bar people. The bartenders are all awesome and the jukebox has an amazing variety of music and they don't do Bob Marley, which is a nice reprieve from the rest of the French Quarter. They also sell Cheetos now, which is pretty cool.

One of my favorite bars in New Orleans. We recently visited for 5 days and were at this bar everyday. Definitely a crusty locals dive bars but we never felt unwelcome. In fact, Curtis remembered us each time we came in and joked with us and engaged us in conversation. Cheap beers, good people watching and a great atmosphere. For those complaining about the dust and dinginess, have you ever been to New Orleans??

Horrible horrible service. Just plain rude! Do not waste your time here while in vacation!!