Jando S.
Yelp
I think any nightlife spot in the French Quarter is going to be a crapshoot, but one's mileage really does vary when it comes to the Cat's Meow. They're a truly mixed bag: part public karaoke venue, part dive bar, and pseudo club when it's really poppin. Overall, I've had equally as many terrible times as I've had good ones here, so it's a bit of a split decision for me.
There's no doubt the place is lively and during any night of the week there's going to be a crowd in here cheering on whomever is on stage ready to belt out a tune. The karaoke concept isn't unique, but it is one of the only venues within this part of town that specializes in it. Song choices are actually a lot more limited than I realized and the time to wait can be especially long, especially after 10pm. The sound system is solid and ears will be ringing for anyone close to the stage.
The drinks are sort of like their bathrooms: not pretty but doable. No one is coming here for a fancy cocktail, but they do offer the standard well drinks in disposable cups for bar hopping. There is no food served here and outside food will be likely inspected by the staff and dealt with immediately upon entering. I would recommend just coming in, grabbing a hurricane, and feeling the place out.
My personal favorite part of this place isn't even the karaoke (#1) but rather the upper balcony where one can people watch over Bourbon like it's Mardi Gras all over again. For holidays, gamedays, and the like, the outside is actually a gathering spot for lots of would-be tourists / visitors. Shenanigans are also likely, but this is New Orleans after all.
Lastly, the biggest downer here is the service. Be it the bouncers, bartenders, the KJs, there's always someone rude enough to make folks feel uncomfortable or unwelcomed. Even when the place isn't too packed, I've been met with such grumpiness that I had no desire to stay. The ideal approach would be to not interact with the staff at all, but IDs need to be checked, drinks need to be ordered, and songs need to be sung. I suppose the latter is why this place manages to keep chugging along after all.
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(#1) Drunk people singing off key? Shocker, I know.