Want to know the best places to find your New Orleans spirits (not the ghost kind)? With nightlife comes a plethora of bars that could be mentioned, but only the best dive bars in NOLA are being highlighted here.
Best New Orleans Dive Bars
While there is
no shortage of bars or spirits in New Orleans, there are specific dive bars
that you want to include in your nightlife explorations. Each of these 10 NOLA dive
bars has unique touches and features that will make your evening a special one. And if you drink too much at any one of these spots, be sure to know how to survive a hangover.
1. Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge
7612 Oak St., (504) 861-2802, snakeandjakes.com
Looking for Christmas in October, November, April, May, and more? Look no further with Snake and Jake's year-round retro holiday decor. This bar describes itself as a "small, late-night neighborhood bar" that is open every night of the year, even at Christmas!
This intimate, yet welcoming, dive bar has been voted 'New Orleans Best Dive Bar' many times by its frequenters. Not only this but visit at the right time and you may see Jake, the bar's very own cat! If this is not enough information for you, plan your own visit any night with their opening time at 7 p.m., with happy hour specials from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Find out exactly what you can expect from a night at Snake and Jake's.
2. Pal's Lounge
949 N. Rendon St., facebook.com/PalsLounge
Pal's lounge is a MidCity hangout that's just right for a drink and some bites. This bar has been taken care of by the neighborhood since 2002 and continues to do so today. With brews, bites, and bottles, this hangout spot is perfect to watch the next game or for late nights, as Pal's stays open until 3 a.m.
Pal's lounge is inviting with its colorful exterior and its cozy interior. With great food and drinks, slots, air hockey, and pinball, what more could you want from a dive bar?
3. Lots a Luck Tavern
203 Homedale St., (504) 483-0978, facebook.com/Lots-a-Luck-Tavern
With its extensive list of accomplishments such as being voted one of the best dives bars in Lakeview, the best bar to play bar games, and the second-best dive bar in New Orleans, Lots of Luck Tavern continue to impress New Orleans' residents. With its friendly neighborhood location, Lots of Luck Tavern is a community of fun-loving people.
Find new friends here while watching sports events and even celebrating together after a big sports win. An added plus is their hours which are from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. and their hot nuts, M&M, and gum ball machines. Most reviews found online about this joint guard it as their secret local spot, insisting that if you bring your friends, make sure they are the cool ones.
4. Toulouse Dive Bar
738 Toulouse St., (504) 522-2260, facebook.com/ToulouseDive
Remember how spirits in the beginning solely referred to drinks? Unfortunately, spirits take on another meaning when discussing Toulouse's Dive Bar. With an interior filled with skull-framed mirrors and hidden bathrooms on the bookshelves, this dive bar is "off the bourbon street crowd."
Toulouse strives to maintain their old-school French Quarter vibe yet always has exciting and delicious drinks to offer bargoers. With their slot machines, pool tables, and charisma, find this bar hidden beyond the beaten path, previously referred to by customers as a dungeon.
Visit them anytime from 2 p.m. to 6 a.m!
5. Kingpin
1307 Lyons St., (504) 891-2373, facebook.com/kingpinnola
Become your own bar kingpin with a visit to a dive bar located in the neighborhood Garden District and Uptown. A casual and friendly atmosphere is what you will find at Kingpin with friendly bartenders who welcome anyone whether they are from New Orleans or just visiting. Inside this simple bar, find the most extensive beer selections as well as darts and table shuffleboard.
Come casually dressed to watch your pick of current sports games or sidewalk concerts performed right in front of Kingpin's. With hours from 3:30 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., find time in your day to have your pick of any drink and excellent service and entertainment.
6. Mayfair Lounge
1505 Amelia St., (504) 895-9163, facebook.com/themayfairloungenola
Nothing can get more New Orleans than Mardi Gras beads, colors, and throws. Nothing, except the love of spirits the city has. Find these two iconic aspects of New Orleans culture combined with in Mayfair Lounge's interior. With a ceiling decorated in Mardi Gras throws, walk into a colorful and truly welcoming staff.
Although this bar is cash only, find your time well spent with their pool tables, video poker, visual appeal, and great company. A great spot to go during your Mardi Gras season and the whole year to reignite your New Orleans soul.
Open from 3:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m.!
7. Brother's Three
4520 Magazine St., (504) 897-9912, instagram.com/brothersthreelounge
Open 24 hours a day, Brother's Three is an old-school, local dive bar that will make New Orleans residents feel right at home. Found in Brother's Three is a vintage jukebox, various arcade games along their wall, and bar seating for all guests. Being known for laid-back and local vibes, Brother's Three is a family-owned and operated bar that has been around for over 50 years.
Serving traditional-style crawfish boils and supporting their local community, Brother's is the best place for you and your friends or family to have a comfortable time with a full bar. Great prices, amazing people, and an excellent selection of liquors and beers. What more are you waiting for?
8. The Alibi
811 Iberville St., (504) 522-9187, alibineworleans.com
With just a few steps from Bourbon Street, find yourself at The Alibi, a great excuse to spend your night drinking international beers and feasting on bar food. Being open 24 hours a day, The Alibi is best known as a must-visit spot during Mardi Gras season and is known to have the most nightlife action in the French Quarter.
Serving more than just your typical bar food, find yourself enjoying cheese fries, seafood, and burgers in addition to their selection of over 100 beers. Finally, set the tone for your visit with a jukebox holding any selection of music you could dream of. Whether inside or outside, get to really be immersed in New Orleans nightlife with this bar's atmosphere, location, service, and more.
9. Boondock Saint
731 St. Peter St., (504) 525-4950, facebook.com/TheBoondockSaintBar
Ever heard of Boondock Saints, the movie with Norman Reedus and Willem Dafoe where they work together fighting the crime-ridden streets of Boston? If you have or haven't taken the same idea from what this movie seems to be about and translate it into a bar.
Together you will find, Boondock Saint an intimate Irish pub serving a number of beers on tap. Aside from this, Boondock Saint is a great local, inexpensive, and greatly located bar. Service has been described as quick, with truly authentic Irish-inspired drinks. Find your daring side at Boondock Saint between the hours of 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.
10. Saturn Bar
3067 St. Claude Ave., (504) 949-7532, thesaturnbar.com
Plan your own fun and space-filled journey when visiting Saturn Bar, located in the heart of New Orleans. Saturn Bar provides its customers with the ultimate bar experience. Serving more than just a full bar for guests to enjoy, this bar also has the best entertainment. Every visit, expect a different alternative band, guest DJ, and dance party to be going on. The colorful lighting, great crowd, and friendly service will be sure to draw you in. Open from 4:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m., enjoy an after-lunch or dinner party that will send you to the moon or better, Saturn!
With all this information, you are probably well on your way to
exploring some of these 24-hour and late-night dive bars! With each, get a
greater taste of what New Orleans nightlife is all about and what you may have
been missing. Whether it is finding yourself in a bar based on a crime film, a
dungeon-like bar, or a Mardi Gras paradise, it is certain you will not be bored
in any place you visit.
Dive Into These Fantastic Dive Bars in New Orleans
While New Orleans is home to some of the fanciest and most high-end bars in the entire country, the city also plenty of dives for people who just want a no-nonsense place to go to relax and have a drink at. The Crescent City is the place to be for all of your drinking needs!
Next time you're out and looking for someplace low-key to go, try one of these top 10 dive bars in New Orleans. One of them is sure to be the right fit for you. Cheers!
