New Orleans is a city famous for the Creole cuisine, distinct jazz music and the annual celebrations and festivals. Where: 441 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70130Ī version of this article about bars in Bourbon Street, New Orleans, was previously published on February 7, 2019, and was updated on Februand January 31, 2022.New Orleans the French district of the Southern US famous for Mardi Gras. It’s rowdy both day and night, and the music is always set on “the hits.” Luckily, there’s plenty of room on the dance floor to show off all of your moves.
Bourbon Bandstand has live music or a DJ every night, as well as a regular happy hour and drink specials on the upper balcony bar. Where: 701 Bourbon Street, New Orleans, LA 70116 Bourbon Bandstand Go early for the three-for-one happy hour offered every day from noon to 8 PM, which is just enough to get you through any bad singers. You make the music here - or someone else can, and this includes famous stops from the likes of Miley Cyrus, Charles Barkley, Seal, Weird Al Yankovic, Stormy Daniels, and more. The Cats Meow has been around since the 1990s, and it’s become a karaoke institution. Where: 801 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 7011 Screens stream music videos all night long on Fridays and Saturdays. Downstairs is the “pub” part while upstairs is the “parade.” There are events and themes every night, including karaoke, drag shows, and Throwback Tuesdays with hits from the 80s and 90s. Open 10 AM to 3 AM, Bourbon Pub and Parade is a gay bar that’s been open since 1974. Where: 227 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130 Bourbon Pub and Parade Come prepared on game days, because New Orleans is very much a sports town. The Beach on Bourbon is also a place to catch a sports game on one of the multiple TVs. If you’re feeling like catching the vibe without dealing with the crowd of people dancing downstairs, head up to the VIP balcony section on the second floor. The Beach on Bourbon claims to have the largest dance floor out of all the bars on Bourbon Street. Not a literal beach, but New Orleans is one of those places where you can turn a place into whatever you want it to be. Where: 544 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70130 You’ve got to find something to do with all the energy from those sweet cocktails, after all. There’s a raised stage for regular live music (rhythm and blues is proudly highlighted on the bar’s entryway sign), and the drinks are intended to keep you dancing. Think New York’s famous disco club Studio 54, but with an extra “4” and a distinct NOLA clientele. Locations: (Original) 600 Bourbon Street, (Bourbon) 721 Bourbon Street, (Bayou Club and Music Bar) 610 Bourbon Street, and (Little Tropical Isle) 435 Bourbon Street Funky 544 There’s a livestreaming webcam at the bar on the corner of Bourbon and Orleans, so you can show the world all of your great Bourbon Street decisions. The bar’s tagline is, “Where the fun begins and memories last forever,” but do yourself a favor and only have one Hand Grenade if you want to keep those memories. There’s only one chain of bars where you can legally get a true Hand Grenade (seriously, it’s trademarked and aggressively policed) and that’s Tropical Isle. Other than the Hurricane, NOLA’s most famous oversized and overly strong drink is the Hand Grenade.
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These are simply the most essential ones to visit - feel free to argue with us, but only after we’ve had a Hand Grenade. Since this is a town with plenty drinking history and passion for beverages, there will surely be some strong opinions about what is left off. Quick note on selection: Only bars physically located on Bourbon Street, not the broader French Quarter, were considered. These are the 14 bars on Bourbon Street that you must go to at least once. Take advantage of being able to walk place to place with a drink in hand. Bars on Bourbon Street are crowded close together, making it easy to bar hop all night long.
Regardless of how you look at it, though, you’re doing Bourbon Street wrong if you’re only going to one bar. Both have plenty of options to choose from. Others choose the bars with the loudest bands. Some choose to approach Bourbon Street with history in mind and dine and drink exclusively at centuries-old establishments. It stretches the 13 blocks between Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue. Bourbon Street was first laid out in 1721 and is named after the royal French Bourbon family. Some are worth your time, many others are not, but the street itself is something to experience.
It’s lined with strip clubs, dives, and live music spots. This French Quarter is both the city’s most famous and its oldest neighborhood, while Bourbon Street is the main draw for partiers.