Who's been to New Orleans?

[Inimicus]

that's all I got....get drunk, throw beads, have fun. Don't get caught pissing in public places!!!!!

The cops in NOLA do NOT have a sense of humor and will give you zero breaks. Especially in the quarter after about 7pm. Have a great time, get sloppy drunk, but dont start a fight and dont piss anywhere but in a bathroom.

[Hawk]

100%!!! a friend of mine went years ago. Showed up on Thursday afternoon and went straight to Bourbon Street. He said about 9pm he was taking a piss in a back alley and got caught and arrested. Was let out of lock up Sunday night!!! Needless to say, he did not have a very good weekend!!! We still call him Snowball...a name he said he received in jail that weekend!!!

[PanthersBigD]

Just got back from there in Feb and heading back for Memorial Day. New Orleans is what I think Charleston would look like after a zombie apocalypse or something similar. It's a bigger, older, dirtier and (for the most part) less pretentious Charleston. The vibe is good because most people are purposefully there to have a good time.

For music, which is most of what I enjoy about New Orleans, I recommend Maison and the Spotted Cat on Frenchman Street, but they're all pretty good. Basically walk down Decatur with the river on your right, and you'll run into Frenchman Street. From there, just pick a club with music you like and go inside. There's usually no cover for these places, so the bands will often pass around a hat or bucket for tips, but it's very low pressure and most people are happy to drop a few bucks in.

LaFitte's Blacksmith Shop - cool bar, supposedly the oldest one in the US. It was right on the way from our house to Bourbon Street, so we stopped there a few times.

Pat O'Brien's - sit in the courtyard and have a couple of Hurricanes. It's touristy, but one of those things that's fun to do. Get the to-go cups instead of the glasses, they charge you a $3 deposit on the glasses, but rarely mention that up front. You can turn them back in for cash at the bar. If you guys are single, the courtyard is usually a place where you can run into groups of roaming bachelorette parties partially separated from the craziness of Bourbon Street for a few mins.

Cafe Du Monde - If you don't want to wait for a table, they have a to-go window at the back with all of the basics like Cafe Au Lait, chicory coffee and beignets. The window only accepts cash. Pretty good hangover food, I guess...caffeine and bland, fried dough with literally pounds of powdered sugar.

Also try Community House coffee, they're local and have a few shops throughout the quarter.

If you're a big foody, ALL of the restaurants Inimicus mentioned are top of the line. A couple of local chefs I've met spoke highly of all of those. Chefs in New Orleans tend to be bitchy and trash each other easily, so it says something when a chef will recommend someone else's restaurant. Avoid any restaurant where they have someone outside trying to get you to come inside. If the food is really good, there won't be any need for that.

Acme Oyster House - A local no-frills chain which should be good for a group of guys looking for big portions. Also good are the muffalettas at Central Grocery. Another touristy, but good place to get a sandwich.

Coop's Place is this disgusting dive restaurant on Decatur, that has some great food if you've got the courage. The line is always out the door. I recommend the gumbo and fried chicken at Coop's. The other stuff I've had there was hit or miss and sometimes cold. They cook out in the open in the alleyway. It's really something to see, even if you decide you won't eat there. There's a little bar right next door, but I can't remember the name. The bartenders there were legit, at least the night I was there, and can whip up some pretty interesting drinks. Order a Sazerac at a nice bar.

Outside of the Quarter: For really awesome fried chicken try Willie Mae's Scotch House. Also, Mother's has amazing Po Boys and Debris Sandwiches, and are worth the trip if you have the time. With the advent of the Food Network, all of these places have tipped toward the touristy side, but they're still great places to eat.

And when it's late at night, and these places are closed, just look for the Lucky Dog hotdog carts. Will taste delicious when you're drunk, but don't try one sober, it will never compare.

Avoid deserted streets and walking alone. Also avoid venturing more than a few blocks outside of the French Quarter on foot. Some of the more distant restaurants/venues that are worth a visit require going through some pretty rough neighborhoods, so you don't want to walk. Take a cab or the trolley.

Hope you guys have fun. It's a dirty, smelly city, that's home to a division rival, but it's definitely fun in small doses. In two or three days, you'll be ready to leave.

[Cary Kollins]

100%!!! a friend of mine went years ago. Showed up on Thursday afternoon and went straight to Bourbon Street. He said about 9pm he was taking a piss in a back alley and got caught and arrested. Was let out of lock up Sunday night!!! Needless to say, he did not have a very good weekend!!! We still call him Snowball...a name he said he received in jail that weekend!!!

Wow that is terrible. I wonder if he was mouthing off or something.

I'll pass along the advice about taking a leak in public. I'm actually glad to hear the cops are strict about people starting fights and such. No one i'm going with is the type to start a fight so we should be good there.

[SCP]

I will concur with boo about the hurricanes at Pat O's. I went there at noon one time after a sales call for a drink and ended up on this stage with two old ladies playing dueling pianos and I don't sing or play piano. Those things will hit you hard cause they taste so damn good.

Also, Mulates had a pretty good Po boy with some live Cajun music.

But as I said, I loathe the Saints and Saint fans so that ruins the entire city for me.

[boo7382]

Yeah they freakin love their team. That's one thing I'll give them, trashy people everywhere and they're all wearing Saints gear. I'm sure that came about after the Super Bowl but I was impressed.

The best part about when we were there was the one thing we have in common with them...we all hate ATL fans.

So the whole time we watched the ATL/SF game the people who worked thre were starting the fug you falcons fans chants

Art they lost we were hammered out on Bourbon and talking poo to every ATL fan we saw....no one cared...some of the cops even joined in with the heckling

[Davidson Deac II]

Last time I was in New Orleans, the Panthers didn't exist.

Back then, it had good food, decent nightlife, and the weather was nice in Feb. Great when I was young, but I don't think I would go near the place now.

[pstall]

Keep some bail money in your shoe just in case. No I'm not joking.

[Cary Kollins]

Great food thats not the tourists traps (but you'll need a reservation):

Iris - its in the quarter on St Peter. (My best friend is a chef here. If you go let me know and Ill tell him to hook you up)

Lilette - In the Garden District on Magazine.

Cochon - On Tchoupitoulas

Any of those will be damned fine food. If you'll remind me when you get closer to your trip Ill ping my buddy and see whats new and hot on the restaurant scene.

Beer

Avenue Pub - Garden Dist on St Charles - Best draught in town bar none. 40+ taps about half of which can be nitrous instead of CO2 for better beer flavor.

Drink with locals

Markey's on Louisa St. Nothing fancy, just a great local bar.

 

 

So I'm flying out of Charlotte tomorrow night for NOLA.  Let me know if your buddy has any tips on where to get some good grub.  It'll probably be a large group of dudes that have been drinking, so nothing too fancy.

 

Reading through this thread and lots of good advice.  I'm looking forward to wearing my Panthers t-shirt around town.  Wish me luck.

[Jangler]

Keep some bail money in your shoe just in case. No I'm not joking.

 

[Big A]

I don't understand how Bourbon St is the whole city? Fact is, ever since 2007, there is an enhanced cleaning that cleans and pressure washes and then has a deodorizer sprayed all down Bourbon and other parts French Quarter every night starting around 4:30am. The fact is Bourbon is pretty trashy and its only full of tourist and the trashiest locals. All the smell people complain of is from the tourists that can't handle their alcohol and pull and piss all over the street. Bourbon st may be worth the one day, but go to places like Pat O Briens, Crescent City Brewhouse, Whiskey Blue, etc. Ricks Caberet and Hustler Club are the only strip clubs you even want to walk into, the rest are pretty bad with maybe 1-2 exceptions.

Almost every restaurant on bourbon not owned by Brennan's family are almost all tourist traps. Seems tourist think if it on Bourbon, it must be good, but reality is they get away with crap food that's overpriced and have fresh suckers arriving everyday, so they survive. A good tip is that many of the nicer restaurants like Commanders Palace, have started offering lunch specials where you can eat for $10-$15 and dress pretty casual, the best time to try some of those places will be during day if you don't want to spend a lot on diner every night you can go to cheaper places like Acme oyster house for a cheaper dinner. You might want to make a point to hit places like Emerils, Brennan's ( have one of the best brunches and breakfasts in country), Arnauds which are all close by.

Just past the French Market is another bar type area on Frenchman st that has a nice Jazz Bar and some other places if you want to do an alternate to Bourbon, yet I would definitely venture to restaurant Port O Call, a little place that's really old and has some of the best hamburgers in city and steaks are really good also. Going in opposite direction from French Quarter, there are a lot of nicer cocktail and wine bars which is where you will find the more sophisticated locals as opposed to the trash you see on Bourbon.

Here is a link from local paper for top bars divided by neighborhood or also by type. I have traveled all over the world and New Orleans has some of the best food and anyone that says otherwise probably didnt know where to eat. Like I saw one guy suggest mulates!? Ugh Another good lunch place that is really old and famous is Mothers restaurant right next to Casino, they are famous for their poboys.

Bottom line, it depends what kind of places your are looking for, but the list above should give you a great mix of trashy binge drinking in quarter to upscale dining and nicer cocktail bars like Whiskey Blue and Cure. Just thought about it, Mannings is owner by Casino and right by it and probably another worthwhile stop for a bunch of guys.

[RoaringRiot]

So I'm flying out of Charlotte tomorrow night for NOLA.  Let me know if your buddy has any tips on where to get some good grub.  It'll probably be a large group of dudes that have been drinking, so nothing too fancy.

 

Reading through this thread and lots of good advice.  I'm looking forward to wearing my Panthers t-shirt around town.  Wish me luck.

 

I've been to New Orleans more times than I can remember.  My wife is from Louisiana, she went to Tulane, and we got married there.  I didn't read through all of the thread...but if you have a specific question on something you're trying to do I'm happy to point you in the right direction.  I've been there for football, family stuff, and a few bachelor parties....so I like to think I know what I'm talking about when it comes to NoLa.  

[Cary Kollins]

I'm staying in the French Quarter at the Chateau Lemoyne ie. the Holiday Inn.  I hear there are plenty of places within walking distance from there.

 

This trip was originally for a bachelor's party, but the wedding was called off about a month ago!  So it's now just turning into a big throwdown/birthday party...my bday is this coming Sunday so I'm sure we will celebrate that Saturday night. 

 

 

[Jangler]

now he will never shut up