45 Tchoup

Every dive bar has an origins story and 45 Tchoup’s is especially striking, the very existence of the bar a product of fortuitous timing and a winning horseracing bet. Owners Debbie Shatz and Frank Mazzanti opened 45 Tchoup, so named because of its 4529 Tchoupitoulas Street address, in 2007 after working together at fellow New Orleans dive bar, Parasol’s. As 45 Tchoup legend has it, the seed money for a post-Parasol’s dive bar adventure for the duo came from a winning superfecta bet (naming the top four horses to finish a particular race, no easy feat).

In what is most definitely a metaphor, parable or some combination of the two about the resiliency of New Orleans, the bar top and some of the furnishings found within 45 Tchoup are constructed out of wood salvaged after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city. Jeremy Shatz, husband to Debbie, is responsible for much of the craftsmanship here, adding an obvious layer of New Orleans-style authenticity to the Uptown dive bar.

Outside, the 45 Tchoup exterior would fit in well with really any nearby residential block, the structure here a two-tiered building complete with a very New Orleans-feeling iron-ringed balcony that stretches the full width of the second floor. A handful of circular signs here bear the name ‘45’ and the welcoming sight of Abita beer-themed twisted neon glows from one 45 Tchoup’s exterior windows.

The unique decor here extends well beyond the wooden fixtures, the space home to an array of local art pieces as well as a few rows of license plates donated to the bar upon opening. Debbie Shatz is famously a diehard Red Sox fan and that devotion plays out across 45 Tchoup through more than a handful of Red Sox-themed items and the near certainty that the game will be on if the Red Sox are playing that day.

Also pictured here among the framed photos on the wall are multiple references to The Wild Tchoupitoulas, a Black Masking Indian tribe active in New Orleans, sometimes referred to as Mardis Gras Indians. The tribe of course echoes the naming of both the bar and its street location, the active group’s Mardis Gras procession traditionally started at 45 Tchoup. The history of the group is fascinating, including the release of a music album, and numerous nods to the group can be found throughout the bar.

Naturally, 45 Tchoup operates for 24 hours straight on Fat Tuesday as part of the city’s Mardis Gras festivities. The rest of the bar’s typical monthly calendar is populated by rolling food pop-ups typically offering a signature item in conjunction with some kind of sporting or community event. Past food selections have included very non-divey, New Orleans-appropriate selections like crawfish boils as well as some slightly more exotic options including enchiladas, tamales and even Italian beef sandwiches.