At its heart, Buffas is a neighborhood corner bar, one that was once a little rougher on the edges but today still carries that some, part-of-the-neighborhood vibe. Not only does the new Buffas now have a web site (no small feat for a small dive bar), but it is both regularly updated and features live streaming concerts as the Buffas back room features a rotating set of performers. Interested parties can even leave a virtual tip for the band currently streamed. This is no backwater dive.
Outside, the oval windows provide the building its most notable feature, elongated and ringed with neon, each window feels a bit like a warped porthole. White paint gives Buffas a very clean and fresh feel, with an updated sign now hanging above the door accentuating that renovation’s effects. Casual outdoor seating rings the corner that Buffas sits on in keeping with the New Orleans tradition of not just allowing but encouraging the drinking to tumble out into the heat.
The bar’s layout includes a front room dominated by Buffas’ main bar, a fresh wooden L-shaped offering that even features charging ports (renovation has its perks). Beer comes out of an iced-down cooler for some of the more frequently purchased offerings, a limited set of liquor offerings rounding out the selection. The front room is ringed with low tables that make the space feel, at times, more like a diner than a dive. A full kitchen provides pretty legit looking food at prices that flirt with tourist-level rates for some selections, another impact of the bar’s update.