SFG City Guide
New Orleans Dive Bar Guide
Steeped in history, tradition and a fair amount of alcohol, the city's dive bars are as unique as New Orleans itself.
A City That Exceeds Already Lofty Dive Bar Expectations
New Orleans Dive Bar Map
Quick Links
Bars By Neighborhood
Reviewed Dive Bars
Recommended Not Yet Reviewed Dive Bars
Other Dive Bar Recommendations
Louisiana Dive Bar Guide
All Dive Bar City Guides
New Orleans Neighborhood Guides
Bywater
4 Dive Bars
Carrollton
3 Dive Bars
French Quarter
6 Dive Bars
Magazine Street
3 Dive Bars
Reviewed New Orleans Dive Bars
SFG Rating
10
Carrollton
Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge
Red-tinted dive shanty
SFG Rating
10
Bywater
Vaughan’s Lounge
Faded paint, rusted roof.
SFG Rating
10
Magazine Street
Brothers III Lounge
Canary yellow beckons.
SFG Rating
10
Mayfair Lounge
Hidden New Orleans gem.
SFG Rating
9
Out in the Cold
Buzz in for beer.
SFG Rating
9
French Quarter
Chart Room
French Quarter oasis.
SFG Rating
8
Bywater
Bar Redux
Dive at the end of the world.
SFG Rating
8
French Quarter
Aunt Tiki’s
Everything on every wall.
SFG Rating
8
Igor’s Lounge & Gameroom
Red awning neon palace.
SFG Rating
8
Magazine Street
Le Bon Temps Roule
The perfect New Orleans neighborhood dive bar.
SFG Rating
8
R Bar & Royal Street Inn
Dive bar hotel mashup.
SFG Rating
8
French Quarter
The Abbey
Blot out the sun.
SFG Rating
8
Port of Call
Tiki drinks and hamburgers.
SFG Rating
8
Bywater
BJ’s Lounge
Faded paint, green trim.
SFG Rating
8
French Quarter
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop
Low lights, smuggler vibes.
SFG Rating
8
Verret’s Bar & Lounge
A quintessential neighborhood New Orleans dive bar and anchor to the city’s Central City district, Verret’s mixes heavy doses of wood paneling, red cushioned seating and low prices.
SFG Rating
8
The Saint
Unique as far as New Orleans dive bars go, The Saint is hard to find, late to open and fully embraced by locals.
SFG Rating
7
Corporation Bar
Cinder block New Orleans dive.
SFG Rating
7
Parasol’s
Po boys and cold beer.
SFG Rating
7
Cosimo’s
Laid back and local even by New Orleans standards, Cosimo’s is an almost tranquil locals-heavy, neighborhood dive on the border of the French Quarter & Marigny districts.
SFG Rating
7
45 Tchoup
This very residential-feeling dive bar in New Orleans’ Uptown neighborhood is the product of a friendship between two bartenders who met at nearby dive bar Parasol’s and teamed up to open 45 Tchoup.
SFG Rating
7
The Crown & Anchor
A ferry ride away from the heart of downtown New Orleans in the Algiers Point neighborhood, The Crown & Anchor is claimed to be the only true English pub in the city.
SFG Rating
7
Erin Rose
Somehow authentic and beloved by locals despite its French Quarter-adjacent location, Erin Rose is home to killer poboys, Frozen Irish Coffee and a service industry-friendly crowd.
SFG Rating
7
French Quarter
Molly’s at the Market
Beignet-adjacent dive bar.
SFG Rating
7
French Quarter
Pirate’s Alley Cafe
Hidden cobblestone dive outpost.
SFG Rating
7
Bywater
J&J’s Sports Lounge
Updated Bywater corner spot.
SFG Rating
7
Carrollton
Cooter Brown’s
Riverbend New Orleans classic.
SFG Rating
7
Rendezvous Tavern
Rendezvous Tavern provides a classic neighborhood dive bar experience that feels particularly laid back in light of its heavily trafficked Magazine Street New Orleans location.
SFG Rating
7
Black Penny
Dressed up, renovated dive.
SFG Rating
6
Toulouse Dive Bar
Long operated as The Dungeon, Toulouse Dive Bar is a French Quarter dive bar friendly to both locals and tourists that offers as pure and as minimal a drinking experience as possible.
SFG Rating
6
Vic’s Kangaroo Cafe
Australian dive in New Orleans.
SFG Rating
6
Magazine Street
Ms. Mae’s the Club
Renovated in purple.
SFG Rating
6
Candlelight Lounge
Historic Treme neighborhood institution Candlelight Lounge survived Hurricane Katrina thanks to local musicians who committed to playing the space, allowing the bar to continue its vital role as community hub.
SFG Rating
6
Carrollton
Redd’s Uptilly Tavern
Brick-laden Tulane dive.
SFG Rating
6
Buffa’s Bar & Restaurant
Less danger these days.
SFG Rating
5
3rd Rock Tavern
May the sun never shine.
Recommended But Not Reviewed Dive Bars
We have not had the great pleasure of getting to every possible dive bar (life goals), so inevitably there are great bars that we simply haven't been able to get to yet. The list below includes noteworthy dive bars that by all accounts look amazing but do not have a review associated with them just yet.
Saturn Bar
Other Divey Drinking Options
The bars listed here are the best of the rest, great local drinking options that may not quite be classified as must-visit dive bar destinations (in our rudimentary estimation). There is no doubt a hidden gem or five in the list below. Happy hunting.
Pal's Lounge
Parkview Tavern
Nearby Cities to Explore
Dallas
2 Top Rated Dives
34 Dive Bars
Houston
2 Top Rated Dives
39 Dive Bars
Memphis
Top Rated Dives
9 Dive Bars
Contact Us
What did we miss? Where should we go? We'd love to hear your ideas, your favorite spots, your profound disappointments and anything in between.
