pat o’brien’s

another must-do while in n'awlins is pat o'brien's. this is thebarthat invented the hurricane drink, so of course they make them better than any one else in town. the open courtyard scattered with lush green plants and fancy fountains was the perfect place to spend a few late afternoon hours.

one of america's great bars. outstanding atmosphere. one of the coolest bars in america since 1933. inside, outside, bar, tables, fountain -- all kinds of seating choices. the building dates to 1791. the food menu is standard nola and pub food. they serve maybe the perfectbarfries. the burger was large, competent and decent but not outstanding, $10 w/ fries. they need to switch out the tabasco with crystal or louisiana hot sauce. server was fine. may 2010.

have you ever had a hurricane drink? you know, the drink in the signature glass with rum, fruit juice and syrup or grenadine?. that was started at abarcalled pat o'brien's during world war ii in new orleans. and it is a signature drink of the city. the most popular drink with visitors to the french quarter may just be the sweet red hurricane, served with a big old cherry and a juicy orange slice. this local libation was created with rum at pat o’brien’s bar during world war ii when whiskey was hard to come by. the name for the drink came from the glass it’s served in that resembles a hurricane lamp. a perfect place to sip a hurricane is still in pat o’s legendary courtyard, overlooking the flaming fountain. you can find them elsewhere around the city as well, and most bartenders will be happy to mix you one. also try the frozen varieties at drive-thru daiquiri stands and in the french market. (source)

service is sloooow and less attentive than many establishments but staff are friendly!!!
food was very good. catfish po boy was the special, yum! first time eating catfish, very tasty. the setup here is odd... you can only eat in mainbaror dining area, not pianobararea.

great courtyard and the only place for a good hurricane. it's not my favorite...not fond of overly-sweet drinks, but there is so much more! the bloody marys are quite fine here, with a bit of kick - i think made with absolute peppar vodka.

the reality is that it is hard finding something new to say after the multitude of solid reviews, but i will offer up a few pointers:

1) however alluring the courtyard is (and it is the best place to drink!!!), remember the drink prices are different in thebar(cheapest), the dueling piano bar, and most expensive in the courtyard.

2) remember that the hurricanes, and many other drinks in fancy stemware, come with the souvenir glass they are served in, so if you don't want to keep the glass, return it to thebararea and you get your deposit back (2 or 3 dollars per glass returned!!!)

3) the food is mediocre when compared to the high class cuisine all around the quarter. this is the place to enjoy the courtyard or dueling pianos and a bit of drinking.

4) the waiters share areas. don't fret over finding "your waiter." grab anyone in a green jacket. they will be more than happy to take your order. they usually want you to pay as you go here, because of the high volume, touristy nature of the place, the shared areas, and frankly the high liquor content in those hurricanes.

5) don't get stuck on the sweet hurricanes. try some of the other specialty drinks! the cyclone is ok. the fuzzy leprechaun and bloody mary are better!

6) the bathrooms are less than stellar, and the main women's bathroom is upstairs (although there is another option downstairs, just ask someone in a green jacket). however rudimentary they are, use them before you leave. then when one of your friends who didn't read this review, didn't heed the warning, and didn't tinkle at pat o'briens is walking back to your hotel and yells "i have to pee" you can do the "i told ya so" dance. most places will make you buy another drink just to use their bathroom. crafty trick, huh?

went in here to try one or two of the famous hurricane cocktails. they are gorgeous and very easy to drink and we ended up having about 5 each which had quite an effect. we grabbed some food in the courtyard before leaving as well and that too was quite nice. the atmosphere in the pianobaris very nice and i'd say two of the 3 women playing were very good and interacted with the crowd very well.

you can go so you say you went. grade: c+

a tourist spotbarfeaturing the hurricane – imagine red kool-aid without much sugar and multiple shots of rum in a vase – it might be worth the stop just to be able to say that you did it. and you'll get to keep the vase.

hurricane in a cup. the classic is more of a tropical storm size now but this is still a must visit when in town, even if just a walk through.

courtyard is nice in good weather (more fall and winter) but frontbarwith cd juke and tube for the game is just fine too.

if you find the glasses on a table turn in at frontbarfor $3 a piece. ;0)

hurricane central. a hurricane at pat o'briens is one of those squares you have to fill. and make sure to get the souvenir glass, they're inexpensive and you'll wish you had. thebarhad a nice atmosphere and the drinks were good. make sure to stop by the courtyard to see the fountain, even if you don't stop to eat.

what a happy place!. i really didn't expect to have such a good time at this bar... the pianobar(sometimes great sometimes scary) was an excellent choice for a drunken evening. i liked the fact that the crowd wasn't filled with college kids, either...

had the cajun shepherds pie, it was ok but nothing special. the cocktails were strong and good, but watch out for some dodgy activity. when our change came back, they hid some money behind the receipt, obviously in the attempt to stooge us.
also, they charge you $3 for each cocktail glass on the bill saying its a souvenir glass you can keep, and you can only get your money back if you take your glass to thebarfor a refund.

pianobarknown for their "hurricanes." for me 1 was enough. it was good, fruity, and stronger than you realize. the piano players were wonderful. they could turn a song like "zombie" into a crowd sing-a-long! crowd gets going later in the evening, but you run the risk of not getting a table.

bourbon street cajun. i was stopping through nola with a friend. we were in the french quarter looking for some place to grab lunch, and we saw pat o'brien's. i guess someone had told her that it was amazing and we had to go so we stopped in. it was nice so we sat outdoors. the atmosphere was really great, really old world. heads up: no separate checks. the service was a bit slow at first and came off as rude initially, but ended up being ok. prices weren't too bad, and there was a good selection of local cajun cuisine. i had the gator bites and the crawfish cakes. both were fantastic, lots of flavor, and great portion sizes. also, being nola, there's a massive drink list. it's almost assumed you go there and get hammered. there's a $3 charge per glass on yur check since they're souvenirs that you can walk out and onto the street with but if you want yur money back, just return them to thebarfor cash... def worth stopping in if you're in the area.

they have food? who would have known!. had no idea that food was served here, however i know the drinks are good, the patiobaris great entertainment. (there is places in los angeles, miami, and vegas that try to imitate this.)
i always stop for a drink on the patio if i am in the area or the mainbar(first room to the left is also more of the local room if you will).

great atmosphere to have a few drinks. the pianobaris really a nice experience and the fountain courtyard is the perfect place to unwind and sit back with friends and drink a few.