A lot of people who have sex New Orleans go out of their style to avoid Pat O’Brien ’s . Yes , most nights , it ’s packed full of tourists , and imbibe cost double what they would in a hatful of bars … not to mention the faculty always judge to take a commemorative word picture and then betray it back to you for quadruple the value of a Polaroid .
That being say , the place oozes repose - back charm , which is probably why it ’s been around since your great - grandma was a teenager . Sure , it ’s chintzy , and there are more veritable bars within a pulley block , but Pat O’Brien ’s will always have a limited place in the Black Maria of every Louisianan who produce up thinking of an eve in New Orleans as a head trip to " The City . " Here ’s why this place guarantee a spot on ourNew Orleans pail tilt … ( plus , fall on , there ’s a bally fountain , y’ all ) .
The Hurricane: how Louisiana turns lemons into daiquiris
We ’re a springy bunch , and the Hurricane cocktail is an instance of the fact that we wo n’t be pose by hell or literal high water system . In fact , we ’ll take that high water and then change by reversal a profit . Legend has it that Hurricanes are a solvent of Pat O’Brien himself trying to pawn some cheap inebriant onto unsuspecting bluejacket , and to this day , Pat O ’s is still standing , and still huckster a swallow that costs about a buck to make to tourists for $ 15 a pop .
Day drinking at Pat O’Brien’s is fun (really)
Most bad Pat O ’s experiences are the final result of standing elbow - to - elbow with a gaggle of sorority sister discovering that $ 30 worth of Hurricanes will not make you feel particularly great . But Pat O’Brien ’s is candidly a pretty fun stead to Clarence Day drink in the offseason . On former good afternoon in the previous summer and fall , you’re able to find the space nearly empty … which means you’re able to relax with your cocktail and hear yourself opine .
The bartenders are actually really good
The bartenders at Pat O ’s work hard for their money , and they also know way more about alcohol than just pour Hurricane mix over rummy . Ask for a Gallic 75 , and you might just be impressed .
It’s gorgeous
Seriously . When the place is n’t pack , take a tone at the intricate woodwork behind the bar ; the somber , expose beam ceilings ; and the landscaping in the courtyard . If no one ’s around , it ’s really comfortable to belly up to that ancient bar and pretend you ’re in Walker Percy ’s sulky - but - sultry city .
That piano bar is an unpretentious good time
In the town that gave birth to jazz , it may feel blasphemous to hang around vocalizing along to " Piano Man . " But the good nature of the player and crowd alike at Pat O’Brien ’s is enough to melt even the most cynical of heart . The Piano Bar at Pat O ’s is all about the fellowship of merriment , and in a humanity where multitude seem to be tripping over themselves for " legitimacy , " sometimes it ’s nice to allow ourselves a little kitsch .
The staff is some of the nicest in town
I once hire a friend who had never visited New Orleans to Pat O’Brien ’s ( because , come on , you have to ) , and I left her to go to the lav . When I come out a bit after , she enquire , " What take you so long ? " First of all , that ’s a rude question when you ’ve been binge a newbie full of blood-red bonce & rice with a side of muffulettas and raw oysters for two daylight . But the real reason was because the bathroom meeter look up to my wearing apparel , and we get into a long conversation about the best places to buy vintage in the metropolis . She note a rip in the lacing at the hem and recite me a few places to get it fixed within an time of day for flash . It did n’t weigh that I did n’t want any perfume or mints ; she was just a nice lady who like to chat . While this kind of humanity is characteristic of the city , no faculty has more reason to be grouchy than that of Pat O’Brien ’s , what with gaggle of stumble people test their nerves on an hourly basis . Yet somehow they still retain the capacity for kindness . Bless their hearts , for genuine .
The souvenirs are perfectly kitschy
add up on , everybody needs at least one Hurricane glass … and you might as well keep it , since you already make up the deposit .
Some of the ghosts are very real
Fine , maybe it ’s a plosive speech sound on every ghost enlistment in Ithiel Town because they ’ve get John Barleycorn and have been around forever , and instead of get out with a ghostwriter account , tourists leave with the qualification of a hangover . But the trueness is , Pat O ’s has been the rite of passage for eight X of Mardi Gras , 21st birthday , bachelor-at-arms parties , and post - divorce saturnalia . Nearly 100 years of celebration and commiseration are trapped in these walls , along with the spirit of old butt . All that dreary wood , piano music , and square - up early-20th - century appealingness is n’t something you hail by in a tourist bar in any other metropolis . It ’s worth let ourselves remember the mode we were when we first fell in erotic love with New Orleans , and Pat O ’s is a stand testament to the resiliency , strength of tradition , and free-and-easy elegance of The City .
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