You couldn’t ask for a better nightlife city than New Orleans. Just read my piece from when I was there when the Saints won the championship in 2010. So there is no shortage of amazing bars and restaurants to catch the big game. Here are our particular favorites:
The spot where I watched the Saints win the Lombardi was Lucy’s in the Central Business District. Not only is this bar close to the Superdome, but it’s a well-known hang out for Saints players. The scene two years ago was a giant tailgate party and the game was projected onto the side of a building. Specials this Sunday include $3 mimosas, $4 Bloody Marys, $15 buckets of beer, $5 well drinks, and $5 house margaritas.
Again just steps away from the Superdome is Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar, which is offering an entire weekend’s worth of events. Starting with a party on Saturday, the bar will be partnered with Baltimore radio station 105.7 the Fan. The tailgate party will feature autograph and photo opportunities with Lardarius Webb and other players, as well as New Orleans food and drink (jambalaya, gumbo, hurricanes); admission is $40. On Sunday, there’s a VIP tailgate party sponsored by ESPN with all-inclusive food and drink, live entertainment, and access to a post-game party. All-inclusive VIP admission for that is $400.
If craft beer and raw oysters are more your scene, head Uptown to Cooter Brown’s Tavern, which features 38 beers on tap including a bunch of local favorites and tons of international rarities. The place has 17 flat screens and two eight-foot drop down screens. The menu includes New Orleans classics like raw oysters, po’boys, and crawfish. Plus, the bar is located on the historic St. Charles Avenue streetcar line, if you want to fit in something touristy.
Tracey’s was the original bar in the Irish Channel neighborhood (across from the beautiful Garden District). This Irish sports bar is pretty huge, and has a beer hall type feel with 20 TVs. Though Tracey’s is known for its Irish classics and po’boys, the chef said they’ll probably put crabcakes on the menu for Baltimore fans on Sunday.
But if you’re looking to party closer to the French Quarter (where most revelers will end up anyway), the Jimani Lounge is a divey sports bar known for its excellent food (hamburgers and crawfish pasta), as well as its juke-box entertainment. Above all, the Jimani is a great place to catch a football game and, in fact, has officially banned NFL commissioner Roger Goodell from the establishment, like the Saints’ loyalists they are.
[Image: courtesy of SBNation.com]