From Fratty Formals to Grown-Up Getaways NOLA Part 1-Happiest Hours
- Apr 4, 2017
- 5 min read
No other city in the world (at least in my experience) does Happy Hour like The Big Easy. Kyle, trip planner and food researcher extraordinaire, created a list of 9 restaurants and bars hosting happy hour specials on Fridays or Saturdays... all of which I would definitely recommend, and you can check them out below!
The Roost Bar at Brennan's- An upscale place that hosts a champagne and cocktail "happy hour" from 2-7 pm on Monday- Thursday; 9am-7pm on Fridays. They even have Courtyard Champagne Sabering every Friday at 5pm, which I am dying to see. The Roost boasts that it has compared it's champagne prices to all of restaurants in the area and even Costco, our bar tender said "If we can beat Costco, you know we're the best deal in town!" I've got to say, that has certainly proven to be true. We have gone for the past two years, and the bartenders have always been very cool! This year, Hung, steered Rusty and I away from the cocktail we initially thought that we wanted towards a different one, and we were both really happy with that decision.
I'm pretty sure that I got the same cocktail two years in a row, and it was just as tasty the second time around. While I thought that I would try the seasonal special, which is made with fresh strawberries and champagne, once Hung informed me that the drink was a bit on the sweeter side, I went with the Pomegranate Cooler, made with pomegranate liqueur, triple sec, and sparkling wine.
The guys went with a traditional New Orleans Drink: the Sazerac (but made with rye whiskey instead of cognac).
$7 cocktail specials, discounted champagne, discounted appetizers and bar snacks
Broussard's- We finally made it here this year, but were super disappointed to learn that they no longer serve mussels, however their cheesy fries and cocktails were delicious enough to make up for it. One of their specials is a traditional absinthe service from 5-7 pm, which Kyle got and it looked very cool. We went with a group of 6 people on Saturday, were seated immediately, and received... adequate service. However, they were busy setting up for a wedding reception on the back patio, which looked beautiful!
$4 punch & well drinks, $4-7 wine by the glass, $20 wine by the bottle
Their Website {their happy hour menu online is outdated, the bar tender said they haven't offered mussels in over a year, and I noticed that the other appetizers listed are different than when we went last weekend}
Bombay Club- Situated on the ground floor of the Prince Conti Hotel (where we stayed last year), just next to Cafe Conti, this old-timey wood paneled lounge offers $4 snacks, $4 martinis (from 10am-2pm they're just a quarter), and other killer drink specials! I had the most delicious Pimm's Cup that I've ever tasted! Their bar snacks are equally delicious, including pork belly tacos, large pretzels, and poutine. While the drinks and snacks are an excellent value, this bar is worth going to for the atmosphere alone, I feel like I'm stepping back in time when we walk in. I belive there is also live music some nights.
4-7 pm every day
Bourbon House-Kind of an upscale seafood restaurant on Bourbon Street that boasts several dozen bourbons! Just check out this menu (above- far right).
My favorite drink on the menu is the Bourbon Root Beer Float. It's made with Bourbon House's classic" Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch and topped with Abita boozy root beer to give it that perfect crispy texture that I associate with floats. The real star of this beverage is truly the Frozen Bourbon Milk Punch which has been "crowned the 'Best Bourbon Milk Punch' in New Orleans! Thick and creamy. Made with Old
Forester Bourbon." The restaurant has a machine which keeps the "punch" turning and frozen, giving it the texture of soft serve ice cream, and the light flavor of creamy bourbon.
This restaurant was so good, we went there twice! One of my friends really enjoyed the bourbon flight & another said their coffee was delicious.
$1 oysters, discounted house wine, & $3 draft Abita
4-6 Monday through Friday
Cane and Table- Further north in the Quarter, but a pretty serious cocktail bar. We stayed for 2 rounds of cocktails and 2 snacks. This first round was a Monkey Gland (gin, orange, raspberry), Ti Punch (rhum agricole, cane syrup, lime) a Mexican Firing Squad (tequila, lime, house-made grenadine, st. ango). For our second round, we went with another Mexican Firing Squad, an El Presidente (white rum, blanche de chambery vermouth, curacau, pomegranate), and a Blue Hawaii (vodka, pineapple, lime, blue curacao). All of the drinks were seriously delicious and deceptively strong--absolutely teh way that I imagine New Orleans cocktails should be.
For our snacks, we settled on sharing 2 of the small plates, I wish that I could remember exactly what they were. The first was white fish that had been seasoned, mixed with something amazing, and fried. If you've ever had a scallion pancake, this has the same texture. It came with a dipping sauce that Kyle went absolutely nuts over!
Our second small plate was deep fried avocado slices topped with melty queso fresco and enough cilantro that my mouth is watering just typing this!
I highly recommend making the trip to Cane & Table next time you're in New Orleans.
$6 small plates, $6.50 cocktails
3-6 pm every day
SoBou- Located below the W French Quarter, this is personally my favorite happy hour. It's also one of my favorite restaurants in the French Quarter. The restaurant was opened by the same family that opened Commander's Palace, an old-school French Quarter staple.
The number one thing that you have to order here is their fried pig skins! You can get just the crispy bites for $1 or add a beer cheese dip for $3. Both ways are incredible and I have gotten them every year for the past 3 years, totally worth it.
This tapas-style restaurant has beer and wine specials, along with $3-$6 bar snacks, and a daily punch.
3-6pm every day
There are a few other happy hours that Kyle found while researching, but we didn't make it to this year. If you've been to any of them, or if you go, let me know how they are & what you recommend getting there!
Trinity- A little further north, but looks like a pretty nice bar.
Discounted snacks, $7 cocktails, $4 draft beers
4:40-6:30 pm Monday- Friday
Erin Rose- A morning happy hour
$3 mimosas & screwdrivers, $4 bloody marys
10m-2pm every day
Kingfish- An upscale restaurant in the middle of the quarter, which was right around the corner from where we were staying, we should have gone!
1/2 price beer & wine, $5 snacks
3:30-6 pm every day
But When in doubt, just remember, this is New Orleans a, and in the French Quarter the only rule is no glass, so grab your favorite drink to-go, grab a beer from one of the many convenience stores, and sip on your beverage responsibly while walking around, enjoying the sights & soaking up the sun.
Don't get me wrong, we did plenty of eating outside of happy hour specials, my scale can attest to that. Check out my other "From Fratty Formals to Grown-Up Getaways NOLA" posts for more Eats & Treats in The Big Easy.
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