This is exactly the kind of bar my wife and I have been looking for since we moved here from…read moreSouthern California a couple years ago. My wife and I decided to grab lunch in historic Mandeville today, and rolled by this bar on our way home so we decided to stop in for a quick drink. And we're glad we did. Let me start off by saying that California has a "dive bar" culture. Despite what most people see on TV about the glamorous night life in Los Angeles, that's not 99% of SoCal. And to be perfectly honest, I think it's kind of funny how bougie the north shore pretends to be. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of nice and seemingly upscale establishments to visit around here so I'm not trying to offend anyone. But sometimes you just want to grab a drink in a place that's not full of pretentious people who are trying too hard. We all live in a glorified swamp, people. Accept it. Very simply: a good pour, good music, friendly patrons, and good service. That's really all that matters. And the best part is that this place doesn't have the weird hours that a lot of the places around here do. Seriously, who's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays? Do better, North Shore. Jokes aside, this is a cool, chill little bar in a great part of town.

Low prices, great happy hour and the best staff [bartenders around]…read more The Staff wants to know your name and invite you back. Great place to come hang out! Put a "Dollar on the wall"

Barktoberfest was a hit!…read more 4 different Marzen, some excellent bratwurst, and a killer jambalaya made with orzo - boom, baby! Can't wait for next year! Emory, my dear, you are a saint for putting up with Rectal Grease!

Always good at the Barley Oak in Mandeville. Great service, drinks, and food along with a cool vibe…read moreon the lakeshore in Mandeville.

Great location and view of the lake.Cold beer best servers.They also have good local bands n Dj s…read morewithout cover charge! Donz has the best sunset .

We came to grab some drinks. Put money in the pool table (1.50$) per game. Some old dude (assuming…read morethe owner) dumped our freshly racked balls. No warning. Complete tool. We typically go to the RedBarn (such an amazing place) however, Tommy wanted to play pool. I'll never spend money here again. There was a drunk dude with two buckets of beer, stumbling and this man is worried about us playing a 3rd game of pool. If you are closing soon, say so. 845pm and you dump our game. Ambiance is terrible. Both Ruby's and RedBarn deserve your money more.

Best and only true juke joint in Mandeville. Great bands and people. Unique characters (I am…read moreprobably one), and decent prices. Been a patron since post Katrina. Often played guitar next door, the back porch, and the stage. Other than what's on the marquis, you never know when, what or if something cool will happen. Played at a table with Rockin' Dopsey unscheduled one nite! The previous owners (r.i.p. Dianne) kept it from dying for 40 years. The new owners (thx Ben) resurrected the place and brought in new life.

I saw Tab Benoit and Louisiana LaRoux there one night. Great night of Music. Several years agoread more

On a recent visit to Mandeville, my local friends brought me in here for a pre-dinner drink. From…read morethe outside, it's just a small looking dive, but the inside is really cute. It's dark a lit with string lights. The area that was a wine store is now an event space, so you could have a group party or shower or something in there. They have a nice menu of drinks, some more elaborate than others. The bartenders were very friendly and offered to make anything I could think of. I opted for a old fashioned as we were just starting the night. It was pretty good. We decided to sit outside on a beautiful evening. I will definitely go back to check it out again on a return trip!

Joey and Lexi are more than just bartenders, they make you feel like family and are expert…read moremixologists. This is best place to have a drink in Mandeville hands down. The people on here who have had bad experiences will likely have them anywhere they go, Buncha Karen's! Grapeful ape for the win!!

I came in for late lunch and drinks with a friend and this was the perfect place. We settled on…read moreapps and she ended up ordering The chicken Cesar sandwich. I tried a bait, and despite not being a big Cesar salad fan, did enjoy it. Chicken was flavorful, cooked perfectly and served on a beautiful cloves of garlic toast. Our apps were good. Chips and queso and flatbreads are pretty standard so they met my expectations. The Trace has plenty of menu options and beers on tap. I am curious to try their other menu items, specifically the main dishes. A very casual ambiance, we chose to sit outside and enjoy the warm weather. Our server was great and patient. He checked on us consistently through service and even gave our dog a water bowl as well.

Met family for lunch today at The Trace Neighborhood Bar and Grill in Mandeville and enjoyed it…read more This is the third or fourth iteration of a restaurant here and the bar area, dining room, and patio are quite nice. The location, directly on the St. Tammany Trace on Girod Street, is a definite winner. We dined outside today and service was excellent. We had a variety of burgers, salads, and munchables today and all were good. My Buffalo chicken salad was stellar; fresh, crispy, and generously portioned. They have a good selection of specialty cocktails and local brews, and the iced tea was good. Good things seem to be going on here. It will be interesting to see how things develop.

Perfect lunch for one. Nice seat on the porch when the weather is good. Ordered at the counter and…read moremy food was brought to me real quick.

Wonderful coffee shop! Cappuccino full of flavor. Nice service and great seating outside on a…read morebeautiful day. I would come back.

Friday my husband and I had a delightful lunch on the porch of Aperitif. We started with delicious…read moreduck dumplings then moved to the yummy steak shrimp tacos and Chicken prosciutto sandwich. The service an whole experience were excellent. Their new menu was wonderful and reasonably priced.

Aperitif has all the bones of a great spot. The location is phenomenal, with excellent views of the…read morelake, especially from the front patio. We were greeted warmly when we walked in and seated quickly, and the service throughout the meal was top notch. Everyone who served us was incredibly kind and helpful. The interior relies pretty heavily on the lake views, but it's still a comfortable and inviting spot for dinner or a drink. For an appetizer, we tried the crabmeat gnocchi, which was absolutely delicious and something I'd happily order again. For entrees, we had the hamburger and the salmon. Both were very good, although the salmon was the standout and definitely something we'd come back for. The burger came with a salad that was extremely tasty, but it was served in one of the most frustrating bowls I've ever encountered in my dining life. It was basically like trying to eat out of a spinning top. Maybe that's part of the charm.. keeping you fully engaged in the dining experience. For dessert, we had the Aperitif Press with coffee gelato. Again, very tasty, although I thought the donut pastry was just missing a little something. Overall, we're very happy we tried Aperitif and will definitely be back. We'd recommend it to anyone, with one caveat: bring your best focus when attempting to eat the salad.

This place was amazing. Our server / Host Grace was beyond…read moreprofessional, knowledgeable, kind and very attentive. The GM and cooks also were personable and welcoming. Food was fresh and cooked to perfection. Portions were generous. Mac n cheese was mouth watering. Im not a big tipper as a rule. Usually dont feel people care enough. I gave the cook a tip and extra big to Grace. So worth every penny. Oh, and dessert was decadent and fresh. Nice view of Lake Pontchartrain. If it didn't have so much rain.

My wife and I did a Friday lunch at Pat's Rest Awhile in Mandeville. Pat's is a handsome presence…read moreoverlooking Lake Pontchartrain and features a comfortable 2nd floor dining room and outdoor deck; both reached by stairs and elevator. There is also a small dedicated bar area that also serves the restaurant. Service is both friendly and efficient, and although the somewhat small dining room can get rather crowded, it is tasteful and comfortably casual. Pat's offers fresh seafood, oysters, steak, ribs, salads, appetizers, and sandwiches. Service was a little slow, but the staff was dealing with a crowd. We both had Caesar salads with chicken and they were good. Price points were somewhat high on some items, but overall food quality and ambiance are good.