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"

Just a quick revision - this place is definitely 5 stars in my book…read more Freki's on the job now, Tucker's retired, and the place is just as fantastic as ever - maybe more so, although we do miss Gerilyn. :) Folks behind the bar are super - helpful, friendly, full of great information about beer (and bourbon!), there's water for the pups, and a gorgeous view of Lake Pontchartrain. I recently spent a Friday afternoon out here with some friend, talking soccer, beer, dogs and Christ - not necessarily in that order. If you see us out, say hi to Freki and let us know how you enjoyed the Barley Oak!

My wife and I tried out the Barley Oak in Mandeville this evening and are glad we did. The Barley…read moreOak features good food , excellent happy hour drinks, and a laid back comfortable, yet still somewhat sophisticated, old world persona. Service at the bar was friendly, welcoming, and efficient. We enjoyed a tasty hot pretzel appetizer, a special Barley Oak cheeseburger, and a Reuben sandwich, which may have been the star of the show. Old Fashioneds were the drinks of the evening. The Barly Oak is a great place to meet friends for drinks and eats, or just to watch the sun go down over the lake. Highly recommended!

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.

Super cool bar in historic Mandeville on the lakefront. We love the chill vibes on the weekdays but…read morealso enjoy the weekends when they have live music. Staff always remembers our drinks the second we walk in without even having to ask. TVs for sports and pool tables when you just feel like hanging out. Never a bad time to visit.

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.

Stopped in yesterday evening after the Giroid Street Stroll. I was a little disappointed the band…read morewas advertised to begin at 7:00 but once I arrived they were not going to play until 9:00. It was a long day so I sat & spoke with a few of the patrons, got my drink to go as I was pooped. Each time I have gone I have enjoyed myself. Would recommend if you like a laid back environment.

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.

How fantastic is this gem. We need one of these on the Southshore! Who wouldn't want a place that…read morehas great coffee, alcoholic coffee, and yummy desserts?! We were only staying the weekend in the Northshore and we visited here twice. They have really great coffee, I remember reading it was Mojo coffee from New Orleans (so maybe we do have a Tandem in NOLA afterall). But this place does more than Mojo with regards to those martini espressos! Oh! so good! So, I had ordered one and it was top notch. The place is fun too, they have all kinds of board games and plenty of seating. It is a large quaint house-like establishment and has some outdoor seats as well. The place was really clean and the staff were all accommodating and friendly. One was so sorry they had just run out of the Dubai flavoring for the coffee, but it was ok. They have quite a few flavors to choose from. They also serve a full breakfast here. The customers range from all ages and from families to singles. This little gem is doing everything right!

Pretty cocktails, food and views! Friendly staff, dog friendly as well. We stopped here on our…read morehouse hunting trip, this dining experience makes moving to Louisiana more comforting!

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.