We learned after our visit to the Saturn Bar that the best drinks were the ones that came in bottles and cans. The mixed drinks were a disappointment -- and they know that. Not what they do. But the friendliness and the music were extraordinary. If you get a chance to hang out here for a couple of hours, do it. It was a blast. read more

One of my favorite local spots/bars in the bywater!! There's always an event happening here, and you're bound to run into atleast one person you know. There's not typically any food here but sometimes on the weekend, there will be a guy smoking meats just outside. Great smoking area outside too (enter through the doors to the left under the inside balcony) . Very cozy and very new orleans. Really cool glory hole in the women's bathroom!! Walking distance to other bars/restaurants in the area. Great addition to your bar hopping for the night. read more

Saturn Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Fun vibes. Service is fast & good. I have had good from random vendors while at this bar. Food vendors have always been really good local food. Shawn did a really great job making my pineapple Long Island. read more

Saturn Bar - Pineapple Long Island - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I'm from out of town and stumbled into Saturn Bar by pure cosmic luck. This place is exactly the kind of weird, wonderful, slightly unhinged energy I was hoping to find in New Orleans. The drinks are flowing, the music's great, and the vibe is just the right mix of grungy and magical. But the real star of the show? Maggie. Blonde, tatted, effortlessly cool, and somehow managing the chaos behind the bar like it's a casual Tuesday? It's giving ballerina that survived a mosh pit. While I was there, just minding my own business, I noticed someone try to dramatically wave her down. I was lowkey kinda shook. Like, sir, are you hailing a taxi? Signaling a rescue plane? Even I, as a third party observer, knew that wasn't it. She handled it calmly and with total queen energy; no drama, just a quiet reminder that Saturn runs on the unspoken rules of hospitality. Honestly, respect. Maggie is THE moment; the kind of bartender you become a regular for. The owners clearly know what they're doing as this place feels like a beautiful fever dream you want to keep coming back to. I came in for a boilermaker and left with a new favorite bar. Five stars. No notes. No waving. read more

Saturn Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Nice hole in wall locals bar. Good drinks and pop up food options. Nice selections of DJ's. Always a line.

I've been wanting to try this place for forever and finally got the excuse when my friend played a gig here. It was an amazing set up for bands - super chill and two levels. The drink offerings and bartenders were super nice and I just loved being so close to everything else on the block. I would come for events anytime. read more

Can I give zero stars? By far the highest cover of everywhere we've been --we tried to buy merch and they couldn't even find where their stuff was, told us to come back tomorrow like...? We single-handedly got people on their dance floor, and left early, explained to the person at the door that it wasn't worth the $15 cover, and they just shrugged their shoulders like...that's so bad for you? Horrible fucking hospitality, horrible attitude about it the whole experience. Every single place we've been to here, down to the uber and Lyft drivers are so helpful and fun to talk to. I love New Orleans with all my heart. I will never ever come back here -- fuck Saturn bar. read more

Went to this spot randomly while visiting NOLA. Place is sick with cheap drinks and cool atmosphere. I don't recall there being any food but I did go after dinner so wasn't looking for any. Staff was approachable and friendly. It feels like a bunch of spots we have back in Ybor back in Tampa. I would definitely come back here next time I visit! read more

Kicking myself for not making it a habit of frequenting this kitschy little hole in the wall. Great art, great bartenders, fun specials, red beans on mondays for the community. Theater, poetry readings, music and an interesting space bursting from the seams of stories made and stories shared at this local neighborhood corner tap over many decades of service. read more

See all

No food served but you can go right across the street and get AWESOME Mexican food!!! The drink selection at Saturn is great!! Prices are very reasonable!! We LOVED the decor and the music the night we were there was excellent!! A neighborhood dog came in and put its front paw on the bar as if asking for a drink! So hilarious! The owner was there with it so not as if it wandered in unattended. The staff are super friendly and helpful! Wish the bar was located in our city! Can't wait to go back again some time!!! read more

See all

I've been visiting the Saturn since 1984 so I've seen a few things here and of course accumulated a few interesting bar stories. The bar is now owned by its third owner since the 1960's and its had an interesting life that I shall not get into, except that the recent sale of the Saturn to its current owners the sellers did remove a lot of the "stuff" that made the Saturn so unique, like the turtle with the neon CANDY on it. Most of the old artwork is gone now too but the new owners seem to be making an effort of putting their stamp on the place. There is now an outdoor patio seating, and it's generally cleaned up a bit-not a lot so that you'd take your elderly aunt here but a bit. It's on the Bywater dive bar crawl for sure and they still have live music shows here. Just keep in mind it's not the old Saturn. read more

Saturn Bar - people sitting at the bar and watching television - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Very interesting bar with a very interesting history. Lots of cool artwork very , very artsy vibe. read more

Saturn Bar - Da bar !! - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Disgustingly rude service. I can't believe how I was treated in this place. Moldy drink and terrible music. You'll never get my business again. read more

Visited New Orleans for a weekend and discovered this LGBTQ+ bar and it was amazing. Spend your money here

Cool dive bar with a nice casual atmosphere. More of a local feel if you are not into the touristy side of New Orleans

They are open! New owners? No lit signage, boarded up windows, bags of garbage on the street out front..... freshly cut lime in my drink with non plastic straw, live music. I'm happy trot see the Saturn bar return better than ever! read more

Saturn Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I like some of the bands, but honestly the people make Saturn cool. Kind of grungy low key vibe with weird decor; but really good staff with Charlotte being like the manager and mega hostess. It's a cool place to get a pre game drink or play Catan or see a local band. Cheap drinks and a tarot guy comes Saturday afternoons. read more

I wish I had a dance place this amazing at home. Two levels of pure dance and great music. When the place is packed it gets warm but I hardly notice when you have a cold drink and the music sweeps you off your feet. Classy songs you won't be embarrassed being caught dancing to read more

Cheap drinks + good service + funky atmosphere. Came in to get out of the rain and they're practicing for a show tonight, super cool

While I'm not a typical cool dude that hangs at divey places, a buddy of mine made me hip to the King James band. On his recommendation, I made an exception. I crawled in around 930ish, expecting the band to play at 10. I asked Rob, their awesome bartender, and he informed me they go on around 11. No problem. I hung out and drank a few local brews, and got to chat with locals and out of towners alike. That night was one of the highlights of my trip. The only thing better than this experience was kayaking in the swamps. Holy cow, that King James band can get down. Rob's very attentive service made it an evening to remember. A must do on your New Orleans trip. read more

Saturn Bar - Abita's alright with me - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Hipster ambiance, really?! So normally that's a no-go for me. Luckily Saturn Bar had the endorsement of a most trusted yelper, Shannon S to steer me right. Despite the aforementioned ambiance alert, I'm a fan of Saturn Bar. This is what I would choose to do if left to my own devices: pretend that I'm hanging out with all the people from years past on the walls. Hiya cool older lady getting her drink on with the owner and his family. Hey there, dude with the Queen shirt and mullet. Oh, *hello there* Moonstruck-era Nicholas Cage! Luckily our small group prevented me from being left to my own devices (crazy lady alert!) No, seriously, I like this bar. I won't go on a night when the ambiance is as described, packed with the ironic masses, but on a very slow, almost empty night, you might catch a musical duo singing their hearts out and it's probably going to be a good, damn time. The soda water might be flat and the surrounding neighborhood might give you pause to park, but if I lived within walking distance, you can bet your "so ugly it's hip" grandma sweater from Walmart that I'd be a regular, no matter how much I don't look like I fit in (newsflash: the bartender/owner will keep all annoying idiots in check and I think I am going to apply to be her new best friend). read more

The acoustics in this place are amazing. It's like being inside someone's house listening to a show, and it's one of my favorite places in the world to watch live music because of the balcony thing where I can sit on the floor and actually see what's going on. For someone who's slightly over five feet tall, being able to see the band is pretty amazing in itself. Whenever I come here it feels like everyone else is super young; they look like a bunch of eighteen and nineteen year old hipsters. Maybe it's just me. It doesn't necessarily detract from the overall experience, it's just something I've noticed about the clientele. I always feel slightly out of place. Although this is an amazing music venue, I will say the jukebox freaking sucks. Whenever there's a space between bands, I find myself praying (to no avail) that no one will play anything on the jukebox. Silence is better than the crap available to play, but I suppose that just makes the live music that much better. I suppose. Last comment: when the front door is closed, it definitely doesn't look like a functioning door. But it is. Just go for it. You won't be sorry. read more

Saturn Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Saturn Bar is a serious dive. Located in what appeared to be a fairly sketchy neighborhood (I was harassed while outside on the phone), I wouldn't normally have come here. That being said, it wasn't such a bad place inside. In fact, it was everything a dive bar should be. It was dark, smokey, had interesting regulars, and even had photos of customers from the old days on the walls (including a long haired Nicholas Cage). The owner/bartender was sweet and friendly and gladly informed me that she had several shotguns behind the bar just in case. I don't know if she was telling the truth, but it made me like the bar much more. There was a band playing in the back room, but I didn't particularly care for their brand of music. After the set two girls did play the recorder which was impressive and reminded me of my grade school days. The bathroom was typical for a major dive. It was small with a large troth type urinal and no soap. An odd feature about this bathroom (or plus depending how you look at it) was that when the door was open, a large part of the bar could watch you pee Besides the conversation at our table, I did get to hear two regulars argue about how it would be impossible to receive a lap dance to a Beatles song. Apparently they had never heard of "twist and shout". If you want a real dive, in the neighborhood to match, check out Saturn Bar. read more

Diviest of the dive bars, in a good way!! Bad art, cheap drinks, crazy locals who wanna buy you a beer (yes, please), tattered seats, creepy bathroom facilities and FABULOUS swag. Sure, I own the t-shirt, but last time I was there I also walked out with a calendar, a couple of koozies and a free key-chain. Cheap ICE cold beers, NOTHING fancy, real live dive bar atmosphere in a neighborhood that you would NOT be going to otherwise. You've got to do it!! read more

Sometimes it smells so gutter punk in here it's hard to stand. But most of the time the dance floor is popping and good times are always had. Drinks are cheap, bartenders are fast and don't want any funny business. The special occasion parties are the best... I most recently celebrated David Bowie's bday here right before his death and it was a magical time! Bywater staple, been here for years, not going anywhere soon! read more

Saturn Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Saturday night we stopped in and were the only people there. We couldn't have happier here though- we drank lots of beers and talked with the owners a lot about post-Katrina New Orleans and stuff and had a great time. Some skinny smelly dude who looked a lot like Wolverine from X-men and his punk rock girlfriends eventually came in and joined us in wonderful deep drunk talk. Holy shit- a few shots of Chartreuse later I was practically drooling on myself. The building here is something special- the back room with the tiny balconies originally installed for watching "Saturday night smoker" boxing matches, beautiful neon signs wrapped around the building, inside, everywhere. Yup, this place is dripping with culture- despite some changes, it's great. FYI- the old owner of Saturn bar recently passed away. He willed the place to his nephew, Eric. Eric and his wife and daughter are running the place now- they're happy to call you a cab when it's time, the cabbie comes right in to get you. So yes it's alive and kicking with born and raised locals running the place, and yes, it's still a great spot for a drink and live music in the back room and such, but no, you will not find a ton of air conditioners and shit laying around waiting to be serviced. read more

Saturn Bar - Dive Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Tucked away in the Bywater neighborhood with an unassuming exterior, Saturn Bar was a charming, divey dance bar with cheap drinks, experimental music, and committed dancing. New Orleans seems to have a dive bar on every corner, but this one stood out because of its lively, fun atmosphere. The service was great, there was no pretentiousness, you didn't have to wait forever to get a drink, and you can get cheap, decent drinks. It's also an LGBTQ+ friendly space for people who genuinely adore dancing. I absolutely loved the music there as it was experimental electronic that combined Footwork, Trap, Techno, and House. I also enjoyed that you could step outside with your drink when you needed some fresh air. I know that's a NOLA thing, but I love being able to hang out outside of a bar past 12am and not get yelled at by some disgruntled doorman. Saturn Bar was my favorite bar that I went to in NOLA. It's a masterpiece of the Bywater Neighborhood. read more

This may have been my favorite bar that I visited while in NOLA, and I think that was mainly due to all the great people I met while I was there. It's a dive with maybe a loose nautical theme and great music. There was a second room with a balcony going around the perimeter that I was too drunk to understand- no one was back there, and it sort of looked like a storage area in someone's old house. We made friends with some locals and all hung out elsewhere afterwards into the early morning. They have t-shirts and wall calendars that make for cool mementos to bring back. Some of the worst bathrooms I've ever taken a leak in (Yelp actually removed the photo due to offensive content, so there ya go). ETA: Holy crap, I recognize the murals on the wall now. The Valparaiso Mens Chorus, their album cover for the Straits of St. Claude is from the art on the walls. read more

See all

It's a dive bar....we ventured because a person in our group has close ties to High Dive in Milwaukee and there are stickers from Saturn bar. We went during the day probably right around open because we were wandering around and wanted a drink.. the people working were nice enough. Upstairs seating is cool...o see how it would be good for shows. I attempted to use the bathroom... after shutting the door I became afraid of the noises I was hearing and noticed the wall didnt quite make it to the floor...finally got the courage to walk to the toilet and it was far gone from being able to use it. Go here to drink and dance... not to pee. Cool place with cool decor. read more

See all

Tried to come here with my family during Mardi Gras. Unfortunately, I had lost my ID the night before, but I hadn't had any problems getting into bars in the area, so I thought I'd try. I told the doorman how i'd lost my ID and couldn't get another one the day of and tried to show him a picture of it I had taken weeks earlier. He then proceeded to mock me saying he'd "heard that one before" and then started to degrade me for lying. I felt embarrassed and insulted. Please find a doorman who isn't so rude and hateful. All you had to do was say no, sorry. Never coming to this bar again and honestly you ruined my last night in New Orleans. Thanks. read more

I loved everything about this bar. The music, the people, the drinks, the staff. Everything. Good vibes all around.

Agree with other reviews that this place is not friendly to locals, seems to cater to a tragically hip tourist crowd who believe dirty and mean equals cool. Recently moved in a few blocks away and decided to stop by on a quiet Monday night - the bartender was far from friendly in the completely empty bar but we stayed to finish our drinks. The entire time we ordered and drank 3/4 of our drinks (about 30 min) we had our small dog with us. Not sure how the rude bartender could miss this given there were no other customers in the bar (only other guy in there was a wannabe punk retrieving his cell phone and debit card from the night before who was extremely rude to the bartender), but yells at me after half an hour that our silent and well behaved and very small dog was not allowed. I love a dive, but when you can bring dogs to grocery stores, restaurants and bars in New Orleans it's pretty ridiculous a place where the chairs are held together with tape and is completely lacking any other paying customers would kick you out. Maybe it's better when it's packed and you don't have to deal much with the bartenders, but with so many other good, friendly places to go - this place royally sucks. read more

Bar owners and staff are extremely rude and not supportive of the people and of the neighborhood they operate in. Plenty of other places along St Claude that are far better suited to grab some drinks. If you like incoherent screaming matches, this is your spot, however. read more

Greetings class. I am Professor Pabstsmear and welcome to SATURN 101. Please check your class syllabus to confirm you're in the right bar, or the wrong bar, ironically. Today as our first lesson we will be discussing the age old question... What is the Meaning of Hipster? Is it knowing about something cool long before enough normies agree with it being cool so that it reaches the mainstreamed tipping point of being no longer cool until enough have forgotten about it for it to be cool again? Is it a deeply plunging V-neck decorated with a piece of jewelry dedicated to the Alkali metals of the Periodic Table of Elements? Is it the lifelong search for caring so little about anything, that the pinnacle of not caring can only be attained by caring so much to not care thus making life itself ironic? Is it a shirt that says: IT TAINT YOU. SCHLITZ ME? Is it a dive bar full of second-hand clothed twenty-somethings seizurely dancing to two fresh out of Xbox Rock Band School vegan scenesters white rapping to electro mp3s playing off a lone MacBook Pro accompanied by a raccoon-painted shirtless drummer with a xenon related chemical equation written in Sharpie on his chest while Sheila the dancer of Burning Mans past crawls barefoot across the floor in a catsuit and neon 80s punk wig, spasmodically rocking her superhero crotch to the snappy lyrics of fresh Tupperware rhymes energizing the most excited long past sober spectators into dropping their skinny jeans around their Chuck Taylors so they can bootypump their XS euro bikini-clad asses around the showered by freshly shaken fountains of Pabst Blue Ribbon dance floor? Yes. Holy hipster organic shit on a food stamp, YES. And if you missed this most astonishingly perfect answer to the age old question, I suggest you begin your own quest, as I did, hypnotically caught within the orbit of Saturn's gravitational cool. But again, fair warning about the Speedo moons and Pabst rain. Class dismissed, schwazzies. read more

Let me preface this by saying I actually love this bar. I also realize my review is a little snarky. I came here for Foburg, and it was great. Cheap drinks, awesome bands, and a packed house. Let's list the ways that I am tragically not cool enough for this place: 1. I do not have bangs. 2. My Converse are not "worn in" enough. (and they are SO last season) 3. I am not wearing an ironic Mr. Rogers sweater. 4. I do not wear a beanie in 70 degree weather. 5. I do not wear black plastic Woody Allen glasses. 6. My jeans are definitely not skinny enough. I'm sure I'm missing much more of the hidden nuances of hipsterdom, but those are the blaring sins I committed. That being said, I still loved this bar. "Why 3 stars?" you ask? The smoke. This is coming from an occasional smoker--I came out of this place with stinging eyes and smelling like an ash tray. I had to leave earlier than I wanted because I couldn't take it. Go expecting a smokey experience and you'll be OK, I didn't realize what I was in for. read more

I don't even know what a "hipster haven" is, so when someone mentioned that this is what Saturn Bar is, I was pretty clueless. I'm still not even sure what the definition of a hipster is, but I digress. I have been here a few times for the dance parties that they have. They are always a lot of fun and DJ Matty has really good taste in songs and always plays stuff that gets the crowd excited. This is just one of those places I don't frequent very often, because I will only go with a group of people and never by myself and it's hard to find people who want to come here and just dance. The bathrooms are pretty rough, but the dance floor is spacious and the upstairs area is neat for getting a little space to yourself and just observing the crowd. The staff here is always friendly and the people who hang out here are pretty cool. read more

Just another pointless review by me for the long gone Saturn Bar of ONeil before he passed and so did the bar he made. The first week I was in town, my friend who lived 2 blocks away from the Saturn wanted to take me there. It was 10:45 PM...this was before cellphones were common, so we went to a neighbors house, called ONeil and my friend asked if it was alright if we stopped by the bar, because we did not want to bother him if he was about to shut down for the night. ONeil gruffly responded -Cmon, Im not doing anything here, and we went and drank and laughed and played Bobby Darrin on the jukebox until Oneil politely told us to get out, that he was ready for bed. I think thats the day I stopped being an asshole. Once every few years I will keep writing reviews for ONeil. They dont make em like him anymore and he deserves to be remembered for the bar he made, not what it became. Is Yelp gonna be mad at me for reviewing a bar I refuse to step into now? Is it possible to become less useful funny and cool all at once? PS He used to buy those tiny pizza bites from Sams club and share them when you behaved. I behaved better for ONeil than for my own parents. read more

They got sunchips. Ain't nothin sunny about em. She opens when she wants, no two ways around em. One night yall walkin in, got some hipsta drunk punks next time, old big dudes and some uptown junk nah, but its the best, eat some chicken, need to wash it down when that lights callin you, like some fd up allan toussaint sound it must say Saturn bar, dont buy the shirt, but grab the matches cuz when you walk outside the rooster crowing, i named him patches yea i sait it, best bar on st claude, ninth ward on da rise when yall wanna get yo drink laugh and flirt on, saturn bar, no compromise read more

Awesome art good basic drinks. No Negronis. Tops. Must go. Good story tellers there on the right night.

Well, it looks like I'm on a dive-a-day tear here, fellow Yelpers. Last night I returned to the Saturn for the first time since Katrina after being somewhat of a regular here pre-K. I lived in Bywater in years past and would walk there and bask in the excellence that was O'Neil, the owner. As many of you probably know, he died during the recovery process, but thankfully, his family retained the place, and its junk-filled decay remains. Moreover, his niece (the bartender) and great-niece, a patron, are cool and real and wonderful as anyone could imagine. I was distressed to read that Joi B. already applied to be the bartender's BFF, because I know now that she only accepted my application to be friendly. I have no chance. There was a DJ last night, Lefty, and the crowd was light - just right, if you ask me. A group of fun Canadians came in and showed off their crazy dying-smoker cigarette packaging. Collect 'em all! One thing has changed, though, that has upped the class quotient ever so slightly since the days of O'Neil. It turns out that now, one gets a plastic cup with their split of white wine. O'Neil would just leave me to drink it out of the tiny plastic bottle. :) read more