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The Rusty Nail

4.4 (253 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 1:00 AM (Next day)
Updated over 3 months ago

The Rusty Nail Photos

Business Info

THE RUSTY NAIL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Live music
Casual
Moderate noise
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - The Rusty Nail

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Reviews With Photos

Buttermilk chicken sandwich and a disco lemonade
Charlé W.

The Rusty Nail was our pre-Covid trivia spot and we're happy to report that the gang is coming back together again now that we know Jesse's trivia has returned. Back then, we didn't have the luxury of Sidecar next door where we could get great food. I love the convenience of scanning the QR code from the bar and the nice server bringing your order directly to you. I'm a frozen drink hobbyist and the disco lemonade is a tried and true favorite. It's sweet, but not cloying. Not too strong, but not watery. Garo has been there a while and is always a kind face to see behind the bar. The other bartenders have been great, too. There is ample bar seating and a good amount of table seating, but I recommend getting there early if you plan to compete. They also recently hosted a fundraiser for a non-profit that I'm affiliated with. It was lovely to get to hang at The Rusty Nail while being philanthropic. Best of both worlds!

Charbroiled oysters
Johnathan R.

Friendly, efficient service, the bar is very well stocked and managed, you can order food they bring to your table, it's a really nice place. We played trivia there since we just happened to show up as they were starting, and we had a great time. One of my new favorites.

Whiskey Sour
DD D.

Absolutely love this spot. Chillaxed vibe. And the drinks are fantastic. The bartender Garo is a beast with it. He is in the zone and knows his way around a bar for sure. The drinks were chef's kiss. My cocktails were made just right and I enjoyed them both immensely. It's always an added bonus when the bartender knows what he's doing. No complaints from me. Do yourself a favor and check out this place. And I hope when you come you're fortunate enough to get Garo, you won't be sorry. A tad bit later I decided I wanted wings so I ordered the 6 piece buffalo wings. I got them fried hard but it was more naked wings with buffalo sauce and ranch on the side. It was just ok.

Mmm
Scott K.

Great beer, great atmosphere, great bourbon list, and amazing bartenders. I've been coming to the Nail for years, and it has always been a great place to hang out, especially for happy hour. The bartenders are super knowledgeable but not in a snobby way. They're very friendly and attentive, but also can tell you more about bourbon than just about any place I've been. That's especially cool considering the place is tucked away and looks like a random dive bar, not what you would expect from the outside. They have lots of good drink specials, and they make the best Dark And Stormy that you will find. They always have a good selection of beers on tap, and again, a great bourbon and whiskey collection. The biggest critique I've heard about the Rusty Nail is that the crowd changes after happy hour. It gets a lot busier and kind of loud as the evening progresses. Most people refer to that as being a bar, but if you're coming for a nice drink and conversation, just come earlier. Cheers!

Justin C.

Simple and short review. Come here. The place was super chill, the bartender whose name eludes me at the moment, was very friendly. The drinks are good, and pricing is good as well. Did not order any food as there was an event at Sidecar the night I was here. Easily suggest stopping in.

frozen cocktails!? yum!
Simran M.

One of our new favorite places! Close to home and within walking distance between warehouse district, dt, & cbd neighborhoods. Their menu selection is amazing, with wide selection of ciders, beers, & bourbon, & pretty much any cocktail you can think of at also some pretty affordable prices. Turns out the food can be ordered through their neighboring venue, the Sidecar, which looks delicious and we cant wait to try it out...! Many youth and people were dining and having a great time which set the tone for the place :) We met a few of the bartenders, including Lee, who were really welcoming too. My boyfriend had some cognac and I had a coffee cocktail. Let me know what you think of it!

Mark C.

On my most recent trip to New Orleans, my Dad and I mistakenly discovered The Rusty Nail during a rainstorm. We had left the WWII Museum and took a wrong turn walking to the bus stop. It started to rain a little and we could see it was going to get worse, so we ducked into The Rusty Nail. It was very dark inside, which gave off some ominous vibes, but the bartender was friendly and welcomed us in. We sat down at the bar. Dad ordered a beer, and I ordered a soda water with lime. We decided to order something to snack on and discovered that you had to order off a QR code. This is the only reason I am giving them 4 stars. It was easy enough for me to order but I thought about my Dad and a lot of the older people that were at the WWII Museum. There are very few of that generation that even know how to use a smart phone, let alone, have the ability to order food from one. If I had not been with Dad, he would not have been eating anything. Outside of that, the bar, the bartender, the facility and everything else was great! We ordered the pimento cheese appetizer and before you get an odd look on your face, I promise you, it is worth every penny. I have never seen pimento cheese on an appetizer menu, but it might have been as good or better than my mom's. The other unique thing about the dish is that the saltine crackers were deep fried. It sounds odd but I assure you, it was fantastic! We almost ordered a second helping. Fortunately, the rain stopped, and we were able to get back to the hotel without getting drenched. If you are in that area and need to cool off and grab a snack, definitely put The Rusty Nail at the top of your list. Just remember your smartphone. A note about my New Orlean's review: Back in December of 2024, my family lost the most loving and selfless woman you could ever imagine. My mom passed away after many years of suffering with botched scoliosis surgeries, crippling rheumatoid arthritis, and multiple stomach ulcer surgeries brought on by all the medications. My entire family, especially my Dad, have been crushed by her loss. My Dad builds street rods and he and my mom used to travel to all the car shows everywhere they could once they became empty nesters and dad retired. One of the shows they used to go to was in Biloxi, MS. Every year they went, my dad would talk about how they wanted to go to New Orleans. Unfortunately, every time they went, something would happen to prevent them from going. I promised my Dad that I would get him to New Orleans to see the city and visit the WWII Museum. The trip was memorable, and I got to spend priceless time with the man who made me who I am today. New Orleans did not disappoint, and I am forever thankful for the city of New Orleans!

Trivia night
Ariana N.

Trivia night 7:30 on a Tuesday! One thing I will say about trivia on Tuesdays, is that Sychar is not open. So I had to go to con butcher which is very close but less convenient than having it right on site for food. However, the drink orders are very reasonable for the Tuesday night Tuesday trivia night. The trivia night is pretty reasonable, probably a bit geared toward millennials versus other groups but still very reliable.

Outdoor Patio
Stefanie C.

Rusty Nail FTW!! I was tasked with planning a work happy hour, and this place was clearly the best option in terms of space, service, and menu. My only complaint is that the hours on the website (and generally online) are wrong, which made me think they're closed Tuesdays when they're not. It's also a liiiittle far from the convention center (especially in the heat) which is where everyone was walking from, but we still had a great turnout. Because the entire venue wasn't available for private rentals, we arrived early and set up our pull-up banner on the left side of the bar when you first walk in and ordered catering from a local restaurant. Fantastic coordination overall by Danielle, Lee, Garon, and Chris. Cocktails were phenomenal, too. I had the Burro Mule, containing tequila, mezcal, and habeñero. Next time I'm in NOLA, I'd go out of my way to come back again!! P.S. They have a cute, colorful outdoor patio I'd love to check out more.

Waffle fries with cheese and bacon! Yum!
Amy G.

Greta little spot! Clean and friendly. Love watching football games here!!!! I worry a smidge about the area it is in, but during the day and afternoon/evening, you will be fine as long as you pay attention to your surroundings. You can order food from the Sidecar Lounge next door!

Specialty cocktails
Ella A.

Friendly staff and good specialty drinks. Added bonus of being able to have food delivered from next door (Sidecar, I recommend the shrimp poboy, upgrade with the side salad .... And the chargrilled oysters are also delicious). The Tito's martinis were a little funny tasting (maybe the olives?), I wouldn't order them again. However, their specialty happy hour mules (see the board above the bar and the attached pics) are good and a decent price. Dog friendly. Street parking.

Oysters and waffle fries

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7 months ago

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1 year ago

Service awesome. Amazing whiskey menu. Good oysters! Fun casual bar with big screen tv.

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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10 months ago

One of the classics I hit every time I get to Nola good service Lots of fun Easy to walk to

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2 years ago

Nice little dive bar with a cool outdoor patio. Drinks were average price, and the location is cool.

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2 years ago

Great Happy Hour! Crowded but good time.The servers really paid great attention, as well as the bartenders .

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The Rusty Nail Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Rusty Nail

Do they allow 18+ (obviously not to drink alcohol) but to hang out and drink soda/water/etc?

No one under 18 can be on the premises, at all.

How much is the crawfish on Fridays and Sundays?

$13 for two lbs + fixins. It is also tiered, so the more you buy the less it is per lb.

Is The Rusty Nail dog friendly? I would love to go to my alumni watch party while we're in NOLA but our Airbnb doesn't allow check in until 3

Yes they do allow dogs

What is a disco lemonade please?

It's a daiquiri like drink consisted of vodka, sake, lemon and sugar. It is delicious.

Do they sell souvenir type things like T-shirts and Caps?

Yes, and koozies too.

View All 6 Questions

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Manning's Sports Bar and Grill

Manning's Sports Bar and Grill

2.7
(1.1k reviews)
0.6 mi
$$

We did not enjoy our experience here. We popped in because the bar across the street that was…read morewanted to go too was just super packed and we wanted a bite to eat after a long day of walking around the French quarter. When we walked in the hostess hardly acknowledged us. I asked if we could sit at the bar and she said yes so we walked over. The bar was full so we went back and asked if we could do a table instead. She laughed in our face and looked at us like we were crazy or inconveniencing her. And she was lounging on the bench on her phone, not even behind the counter to greet guests. There were tons of empty tables that hadn't even been cleaned off yet so we just sat at the cleanest one that at least didn't have dishes on it. It took FOREVER for a waitress to even come to us and take our order. After we placed our orders I think our waitress sensed that we were not having a good time so she apologized for the wait and was very kind and pleasant compared to the hostess. I wanted to try the pepper jack boudin egg-rolls. My boyfriend got the fried local shrimp. I did not like the boudin egg-roll. It was fried very hard and I wasn't the biggest fan of the boudin sausage but I wanted to try it because I never had it. You win some you some. I just ended up eating my boyfriend's shrimp because it had taken so long to get our food that the kitchen was basically getting ready to close so I didn't order anything else. Soooo yea. Not my go to choice for a bar. They did have these cool movie theatre style lounge chair in front of the big screen though so that was cool.

Stopped by Manning's Spots Bar and Grill on our way back to the hotel after our Saturday…read moretournament, and I'm so glad we did! My daughter is a huge fan of chicken wings--like, she wants to eat them every day --so she was beyond excited when we walked in. We were seated immediately and ordered drinks--me, a much-needed beer, and my daughter, a soda. For food, we went with the lemon pepper wings, nachos, and onion rings. Let me tell you... these wings were . Some of the best I've ever had! Perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside . I honestly wish we had a place like this back home in Cali. Our waitress was attentive, friendly, and super helpful, and the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. Definitely a spot we'll be coming back to next time! Highly recommend for wing lovers.

Photos
Pull up a seat, bar stool, or leather recliner and enjoy epic sports action, frosty beers and delicious pub fare at Manning's...
Pull up a seat, bar stool, or leather recliner and enjoy epic sports action, frosty beers and delicious pub fare at Manning's...
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Old Absinthe House

Old Absinthe House

3.6
(649 reviews)
1.0 mi
$$

If you love a dive bar, this is a must! We stopped in because my fiancé wanted to have absinthe as…read moreis, not in a drink. So I saw for the first time how they light a sugar cube on fire, then pour it in to make the drink. It's cool. The bar has old football helmets hanging from the ceiling and the walls are lined with business cards.

I'm disappointed that I'm disappointed. Maybe it's what is to expect from NOLA and the Bourbon St…read more experience because I found several missed opportunities . This is an old, full of history building and business. And is very dive bar feeling- until you walk into the back bar- which is old saloon vibes but dead quiet and empty. But the chairs score a million stars for comfort. Absinthe has this feeling behind it- not cold beer and well drinks for cheap let's see how drunk we can get and party... it's an experience. And that experience is lost. Which is really disappointing. I imagined something more than we got. The back bar doesn't serve all the drinks and mainly does the traditional absinthe experience- great- but there's nothing that says that and there's tables and chairs but no one to educate you or offer suggestions. There's the back bartender. It's all very confusing. The back area would be sick with a piano player or acoustic guitar player or even a small jazz band and someone to invite you to experience "absinthe" and more so, traditionally. If you're spending $60+ make it worth it. Inviting. Educating. Alluring. An experience. This wasn't the experience I thought we might get at such a unique, historic spot.

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Old Absinthe House
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Sazerac "rye whiskey, Peychauds bitters, Angostura bitters, Herbsaint rinse"

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Tableau

Tableau

3.9
(1.4k reviews)
1.2 mi
$$$

Great experience…read more We visited Tableau for the first time. We sat at the bar and had a a drink ahead of our 5:45 pm dinner reservation. Bartender Derek took care of us. My wife had a canned Mockly mocktail and I had a Woodford Old Fashioned. She enjoyed her mocktail and my Old Fashioned was decent. We were seated near the kitchen. It was really cold in this area. Thankfully, we both brought light jackets with us. The head waiter (young man in a suit) had the aircon adjusted and it did get better. Newell was our server. What a peach. She said she's been at Tableau since they opened in 2013. She took good care of us. My wife ordered the Chicken Tableau dinner. I ordered the Maison Salad and the French Onion Soup. My wife enjoyed her meal. I sampled the crispy chicken thigh portion of her meal and it was quite tasty. My salad was smallish and looked pretty wimpy but the dressing was real nice and I liked the nuts on the salad. The standout for me, by far was the French Onion Soup. It was the second best I've ever had. The onions were well caramelized, the broth was deep with flavor and the cheese great. The portion was quite large as well. Quite a value in my opinion and honestly, paired with the salad was plenty of food for me. A loaf of soft bread with whipped butter was served at the beginning. Miss Jewell did a good job of serving and checking in on us. I will definitely be back to Tableau on our next visit to NOLA.

My wife and I visited Tableau last week expecting an upscale dining experience based on the…read moreatmosphere and presentation of the restaurant. Unfortunately, our experience didn't live up to those expectations. The service was particularly disappointing, especially considering how empty the restaurant was. After taking our drink orders, our server didn't check back with us until we were nearly finished with our meal. What made this more noticeable was watching the tables around us receive regular attention throughout the evening. At one point, someone who appeared to be a manager came to our table, abruptly dropped off a bag containing a loaf of bread, and walked away without saying anything or providing plates. The bread was cold, despite appearing to have been toasted at some point, and we were left cutting it directly on the bag while crumbs went everywhere. The same manager also bumped into the back of my chair several times throughout the evening without ever acknowledging it. We also waited quite a while for our food, and during that time noticed several staff members, including the manager, on their phones. Given the lack of attention we were receiving, that was particularly frustrating. The food itself was underwhelming and the portions were unnecessarily large. Neither of us finished our meals, and by the end of dinner, we weren't interested in staying for dessert. We simply wanted to leave. Tableau certainly looks the part of an upscale restaurant, but our experience didn't match the setting. When you're paying for what is presented as a higher-end dining experience, the details and level of service matter. Unfortunately, those details were missing throughout our visit. There are too many great restaurants in the area for us to choose Tableau again. This was definitely not the white-tablecloth experience we expected.

Photos
2nd floor dining
2nd floor dining
Blue Crab Fondue
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Spiral staircase in the entry

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Spiral staircase in the entry

The Rusty Nail - sportsbars - Updated July 2026

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