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    The Rusty Nail

    4.4 (255 reviews)
    Closed • 4:00 pm - 1:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 1 month ago

    The Rusty Nail Photos

    Business Info

    THE RUSTY NAIL ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - The Rusty Nail

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    Reviews With Photos

    Chrissy P.

    Came in on a Saturday evening... and got a few drinks with my friends! We sat outside in the courtyard and instantly fell in loveee! I Love it here! So excited to come back again.

    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!

    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!

    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.

    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.

    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!

    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!

    Oysters and waffle fries
    Josh M.

    The Rusty Nail has one of the best whisky selections around, and some of the friendliest bartenders doing the pouring. This bar is a great place to watch games or hide inside from whatever is going on at the Side Car patio with which it is joined.

    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

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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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    1 year 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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    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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    The Carousel Bar & Lounge - Weeee!

    The Carousel Bar & Lounge

    4.2(1.9k reviews)
    0.9 mi•French Quarter
    •$$

    Food: Went to sit at the bar and have drinks and they were delicious…read more Service: Excellent Ambiance: cool vibe Noteworthy: i went again, a couple days later for a private event. Drinks and food were great and they had live music, fun ambiance

    Had the worst experience here at the carousel bar. We tried…read moreto go another day but there were no available seats at the spinning carousel so we tried our luck the next day right when they opened. We got there at 10:55am and there was a little line. When the doors opened, Oddly enough, there was a party of 5 sitting inside already?!?? Our bartender W took a while to come get our drink order and took longer to get, one of us never even got our beer. I pointed at someone's drink and told W I wanted that, the martini special. How is he gonna make me the drink minus the Baileys?!? I pointed to the drink I wanted, simple. My bf ordered a Abita, guess what 45 mins passed and he NEVER got his beer. We asked for the check and W said "oh your beer". Bro just give us the check and take off the beer. Worst service I've ever experienced. How you going to forget about someone's drink who's sitting right in front of you drink-less plus make a drink wrong. The carousel sits about 25 people and there's 2 bartenders?!? This isn't a club where drinks are getting shouted out. The only thing they have going for them is the rotating carousel bar if the SD one didn't close, I'd say pass and go to that one instead. One and done for me. Good luck if you get W as your bartender! And sir, no I'm not coming back after the game for you to make it right, make it right the first time!

    Photos
    The Carousel Bar & Lounge - The Sazarac

    The Sazarac

    The Carousel Bar & Lounge - Lemon drop martini and old fashioned

    Lemon drop martini and old fashioned

    The Carousel Bar & Lounge - Second bar

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    Second bar

    Observatory Eleven

    Observatory Eleven

    4.2(39 reviews)
    0.8 mi•French Quarter

    This place was haven for us..on those evenings where we didn't want to leave the hotel because of…read morethe heat or when we just want to rest after a long tour, we felt really fortunate that this bar is just an elevator away from our hotel room. The ambiance is perfect..overlooking the French Quarter, its design and decor epitomizes the sophistication of Westin Hotels. The crowd was a mix of vacationists and corporate people who are there for meetings and conventions, and the staff were all polite and personable. We ordered drinks for the most part, and the price point was not really bad for a hotel bar- about $16 for regular drinks like vodka soda, and about $26 for doubles.

    My wife and I stopped by Observatory 11 in New Orleans for what started as a quick meeting but…read morequickly turned into a full workday and lunch session. The space is absolutely stunning--flooded with natural light from massive windows that offer breathtaking views of the French Quarter and the mighty Mississippi River. The vibe is relaxed and inviting, with smooth Neo soul music playing in the background that made it easy to settle in and get some work done. I kept it simple with soda water while plugging away on my laptop, but my wife enjoyed a fresh salad along with a burger and fries, which she said hit the spot. The real standout was the service; our hostess Barbara greeted us with such a warm smile and made us feel right at home from the moment we walked in. We're already planning to come back in the evening when they have live piano music--hoping it amps up the energy a bit more. If you're looking for a spot with expansive views and a chill atmosphere, this place is worth checking out! More to come after our next visit.

    Photos
    Observatory Eleven - Before the 'redesign'.

    Before the 'redesign'.

    Observatory Eleven
    Observatory Eleven

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    Vue

    Vue

    4.1(17 reviews)
    1.3 mi•Central Business District
    •$$

    While the views are amazing, I do not recommend this place. There is absolutely no kind of vibe on…read morethe rooftop. No music, no food service, or anything that shows that tried to create a nice vibe. It's literally just some chairs on the rooftop. The bar has a bartender, not mixologist, who makes drinks that I can make better at home. The little drinks are served un-garnished in tiny plastic cups and cost $15+. Not to mention they will take whatever tip amount they like out if you forget to close your tab. So my basic plastic cup of lemon, sugar, and a splash of vodka (I can't even call it a lemon drop) was $20. I wish I had taken a photo of how tiny the cups are.

    Really disappointing experience…read more Vue honestly felt pretty bare bones to me. Yes, I learned some things about the culture and people of New Orleans and I got a few good pictures but I wouldn't recommend this at all. I was hoping to get a picture with my sister as indicated on the website but I didn't see anyone offer that or see it as an option once we made it there. I thought the mini story in the elevator was fun, short of course but they need to restructure this place I honestly was unimpressed. The website suggest it takes an hour and a half to experience the whole place, we walked the whole place, took pictures, watched 2 videos in well under an hour and a half. The employees were very nice and helpful; maybe I expected to much of Vue but I say temper your expectations.

    Photos
    Vue
    Vue - Views from the top

    Views from the top

    Vue - Views from the top

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    Views from the top

    The Pool Club

    The Pool Club

    4.7(21 reviews)
    0.6 mi•Warehouse District

    I really enjoyed this pool club experience. My hotel didn't have a pool so I bought a pool pass for…read morethe day here. The pool passes cost about $25 except on Friday. It's $35. I ended up going on a Friday and to my surprise, it wasn't terribly overpacked. However, I did get there quite early just as they opened. I was disappointment that I was not allowed to have a lounge chair, I was only allowed to have a couch spot that was further from the pool. Other than that, I loved the decor, the drinks and apps. I appreciated that they offered free available water and clean restrooms. They even supplied nice towels so you don't need to bring one if you're on a day pass. It also had a beautiful rooftop view. I'd definitely go back.

    So I had a gin lemon mocktail to start, which really just tasted like a sweet lemonade... But after…read morethat one I switched to alcohol drinks - they were so delicious! I got a Tally Me Banana m, which was really nicely balanced between bitter and sweet and a hint of citrus. And then I got a chocolate spicy orange frozen cocktail... I wish I could find it somewhere on their website but I couldn't-- because I would love to try to re-create this at home! The pool bar server that I had two nights in a row was really amazing. The chicken wings were pretty good too. But the vibes... All the vibes were so relaxing and they had a really great DJ on Sunday. Definitely check their website because they have live music regularly.

    Photos
    The Pool Club - Roof view

    Roof view

    The Pool Club - Bar

    Bar

    The Pool Club - Rooftop

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    Rooftop

    The Rusty Nail - sportsbars - Updated October 2026

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