Cafe Lafitte in Exile

My home bar away from home.

I have a lot of bars that I would call my home bar away from home and this is mine in New Orleans. Sundays I go for the Famous Napkin Toss! It always puts a smile on my face. They call it Trash Disco at it starts at 4:00pm on Sunday. At some point in the evening, you'll see that barbacks handing out wads of cocktail napkins and the glee and enthusiasm becomes palpable. The intro starts - the stutter beat - and eyes get wide. John Paul Young's voice reaches your ears and it's recognizable that the song is "Love Is In The Air." When I first made the connection between the napkins and the lyrics, a childish excitement pulsed through me. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight! Love and napkins are in the air! The bartender are friendly, outgoing and efficient, which is a task with the numbers of client in the bar for the Napkin Toss. It's an idea place to set up one's drinking headquarters while visiting the Big Easy.

IF you are in New Orleans....

...and walking in the French quarter, stop in but don't make a special trip to go there. It was never busy (that i saw). As of 04-15-2015 smoking was still legal in bars and that one was no exception. I was dark, not air conditioned, was not inviting. I was disappointed, I was there in one of the busy times in the quarter too.

Try the Purple Voodoo!

Supposedly this is the oldest bar in America. It has a fun, laid back vibe with live piano music and two separate bars. Be sure to try the Purple Voodoo!

For a good time...

I first came upon this treasure of New Orleans in the early 80's on my first visit to the city. Several years later, 1990, we moved here and Lafitte's was always the first stop of the day or night, being 3 blocks from home. Ah, the memories of nights (or afternoons) at Lafitte's. Always has the best DJ's in town and dancers on the bar for special events, but what day in New Orleans isn't a special event? I've watched the staff come and go but the new ones are as eager to please as the ones they replaced. Aletha is the star of the downstairs bar. She can sling those cocktails 'til the cows come home and keep you in stitches the whole time. She's a damn good singer too. Upstairs... you never know what to expect except it will be a fun time. The balcony is the best in the city and a great place for watching eye candy, day or night, but it gets packed early and all day and night on the big holidays like Mardi Gras and Southern Decadence. I'm not telling my secret for squeezing into my favorite spot at the railing. Upstairs on those biggest holidays is something you have to experience to believe. No room for playing pool then but the pool table is a virtual smorgasbord and it can take quite a while just to walk around it. Cafe Lafitte in Exile may be the oldest gay bar in the city so I guess that makes me older than dirt but that's OK. From the second you walk in and see that welcoming gas flame fire pit, you know you belong.

Disappointed

One of the oldest gay bars in the United States with tons of history, hence I went to visit. Nice locals and clientele and music. 2 stories and nice layout. Only gripe was the fruit flies and the pre-made slushy drinks which were obviously old and not fresh at all to the taste and the drink pour system there is metered so it was difficult to get a good hard drink there!