Maple Leaf

Maple Leaf Review

The phrase "New Orleans institution" gets thrown around a lot, but this place deserves the title. It's wonderfully atmospheric, with pressed-tin walls and a lush tropical patio, and it's also one of the city's best venues for blues, New Orleans-style R&B, funk, zydeco, and jazz. On Sunday afternoons, the bar hosts the South's longest-running poetry reading; Joe Krown starts his set around 10:30 pm. Rebirth Brass Band's standing Tuesday gig is a show everyone should see. It's a long haul from the French Quarter, but worth the trip, especially if combined with a visit to one of the restaurants clustered near this commercial stretch of Oak Street.