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 one of the city's best venues for blues, New Orleans-style R&B, funk, zydeco, and jazz. On Sunday, the bar hosts the South's longest-running poetry reading. 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.
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