Balcony Bar & Cafe — Restaurant in New Orleans

We live in the neighborhood,2 blocks from the Balcony Bar on 7th Street. Usually we go to the Bulldog but because of the Balcony Bar's Non-Smoking Policy we decided to go here on 12-1-2012 around 11:50PM. There was a man outside who had been thrown out of the Bulldog many times. His name is "Richard" & we watched as he begged for drinks & inappropriately touched women outside. My female friend & I sat in a Booth & continued to watch as her preyed on women when their boyfriends left to get a beer or go to the bathroom. We reported it to the bartenders, security, & even to a guy who was now working at the Balcony who had worked at he Bull bog. My friend even sat in a booth with a 21 year old women who we observed him molesting. My friend sat in the booth to get him to stop touching this young woman. The woman thanked her. She said she didn't know what to do. One of the bartenders came to our booth to defend "Richard". We tried to place an order with this bartender earlier except my friend stated she couldn't "grasp" the order. We closed out with whatever she could "grasp". "Richard" also touched my friend in inappropriate ways as well as at least 3 other women. The bartender who could not "grasp" the order for a Purple Haze mixed with an Andygator came to our booth to defend "Richard" ,a homeless alcoholic, as the "King" of Magazine Street. Keep in Mind that the Bulldog will not let "Richard" in their door & this was not our first encounter with "Richard". I refused to continue this conversation with the Bartender & "Richard". We left after she incoherently tried to explain "Richard's" place in their bar & attempted to introduce me to a very intoxicated "Richard". We live blocks away but we will never return. Ironically it was the female bartender (with dark hair) defending "Richard". In the end, "Richard" the homeless man who was assaulting women won out. I guess we should have called 911 but going home to our 7th Street Home seemed easier. So women,be careful. Don't go here or you will be victimized. Just ask anyone at the Bulldog, less than a block away about this guy & the way he begs for drinks & fondles young women. Security & the Female Bartenders will not protect you!!! This is, without a doubt, the worst experience I have ever had in any bar or reataurant in New Orleans. As an established Native professional in New Orleans, I would hope the owners would look at this & make a few needed changes. I will never know...back to the Bulldog if I'm wanting to try a new draft beer...smoking & all. They don't tolerate this sort...

When this bar went smoke free and vastly improved their beer tap system upstairs I became a much more regular customer with those great additions for many years. Sadly since the lockdowns this bar has just really changed for the worse. I used to really enjoy the upstairs bar and the great balcony but now it just seems to frequently have people that are looking to cause trouble inside. I live near here and used to always stop in when walking past now when I walk past it often appears either empty or has people yelling and screaming in violent tones that I'm not going to even bother with as that's not the NOLA bar vibe I'm looking for. Not so long ago NOLA bars and pubs used to nearly all be happy friendly places with folks just wanting to have a good time but now there are some people just out looking for trouble it seems. The insanely hot Summer heat we've been having also has been impacting any desire for me to frequent this place as they tend to keep the doors open here without much air conditioning which has made it way too hot for me. I keep hoping this joint will return to some semblance of its former self but so far I haven't seen any signs of improvement and the whole block of Magazine here seems to be declining as there are just far fewer people out and about in the area than there were before...

Balcony Bar has been different every time I have been. I've been here when it is incredibly packed, and when it is completely empty. Regardless of when I have been, I always have just an OK experience.

The downstairs area is large and open. The bar takes up almost the entire left wall so there are plenty of spots to sit if that's your thing. Upstairs is kind of oddly laid out, but the balcony is the best reason to come to this bar. There is something special about sitting on a balcony in New Orleans and people watching.

Besides the balcony, there is a very good selection of beers. I like that the taps are close to the bar so you can stare at the taps and pick the prettiest handle if you are so inclined (I am not).

I know others have complained about rude bartenders, but every time I have been they have been great.

The reason this bar will not become one of my regular haunts is the crowd. They seem kind of stand offish and too cool for school. I don't normally let this bother me, but I definitely did not feel very welcome.

In summary, this is a cool bar with uncool...