Copper Monkey Bar & Grill — Restaurant in New Orleans

My wife and I recently celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary in Nola. We honeymooned there in 1989 and have been back many times. We stayed at The Prince Conti this time. We used to stay at the private suite at The LeBranche House, but it's no longer available. We were concerned about our hotel's close proximity to Bourbon St. and all the madness and never-ending noise. That scene was fun 35 years ago, but we're no longer drawn to the chaos that comes with gatherings of amateur alcoholics and poorly raised college boys. While exploring the area close to The Prince Conti while my wife was doing some shopping for our pet sitters, I happened upon The Brass Monkey. I felt immediately at ease and at home. The bartender was very welcoming and kind. I took a seat at the end of the bar and basked in the joy that only swamp coolers can bring on a hot and muggy day. It had to be 68⁰ degrees in there, and I was in heaven. I drank Abita Amber on tap and there's nothing like that beer when its fresh and in its home town. I could tell right away that this bar was a local's bar just from the conversational content around me and the obvious familiarity between the patrons. I was probably the only tourist in the place at the time but they welcomed me into the fold. I ordered some appetizers, and they came out fast, fresh, and hot. The bartender was never pushy about drinks or food and kept the Abita flowing. My wife met me a couple of hours later. The bartender asked what she'd like to drink, and she just wanted some ice water. Most bars in the quarter typically have a bad anti-tourist stance when you just want water. Not this place. Our bartender kept the ice waters coming and engaged us about our trip and was so genuinely nice. We went back several times during our 3 day stay. We'll...

Funny, it seems like the trend is for everyone to find this place on the way back to their hotel at the end of the night. The first time I went, it was my first destination in the Quarter, thanks to some local connections. ; )

I've been back a fair number of times since, and it just doesn't change. It's a solid, happy little off-Bourbon bar that has blessedly wonderful food 24 hours a day! Good, hot bar food, with a small list of Louisiana specialties that are as authentic and tasty as you'll get anywhere in the city. I had my first crawfish étouffée there, and I just went back last week for more. The prices are good for downtown, and the "cup" of any of the local foods is big enough for a light meal for most people.

They have great drink prices for the Quarter, too! Beer selection is decent. They have enough specialty spirits to make a nice cocktail or two, and they feature a number of varieties of absinthe, prepared traditionally over a spoon of sugar with a water rinse. A nice jukebox and friendly staff help you want to stay there instead of moving on to explore other NOLA haunts with your precious vacation time.

It's a great place to hang out, and has a lot of advantages that other places right nearby don't enjoy, but to me, the star in the Monkey's crown is being able to grab a great bowl of gumbo, jambalaya, or étouffée there at any hour of the...

To be fair, Halloween night just off of Bourbon is never a good time to judge a place, so let me just get that disclaimer out of the way. That said, the mixed drinks looked good, and the service was pretty decent. There were some NOLA classics on the menu and my companions enjoyed their shrimp poboy and crawfish poppers. I got the grilled cheese... Which you wouldn't think would offer the opportunity to be judged and yet, here I am judging it: there is no reason for a grilled cheese to be a triple decker sandwich. If you want to fancy up a grilled cheese, you can change up the type of bread or cheese. You can have optional toppings. You can throw in some aioli or other sauces. It just didn't really work, but that being said, it was still pretty ok. The tater tots were yummy and well seasoned. My other kinda gripe was that they have a courtyard but it was not in use; not sure if it was just because of the madness or what, but I always prefer to be outside...