The Avenue Pub — Restaurant in New Orleans

I've got to go back here. I've got to bring my friends here. This is a reason for some of my friends to get to New Orleans disregarding the entire rest of the city!

I've only been in once, on a rainy afternoon last week, but I'm already a huge fan. Avenue has a great attitude, and one of the top beer selections in the country. I was impressed by their draft list. Really really impressed. Then, when I took a gander at the bottle list, I was overwhelmed. The entire basement must be a giant beer cooler. (Wait, are you allowed to have basements in New Orleans?? Maybe they have a separate beer warehouse out back, I'll have to check sometime)

If you're that person who's always searching for a specialty pour that's hard to find, chances are, you're gonna be checking more than a couple off of your list after visiting the Avenue. I had beers I hadn't seen in years, from breweries I'd only ever had access to in either PA or CA. Maybe that's the secret - you need to have an "A" as the second letter of your state's abbreviation! Oh, crap, no. nono. Virginia doesn't do it. Oh, and Georgia. Ok, nope. Throw that theory out.

The building is great. A New Orleans relic, easy to find on a corner of St. Charles, it has the same shabby chic feel of my favorite NOLA haunts. But it has class. And did I mention the attitude? They know what they plan to do and not do, and they'll let you know. No table service. No samples. But you can get a four ounce pour of any draft. And ordering from the walk-up counter is perfectly convenient.

The upstairs has a great atmosphere, with an even greater selection of beverages than available below. It's got a charming, cozy living room in a (fashionable) shared apartment feel. Add on a very nice balcony porch, and I bet this is a great place to hang out in the extended Louisiana Fall-Spring season. Alas, it was raining last Friday afternoon, but that just meant I had more of the place to myself.

Take your friends here if they like a good, comfy pub atmosphere, and especially if they're huge beer nerds. If you're coming from out of town and haven't heard about it, you should have. Word will spread. The Avenue should be a destination for beer lovers across the country. And remember, you're in New Orleans - the place is proudly open 24/7/365....

Book your next event here!!!

I hosted my wedding welcome party at The Avenue Pub and it went amazingly well.

The Space: We booked out the entire second floor for the party and had the space was awesome. We had a bit over 100 people attend and it never felt too crowded. The bar area as well as the balcony were both very nice.

The Service: All the staff were phenomenal. From doing the initial booking, to confirming all the details, to the on-site staff & bartenders, everything went super super smoothly and everyone was as nice as can be. We had two private bartenders for the event and all my friends were awed at how well they handled the crowd. It never felt like anyone had to wait for a drink. The bartenders also did a great job at letting us know what our spend was throughout the night.

The Food: The food was really good and the kitchen/serving staff were great at refilling our orders to ensure that there was always hot food ready for the eating. The mini chicken sandwiches were a hit.

Again, host your next event here - they run a tight ship, are easy to work with, give you a great bang for your buck, have awesome food & drinks, and most importantly everyone was so...

This review is for the post-Polly Watts Avenue Pub. I visited on December 30, 2022.

I miss the old Pub and lament the passing of one of the great beer bars in America. So I came into it with hope but feared the worst. The worst didn’t happen, but neither was my hope rewarded.

The new version, with a new ownership group, is much closer to other sports-oriented, beer-forward bars in New Orleans with perhaps slightly better food.

It’s much lighter and brighter than it was previously and is essentially a sports bar with six TVs in the downstairs bar- upstairs isn’t yet open.

The beer list gives a few nods to the prior menu, but is Louisiana-centric. I’ll say the Einbecker Pils was a nice surprise, but most of the more unusual imports and harder to find American craft beers are gone.

As I said, the food is likely a bit better as upscale bar food than you might find elsewhere. Unfortunately, sandwiches are offered without sides, which is puzzling.

For me, it’s an average sports bar with a few unusual beers. I give them great credit for paying the previous staff during the transition and trying something new but I can’t get past average, as much as I...