New Orleans Wheelchair Accessible Bars

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In New Orleans people drink all the time so there are tons of bars. Here is the list of bars that I have been to that are wheelchair accessible, along with a few tips on visiting bars in New Orleans in a wheelchair:

You don’t have to do all of your partying in one day.
Most bars don’t have accessible restrooms.
To get in or out, you will have to ask for help, a lot, with ramps and locked gates.
Have fun!

Kingpin – My favorite dive bar has super friendly regulars and bartenders. Their happy hour lasts till 9pm and they have a good beer selection. It’s not the biggest place but it is easy to move around in and there is a nice neutral ground right outside to hang out. They have a shuffleboard table and some nights they have food trucks (Monday and Friday is Taceaux Loceaux, Wednesday is Sauce Boss, Thursday is Oh La Vache). If you are around for football season they have free food for Saints games. They have a wooden ramp to get in but it might not be out. Just ask someone to bring it out if it isn’t there. What’s missing is an accessible restroom – but the CVS close by has a good restroom.
Anotherbar– This cool little bar on Freret has skeeball and an assortment of board games (a few missing pieces). It’s a nice place to hang for a while after dinner at one of the many restaurants on Freret. They have a weird assortment of canned beers. The entrance is accessible through both doors, but usually the door on the left is locked on the bottom and someone will need to help you get that opened. The restroom in the room with the skeeball is not the best, but it works and it is accessible.
St. Joe’s – I would call this bar a nice dive bar. They have a pool table and a small patio in the back. They are known for their delicious mojitos and I agree. The have a blueberry one! To get to the back patio ask for a key and go to the side gate. The front entrance is accessible but it can be tricky getting to the pool table when it’s busy.
Bayou Beer Garden– One of my favorite places to sit outside and have a beer. There is a ramp on the right side that goes directly to the patio with access to the kitchen and outside bar. They have a huge assortment of beers and bar food. They have an excellent Trivia Night on Tuesdays that I like to go to. There is parking in the back with accessible parking and access to the ground floor patio. Restrooms can be hard to get to when it’s crowded.
Bayou Wine Garden – This is a newer bar associated with and connected to Bayou Beer Garden. There is a ramp into the building if you wanna go inside or to the nice back patio. They have wines on tap among an array of bottles. They also have plenty of delicious things to eat. While it is a bit fancier then the Beer Garden it is also better in terms of food . Inside is a well designed accessible restroom
Fat Harry’s – Classic New Orleans bar at St. Charles and Napoleon right on the parade route serving your typical beers and bar food. The wings are pretty damn good! There are plenty of TVs for watching sports, a pool table, and a shuffleboard table in the back room. You have to ask for a ramp to get inside which they will bring out for you, or you can sit outside.
Rendon inn – Stuck in between Uptown and Mid-city this neighborhood bar just got a new owner. It’s a pretty nice sports bar with a huge middle bar and pool table. It is very wheelchair friendly but the front has a weird incline. The restrooms are good but the door opens in, not out, so you might need to do some maneuvering to close it.
The Bulldog – There two locations: one on the Magazine strip, and the other in Mid-city. Both have a good selection of beer and the delicious, typical bar food. Both are accessible but the Magazine location is a bit more challenging to deal with. You have to go through the patio and to get inside, but the patio gets packed and the inside is small. The Mid-city location is way bigger with a huge patio space. It also has an accessible restroom, unlike the Magazine one.
Balcony Bar – Another Magazine bar where it’s pretty easy to get in but sadly, because the balcony is on the second floor, I have never actually been to the balcony at Balcony Bar. The ground floor is accessible though and it’s a decent place to get a drink and people watch or maybe watch a game for awhile. The restrooms are not accessible.
Barrel Proof – If you love whiskey then this is the place for you! They have an extensive list of whiskeys and other spirits. Located on Magazine by the bridge right on the edge of the Garden District before the Warehouse District. It is a good place to sit back and try some whiskeys with friends. They also serve food from rotating pop-ups. The bar is pretty accessible but you need to open both doors and usually someone is around to help. The bartenders are friendly and helpful too. The restrooms are somewhat accessible but the men’s is a little bit tight and I’ve always needed help opening the door.
Rendezvous Tavern – Another dive bar on Magazine with a good selection of beers on tap and a happy hour that goes till 8pm. They have a side door with a small lip that can be tricky but still accessible. But usually I just sit at one of the tables outside. It’s a good place to people watch. Saturday nights they have the La Cocinita taco truck.
Tchoup Yard – Just off of Tchoupitoulas is the Tchoup Yard. It’s a huge patio bar with a little bit of everything including some special frozen drinks like margaritas and rosé. It’s a cool place if you want to drink outside but it does get packed during the weekends. They also have pop-ups serving food. It has accessible restrooms and handicapped parking spots in their lot. To get to some tables there is a step or gravel making a little annoying to find a spot not right by the bar.
Rusty Nail – Another cool outdoor patio bar. They have some interestingly delicious specialty drinks. Try the disco lemonade for sure! Their accessible restroom doubles as a second ladies room. To get in you have two options: 1) a ramp to the main entrance and 2) a side gate to the patio if you can get someone to unlock it. Once inside everything is one flat level except for a couple spots on the patio.
Country Club– The country club is not like other bars in New Orleans. Located in the Bywater they have a pool that was clothing optional till recently. They also have a drag brunch on Sundays. I still haven’t been but it is accessible down the right side that goes to the back and a ramp to get inside.
Hot Tin – on the top of the Pontchartrain Hotel on St. Charles is the chic rooftop bar Hot Tin. This bars has a great view of New Orleans along with fancy cocktails and champagne. To get there take the hotel lobby elevator to the top. While it is accessible, can be hard to move around when it’s busy.
Bruno’s – Is a classic Tulane sports bar on Maple Street that’s been around since 1934. It may be the most accessible bar in New Orleans. They have lots of TVs, a pool table and a shuffleboard table. On most days they have a drink special and on Tuesday after 9, they have $2 wells and domestics, and $3 everything else. Bruno’s also offers a typical bar menu.
Cooter Browns – One of my favorite sports bars, if not my favorite. They have TVs everywhere and tons of beer on tap. Need I say more? Yes. Because they also serve fresh, raw oysters and awesome food! The bar in front has everything a typical bar has, but it’s the second bar in the back, with its ever changing beers, that is my favorite. It’s pretty easy to get around and the restrooms were recently renovated and now are wheelchair accessible.
Robert’s – Old school dive bar on Calhoun by a bunch of other businesses close to Tulane. They have cheap drinks, pool, and ping pong tables. They side door has a built in ramp to get inside.
Cure – One of the first bars to open on Freret and definitely the fanciest. It is a cocktail bar with all kinds of fancy drinks as well as some fancy bar food friendly wait service. If you want or enjoy creative cocktails give it a try. As for the accessibility – it is very good. You do have to get someone to unlock the patio gate to get in but after that you can stay outside or easily go inside, and easily use the restrooms.
Monkey Hill – Fancy bar close to Audubon Park and Zoo with shuffleboard and a pool table. In addition to the bar, they have wait service and a bunch of couches to sit on. For entrance, ask the door man to open the back door next to the handicapped parking space. The restrooms are accessible too.
Henry’s – An uptown family run, old school, neighborhood dive bar that opened in 1900 on Magazine. The main thing they do here is offer cheap beer and drinks on a cash only basis. They might still have a ramp that gets you over a small step at the entrance, but if not, they have some picnic tables outside. The restrooms are definitely not accessible.
The Chart Room – French Quarter dive bar that’s not really accessible. You can get in, but it’s very small and hard to move around. I really like this place when it’s late and I want a cheap drink in the quarter, I have cash in my pocket and I don’t need to use the restroom – since their not accessible.
Avenue Pub – If you love beer then you will love this place in the Garden District on Charles Street. They have an extensive beer list with 40+ taps and many more bottles. To get in you have to go in the back patio and then up a small ramp. I have not used the restrooms, so give them a call to find out.
Pat O’Brien’s – The inventor of the Hurricane cocktail and my favorite tourist bar on Bourbon Street. I don’t go to bourbon much but when I do, this is where I go – especially with people who are visiting. I mean if you are visiting New Orleans, you really should go at least once. What I love most is drinking a Hurricane and just watching all the drunk tourists come through. Another reason I love Pat’s, which is mostly outside, some parts of the bar inside have air-conditioning if it’s too hot. I once got a free Hurricane ‘cause I let the bartender pet my service dog. You may not be able to get to all the parts of the bar but if you want to get to the other end, leave and try the other entrance. I was able to use the men’s room but it was a little tight.
Tracey’s– A great Irish dive bar with everything you need from beer to TVs to po-boys. I recommend the roast beef po-boys
The Columns -The bar in the Columns Hotel is a classic hotel bar that has been there forever. If you want a nice laid back but elegant place I recommend it! It doesn’t look accessible but it is. There is a ramp on the right side that leads to a side door you’ll need to ask someone to open. A few turns later you are there! I went here for my 30th birthday and had a great time. You will have to use the women’s restroom if you need accessibility – which of course isn’t a problem if you are a woman.
Mayfair – Classic neighborhood dive bar in between Prytania and St. Charles. It’s a pretty standard bar with cheap drinks and a pool table with a ceiling decorated with Barbie dolls and Mardi Gras things. It is accessible but you have to ring the bell to be let in. The restrooms are also accessible.
Mid-city Yacht Club – A chill bar in Mid-City with a nice outdoor patio area. They have a decent selection of beers and bar food. You get in through the back gate to the patio. The main restrooms are not accessible, but in the covered patio area near the dartboards, there is an accessible one in a separate building.
Twelve Mile Limit – Cool, Mid-City dive bar with food, an outdoor patio and events like trivia, spelling bees, and stand up comedy. To get in they have a side gate to the patio that leads to the inside. The restroom is definitely not designed for accessibility but I was able to use it.
Finn McCool’s – My favorite Irish bar in Mid-city is Finn’s. Two things first though: You will not be able to use the restroom and, the ramp they can put out on the side isn’t that wide and has no handrails making it slightly difficult to go down. (They widened the ramp for me cause I went every Monday for trivia.) With that said it’s a fun bar for trivia on Mondays, watch Saints games, and soccer. They also have tables outside and everyone who goes there or works there is super friendly.