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Bars where Pete has had a Drink (5,608 bars; 1,754 bars in Seattle) - Click titles below for Lists:


Bars where Pete has had a drink

Sunday, October 02, 2016

#2466 - Saturn Bar, New Orleans - 3/19/2014

The Saturn Bar is one of the greatest dive bars in the country. It hits on virtually all key areas of a dive -- old, old characters, unique personality, strong cheap drinks, personalized decor assembled over many years -- and amps them up to a rare level. We chatted with bartender Bailee Broyard, whose great uncle O'Neil Broyard founded the place in this Bywater location in 1960, and whose father Eric now owns the joint. It was O'Neil who took the building hosting various blue collar bars over the years and transformed it into a cluttered bohemian gathering place and museum of folk art. O'Neil was the one who frame the taxidermied turtle in neon, installed the leopard print booths, collected the art, taxidermy and bric-a-bat -- and it was his friend Mike Frolich who painted the eponymous planet on the ceiling and historical scenes on the walls.

Saturn Bar, New Orleans
After 45 years of running the place, O'Neil died in December 2005, while the Saturn was still closed by Hurricane Katrina, and Eric and Bailee took over. Bailee books alt bands on weekends, and once a month they host one of New Orleans' most popular dance nights, DJ Matt Ulhman and Kristen Zoller's "Mod Night," featuring "exclusively of British Invasion, Motown, and Funk hits from the 1960s and 70s all spun from their original 33 or 45 RPM vinyl." Mod Night happens one Saturday night a month, but you'll have to watch their Facebook page to know exactly which weekend, as this decision is often made a the last minute. (See offbeat) Bailee and Eric cleared enough clutter from the back section to hold dancers and live bands, and you can watch the action from a narrow upper floor that surrounds that section, accessed by a rickety stairway.

Bailee, Saturn Bar, New Orleans
I could carry on about the decor and personality, but as with any truly unique dive, you can gather a lot more from a few more photos than I could communicate in words.









   Saturn Bar, New Orleans
















Saturn Bar, New Orleans (front door)
 

3067 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70117 - (504) 949-7532
Est. 1960
Web site: saturnbar.com - facebook
Articles ranked: neworleans.com - insidenola - offbeat - arthurmag - nolavie - gonola - nola.com - bestofneworleans - yelp - tripadvisor - lonelyplanet - roadtrippers

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