Best-of list · After Work Bars
The 10 best after work bars in New Orleans, from Erin Rose and The Chart Room to the Sazerac Bar, the Carousel Bar and historic Napoleon House.
The short answer
10 ranked rooms follow. How we picked is at the end of this guide.
New Orleans does after work better than almost anywhere, because the drink is cheap, the room is old, and nobody is in a hurry. We ranked these ten on the price of a round, how fast you get served, and whether the place takes a crew straight off a shift. Some are French Quarter dives. Some are historic hotel bars. All ten beat going straight home.
Five Quarter rooms where the locals drink cheap and the history runs deep.
How we picked
Erin Rose is the first stop, a cheap Quarter dive with a frozen Irish coffee and po boys in the back. The Sazerac Bar is the landmark move for a Sazerac at the Roosevelt. The Carousel Bar is the one that literally turns while you drink. Our New Orleans after work guide covers the rest, and the New Orleans bar guide sorts the city by occasion.
Tom Callahan covers the practical side of going out. He cares about the room, the sound, the price of a pour, and whether the place actually delivers. He sources every pick from local reviews, Reddit threads, and the venues themselves.
Last reviewed 2025-10-29 · The editors recheck hours and closures against current local coverage.