A great 2 floor drive bar in the garden district!! Has the only balcony on magazine st. perfect for people watching. Bartenders are fast and friendly.. They have awesome wings and pizza, a HUGE draft/craft beer selection and a great happy hour (Mon - Fri) (4pm - 8pm). I usually go there at night but now I've also discovered its a great place to watch football and eat during the day giving the fact that they have multiple HUGE flat-screen TVs Lemon pepper wings and a ghost in the machine draft beer are my go to See you guys again real soon read more

We truly miss the old balcony bar and the charm that it had. I used to come in here for a margarita, Bloody Mary, a beer. A little conversation but still not too much. We would come to watch the game and sometimes sit outside. My experience was the Bloody Marys and margaritas were lovely. They even offer a margarita happy hour day. The past ten years or so it's changed drastically and the security and bartenders don't acknowledge you when you walk in - and the times I've gone in maybe 2-3 customers are inside and usually playing a game and not sitting at the bar. The security is good at checking ID as they have an ID checker to make sure no underage drinking is going on. At least that I have observed. We always give it a try and walk in and out to see if it changes and it just hasn't. I noticed this change once the restaurant expanded upstairs. Just so unfriendly. read more

Decided to go once again since friends wanted to go- Bartender was hammered Place was filthy And- they not only over rang what we had the bartender had the nerve to add a tip when we tipped cash Upstairs bar looks closed How this place stays open I'll never know Owner must not care that the staff rob him blind Never again read more

Haven't been here in years, not much has changed, cheap beer, one of the best 12 buck burgers in the city w waffle fries, awesome balcony to people watch, still one of the best bars in city. Love the consistency, great spot! read more

This is a solid 3 star place bumped to $4 because of their Happy Hour specials. First- they go til 8pm which is decently late in my opinion. Second my BF got a huge sandwich wither fries for $6 ($4 off). We ended up here because a nearby place had an hour long wait. Looked a little sketchy downstairs so wasn't 100% sure about what the food situation was going to be. BF got a chicken parm sandwich and it was huge and super tasty. The bread was soooo tasty. I got a Buffalo chicken wrap. I didn't exactly care for the sauce they used but the wrap, toasting and sprinkling of Parmesan cheese on top was good. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Buffalo chicken wrap - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Yikes...worst experience ever. Health dept should visit. Service was just as bad. I would prefer to give no stars.

Balcony Bar is a bomb ad bar on Magazine that I ALWAYS recommend to tourist. Is a "hole in a wall" with BOMB Drinks for a cheap price and great music. The balcony upstairs is a nice view along Magazine. Only con is some bartender can make some watered down/juiced down drinks and change prices randomly. But for the most part, I love this place and always go back read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - two people sitting at a table - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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WHO: My husband and I in our most recent visit to New Orleans. WHAT: Seeking a spot to get out of the rain, play a game of pool and grab more drinks. WHEN: Oct 2017 - during yet another, hurricane. WHERE: A little spot down the street from our Airbnb - Balcony Bar! My husband and I popped in here on our first night in New Orleans and found it to be A-Ok. Nothing fancy, nothing grungy, but just the right spot to grab a drink and hang for a minute. Giving off a relaxed, chill and easy going vibe, we popped in to a fairly empty space but bellied up to the bartender to order a round of drinks and set out for a game of pool. The bartender was friendly, interested in chatting with us out-of-towners and whipped our drinks in a flash. It's definitely a locals spot, but we were gladly welcomed in by a group of girls who soon enough, were hugging me goodbye! Their balcony is well known in the area, which we didn't venture up to - because you know, RAIN - and apparently their bar food is greasy delicious, which we also didn't partake in. BUT - if staying on Magazine Street again, I'd easily stop in for another drink. read more

When this bar went smoke free and vastly improved their beer tap system upstairs I became a much more regular customer with those great additions for many years. Sadly since the lockdowns this bar has just really changed for the worse. I used to really enjoy the upstairs bar and the great balcony but now it just seems to frequently have people that are looking to cause trouble inside. I live near here and used to always stop in when walking past now when I walk past it often appears either empty or has people yelling and screaming in violent tones that I'm not going to even bother with as that's not the NOLA bar vibe I'm looking for. Not so long ago NOLA bars and pubs used to nearly all be happy friendly places with folks just wanting to have a good time but now there are some people just out looking for trouble it seems. The insanely hot Summer heat we've been having also has been impacting any desire in me to frequent this place as they tend to keep the doors open here without much air conditioning which has made it way too hot for me. I keep hoping this joint will return to some semblance of its former self but so far I haven't seen any signs of improvement and the whole block of Magazine here seems to be declining as there are just far fewer people out and about in the area than there were before the lockdowns. read more

Super chill bar that has a large wraparound balcony bar (hence the name lol). Currently during COVID-19 the complete downstairs area is closed and only the outdoor patio is open on the second floor. Food is available but it's more like bar food. I recommend the waffle fries tbh. Drinks are well priced out and make sure to wear a mask when going inside on the second floor to grab a drink. Keep in mind though if you do become a patron, you'll need to provide your contact information and you MUST wear a mask in order to go in. Let's keep practicing social distancing and make sure you're not mixing and mingling with other tables. Just stick with your group and let's keep being proactive. read more

Pretty good atmosphere always pretty friendly one of them old-school New Orleans places out of the way read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - a person holding a glass of beer - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

This is a go to late night dive bar on Magazine St. This bar is two floors and has ample seating, my favorite part is the plentiful outdoor seating upstairs on the balcony (overlooks Magazine st). I also newly discovered this spot to watch Saints games at, they have several huge tv screens both downstairs and upstairs to watch the game and a fun local crowd to cheer on our boys with! The pool table is also a nice touch for commercial breaks. The reason I didn't give this bar the full stars; however, is that it does have a dark interior and is dingy inside. Its a dive bar and that's what you get. Additionally, the bartender was outside smoking cigarettes in between customers for much of my time there last weekend making it harder to order drinks quickly. In all, a go to bar that I always look forward to hanging out at. The bouncer also checks vaccine cards as you walk in read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - First floor inside - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Great little place that has more to offer than what you see from the outside. It's more than just a bar/eatery. Downstairs bar or upstairs bar or upstairs outside balcony... have at it. I've seen folks take your order and then there are times when your have to be your own order taker and food picker-upper, they get your cell phone number to let you know when your food is ready. I'm glad to see that G's Pizza has taken over the kitchen, I do enjoy there pizza and things; but be sure to pay attention that the prices listed are what you're being charged. Drinks are on point here and catching the happy hour special is a great thing. Love the big screen tv upstairs, great for watching sports. I also love the outdoor balcony; lots to see, I'm all about a birds eye-view. read more

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Awesome Happy hour! ALL well drinks $2.50 from 4 to 8pm. If & when you go look for Vera the bartender she was awesome and the drinks she made were too. I Enjoyed the happy hour and they also serve food at the kitchen called the G's Spot. They have pizzas, burgers,fries & salads. The pizzas are my preference w waffle fries which are massive!. I highly recommend checking this spot out weather your visiting or just meet friends. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Food was good but service was horrible! Waited like 45 mins for a slice of pizza. The guy in the front was super slow, barely did anything and disorganized. A lot of people were complaining about the long wait and he had no urgency. On top of that he was very unsanitary, saw him deal with money and the register and then without any gloves he would touch the cookies. Also saw him take food out of bagged up containers (looked like orders that were ready to go), and put it in new plates... food was good but wouldn't go back, and they def need to work on better hygiene and being more organized so that there isn't such a back up on orders. Felt like some orders were ready to go but the main guy was not focused or something and wouldn't call the people to get their orders. Tried the fries-great, Brussels sprouts amazing and pizza was tasty too. They just need to speed up that wait time! read more

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How the mighty have fallen. I've been to balcony bar many times in the past, and the thing I loved most about this place was the delicious, cheesy pizza, and cheap drinks. But last night was a nightmare. 1. Idk whats happened in the last year, but the first thing that I noticed was the stairs headed to the 2nd floor. They are FILTHY. There is so much dust and grime on them, you'd think the place was abandoned. 2. We order 2 old fashioned's upstairs. If you've ever bartended then you know that the fruit is a big deal. It's customary to cut fruit before each shift. But, the oranges that this bartender put in my drink looked like they were cut DAYS AGO. They were old, and gummy, and looked like they'd been squeezed 3 times already. My stomach turned as I sipped my drink. 3. Not gonna go into this too much, but the kitchen and the cook definitely lacked the hygiene that an eaterie deserves. Also, I had to wipe dust, and sticky god knows what off of the menu. 4. And last but not least, A HUGE roach met me at the bar for a drink. My boyfriend smashed it with a napkin, and the bartender disposed of it and brushed it off saying "Its New Orleans." Well, I've lived in New Orleans all my life and there's no excuse. I'm never returning. read more

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The balcony was great, friendly folks up there. Close to a lot of other shops and bars read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - . - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Cheap drinks. Fun bartenders. A GREAT balcony to hang out under during a downpour. Snacks from the kitchen in back, this is a great little joint that has everything you could want! read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Not the place to go if you want amazing food and drinks but it gets the job done! A great place to meet up with friends and eat and drink for a decent price. They have indoor and outdoor seating as well as upstairs and downstairs seating as well. It's a bar so you get what's expected. You order food from the kitchen and they call you when it's done which can take anywhere from 15-40 minutes. They have different specials for different days food wise. Tuesday is 75 cent wing day Thursday is buy two appetizers get one free things like that. Their happy hour ends at 8 so it's perfect for hanging out after work Updating this on on Dec 30th: Balcony bar charged my boyfriend and my sisters card MONTHS after we went for additional charges. We won't be returning again. I've heard of at least 10 other people saying charges also appeared on their cards the day AFTER Christmas despite them not having been there in weeks or months. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Cheese fries, waffle fries and buffalo wings - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Love coming to this place! (Don't expect something super fancy, it's a dive bar), the bartenders are awesome, the drinks are cheap, and they have over 50 local drafts. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Balcony View - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I've been to Balcony a million times. It's just a cool place to go to and just hang out. The happy hour is great ($2.50 for well drinks, $5 for doubles)and they have a restaurant in the back where you can get bar bites (always comes in clutch). And it gets pretty packed around football season because they show the Saints games on Sundays. The bathrooms aren't the best, there's only two stalls and it's not always the clean. read more

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Passed by this place on a recommendation from one of my friends who has a free spirited personality. He loves everything and everyone. Knowing this I still went along with his recommendation. There was a line outside of the business so I assumed that it was packed and it was. The bar was stocked with cheering people watching the final four. The restaurant (kitchen) was upstairs and the menu was limited. I got a burger and fries because it was the safest thing on the menu. The burger was average but the fries were phenomenal. That's all I can say. The bartender on the second floor was extremely nice so the entire visit wasn't a bust. This place is excellent for late night munchies and drinking. Parking is extremely limited so if you're interested in going use ride share. read more

I can't believe I never did a review of balcony until now. This is basically my second home lol. The reason I come back over and over and over again is because of the pizza. Omg. I do have a complicated order but they accommodate me every single time. I think the pictures can probably do a better job of showing you how amazing this pizza is than I can. Also, Rachel is the best bartender. If she's not too busy ask her to make you a "liquid Prozac" read more

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I have fond memories of this place. Someone bought an XL pizza for us. They wanted to skip the huge line, so they paid ordered with us and paid for our pizza! The pizza and experience was all the more fantastic for this reason. It is two-story bar, with balcony seating on top. The second story had a free jukebox when we went. The vibe was chill and good as well. There was plenty of seating both inside and outside on the second floor. Having second level seating is a plus on Magazine Street. I am all about getting a view around New Orleans. I echo some of the other reviewers here-- they need a better system for picking up the food! Someone must have taken our order of 20 wings and that delayed our XL pizza and wings from coming out. There's no way we needed to wait 45 minutes for wings and pizza. It's just way too easy to pretend you were called on your cellphone, and you could easily steal someone else's order. Pro-Tip: hover around the counter so no one takes your food. read more

This place was fun. Came here on a Lundi Gras and to get away from the tourist crowds on Canal. My local friend took me here saying it ain't happening on Bourbon. The Garden District reminds me of the Eastside in Los Angeles. The crowds were manager;e and we even snagged a seat on the balcony which is why you're at this bar. Great views, a round for 3 under $20 and nice service. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Going to update my review for like the 3rd time. I moved to the Irish Channel about 6 years ago. Perfect location for food. Loved Balcony Bar for years. About 6 months BEFORE Covid, they started going down hill. No longer on delivery apps. No longer answering the phone. I've walked over 4 or 5 times within the years to order pizza since the phone wasn't being answered and the kitchen has been closed with no explanation... every time. I then went for a noon Saints game... kitchen closed. Not sure what has happened but i've found myself going to G's Pizza's other locations rather than Balcony due to the inconsistency. read more

Came here with friends for drinks a few years ago, then returned about a year ago and tried the food. Ever since then I've come here any time I have a craving for fries. The wings are amazing and so are some of the other appetizers; I'm a big wings and fries chick that is very particular about how her fries are cooked and wings taste. I prefer "well done" fries that have a soft and crunch component. On the ultimate cheese fries, the cheese is melted so perfectly that the fries don't become soggy from the toppings, mere perfection (pictured) This place is amazing not only because of how good the food is but because they are open late and so late night delivery! How awesome is that? Highly recommend this bar to anyone who wants a nice place to hangout, have good drinks and good food. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I come to balcony bar for the Jesse vibe, and only for the Jesse vibes. Best bartender in the Irish Channel.

The atmosphere is extremely inviting and enticing to explore the very unique upstairs bar and kitchen. The drinks are made to order from the first floor bar to the upstairs bar. The bartenders are friendly and generous with their pour of most any liquor you would endeavor. read more

Amazing bar food and ambiance. Love this place. Great local spot to bring your friends. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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This bar is a good location in Magazine street and also you can find parking very well near around. There are delicious food over there , I have had pizza and burger there which they were so delicious. The bartender in this bar has very friendly characteristics. It is inexpensive place to drink beer and wine. During weekend it is very crowded where I love that. This place is also clean and safe. read more

Decided to stop in for Happy Hour (4-7) and the balcony bar did not disappoint. It's a cozy bar but it's huge! We were able to view Magazine street from the upstairs balcony which was really nice. There's pay-to-park street parking in the area and lots of boutiques near the bar as well. The food was good too! read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Food Menu - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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You can't really go wrong with a bar that has outdoor seating space, good food and cold beer. I have been here dozens of times and they are pretty consistent. I have to say I'm not sure why when you start a bar tab that they need to keep your card and license...I ordered their spinach dip for the first time and it was pretty tasty. My friend doesn't eat while she's drinking...I know right...so I ended up eating the whole freakin dip. Anywho..this bar is cool for anytime of the day or night. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Spinach and artichoke dip...pretty yummy. - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Cool place, lotsa character and characters. Sitting out on the upstairs deck watching the world go by with a cold beer is hard to beat. Some interesting characters wander by (it's New Orleans after all) so it's free entertainment. read more

My family and I came here for a bite to eat after the bacchus parade during Mardi Gras. The service was HORRIBLE! After waiting 20 minutes to order, we wound up having to wait even longer for our orders. They did not give any receipts and had no way of knowing who ordered what. We saw people who ordered well after us get food and walk off while we were still waiting. We asked for the manager and he waved his hand, but never came over to address the issue. We asked for napkins and the gentleman never returned with them. While this place is vegan friendly, it lacks order and decent service. read more

Great new ownership in the back of balcony bar! Very friendly service, reasonable prices, anad good food. We came in for the $1 pizza slice special on the weekends from noon-5, and definitely plan to do it again. read more

This place has always been my go to spot for a late night bite, good and reasonably priced drinks, juke box, and to shoot pool. Lately it's starting to feel like the vibe is changing. It's not as packed as it used to be (perhaps everyone is feeling the vibe change), and the drink prices have risen. Before, it always felt like the neighborhood bar that I was sure to see someone I knew anytime I visited. Now, it feels like a touristy spot. If it's your first time going, you may not feel how I feel, and may love this place! Because I'd become so used to the old Balcony bar, I'm biased and I "want that ole thing back". Either way, the spot is cool and you should visit! read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Buttery Nipple! - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Decent prices on the drinks with the Happy Hour Deals. Can't beat Jim Beam for $2.50. Hate the fact they've changed the kitchen and the menu. The prices don't warrant the amount of food given. It can get very pricey if you want to buy wings(which is only 5, and that's a joke) for $6.50 and waffle fries $5.50. I ordered chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce which came only 4 for $7 and the first order came out 30 mins after I ordered and were cold. I sent those back and got the next order which had thinner tenders than the first order. read more

Balcony Bar and Cafe - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

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Never order a drink prepared by a bartender who replies, "Unfortunately," after being asked if they make such drinks there. Balcony Bar should be 4-stars. After all, it's a bar in New Orleans. Automatic 3-stars as long as it's not a brightly lit frozen daiquiri joint on Decatur or Bourbon. But, 4-stars it is not. First the good: Balcony Bar oozes charm. After all, you there are two fantastic levels of ultimate old saloon atmosphere. For the second floor bar, go up the winding wooden staircase that is so old, the middle of the stairs is forever imprinted with the footsteps of drinkers past. Venture past the kitchen (laugh at the photos of food they promise is delicious) and you can sit on the balcony, a perfect spot for a warm fall Saturday afternoon during Halloween weekend, which overlooks Magazine and Harmony Streets. Now the bad: Do not order a bloody mary here. I didn't think it was possible to get a horrible bloody mary in this city, but you can at Balcony Bar. I didn't even finish mine. I get the whole, "I want to just pour you a shot or throw you a beer," thing, but I don't tolerate it very well, especially on an afternoon when the bar is hardly packed. If a bartender won't take pride in their drinks, well, you'd do best to move on and go to a bar where they do. I can say this, because I've busted my ass to pour the perfect martini when my bar was three people deep. So, if you want a beer and a balcony, this is the bar to go to. If you want anything but this (or maybe a shot) go elsewhere. read more

Balcony Bar has improved greatly since my last review. The crowd is MUCH improved thanks to an awesome door guy. The place gets a good crowd without being TOO crowded. There is no smoking (I know that there is no smoking in every bar now, but Balcony Bar has been no smoking for two years). And the best part is the beer- the owners have really made an effort to add a lot of local beer on tap which I am always a fan of. As a result of there being better beer, the place isn't as "fratty" anymore and you can actually sit down and have a conversation and not feel weird. While Balcony Bar still isn't my first stop if I am looking for a good time, it's not a bar that I avoid as I once did. read more