This bar is full of racist and judgmental people, as other reviews I have seen on Google and on here have mentioned. I usually am not affected too much by my experiences at bars as I know everything is a hit or miss. But I was greatly appalled by the way I was treated here. My boyfriend and I were walking around town looking for something to do, walked past the Maple Leaf Bar hearing music and decided to check it out. Some bars in New Orleans are 18+, others are 21+; my boyfriend is 21 and I am 20, so we thought to try and see if we could both get in but if the bar ended up being strictly 21+, that was no big deal to us. When we got there, the man outside the bar who asked us for our IDs was already completely unprofessional, treating us in a scrutinized manner obviously because we were younger than most of the patrons of the bar. I am used to getting treated with less respect because of my age, and tried to shrug this off. When I was told I could not enter with my boyfriend as I was not 21, that was fine with me and I apologized for wasting the employee's time. As I was leaving, several patrons at the bar took it upon themselves to harass and berate me; I had a crowd of elderly white people calling out rude and disrespectful things to me unwarranted. It struck me the wrong way that these people seemed to get such a kick from making fun of underage girls. In addition to this, the staff did nothing to calm the crowd, even laughing with them as they jeered at me. It was ironic as these people were harassing me for being young while acting childish and immature themselves. As a woman, and a brown woman especially, it causes me a lot of anxiety to go out to places like this, as I know that often I can be harassed for my gender, age, or skin color, and at the Maple Leaf Bar, I felt unsafe and uncomfortable and did not even enter the bar. Something about the fact that the patrons seemed to get a hard on from being so rude to an underage girl they didn't know me didn't make me feel right, and I advise anyone visiting New Orleans not to support these rude creeps. read more

The Maple Leaf looks small, but packs a music venue, full bar, and a patio all in one. Friendly old school dive-ish bar that has not changed anything in years. It's working.... If you're coming in from out of town, it's probably not worth a stop unless you are off the beaten path. read more

Live music in New Orleans that is not on Frenchmen? THANK YOU! I might be slight biased (true story) but the first time I went to Maple Leaf was when I saw Flow Tribe. The drinks were typical, cover was $10, parking was easily done in the neighborhood. The only thing I didn't like - and this might be more of AT&T's fault - is that I had ZERO cell service in the bar. read more

YES. why? scotch and soda: $3 (you heard that right) super nice bartender long, beautiful old wood bar super chill, welcoming vibe the evening we were there there were a group of musicians telling great stories at the bar next to us. and then another guy bought us around of drinks and struck up a conversation. we felt like regulars even though we'd first found the place 45 minutes before. did not hear music hear but bet it's great too. read more

This place keeps going and going and going. It's a safe place to stop in any night of the week and see some live, local music, all with decent local beers and a pool table out back. Great music, great beer, mixed drinks, old pianos lining the walls, old taps out in the back garden, always a good crowd and always open... what else do you want? read more

This is what a bar should be like. It should be on the cover of Bar magazine if their is such a thing... and if not, someone should start one. Anyways... this place, Maple Leaf has everything you could need in a bar, really. Beer, booze, music, booze, girls and music with girls dancing to it. This is a good bar. read more

went here to see the Rebirth Brass Band play live. Pros: intimate cheap drinks. Cons: NEEDS A/C UP IN THERE! Very smoky in the dance area. read more

Rebirth Jazz Band is the truth! You must come here on Tuesday and experience this band, it is absolutely worth it! This place was recommended by a friend of my bf's family and it was worth it. We took the trolley car here from Bourbon Street and got here a bit too early. The band comes on at 11 so I wouldn't get here any earlier than 10:30 since the area where the band plan isn't air conditioned and the more people that come in the hotter it gets. By the time the band came on I swear I had lost 5 pounds due to sweat. I lost another 10 as the band played and I danced ad swayed and enjoyed their amazing music. The cover is a bit steep at $12 but it really is worth it. Beers are pretty cheap with my blond ale's costing $4 each which was pretty good! Once again I am taking a star away for people smoking in the club. Second hand smoke kills... read more

Like most things in New Orleans, I wanted to put this bar in my pocket and take it home. Awesome music both live and jukebox (jukebox is unbelievable). Drinks are priced perfectly, people are partying on the street, partying inside, listening to music on the large stage or waiting to eat at Jacques Imos and everyone is having a great time. Highly recommended, its a great night, come up, put your name in at Jacques Imos or grab some drinks and eat, or if you want, grab some drinks and head over to Dante's which is a great, a little higher end, but totally worth it restaurant read more

Sadly, we did not make it all the way into the bar for that long because of the cigarette smoke..I warned new hubby ahead of time that smoking in bars in okay in NOLA....he tried to get past it, but it was tough on his contacts so we had to go. Kind of sad because not only did we find a sweet parking spot right in front, the bouncer/doorman went on a break to yell at someone on his cell phone and so we mosyed on in without having to pay the cover. lol! The music (from what little of it I heard) was fantastic! read more

So, I of course cam through on a Tuesday night, to see Rebirth Brass Band. It was a pretty awesome experience. As much as everyone raves about the band, I was a little underwhelmed to be honest. I thought they were good, not great and the bar they play in gets the same rating as well. Drinks are reasonably priced, and because it is off the beaten path, there were very few "hardcore" tourists and a lot of local people just out to listen to some good music. The $20 cover is a bit steep, especially for a show that lasts approximately 2 hours, with a 20 minute break in between sets. I would for sure recommend this to anyone who wants a more authentic New Orleans experience, but with the ride out to the bar, underwhelming nature of both the band and the bar, I would say to just catch a band or 5 on Frenchman street. Start at Vos and make your way down from there. read more

Tuesday night with Rebirth is possibly the best single experience you can have in New Orleans on a weekly basis. It's crowded, hot, impossible to move, hard to see and tough to get a drink. And everyone is having the time of their lives. Any other time, the bar is still a must-stop. In the early evening it has the atmosphere of a local dive bar - patrons around the bar joking with the bartender, who is joking right back. Later in the night it turns into a music destination. A good one. read more

First, I really like this bar. Would love to have it in my town. Good place to see live music, good atmosphere. That being said, the guy working the door was a total douchebag. Even after I thought we had smoothed things over, I hear him tell another employee that he's sick of people from out of town coming to the bar. Really friend? In New Orleans? A city that needs all the love it can get from the rest of us? A city that is still very much rebuilding? A city that so much federal money has gone towards helping? That comment wouldn't fly with me in any town, but it was especially laughable in New Orleans. It may be YOUR town sir, but without travelers to support it that town would be a bigger hell-hole than memphis. Still like the bar a lot despite the poor attitude of the door-man. read more

Found Maple Leaf Bar while in town for only a couple nights. Went because we heard Dirty Dozen Brass Band was playing there that night. Holy cow what a show! And what a cool little place! Great beer on tap (too good, possibly), friendly bartenders, nifty patio out back, music that will make you feel like a holy roller, reaching those hands to the sky while the feet don't stop moving. Ecstatic, I tell you. read more

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The environment in this place is pretty cool, also nice that they have live music. I felt like the beer selection was "okay" not great. Maple Leaf gets a three from me mainly because after we had been there for two hours buying drinks (while outside) a guy came and told us we had to pay $10 or leave. I understand cover, but I feel like if we are being patrons to your establishment before the show (by two hours) we should get to stay inside. It was a Thursday night for goodness sakes and totally empty. I might go back if there is someone I want to see play, otherwise I will not be back. read more

This place may be nice...well, if you are of certain skin color. I went to this bar yesterday and the bartender Travis refused to serve me. For? I can only guess, my skin color ( white, to be specific). I went to the bar with my friend last night. It was my first time to this bar. She stayed at the dance floor and I went to the bar to order a bottled water for her and a beer for myself. I waited for about 5 minutes. No one was behind the counter so I went back to the dance floor. Went out again, still no one behind the counter. Finally third time I went out. Bartender Travis was behind the counter. He was serving other people so I waited. Eventually, he walked past me. I asked for the drinks. He took out the bottled water and put on the lower counter in front of him and walked away. I thought he was getting my beer so I waited. But, I saw him go to the other side of the bar and started serving other people and having a drink with other people. Again, I thought it was something he had to do on the way so I continued waiting patiently. Finally, he walked by me again and just as if I was not there. ( The bar was not busy last night and he was not busy.) He walked to the back and started chatting with the guy at the back. At this point, I realized that he was purposely trying to avoid me. Since I was not able to get the drink so my friend and I decided to leave the bar. Upon talking to my friend, this wasn't the first time. She said Travis had also refused to serve one of her other friends who happened to be black. I know this is a bar with long history and many reviews so my review could probably barely make any difference. Maybe the bar owner can tolerate this kind of racist behavior. But, if you are a band with good conscience and if you are a customer with good conscience, you should not support a place that allows their employee to have this type of racist behavior. There are hundreds of other bars you can play and have a beer. It does not have to be this racist place. read more

We came here on our first night in NOLA, and the bands were over an hour late to get on stage, then durring the performance the main mic kept flaking out. This was a bummer. It is VERY loud here. I'm guessing this makes sense when the hall is packed but when it's not you just end up with ringing in your ears for a day and a half like we did. The price of drinks was pretty good about $4 per beer, the bartender was knowledgeable about the beers on tap and steered me in the right direction. I didn't think the bathrooms were that bad, it's a bar. read more

Love it! Wish I was in New Orleans longer... Probably would be one of those locals if I lived in New Orleans (which is probably bad for the Maple Leaf but good for my liver). It's dark, dirty, dingy and I love every second of it. Great music. A hidden wonder of New Orleans. read more

A very cool venue in New Orleans. I was there to see one of my favorite bands, the legendary Rebirth Brass Band. I had fun! The place was jumping off, so it was a little sardine packed inside because the place isn't huge. However, thats what you expect anytime you see a badass show. It looks like they have an excellent lineup on their calendar when I checked their upcoming shows. I see that Charlie Hunter is playing there who is also awesome. If you are only visiting a short time and you lineup with a Tuesday; that is Rebirth Brass Band's weekly house gig. Do it and have fun! read more

Maple Leaf Bar - Find em' wherever they're playing in NOLA. One of the best shows for a "True Grit" NOLA feel! Thanks Rebirth Brass Band! - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

The Maple Leaf Bar is a staple, an icon, the main event, a great live music venue and you will feel the energy flowing through the walls. I came back home after living in Atlanta for three years and I'll say.... IT FELT GOOD TO BE HOME!! Whatever they decide the cover to be, it's worth the money. Rebirth Brass Band on Tuesdays will rapture your soul and take you on a journey through life! You'll leave feeling inspired, warm, and sweaty because it does get hot in there! Be prepared! Don't come out here with pounds of makeup ladies! It's a dive bar and the bartenders are on their game. Plenty of liquor in their drinks will definitely pick you up! read more

Live band & crawfish boil! Can't ask for more! The people were nice & very hospitable! read more

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AMAZING. To be clear, we came here solely to see Rebirth Brass Band. They apparently have played here on Tuesday nights for 29 years (so they said during the show). We got here at 9:30 to be sure we got in. It was a good time to arrive, as there were still seats open, so we could get a beer and have a seat while we waited. My friend was happy to see hard cider on the drink menu, and, as a visitor who loves Abita beers, I was glad to see a few of their beers on the menu as well. They also have a nice selection of affordable beers (Miller High Life, etc.) But the bottom line is that Rebirth is phenomenal from start to finish and every minute in between. This a fun venue, and I would recommend this show to all visitors to the area who can afford the $20 cover. I was in town for a conference and seriously debated whether to go to a show that starts at 11PM, but it was worth every minute of lost sleep! And I love sleep. Hands down recommend as highly as possible!! read more

Maple Leaf Bar - Fun just to watch the band get set up while waiting for the show to start! - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

Small bar next to a great restaurant. The drinks are cheap. I'm a cider girl so the strongbow cider. There is a little garden area outside if the weather permits. The bar is dark and cold so it's nice to grab a drink and just sit at the front or outside. read more

Yep, 0 stars if possible. They advertised Sunday Crawfish. Door man extorted $10 cover and promise of crawfish being dropped just then. Upon entry, no crawfish. No refund. Prompt exit. Stay away from this ripoff. read more

Good tunes, cool bartenders (no, we did not go on a Tuesday!) and unpretentious patrons. Great to get away from the riff raff and check out somewhere new. Highly recommend! read more

I just don't like it when you get stared at by the frequenting locals, like we shouldn't be there... I am sure it is a cool place, I just didn't feel very welcome that day, nor did the other 8 people I was with. read more

Note: if you come here at the wrong time, there will be no one in here, there is an eerie silence, and if you aren't a local you will be stared at ha ha (this was us when we showed up too early here!!) BUT if you come here at the right time, which would be on Sunday nights for their crawfish boil and live band, you will have probably one of the most memorable experiences you will have visiting NOLA. Matt J. read about this in the NYTimes, and we are so so so so glad that we went. You pay $10 on a Sunday night and they have a great live band which is pretty well known in the area AND they bowl 200+ pounds of crawfish, sausage, porkchops, corn, mushrooms, all in a spicy cajun mixture. They set up a few folding beer pong type tables and literally dump all of that goodness all along the tables and then the free-for-all crawfish eating time o' fun!! Yup, everyone around you is literally digging it, ripping the heads off, sucking out the meat and juices, and putting the discarded ones aside as quickly as possible ha ha It is pretty impressive a) to watch and b) to participate in. If you have germ issues this is clearly not the place to eat, but if not, I highly recommend that you take the trek out to this random dive bar for a Sunday crawfish boil. I promise you, you will not regret it, UNLESS you show up too early and then you are there in the awkward times. But this place will definitely hold some of my best memories of my trip to NOLA. The beer isn't the cheapest, but they have a good local selection and their mixed drinks are strong too!. read more

OK, first I must state that I do not write a lot of reviews. When I do write one, there are two reasons, one, I want to let the world know how great a product or service was or two, the total opposite. I will start this conversation by stating that the Maple Leaf Bar was of the second reason...absolutely horrible! I went to this venue to see the brass band, Rebirth. I had heard there were a must see, so naturally since I was in New Orleans and they were at the Maple Leaf it was a no brainer. I arrived at the Maple Leaf, approximately about 9:45 PM and the band was scheduled to start playing at 11 PM. There was already a line, about 40-50 deep, so my wife, cousin and I already knew we might either get turned away or at the worst, a crowded back of the room, standing, squeezed-tight spot where we could at minimum still see the band. We finally got to the front door, after approximately a 20-25 minute wait, and paid the $15 cover charge per person. Well, as we entered to go to the main venue floor there was no room, not for one more person. So, we thought we might wait a few more minutes and maybe, maybe the club would possibly open additional space, NO! Not only was there no space for me and my group, but there was absolutely no space for the other 50 people that followed behind us, but the Maple Leaf kept taking the $$$$! Not only did we not get to see the band play, but we sat at the only table available and got booted from there because they wanted to sell merchandise there. Now, I will say I am by no stretch of the imagination a high-brow patron of any sort. Quite frankly, I have worked at dive bars and have never experienced such a pathetic venue. I will not now or in the future recommend this place to anyone except for those that just want to experience AWFUL! Thanks Maple Leaf for being about the $ and I hope bands like Rebirth will reconsider using your venue because it reflects just as poorly on them. read more

This is a must see bar for locals. My favorite day to check this place out is on Sunday's during crawfish season. They do an awesome boil with different things like duck, pork shoulder, and gator. The drinks are cheap and the atmosphere feels like New Orleans. Hard to explain unless you've been here. Definitely one of my favorite bars off the beaten path. read more

Well... this place was recommended by several people. The cover was 20 bucks... the band was great and the clientele sucked. People we rude and hostile and the was packed. I was hoping for a mixed crowd...sadly the place felt pretty 'white' and sterile for a second line band. The vibe of the crowd was a deal breaker. Disappointing. read more

I'm only giving this bar 2 stars because the bar shift changed and we didn't have to deal with the train wreck that we had initially opened our tab with. This guy was so busy arm wrestling it took a a total of 4 tries to get our order right. Once he finally decided to complete the order and remake a drink he had made wrong he first grabs the drink that was wrong slams it in front of us and says whatever. There was no music playing yet so maybe he was b team and doesn't know his way behind the bar but if I were the owner I would remove this cancer before he really causes problems. read more

Tuesday Nights for Rebirth is a New Orleans Tradition! Show usually starts after 11 pm & is done by 1:30, they will blow you away, but it's so crowded, you should arrive early enough to stake out your space to see the stage. It also gets really slippery I have seen many fall right on their As@#$ , so bring some good gripping shoes to dance & move to this Great Grammy Winning Band. The back bar is best for quick service & to chill out. Great place Before or After Jacques-Imo's. read more

We paid $20 a pop to see the Renaissance brass band. We got there an hour early thinking we would get seating and a better view. By the time the band started we were packed in like sardines (could barely see the group). We left early. read more

seeing Rebirth on a Tuesday was maybe the highlight of the entire trip. They went on at 1030 and ended after 1 with a small break in between. great show. cheap beers. i'd get there early to stake out a spot. $15 cover. worth it. read more

Came on Lundi Gras because I was told the New Orleans Suspects were a must see. $15 cover, cash only, all worth it. The show time was listed as 10pm but as someone explained to me "New Orleans time" usually means things start late, which was fine, simply meant I had an extra round of dancing juice before it was time to start dancing. They have a nice back bar along with the main one upfront. I recommend paying cash so you can get drinks at either one in case the front is slammed. Bartenders Nick and Taco were both quite cheerful and hospitable guys. Something about being in the place just felt right and then the band started playing and it felt even more right. I think part of it is the dark vibe and the tin walls, but also the heavy local to tourist ratio was a nice change from what I had seen in the rest of New Orleans. New Orleans Suspects were incredible and well worth the money. Had a guest bass player who sang some songs and everybody hailed him as "King of Oak" which brought the energy in the room to a peak even at 1am. Probably one of the best sounding nightclubs I've ever been to, when standing in the center of the room it felt like sitting in front of my HIFi system at home. Great way to ring in Mardi Gras! read more

Loved the music. So much fun to come in grab a drink and set back. Perfect. Love New Orleans and so happy we stopped in to this place.

Went to Maple Leaf for the first time last night with my wife and oldest daughter and son in law. Never in my life have I had an experience like that. It was amazing! I've never experienced New Orleans brass band before but after this I'm sure that no one back home has any idea what they are missing. After moving to New Orleans just two weeks ago on Fat Tuesday with me, my wife and 9 of our children I knew we were moving for the people and culture of New Orleans but nothing could prepare me for this. This is true conformation for me that if we moved here for a rich cultural experience for our children then we have come to right place, and the Maple Leaf being 3 blocks from our new home will undoubtedly be at the center of that. Thank you guys for an awesome night and I highly recommend to anyone looking for a part New Orleans that is real, authentic and will make you feel alive again, then look no further than The Maple Leaf and the live music within. You may see me there on Tuesday's in the front with a crazy little mother of 11 just living our dreams. Come join us. Craig & Cherri LeBlancu read more

Maple Leaf Bar - Bars Near Me - New Orleans, Louisiana

I would never have dreamed I would be writing a poor review for what has been one of our favorite places in New Orleans. Last night (6/8) my wife and I made the slow commute via the street car line down to Oak street and headed in for what was billed as the regular Tuesday night rebirth gig. I must say I thought this to be odd because Kermit had decided to forgo both regular gigs this week because of scheduled dates on Friday and Saturday WITH REBIRTH in California. Never the less we were greeted by a large crowd and chalk board that all spoke of Rebirth's routine gig. After a round of drinks the doorman came by to collect the cover from everyone who had been inside prior to ten o'clock. He told everyone who was unaware they would be treated to the delights of rebirth and some of the best new orleans has to offer. This is where I began to notice some gaps in the normal continuity of Tuesday nights at the maple leaf. The cover charge had gone down to $12 (one wants this to be a pleasant merciful respite from a bad economy even though you know better.) Then things really began to fall apart...the musicians would scramble onto stage one at a time to drop of their pieces and scurry to the bar for drinks. This is when my wife pointed out that a couple of the members (hello....TUBA player) and Sax player def. did not seem to be rebirth players. That is because with within just a few moments we would find ourselves immersed within the biggest TOURIST TRAP scam I have ever had the displeasure of seeing. The NEWBIRTH (not REbirth)brass band hurriedly took the stage first announcing themselves as the "original rebirth" and began to play. I know Newbirth to be a respected member of the brass community but the bait and switch was deceptive childish and ill advised even amidst a room packed with tourist. The band had zero continuity arguing and fighting for attention while using the gig as an excuse to have unwitting patrons get them repeated rounds from the bar mid song. They even went so far as to do a god awful rendition of I feel like funkin it up. What followed was 30min sessions of labored jam style trad Jazz interspersed with equally as long smoke breaks. I just don't understand how the venue, the staff, and the musicians (ESPECIALLY THE GUYS FROM REBIRTH) could perpetrate such a gross sham on their fans. Back Beat, WWOZ, the Maple Leaf's calendar all billed this as Rebirth and even Reginald (Newbirth band leader) was happy to make drunken ramblings about how Newbirth and Rebirth are just one big family. Embarrassment to the music, the venue, and the band. read more

Waste of a night in NOLA to go out to this bar. Went on a Tuesday to see the Rebirth Brass Band just as the reviews recommended. We got there around 9p to make sure we got a good spot (two hours early). By the end of the second song we left. Maple Leaf is just a dive bar, nothing wrong with that. The issue really started about an hour before the music when the place started to get packed. I mean REALLLLLY packed. The sheer heat of the room was insane. We were chugging water because it was getting into heat exhaustion territory (in late March!). We didn't even realize how packed it was until we tried to leave and it was genuinely hard to do so. We had to physically push aside every person in front of us from the music venue to the absolute front door of the bar. It's clear once the band is playing, the bar has given up on the drink business and has decided that getting as many people paying the $15 cover to get in is all that's left. It's really hard to overstate this part. On this night, you absolutely could not get a drink and get back in the venue area. The final straw was the PA mix/volume. Immediately when the band started, the balance of instruments was way off, and in general, way too loud. Ok happens all the time, sound guys usually take a song or two to reel things in. After the first song the main Trumpet player called it out too "Rick fix the mics." There was no change by the end of song two and by that point my ears had hit the ringing/numb effect from being fully peaked out by the volume. Conclusions: If you're going bring earplugs, we might have lasted if we knew. But the way they pack the bar in still makes this a highly questionable trip. We came to NOLA for Jazz. Had good experiences in the Quarter, great experiences on Frenchman, Maple Leaf was the most disappointing. Also it's far so you can't change gears and jump into another venue if your experience matches mine. read more

My husband and I went to the Maple Leaf to see the Rebirth Brass Band play and it was definitely a little dive bar. It's very narrow, but has a front bar and a back bar. It was a great spot for a little concert, but I wish there were more seating options - not sure if that would even be possible considering the set up of the venue. It was a $20 cover/person to get in for the show. They put this huge stamp on my hand and it took forever to dry.. was worried I would accidentally wipe black ink on my face! Bartenders were nice and made drinks appropriately. read more