Avenue Pub

"Give us your first impression. Before the (mostly very good) microbreweries came to New Orleans, there was the Avenue Pub. Sitting nonchalantly on St Charles in the Lower Garden District, it’s been a beacon for serious beer fans in the city for years. The charmingly ramshackle building has been around since the late 19th century, and there’s a British pub feel to the place, with wooden beams and furniture, plus a spacious balcony that overlooks the streetcar and one of the city’s busiest streets. How’s the crowd? The beer selection draws in ale nerds from around the region—you can find them at the bar going through the menu with a critic’s eye. Other than that, you’ll get casual groups of friends from the neighborhood, sports fans on game days, and late-night adventurers stopping by to load up on carbs, thanks to a rare 24-hour kitchen. What's to drink? The pub typically has 60 bottled beers and 40 beers on tap at any given time. You’’ll find everything from IPAs and sours to ciders, meads, barrel-aged stouts, and barley wines. Upstairs are rare and hard-to- find beers that you’d otherwise have to travel out of state to taste. It’s a beer drinker’s dream bar, and there's nowhere in town quite like it. At the time of writing, a microbrewery was set to open right next door, which should add to the already-impressive selection of brews on tap. Is it worth ordering something to eat? The pub has chef Nathanial Zimet from acclaimed restaurant Boucherie as a consultant, so it’s a step above your average bar fare. There are healthy options such as cauliflower hummus and a roasted veggie quesadilla, plus European classics such as the Belgian toast aux champignons (oyster mushrooms on fresh baked bread) and German currywurst. A cajun croque monsieur and pommes frites represent some French influence. At 3 a.m., though, you’ll probably want the Dump Truck Fries, which are more sophisticated than they sound, with pulled pork and béchamel sauce—they’ll at least get you to 4 a.m. Did the staff do you right? They are as sharp as they come and are incredibly knowledgeable about the exhaustive beer list, which is no small achievement. There’s usually time enough to sit and chat with them a while about your tastes. Wrap it up: what are we coming here for? There’s simply not another bar in town offering as wide, and deep a beer selection, especially if you want to taste draft ales. You can come here and leave having tried something you never even knew existed." - Paul Oswell