d.b.a. New Orleans

This place is my favorite. I go usually when there is no cover (for some acts, they do a $ 5 cover). There are two full bars and incredible live jazz music! Not much seating though, since there is a dance floor, so come early if you’d like a seat.

Great club! We enjoyed music so much!
Group Debauch Russian maffia!!! Fun!!!
We stayed there until 2:00am last night! Unbelievable, we left and crowd was still dancing and having great time!
Time to go back to boring LA

Love Treme Brass Band and this was my second time to see them tonight. They get five stars! Would have stayed longer but I couldn’t get served at the bar. Stood there for 5 minutes and no one helped me. And it wasn’t like they were busy. One server left the bar to pick up trash instead of help me. Two other bar tenders ignored me AND the guy trying to help me get their attention. Terrible service. If you are a woman over 30 don’t go here — they don’t want you!

Ah, DBA. I actually would have given this place 5 stars if the awesome jazz band didn’t start randomly playing «Hotline Bling» and a few other pop songs. Wtf?! That’s not what we came to see! And they were doing so well before that!
The drink selection was fantastic though, the bartenders were cool, and I was a lot happier being able to actually see and hear the bands after coming out of the Spotted Cat pretty disappointed.

Fantastic music. Perfect dance floor. Great bourbon selection. Bartenders? Not good. I know it’s a tourist zone, but guys, do you have to be so rude? Crack a smile sometimes. Show some human spirit!
Even still… I gotta recommend DBA for live music on Frenchman.

Probably my favorite place in NOLA thanks to the bartender JULIE!
She is the bomb!
The Sons of Anarchy bartending team rocks but Julie brings the sexy to the bar.

This is by far my favorite spot on Frenchmen St. Granted there is almost always a door fee, that’s because d.b.a does get really good talent versus all the other spots on this block. Their drinks are moderately priced and their bartenders while they seem like body doubles for the sons of anarchy are very patient and friendly. This is a go to spot for live music.

This was my favorite stop on my visit to New Orleans. For the low cost of $ 10, I was able to watch George Porter Jr get it on stage for a couple hours. The drinks were reasonable priced and I picked a spot in the back to stand by the window and take in the music. There isn’t much to this place, just grab a drink and enjoy the show. You won’t regret it!

Great place to listen to awesome jazz music and eat crawfish. My friends and I came on a Sunday special where it was all-​you-​can-​eat crawfish from 3−6pm. The only catch is the crawfish will be served every 30 minutes where a guy with a huge bucket of crawfish will dump them on a table, and you have to fight for the crawfish. Sounds a little crazy, but it’s really fun and there’s plenty of crawfish around for everyone… It’s like the feeling you get when you go shopping on Black Friday, pushing everybody out of the way to get stuff, but only for crawfish.

Had average experiences here. Some good music, some not so much. No outside alcohol allowed.

Great bar with a huge number of beers, on tap and in bottles. They had Chimay on tap, which always wins points with me. The bar tender was a bit curt, but in fairness she had roughly one million people to attend to. We heard a grammy winning jazz pianist while sipping our drinks. It’s nice in that the bar is split into two sides. one right in front of the stage, and the other on the other side of a wall with two open doors to the stage area. So if you want to hear the music, but not be deafened by it you can sit on the other side and strike a nice balance. We sat such that we could see him play through one of the open doors, but didn’t have to be part of the crowd in front of the stage. Good spot for drinks and music.

TREME BRASS BAND!!!
What a party band!!! Doesnt get any better!
Just be prepared to eventually elbow your way into the main concert room… like a can of sardines :-)

One of my top priorities (aside from eating everything in sight) was to see a Jazz band during my time in NOLA. So of course we set aside a night to walk up and down Frenchmen Street and we came upon d.b.a.
The venue itself is nice. They separate the two big rooms with bars on each side but you can choose to either lounge (right) or jam to the band (left side). The Treme Brass Band was playing — they’re very well known in NOLA. It was a $ 5 cover and worth every cent. d.b.a. is great… plenty of seating and space to dance to your heart’s content! There’s an ATM which is a big plus as well as water stations throughout the place… points for that! I should also mention that the acoustics were fantastic here.
Whether you’re coming for a particular band, or just stumbling upon something unexpectingly great, you’re sure to have a good time. The place was packed that night and everyone, I mean EVERYONE was up dancing and having the time of their lives. What a great venue. When I come back to visit NOLA, this will be the first place I visit for sure.

Way cool! d.b.a. did have a cover the night we were there but it was only $ 10 and boy was it worth it. We stopped by the first night of Mardi Gras season and were brought in to a true New Orleans musical atmosphere. All of the classic songs you never know where Mardi Gras along with a bar that could keep up with the crowd. I was truly impressed that the venue didn’t pack folks in; that could have just been circumstance. We were able to move around and even dance which made the live band even better. Not being packed in like a sardine can really make for a great evening! We were even lucky enough to have the Mardi Gras Indians on stage to sing and play like the badass musicians they are. Great great stop! Very glad we picked d.b.a. over another venue within walking distance that had a line out the door.

My first DBA crawfish boil! I have dances the night away here to some NOLA greats a hundred times, so this makes me happy! Ten bucks for all you can eat crawfish. It just keeps coming! It’s family style, so you’ll make friends as you peel. The crawfish are already big this year, and these guys know what they’re doing! My lips are on fire. This is the start of a beautiful Sunday tradition! Crawfish, booze, friends, and live music. I’m in my happy place, my loves!

READ THE WHOLE THING, Went there at 4pm last week to check it out, heard good thing about it, we walk in as the tall blonde barmaid was there, i ask how she was, and it didnt take long we turn around, she was very rude and made us feel very unwelcome, u know that feeling when u feel like u are disturbing someone! Im giving 4 stars cause we went again on sunday, cause i heard about he crawfish broil, it was fun! Super packed and even if the staff was super busy the girl with the red hair took the time to serve us, explain the crawfish and a little chit chat! Now thats friendly, not like the other first one! Great spot i knew it!

The legendary dba… a great place to see live music. The acoustics are fantastic — it’s an intimate, cozy, little space made even better being non smoking. The other half of the bar was yapping away but we weren’t bothered by it at all… while listening to the AMAZING John Boutte and his band. MAN OH MAN Mr. Boutte and his band were truly special and we felt so lucky to be seeing him. The crowd was really invested in the show too, and super polite and attentive. Couldn’t tell if it was a lot of tourist or locals, which was cool as it was a street FULL of tourists like myself. ;) The hubs was impressed by the large beer menu. Only bummer was the blond bartender. She was not very friendly — AT ALL. (and I don’t mind a little crusty when there’s still respect) On the upside, the girl at the front door taking the cover charge was adorable and super nice!

d.b.a. New Orleans is one of my favorite Frenchmen Street music venues and I have made it a point to catch Jon Cleary perform on Thursday nights for last several years. It has a wide selection of beers and non-​alcoholic beverages to choose from, including a very good ginger ale.
d.b.a. has a music stage with good acoustics and people there never talk so loudly that they drown out the performance. I enjoyed Tuba Skinny’s set there this year and was glad they were able to move up in the musical world as the band was playing on Royal Street the year before.

like this venue. spacious. easy to get a drink.

By far the best music venue we went to in NOLA. This is New Orleans at its finest. A large stage in the back with a full jazz band. Good beer. Packed house (we were there a night before New Year’s Eve). We were right up at the stage enjoying what the city is all about. See the picture below. Review over.

This place. Man oh man. The music and the beer selection is amazing. We saw Andrew Duhon and that guy has some serious potential. He is gonna be someone if he keeps it up. The bartenders however… When you are a server you should not implant yourself in your costumers business. And comments like
«Thanks for coming Never come back» is pretty rude when you work at a touristy bar. CLASS UP and mind your own business, have some southern hospitality. For people sitting at the bar speak softly…

This *might* be my favorite venue on Frenchmen Street, although, I didn’t go to one that I disliked.
d.b.a. has a bar with a stage and dance floor on one side and a space with just a bar and some seating on the other: so there’s a place to be close to the action and hear live music, and a space where you can just chat and hear the live jazz in the background.
My friend and I came here on a Saturday and Sunday and on both nights the music was great and it wasn’t terribly crowded (although we were here on the early side: 8:30pm). Service was a little slow, but that’s a minor offense. I’ll be back the next time I find myself in New Orleans.

This *might* be my favorite venue on Frenchmen Street, although, I didn’t go to one that I disliked.
d.b.a. has a bar with a stage and dance floor on one side and a space with just a bar and some seating on the other: so there’s a place to be close to the action and hear live music, and a space where you can just chat and hear the live jazz in the background.
We came here on a Saturday and Sunday and on both nights the music was great and it wasn’t terribly crowded (although we were here on the early side: 8:30pm). Service was a little slow, but that’s a minor offense. I’ll be back the next time I find myself in New Orleans.

We were told by a local that we’d met the night before that this was THE place to go to get away from tourists and hang with the locals. It was Christmas night, so we weren’t sure who’d be out but we gave it a shot. When we arrived, there were maybe 10 people in the place, and on the other side was a lonely DJ playing music to an empty dance floor. My friend and I each got a drink and took a seat by the window and enjoyed some people watching then headed out to the Blue Nile, which was a much better evening. I think if i went back when it’s not Christmas it would be a better experience, but the drink prices are reasonable, the ambience is nice, and the place looked clean. So I’d say it’s worth checking out if you find yourself on Frenchman Street.

Not often would I conflate NYC & NOLA… but here, it works. I never would have imagined something like dba could work so well in New Orleans, much less in the Marigny, but true to form, New Orleans managed to put its own spin on the New York standout. Whether you’re into beer, music of people watching, a night out at dba is time well spent.
If you decide to come here and you’re not coming to enjoy a show, see if you can stake out the fishbowl out front. Not only is it prime real estate that will allow you to observe everyone inside and outside the bar, it’s just big enough for you and 3 of your friends. This way you get to have a night out but not have to deal with anyone else. Well, that is until you decide to get a drink. The bar is crazy busy but moves surprisingly fast given its size, selection and the amount of people clamoring for a drink. Don’t be one of those people. Approach the bar with a knowing confidence. How do you do that when the choices are all over the place? Use your time in the fishbowl to angle your vision to spy the board. That way, you won’t be one of those people who look confused when the bartender gives you attention. This is a busy bar; don’t waste anyone’s time. If your a fan of brown liquor and/​or beer, I think you’ll be quite pleased with the drink selection. Yes, it’s overwhelming but when it comes to booze is that ever, really, a bad thing?
There’s an abundance of live music at dba (duh; you expect this). So, whether you came to see a specific artist or the lure of good tunes drew you in, you’ll find something to strike your fancy. The band who played during my visit was quite skilled. Between it and the crowd, I had a hard time figuring out whether I was in New Orleans, the Lower East Side or Silverlake. That’s pretty rare in these parts — and not a bad thing. Now, I don’t know if I’d have the same impression had I been crammed into the teeming humanity of the main room, but in the fishbowl, with drink in hand and side-​eyes a’plenty for all who darkened the door or walked down Frenchmen, you might not find a better way to spend a chilly Thursday night in New Orleans.

We ended up spending a lot of our time on Frenchman Street, because it is such a different world from the drunkenness and craziness of Bourbon Street. Of course, people were all having fun here too, but not drunk out of their minds on those sugar and alcohol laden drinks in The Quarter. This place had some great craft cocktails… just tell them what kind of liqour and flavor profile you want and they will serve up a great drink. We loved the jazz black that they had playing as well… and with no cover, which was definitely a welcome change. Felt like more of a locals place, which can be applied to most of Frenchman. If you have been to New Orleans and are tired of Bourbon St, then definitely check this area out!

I came on Halloween so it was predictably crazy, I didn’t get to try any new beers simply because it was so packed and you need to be standing in the right place to see the board at either of the two bars they have inside, so I stuck with Abita all night.
There was a $ 20 cover at the door, which I thought was absolutely nuts, but I paid it. I didn’t really have a reason to, it was only after I was inside that I found out freakin Earphunk was playing that night. Absolutely amazing show, great sound, worth every penny.

This was an impromptu stop on our last night in NOLA. We went on a ghost tour (another review entirely) then decided a trip to New Orleans is incomplete without a visit to Frenchmen St for jazz and blues music.
The first place was over crowded and standing room only, literally no seats. Umm not for me so we crossed the street and saw d.b.a. but couldn’t decide whether to pay the cover or not. But window peeping payed off we entered and were surprised. It was a great place to come.
The seating was sparse on the side where the band actually played but that was not a deterrent. i was able to snag a place along the wall and set up shop on a high chair I pulled from the bar to sit down. My two friends stood and swayed to the music. One actually wondered off and got lost in the rhythm? voodoo? Who knew, she instantly was off like a moth to the band.
The selection of beer was globally wide and the wine was OK. We ordered a bottle to be safe the glass selection hadn’t been sitting there. This was not a large crowd of rowdy young drinkers, it was diverse but older and more about the music than the drinking. That scores a star all by itself!
Over all a good time. We left at the bands break having satisfied our NOLA checklist and thirst for some good olé music. It was fun and a nice surprise.

I didn’t spend as much time here as at Spotted Cat, but this is another winner for a place to wander in and hear some great music. It’s bigger, and the setup is cool because there are two sides-​on the left is the stage, on the right is a separate room where you can get away from the crowd and actually have a conversation over the music. The stage is elevated enough that you can see the performers from the back of the room, and the sound and lighting are great. As the many photos suggest, the beer and booze selection is excellent for a music venue. And so it the artist «menu», certainly some of the best New Orleans has to offer. Can’t wait to go back!

A place to kick back, relax and drink a cold one with the locals. Definitely a gem on Frenchman St. The drinks were reasonably priced and the air conditioning was pumping on a beautiful Tuesday night.
Unfortunately, the bartender left much to be desired. She was extremely unfriendly and inattentive. Was worried about her phone more than socializing with customers. To a traveling soul, this was extremely disappointing. I would have loved to learn more about the bar history and the area.

Best people watching bar on Frenchmen! This bar has 2 sides: one for a more relaxed bar feeling where you can still hear the music but also sit down and chill with your friend and the other side is for the concert vibe where you will find yourself dancing and tapping your feet to the live music.
They have a huge beer selection, but beware of the $ 1 extra charge every time you swipe your credit card! Open up a tab and stay for a while.
There is seating for your people watching pleasure that basically sits on the sidewalk with windows all around, but it is inside. So you can have the air condition and mosquito free drinks while catching up with friends and talk about the people walking in and out of the Frenchman art market (across the street).