3701 Banks Street
Guinness Tag: $6.50 | Overall Rating: 9.05
Today's pint is raised to: Shane Finn
When you go to New Orleans on leisure time you don't typically think about hanging out in the Mid City area too much. Finn McCool's definitely gives you a reason to do so though. It ties in both the Irish and "island" vibes together very well. Not to say that New Orleans is "islandly" or a part of the Caribbean, but McCool's does have a sense of that vibe going for them whether they planned on it or not. It's also named after a badass Irish warrior from way back in time.
The curb appeal is incredibly charming. It offers bright colors and flowers upon entry as well as a marvelous patio that obtains picnic tables and shade. Once you walk through the front door, you're introduced to the long L shaped bar that holds about 30 people. You'll find high-top tables alongside the bar in the front room and decent space for standing room when it gets crowded. There's also a second room in the back where you can play pool, watch TV, dabble with the jukebox, and have a more intimate session with your group. The back room also provides slot machines and a bathroom that provides a perfect combination of cleanliness and grunge. Most Irish Pubs are not known for having gracious and beautiful toiletries, so the previous statement is by all means not a knock on the place.
The interior overall offers a bright and "wooden" vibe obtaining unique signage, authentic flags, sports decor, and other fun tidbits. You'll come across a unique harpoon sort of thing, old photographs, and random material to keep you occupied if you don't feel like chatting with anyone. One admirable thing about the place and the management as a whole is that every TV is typically playing something different. It's always annoying to walk into a bar with a plethora of TVs but yet find the same program on the majority of them. Finn McCool's does a good job making sure the TVs are set to different channels. Here, you'll find all the American sports such as NFL and MLB, but also sports from across the pond, such as the Premier League and Rugby.
Their Guinness pours are average (to put it nicely), their whiskey selection is slightly above average, and their beer choices are magnificent. The music is well above standard as you'll get a mix of Irish classics from Dropkick Murphys to The Dubliners, and recent stuff as well. The place fills up nicely the majority of the time so if you come alone then you're going to have a few people to chat with. The nearby residents flock here and they're great people, leaving the place with a good reputation of worthy regulars. There's not much of a need to worry about running into the wrong crowd in here. The furniture could definitely be better and the food seems to get the job done. When the place does fill up, it tends to get incredibly loud so you might have to significantly raise your voice if you're looking for a chat between 2 people unfortunately.
To cap it off with the Craic, Finn McCool's definitely has it. More so by the patrons that roam the place vs the staff. Don't get the wrong idea though: the staff is very well versed and engaging, however, the Craic is more so in the air (which is great)! It might not have as much as The Boondock Saint or Pete's within the area, but it's certainly got enough. If you're traveling to New Orleans then you should definitely try to make it a point to get here, you can access it easily off of the scenic Streetcar. If your hotel is along Bourbon Street, then it'll take you less than 20 minutes to get here via the Streetcar, so there's no excuse not to come!
Thanks for the fun time, Finn McCool's! We wish we could have spent more time there and we'll definitely be back the next time we're in New Orleans! Slainte!
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