731 St. Peter Street
Guinness Tag: $7.00 | Overall Rating: 9.00
Make no mistake on the substance of the overall rating, this Pub could have been called Sally's Sweaty Craic and I still would have given it a great score. It isn't the Pub's tribute to the cult classic "The Boondock Saints" that gives it such a high recommendation, although, it does add quite the lovely touch.
There's an abundance of craic here and it's considered "the living room of the French Quarter". When you stumble inside this place you'll find some tourists of course, however you'll also find the industry folks, some local cops, and a fun base of locals to enjoy life with you for a while. The bartenders are fantastic and they'll know whether you're a tourist or a craic addict before you open your mouth. They may even buy you a shot if you're not acting like an ass-h*le.
Unlike Pat O'Brien's down the street... The Boondock Saint actually serves Guinness through the keg line. The Guinness pours are average and the whiskey selection will certainly make you happy unless you're looking to show off. Once you sit down the people here make it almost impossible to leave (which is exactly what you want out of an Irish Pub).
It's got beautifully exposed brick, nicely worn-in furniture, authentic wall decor, and Boondock Saints memorabilia throughout the inside. The dim lighting and stained wooden tables certainly give you warmth and coziness. I can't stress enough that the whole "Boondock Saints" theme is quite literally such a small footnote on why this place is so great. Before stepping in it's easy to think that the place would be gimmicky and just a simple tourist trap (but nope).
You will find the movie being played on repeat which is fun and the bar itself does give you that "fight scene" impression when the main characters lit that guy's ass on fire. The toiletries are perfectly quaint with an elegant touch of grime. There's enough stuff on the walls to keep a gazer busy for days and the staff here doesn't tolerate any crap. The layout is quite dandy, allowing for plentiful standing room for when it gets crowded as well as the nestled tables along the walls and inside the corners for a more intimate drinking experience. The bar itself is a long L-Shape that can certainly hold a crowd.
It was established in 2006 by a couple of cops, so that's part of why you'll find all of the cop badges amongst the ceiling. All in all, The Boondock Saint truly is a great Irish Pub. It's not gimmicky whatsoever, it has a great conversation flowing at all times, and it makes the term "let's just go for the one" almost impossible.
A lovely score and a HUGE recommendation from us. Slainte!
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