Pat O'Brien's - A Beale Street Staple

Location: 310 Beale St, Memphis, TN
Phone Number: (901) 529-0900
Cover Charge: Dependant on time of evening & entertainment. Expect to pay $5 to get in.
Food: Full Menu - Cajun Themed
Entertainment: Piano Bar, Live Music
Crowd: Variable. 21-50s not uncommon
Service: Excellent service when not crowded, Decent service when full.
Cleanliness: Clean
Drink Specials: None that I'm aware of. 3-4$ domestics. More for imports. Small variety on tap.
Smoker Friendly: Yes
Review: Update: As of 8/10/08, Pat O's is closed for good. I'll leave the review up if you're curious - I'm sure the other venues are nearly alike too.

Pat O'Brien's (or Pat O's for short) is a Beale Street must. This bar and restaurant is a replica of the famous original location in the French Quartier in New Orleans, but can also be found in other exotic locations such as Orlando and Cancun. It's motto is, "Have Fun!" and they try hard to do just that. The bar itself is modeled from the old-style French architecture and features brick walls, stone walkways, elaborate ironwork, and even it's famous "Fire Fountain."

Inside, you can find different rooms that satisfy any of your social needs: a main bar, piano bar, patio (covered in the winter, a courtyard restaurant, and an upstairs suite. The piano bar is where I find myself most when I visit this bar. Hosts and hostesses dressed to theme serve you drinks while you sit back and join in during your typical piano-bar songs like "Sweet Caroline," "Piano Man," "Tiny Dancer," etc. I also recommend standing up and show your discourage with two thumbs-down or if you're more adventurous, two middle fingers up, while they play "Rocky Top."

Drinks are a little pricier than your favorite hole-in-the-wall bar, but this is to be expected because it's one of the more popular bars on Beale. They don't have a very wide selection of draft beers, but they have just about everything you need in bottles. They'll also make you just about any mixed drink you can think up. Speaking of drinks, if it's your first time there, ask for one of their world-famous "Hurricane" drinks. You can get it in the specialty glass and take it home as a souvenir too.

You'll find a wide range of ages present at Pat O'Brien's. Look left and you'll see a bachelorette party, look right and you'll see an older couple sitting and smiling in the corner. I brought my parents here not too long ago and we all had a great time. This just shows that no matter what your age, Pat O's probably has something to offer you.

So what are the negatives? I'm a little short on cash coming right out of college, so if I don't make it in before 10:00 PM, I'm usually stuck paying a $5 cover. Also, If I don't make it in before midnight, I'm fighting the crowd to find a seat. That's about it though... Because of its novelty, I give Pat O's five out of five beers.
Oh and before I forget, if you parked in the Peabody parking garage, Pat O's validates. Save yourself a few bucks and get that done before you leave.

Anything Else: Ask for a 'Hurricane' if you haven't yet.
Website: http://www.patobriens.com