by Lindsay Oliver

Created on: June 30, 2009

New Orleans' nature seems very conducive to dive bars, and they are scattered throughout the city. The ones listed below are the best places to go for a dark, dirty, moody atmosphere and the best location to see some of those famous New Orleans characters.

The Club (Ms. Mae's) (4336 Magazine Street) This establishment is open 24-hours and is the epitome of a New Orleans dive bar. Ms. Mae herself graces patrons with her presence quite frequently, and she's hard to miss! The alcohol here is always cheap ($1 wells!) and the atmosphere always musty. No matter what time of day, you're bound to run into a character in this New Orleans institution.

Gold Mine Saloon (705 Dauphine Street) Located in the French Quarter, it is only open on weekends, which is probably for the best. Most of the patrons have blurred memories of the interior, so there's no use in describing it. Barring music, a dance floor, and a black light will probably be your only memories. And there is a wheel labeled with different shots if you can spin if you're having trouble deciding to top it all off!

Snake and Jakes Christmas Club Lounge (7612 Oak Street) This is the ultimate dive bar. Although sketchy neighborhoods are relative to where you grew up, this area in uptown New Orleans is sketchy by most people's standards. It is a dirty, dingy, disgusting venue. Dimly lit with red Christmas light and an inviting Christmas wreath on the door give the bar it's clever name. There are always questionable characters galore and the possibility of hanging out with cats and dogs is pretty high. Time has no meaning in this place. Make sure it is your last stop of the night; this is not a place you want to encounter sober.

Vaughn's Lounge (800 Lesseps Street) Nestled deeply in the Bywater section of New Orleans, Vaughn's feels like you're hanging out in someone's house. Kermit Ruffin's plays here every Thursday night, and if you go early enough, he might cook you some barbeque. He loves to cook just as much as he loves to play. If you're really lucky, you might catch a Mardi Gras Indian practice. For those who need to be entertained further, there is ping-pong in the back.

Dragon's Den (435 Esplanade) This dive is located right on the corner of Esplanade and Frenchmen, perfectly located close to the funky music scene of Frenchmen, but far enough away from Bourbon Street that the number of tourists is minimal. It has dual bars, cheap drinks, and an all-vegetarian food caf (which is more of a stand). There is usually a cover charge if there is live music. There is an outdoor patio area downstairs and a rickety balcony upstairs. It has a very eclectic crowd. This generally not a tourist spot, and is definitely not a place to bring family members, if you catch my drift.

All of the bars listed here are not places you would want to take your mother, but the Dragon's Den is definitely not family oriented. Most of New Orleans' bars would be considered dives in other cities, but these are dirtiest of the dirty.

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