Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge
image by: Gina Silva
captions by: Clay Collier
I will be the first to admit that the allure of New Orleans has never intrigued me. Being a native Atlantan, I have a strong disdain for the ‘Aints, and the strange pride everyone has for a city that smells so bad. But alas, off I went with a group of friends for a weekend of wedding fun. My only request for our journey? A stop at a little, out of the way dive known as Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge.
Located well off the beaten path, in the Carrollton Square area, I knew that it would take some intentional effort on my part to guide us away from the French Quarter on a Saturday night. After a day of drinking out on an air-boat in the bayou, I took the opportunity to get our group to take a walk through this mostly residential neighborhood. As we explored, I fielded questions from my friends, asking if there was really a bar around (The easy answer is “YES” it’s New Orleans, there’s always a bar around.) As we turned a corner, there stood a shack with no windows, an iron security door, and the simple word BAR written on the wall. The true calling card of the best dives is the complete lack of a sign, and this was no exception. Above the door was a single lit wreath, confirming for all who enter that it really is Christmas all year round at Snake and Jake’s.
Inside, where the only light shone from the haphazardly strung Christmas lights, I walked to the bar and ordered the usual for my wife and I, two PBR’s. “Nope”, said the bartender, “Schlitz”. He placed two cans in front of me as I slid him four dollars. It was at that moment I truly fell in love. In a world where bars cater to the whims of the masses, we found a shining beacon that gives you what they want you to drink, on their terms. And their terms are Schlitz. A beer that hit its peak in the 1950’s and is rarely found today. This isn’t the place where you walk in and ask for your fanciest of cocktails or a hazy IPA. Feel free to kick back and enjoy your Schiltz.
The owner, Dave Clements, claims that he sells more Schlitz per square foot than any other establishment in the US, and I have no reason to doubt him on that. In a city that is quickly changing, it is the unwavering tradition of cheap beer in an unassuming setting that has made Snake and Jake’s the cornerstone of a neighborhood that attracts blue collar workers and college students alike. The open air, New Orleans style back garden is filled with young professionals and hipsters. They are gathered around family style tables, talking about everything and nothing, enjoying the warm, humid summer nights of New Orleans.
Snake and Jake’s is a long way away from the bluster of Bourbon Street, and the cat calls to show your boobs from obnoxious young men and women alike. Miles from the dissonant sounds of jazz billowing out of the doors on Frenchmans Street we find an oasis, the true calling card of what every dive bar should be. Both stubborn and accepting, rude yet warm, we find a place where even the oddest of birds can call home. If you needed a reason to visit New Orleans, here it is. A bar that stands out, in a town crowded with bars that you forget as soon as you walk out. Anthony Bourdain, a personal hero of mine and many others, called Snake and Jake’s a “National Treasure”. After just one visit, and more than a few Schlitz, I am sure you will agree.
Editors Note:
Snake & Jake’s remains closed due to COVID-19. You can help keep the dive alive by donating and buying merchandise.