Crescent City Brewhouse

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.33/5  rDev +23.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

Between my walk to get here and the humidity outside, I was ready for a beer upon arrival. The oval/racetrack-shaped bar only had seating on three sides and I considered myself dang lucky to get a seat. It was perfect, too, situated almost directly between the copper jacketed "Lautterbottich" (Lauter Tun) and the "Sudpfanne" (Brew Kettle) with huge gages attached. A sign above the back bar announced "Good Beer & Good Cheer Always On Tap Here!" I liked that sentiment.

At the end of the bar nearest the entrance was an oyster bar with a resident shucker. Quick, what is the difference between an oyster shucker with epilepsy and a hooker with the trots? The former shucks between fits. Veddy sorry. That's called a spoonerism, by the way. When I asked the shucker if he had heard that one before, he replied, "That's the first time ... today!" Hey, that's my line! We laughed and I took an order of his finest. Also near the entrance was an area for a jazz quartet to set up and since I was in on a Saturday night, they were there, playing away for free. Above the bar were neon-lit, plastic renditions of Portugese Men-of-War. Yow! Continuing aft was the extensive restaurant area with local artists' paintings lining the walls on either side.

On the second floor were a separate dining area with its own bar, more art for sale, and three fermenters, the latter visible behind glass above the brewhouse. The place had a 1920's feel, from the suspended lamps to the spinning ceiling fans, complimented by the waitstaff in starched white shirts, black ties, and white aprons.

I was joined at the bar by a former Navy Aviation Ordnance(wo)man and a local radio celebrity who happened to be a former Navy officer. Navy night in Nawlins. A great time.

Beers: Pilsner; Red Stallion; Black Forest; and Weiss Beer. My pick? Pilsner!

Finally, great schwag. Neckties, growlers, and sweatshirts, just to name a few.

01-21-2008 14:55:10 | More by woodychandler

Billolick

New York

3.78/5  rDev +8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$$

Pleasant, bright, relaxed (what isnt in NOLA?) and pretty large place. Street level, upstairs, upstairs bar and a balcony that groups can rent out. Large wooden bar upon entering. I got a great seat by the oyster bar section. Oysters were great, with some spicy, freshly made and washed nicely by their "special" brew, a hoppy wheat beer, that was delicious. Friendly bar tender and oyster man. The do German styles on tap, Pilsner, wheat, Black lager, a "Red" and the above mentioned tasty hopped up wheat. Full menu. This entire area is chock full of tourists. Doubt many locals would step into this place. But for some oysters and a decent beer it did the trick. Watch out for the prices on the beer, a large brew cost more ($7.50) then 1/2 doz. oysters ($6.99)

03-24-2008 01:49:05 | More by Billolick

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.65/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

What to say about Crescent City Brewhouse... ? It's as you might expect. It has the look and feel of a chain restaurant, and yet it's not a chain. It's nicely done, but it's clearly well worn (opened in '91). The service is good, the food is good, and the beer is good - but none of it is REALLY good. It kind of just is. It serves the masses. You know the kind of place. There's a lot of seafood (which is nice, and expected in NOLA), but there are also the required burgers, chicken sandwiches, and steaks. You get a taste of the city, but somehow it's not quite as authentic as what's right outside of those doors you just came in. And the vibe is the same.

Moving forward, what we're really interested in here is the beer. Good. Very good. Maybe even better when we're talking about the seasonals and brewer's selections. I immensely enjoyed an IPA although the bartender couldn't tell me a word about it... "It's just an IPA, we do them all the time". 4 regulars including a Pils, a Vienna, a Dark Munich and a Weiss.

Overall, I'd say if you're in the city you kind of have to go. It's not like visiting "Cheers" in Boston... it's authentic, and far more interesting than just another Gordon Biersch.

04-30-2012 15:24:38 | More by NeroFiddled

Gavage

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5

This place is right by Jackson Square. The place is two stories with bars on both levels. Outside balcony has tables. Brewing equipment covers both floors also. In the afternoons they have a decent jazz band playing. The place is slighlty loud since there is little to absorb sound. And the place usually has a decent crowd.

The beers have always been between average and "almost" good, but they are definitely brewed with the tourist in mind. They have a Pilsner, Weisse, Red Stallion, and Black Forrest and a special brew. On my trip they had a IPA and later in the week a Dunkel Weisse. The Red Stallion and Black Forrest are the staples for me as they sport the best flavors, and the IPA was the best beer I have ever sampled there over the years.

The service was all right, but it was crowded and they tended to spend a little too much time talking (you know that southern hospitality thing). The bartenders beer knowledge was acceptable.

Food was not bad, as I had a nice redfish dish and some gumbo. Prices were a little high, but I expected it for this area. Worth a visit if in the town, but don't plan a brewpub road trip around this place.

04-30-2004 17:09:05 | More by Gavage

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.16/5  rDev -9.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 2.5 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | $$

Stumbled upon this beer joint on our first night in New Orleans, walking towards dba. Decided to stop in after hearing some cool jazz from the street.

Only five beers on tap: Pilsner, Weiss, Black Forest, Red Stallion, Special Brew (Dunkelweiss).

I tried the dunkelweiss and the Stallion and went for a Jack&Coke. The wife chose the stallion and got a big huge pint. Not a bad beer, but far from great. Metallic taste. I wouldn't want to drink it!

The place offers two floors and is spacious; we sat at the second floor bar and enjoyed a chill time listening to the jazz band downstairs.

Service was good but I'm not sure our bartender cared much for beer... or people, for that matter. Anyways, we had a good time and I would consider returning even though I found the beer to be below average.

01-03-2013 05:46:03 | More by DoubleSimcoe

UncleJimbo

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

I always stop into this brewpub when I am in New Orleans. Their brews are decent, though in general I prefer ales to lagers. It is a comfortable place to sit and relax over decent German style brews, especially in the French Quarter which is otherwise the home of the "Big Ass" [tasteless] Beer.

The food is good, and I especially like the oysters at the bar. The selection of beers is OK (about 4 or 5). The service is OK to good depending on the bartender (some of whom are not very knowledgeable about craft beer). The beers are not great, but they are OK to good for their styles.

Definitely worth stopping in when you are in the French Quarter.

12-21-2002 17:01:59 | More by UncleJimbo

Redrover

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev +2.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$$

I hosted a small dinner here last week. As others have mentioned, the Quarter is such a beer desert, that this place serves as kind of an oasis from all the bud/miller/coors crud they serve in most of the bars.

This place is fairly large, but they had the upstairs closed the day (a Wednesday) I was there. Very cool small patio on the 2nd floor that I have been lucky enough to sit in before. Nice décor and they have a jazz band on most nights.

Only four house beers on tap. The best one I had was the Hefe. The rest were just ok. The food was very good. Probably better than 85% of most brewpubs. I had a very nice tuna steak that was perfectly cooked. Decent oysters to start off the meal.

Service was just average which is about what I expect in most bars in New Orleans.

I like going here when in New Orleans, while it is not outstanding, it is always a nice place to grab a half-way decent brew.

10-18-2003 15:11:10 | More by Redrover

rousee

Massachusetts

2.15/5  rDev -38.6%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 1 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2 | $$$$

Very disappointed with this place. Its close to Jackson square which means overpriced drinks ( $5 and $6 beers?..Please) and lots of clueless tourists. The beers --they had 5 different ones (thats a lousy selection) --I tried 2 of them and thought they were both well below average. The hefeweisse may be the only wheat beer I have ever had that I thought was inferior to Blue Moon. The amber/red that I had was also quite average. I am shocked that this place is so highly regarded.

The bartender was nice enough and I still gave him a good tip but even he was wanting to leave the place. He was trying to close early. The decor is nothing special other than being in the French Qtr. I will say that this place is known for having some pretty good music but when I went there (10:30ish) , --they were closing.

Crescent City Brewhouse is one of my least favorite brewpubs I have ever visited.

03-02-2005 03:18:21 | More by rousee

champ103

Texas

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$$

I really enjoyed my visit here. There is a great New Orleans feel. It is right on Decatur Street across from the river. The building has that perfect old French architecture that is a must for the French Quarter. A jazz trio playing in the corner. Mostly as background music, but still good. A half rectangular bar with an oyster bar taking up the front part. The copper brew kettles are on the first floor, with the fermentars on the second. There is a second floor with a balcony, but was closed when I visited. A patio is out back. Lots of room for people to eat lunch/diner. It is also non smoking which I enjoy. A great atmosphere.

The quality of everything was good. Fresh as can be. There was a little to much diacetyl in some of the beers, but nothing to grip about. The selection is not very large. Five German beers to choose. For the most part, I thought they were very good. The Pilsner, Dark Forest (my favorite), and the special beer (a Dunkelweizen) were very good. The Red Stallion was decent though to much diacetyl. They also had a weiss that I did not try.

The food and service were very good. I sat at the bar and had a Red Fish plate. Very fresh. Like the rest of my experience, very enjoyable.

Overall, I do not understand the low scores for this place. Sure, they do not do all the weird beer geek styles that people here go crazy for. Though they make excellent German style beer. All were good. Subtle and enjoyable is the name of the game. I would love to have a place like this local to me.

05-11-2010 02:42:03 | More by champ103

DrJay

Massachusetts

2.95/5  rDev -15.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 4 | selection: 2 | food: 3 | $$$

I was staying nearby, so I figured visiting a local brewpub was a no-brainer. This place had a good vibe, seemed exactly like what you'd expect from New Orleans as a visitor - relaxed atmosphere, a three piece jazz band playing in the corner, a big bar with brewhouse behind it and an oyster bar with full-time shucker right as you walk in. The staff was friendly and outgoing without being obtrusive.

Of the five beers they had listed (pils, red, weiss, dunkel, seasonal) only two, the pils and red, were available when I visited. This really turned me off. I can totally understand not having a seasonal available and running out of one of your standard line-up, but 2 out of 5 is bad in my book. Beyond the quantity, the beers were mediocre at best and they seemed to have a real issue with overcarbonation. I also found the price to be steep, with a 23oz glass of house beer going for $7.50. Food was a mixed bag. Our consensus was that the oysters and appetizers were good, but entrees were unimpressive (including my catfish).

I really wish I had better things to say about this place, but it's hard to recommend based on my visit.

04-27-2008 00:29:25 | More by DrJay