You're walking down a quiet residential street in Uptown New Orleans, surrounded by massive oak trees and the kind of houses where people probably have nice linen napkins. Suddenly, you see a shack. It looks like it might have been a garage in a previous life, or maybe a very ambitious garden shed. There’s a corrugated metal roof that's seen better decades and a flickering string of red lights. This is Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge, and if you’ve arrived before midnight, you’re basically early.
Honestly, calling it a "bar" feels a bit formal. It’s more like a dimly lit sanctuary for the sleep-deprived and the thirsty. It is a place where time goes to die, usually in a puddle of Schlitz.
What’s the Deal With the Name?
People always ask if it’s a holiday-themed bar. Kinda, but not really. The story goes that back in the day, the spot was called "The Christmas Lounge" because the guy who owned it was actually named Sam Christmas. Later on, it became the S&J Lounge, named after owners Snake (Richard) and Jake. When Dave Clements took over in 1994, he saw both signs still hanging there. Instead of picking one, he just mashed them together. Snake and Jake's Christmas Club Lounge was born because, as Dave says, it just rolls off the tongue.
The "Club" part is mostly irony. There are no velvet ropes here. No bottle service. Just a sagging drop ceiling and a big plastic Santa that the bar manager, Elaine, reportedly calls "Santanista."
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The lights are red. All of them. It’s so dark inside that you could be sitting three feet away from your own mother and not realize it until she asks you for a light. This isn't an exaggeration; the darkness is part of the brand. It’s why people like George Clooney or the late Anthony Bourdain could hang out there without being bothered. They just blended into the shadows like everyone else.
The Most "Diviest" Dive Bar in America
If you’re looking for a craft cocktail with a sprig of slapped rosemary, keep walking. You come here for a cold can of Schlitz. Maybe a "Possum Drop"—that’s a shot of Jäger dropped into a beer. It’s efficient. It gets the job done.
The building itself looks like it’s held together by luck and old beer posters. But that’s the charm. It survived Katrina. It survived the gentrification of the neighborhood. It survives every single night until 7:00 AM.
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- Location: 7612 Oak St, New Orleans, LA 70118.
- The Vibe: Dark, red, loud-ish, and incredibly friendly.
- The Mascot: There used to be Jake, the bar cat who liked Schlitz. These days, you’re more likely to see a dog sitting on a barstool drinking water out of a plastic cup.
One of the most legendary stories involves a robbery years ago. Two guys came in and fired warning shots. One girl got hit in the foot. A few days later, she showed up at the bar on crutches. Her reasoning? "You can't stop me from drinking at my favorite bar." That is the level of loyalty we’re talking about here.
When to Actually Go
Don't show up at 8:00 PM unless you want to talk to the bartender and literally nobody else. The magic starts at 2:00 AM. That’s when the service industry workers finish their shifts at the fancy restaurants downtown and head Uptown to decompress. You’ll see professors from Tulane, musicians who just finished a gig, and travelers who took a very expensive Uber because they heard this was "the spot."
They are open every single day. 365 days a year. Especially Christmas. In fact, if you’re alone in New Orleans on Christmas night, this is exactly where you should be. It’s the one night where the name actually makes sense.
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Survival Tips for Your First Visit
- Bring Cash: They take cards, but it’s a dive. Cash is faster.
- Mind the Couch: There is a black couch. It has seen things. It has likely swallowed many IDs and sets of keys over the years. Sit at your own risk.
- Respect the Neighborhood: When you leave at 4:00 AM, remember people actually live in those nice houses nearby. Don't be the person screaming for an Uber.
- Check Out the Backyard: There’s a patio area with mismatched furniture that’s actually pretty decent if the inside gets too smoky or crowded.
Why It Still Matters
In a world where every bar is starting to look like a Pinterest board—white subway tiles, Edison bulbs, expensive reclaimed wood—Snake and Jake's is a reminder of what a neighborhood local should be. It’s weird. It’s slightly creepy in a way that feels like a hug. It’s a place where a "perfectly good white dude" was once almost tossed out with the trash because he passed out in a pile of garbage bags (a true story, look it up).
It’s one of the last few places where the social hierarchy of the outside world doesn't matter. You’re just another person in a red room drinking a cheap beer.
If you want to experience the real New Orleans, the one that exists after the tourists on Bourbon Street have gone to bed, head to Oak Street. Look for the shack. Look for the red lights. You can't miss it, though you might try to at first glance.
Next Steps for Your Visit:
Check their official website or social media for "Juan’s Happy Hour" times, which usually starts earlier on Fridays (around 5:00 PM). If you're a fan of the aesthetic, they actually sell "Strive to Dive" shirts and other merch online or at the bar—perfect for proving you actually survived a night at the diviest spot in the South.