The Cat's Meow   

701 Bourbon St.
New Orleans, LA 70116
504-523-2788
www.catsmeow-neworleans.com/

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Though this is a karaoke bar situated on the most popular corner in the French Quarter, and, thusly, in the city itself. Yet, to write off the Cat's Meow as a mere tourist trap is to ignore the steady stream of locals who love to show off vocally on stage. Indeed, some in the business consider this cramped club the best karaoke bar in the world. This must have something to do with the extensive, varied playlist; the six full-service bars; the live Web cam on stage; the impromptu dancing that breaks out between performances; and the club's refusal to doctor the mike for those who can't sing. What you hear is what you get at Cat's, sometimes painfully so. Upstairs, there's a live DJ and one of the most coveted balcony perches in Mardi Gras. While many bars in the Quarter offer 3-for-1 happy hours, not many of them extend that courtesy to their signature drink: in this case, also called the Cat's Meow. While this libation may be simply a knockoff Hurricane, it's every bit as potent as the original. Three of them are just about enough to lure even the most timid accountant into a rendition of 'Brown Eyed Girl.' -- Robert Fontenot