Gold Mine Saloon   

There are hipper, classier and more moneyed dance clubs in the Crescent City, but the Goldmine is special. Like the city of New Orleans, Goldmine is crowded, stinks in spots, is cheap and remains completely lovable despite itself. Catering to a college-aged (but not necessarily collegiate) crowd, the music here is wildly varied and always on the cutting edge of hip. But the dance floor is so tiny that it's hard to get your groove on in the way you may be used to. However, the cramped surroundings make mingling extremely easy, a situation made even easier by the generously stiff drinks that come stronger and cheaper than anything else you'll find in the Quarter or Bourbon Street, located just one block away. There's a lot that sets this club apart.The club's signature drink, the Flaming Dr. Pepper, is a local legend. Created quite accidentally in the mid-'80s, it IS on fire and it DOES taste like the famous soft drink, making it appealing to partiers of all skill levels. Revellers looking for more of a challenge will delight in the row of classic arcade games collected and restored by owner Dave Brinks: Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Centipede, Joust. The club takes on a different vibe on Thursday nights when a loyal crowd arrives for the on-going poetry series. All this, along with the cramped and frankly disgusting bathrooms, makes the Goldmine feel less like a trendy dance club than a big, sloppy house party. Which is exactly what locals love about it.