Situated on the corner of Iberville Street and N. Carrollton Avenue, Wit’s Inn is in the perfect location to grab a drink; the food is pretty good as well. When Haley and I went into Wit’s Inn around 6pm on a Tuesday, we were impressed by all that this neighborhood bar had to offer. It is a well kept bar and restaurant, arranged with a comfortable amount of open space and appropriately placed bar room games and attractions. While there are tables placed in the front of the building that seem like they are used more for restaurant purposes, the bar tables that line the right- hand wall continue to the back of the room. Each table has about four tall chairs and a flat screen TV docked to the wall. There are two large, flat screen TV’s on either side of the bar that were showing a basketball game and an MMA fight. Traveling towards the back of the room, a pool table is positioned in the middle of the floor, and a darts board hangs on the back wall. Wit’s Inn has a pool league; interestingly enough, the building was a pool hall before Wit’s Inn established itself there. Haley’s and my favorite amenity was the digital jukebox. The bartender told us that people can choose what songs the jukebox will play by using a phone app, they don’t even need to get up from the bar!
Equipped with a well stocked bar and satisfying menu, the specials that Wit’s Inn offers are worth checking out. Among them are a free beer with the purchase of a pizza on Monday, and a 3 for 1 drink special on Wednesday. There are six beers on tap, of which, the most popular seem to be Abita Amber and Blue Moon. The service was excellent; our bartender was attentive and helpful when we asked to talk to him about the establishment. While Haley and I were there, the crowd seemed to be mostly composed of polished couples who were headed to dinner, small groups out for a drink, and men who looked to be stopping by after work for a drink and some dinner.
Wit’s Inn was in business before Hurricane Katrina, but when it reopened, following the storm, a pizza kitchen was added to the establishment. While the food they offer is surprisingly more restaurant- like than I expected to encounter, it is somewhat over looked. Alongside the pizza, fries, and sandwiches, you will find salads, appetizers, and seafood entrees. Haley ordered a salad, and I ordered a small pizza. We would both eat there again.
It would seem that the Lafitte Greenway development has the potential to increase business at Wit’s Inn in proportion to the increase at the surrounding restaurants. While we heard that they are trying to encourage more people to try their food, business seems to remain predominately around the bar. In addition, many of the drinkers are stopping by at some point around dinner plans. Whatever the outcome of the development may be, I will definitely revisit this tucked away bar, and I suggest it to anyone who is looking for a pleasant and entertaining night time outing.
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