Chickie Wah Wah

Great place for drinks food and live music. It really was a great time for our first trip to NOLA

If you judge this «music venue» by the bathrooms, music, and food – it is as clean as a whistle! (It is NOT a restaurant!) I gave this place 5 stars because 1) the doorman accommodates you in any way, shape, or form. 2) the bar is long and can adequately serve lots of patrons simultaneously!, like 50+ easily (3) the music is very unique – (like a zydeco style «buffalo soldier» rendition), and if there is a cover 100% of the money goes directly to the musicians 4) there is a BBQ place inside ON-​SITE called blue oak BBQ.
We had all these double and triple meat BBQ platters, but the ultimate was the «BBQ shrimp taco on a corn tortilla with shreds of pulled pork». It was MY idea to get the $ 8 «appetizer», while my wife looked at me like I had just been left released from the mental institution. I think I went to go wash my hands, as the two appetizers sat in the plate untouched being that my wife gave me a clear «you’re going to eat that AND a BBQ platter!!!» Look, I just got back to eat that appetizer. When my wife exclaimed «that was really good». We should have just gotten 10 taco appetizers. As the bbq portions were kinda small, and even though the BBQ was good, it was frequently cooked (down) with bel-​peppers, onions, and tobacco. Which made much of it as spicy. And reason/​star #5) there is an outdoor attached hall with patio chairs, and music piped in through a set of Bose weatherproof speakers, so you don’t skip a beat and smoke a cigarette and have some nice conversation. The cool part is you don’t really have the wind blowing inside every few minutes.
Bring you friends here from out-​of-​town and
(use the streetcar for nostalgia and lack of DUI’s), I promise you won’t be disappointed. You’ll be the insider of ALL New Orleans…
Go ahead and be the celebrity host ambassador for the night. You won’t regret it!!!

Standing room only for Anders Osbourne and a $ 25.00 cover… a bit steep in a town chock full of music. Lively crowd and happening bar. Sound system was quite good which was a scene saver since you could not get within sight or ear shot of the stage.

Unfortunately, its all true, the owner manager is a moron. I was there the other night for the first and last time. I wont get into it, but mental illness is a terrible thing. The guys at the BBQ window are friendly, and it is good, so dont mix up the two… they are separate from the feces that owns the bar. I will go elsewhere for live music.

This place is pretty lame. Band was average. Cover was too high ($ 10) and the owner or whoever was running the show was kind of a dick and the food out of the accompanying bbq joint was pretty shitty. The owner or manager is currently being an asshole to another member of my party as we try to leave.

Nola is famous for food and bars, but Chickie is the favorite spot for my wife and I. Everything is amazing. The barbecue is delicious, the drinks are awesome, the beers are cold, the atmosphere is chill and welcoming, the prices are reasonable, the outside seating is amazing. Last time we visited, the owner came outside and chatted with us for about 30 minutes in typical laid-​back New Orleans fashion – he even let us pet his dog!
Make sure you try the Brussel sprouts… these aren’t your mom’s nasty, bland veggies. They’re a true Nola delicacy!
A must-​visit each time we’re in Nola. Amazing food, amazing people, what more can you say?

I’ve managed venues for 20 years. Arenas to Dives… and I prefer the intimate show, so take that into account as you read my review. They do usually take a cover… so It’s important to note that 100% of the cover goes to the bands. I hate a cover as much as the next person, but a lot of these acts are up and coming. Not to say that they don’t get local icons… they do! I suggest you aim your visit for a band you’ve checked out before-​hand to get the most bang for your buck. in a nutshell… it’s really a great venue if you like that «personal» feel. Personally I think It’s a big difference to be able to walk up and tell the artist you like their act in person. Throw in some good BBQ and it’s a great night out.

Oh my gosh! Tuesday night with Jon Cleary is outstanding entertainment… great small venue and Jon is a true artist with magical fingers!

Fun name, fun place, built-​in BBQ. And, except for what comes with the BBQ, no smoke!
The layout is well suited to music, drink, and BBQ. Music? Several tables face the stage, and it’s not too loud in any spot. Drink? The bar is long, well stocked, and beer served quickly and cold (I think I saw the barkeep pull out frozen glasses). Food? The Blue Oak BBQ stand occupies a corner of the space, and serves up good «21^st century bbq” – which means you get a choice of sauces, the sides are MUCH better than the bbq places of old, and the meats are generally higher grade.
I’ve digressed; I need to review Blue Oak separately. Back to the bar… and the music. In our case, Mississippi Rail Company’s debut CWW appearance kept us through our dinner and though the whole two sets. The acoustics and electronics were all good, made better by a sound guy in back minding the levels.
Past and around the corner from the bandstand is a narrower space where it’s a little quieter, serving the same purpose as the patio at Maple Leaf (but still inside).
We came looking for food and ended up staying for the music. The cover charge toll keeper doesn’t take your money until the music starts, but while the band doing last minute sound checks, a mutually shared «this is gonna be good» glance with my date had me peeling off a twenty in exchange for a wrist stamp. Best Andy J I’ve dropped in a long time.
Did I say «no smoke»? I did! When we got home, no need for a Silkwood shower or to banish our clothes to the special «eeww» hamper.

Some real jack-​hole, presumable the owner/​manager insulted us because we didn’t know the band playing and went outside to listen to them on You Tube. We ended up thinking they sounded cool, but will head to the Blue Nile to see them where we won’t be treated like crap.
Note to said asshat: when someone wants to google an unknown band before dropping a cover, it’s bad business to insult them before they even set foot in the door. Take my money, then treat me like an ass.

Great music nice people F*ing great barbecue attentive bartender had a great time. Good wine, reasonable prices. Wish they had secure parking. That seems to be the only downside. No rent a cop and the area is a little scary. But I will return.

lol.
Blue Oak: Yes, please.
CWW: No. Get over yourself, owner.

The bar tender was great but the owner/​manager was unbelievably rude! The owners of the BBQ who apparently rent space from this jerk were SO nice, so we stayed, but after being hostilely confronted by this guy I was ready to leave. We went for the food and had no problem sitting outside, understanding it was a bar, but when we took our children in to use the restroom, we were accosted by this ranting and raving and telling us «this is a bar, not a restaurant!» Then why do you take rent from the awesome BBQ guys who are in the business of selling food??? And p. s., it was 8 pm and the bar was EMPTY! It’s not like we were walking our kids through a rowdy bar! My only hope is that the BBQ finds another spot so we can go back and enjoy the amazing food again.

Always a pleasure to go to this venue. Smoke free environment and small space lend for a cozy, intimate atmosphere great for catching live music or other events. Chickie wah wah is dedicated to supporting the local scene. Crowd tends to run on the older side

I don’t usually care for wings but I ate 2 dozen here.
I don’t usually eat much at once, but after eating 2 dozen wings I gorged on Mac and cheese with garlic, roasted Brussels sprouts and a platter of brisket topped nachos.
All I while listening to incredible live music. The people that go there seem to be really laid back and friendly. The cook came out and checked to see if everyone was happy table by table. After realizing everyone was, he looked genuinely happy.
I’m so happy we made it to Chickie Wah Wah before leaving New Orleans.
184 more days until we can go back!!!

This place is what New Orleans is all about — music! I love this place. The location is convenient for cabbing or taking the streetcar. It’s relatively plain on the outside but it’s amazing inside! You would not expect it.
Right when we pulled in, the owner gave us some suggestions regarding parking. He was actually the doorman and later we found out he helped with sound. He indicated that he wanted to keep the costs low for the overhead so he could focus on bringing in quality music and ensure the cover was reasonable. In the vein, we were witness to one of the BEST bands we had listened to all week that we were in town — and at a very low cover!
We were NOT there for food. This isn’t designed to be a restaurant, it’s a music venue. I didn’t eat anything. I did drink and the bartender was GREAT! Super nice, quick service, and plenty of water on the counter for us to self-​serve. However, I am told that the food is very good :-)
There was no smoking. Excellent for the musicians who can’t afford to inhale second hand smoke while they are performing and even better for the audience who is free to dance along without getting burned.
The bathrooms and the space are all very nice. CLEAN! The chairs and tables are designed to be stacked away so that the space will hold more patrons for dancing and getting up close to the band.
I can’t wait to come back — thank you for the BEST night of our trip!

Loved this venue. Pretty small, really intimate, great sound for music. We got in 1 hour before show time and were still able to get a table. The space was *very* clean, the crowd was mixed and very chill. Hats off to the bartenders who were able to keep the drinks flowing with a smile on their faces. Blue oak barbecue was superb! Overall, great place to sit back and relax on a Saturday night.
1 star docked for seating being bizarrely placed and only non-​backed bar stools. Things get a little uncomfortable if you plan on parking it for a while.

My girlfriend and I went for our first time tonight and our experience was shocking seeing as we didn’t make it more than 5 feet from the door before we were confronted by who I’m assuming was the owner/​manager who wanted to know if we were there for the show. We told him we came for beer and BBQ and was informed, in a very rude manner, that this was NOT a restaurant, but a music venue with a cover charge, and we would have to take ourselves outside to eat… WOW. This guy must have failed How to Treat A Customer 101.
Still somewhat taken back by how unwelcoming this guy was, we decided to not spend any money on drinks here and instead just ordered BBQ and ate outside.
The kicker… when we went to bring our empty BBQ plates back in, we didn’t make it inside because he opened the door, took the plates, and shut it before we could step in to see about washing out hands.
It’s a shame to see places that look like they have great potential literally turn away customers in their tracks because of unfriendly and outright rude management. Won’t be back.

Nice intimate smoke-​free music venue with a fairly good beer selection and good BBQ to boot. Features local music talent with a reasonable cover charge that goes directly to the musician (this is awesome!!).
Lots of seating and some of the cleanest bathrooms in the city (a major plus) and has a parking lot too.

I have to wonder… Why do so many food places come and go through Chickie Wah Wah?
I sometimes wonder if the way the owners run the business is with too much of an air of arrogance. I know when my Girly and I had a bad experience there, the owners/​business never said anything but the business in the kitchen stepped up quickly to make things right.
Why can no one seem to stay in your tiny little kitchen area? You NEED good food to keep going. It seems like new, and often good, businesses keep popping in and out like they were TV shows on FOX.
You are no longer that huge minority of places where people can drink and watch live music without smokers f-​ing it up with their stank… So it might be time to get your stuff together and find a great place to partner with. Balance is everything.
You seem to always be off balance.