Yes, it's touristy but we love being tourists in New Orleans. We've been going to Pat O'Brien's since our honeymoon and still have a great time when we go there.

We especially love the patio with the flaming fountain. Only once have we sat inside at the piano bar (during a rainy night). It was nice but not the special experience that the courtyard patio is.

The drinks and the atmosphere have remained the same after all these years and in a world where everything changes it is nice that Pat O'Brien's is still the same.

Our favorite time to go is late afternoon when the patio is full enough to be festive but not so crowded with rowdy drunken people that we can't enjoy the ambiance. At dusk they select a guest seated on the patio near the fountain for the "torch lighting ceremony" (lighting the flame atop the fountain).

Over the years we've tried many different drinks on the menu and although we enjoy most of them (especially the Planter's Punch) we still tend to order the traditional Hurricanes because they are the most festive drink in the tall logo glass.

Unless you want the glasses as a souvenir be sure and return them to the bar to get the $3 glass deposit back. This actually makes the Pat O'Brien's drinks some of the least expensive of many places in the Quarter.

Service can be spotty since waiters don't always realize when new customers arrive and grab dirty tables in order to get a place to sit on the patio. Don't hesitate to alert a waiter to let them know of your arrival and the table will be quickly cleaned and drinks served promptly along with a bag of popcorn to munch on while drinking. Because of the come and go crowds drinks are charged as you receive them rather than running a tab.

In our many visits we have never ordered from the food menu so I can't comment on the quality of the meals offered here. The premium table spots are not where the food is served so my recommendation is to sit near the fountain, order a drink and "Have Fun!"

Way too crowded and the food was just "so-so". Service was ok but rushed. The Hurricanes were disappointing. It would be better as a hang-out place than for dinner.

We expected the touristy atmosphere. We expected a wait. We were told we could not eat on the patio, but could wait there and get a drink. When we sat down, we noticed several people were eating. We were then told we had to move to a table in a more crowded area. Very unpleasent experience.

We popped in for a cocktail around 4 p.m. after taking a 2 hour walking tour. We had no problem getting a table in the courtyard and enjoyed our drinks, my husband had a hurricane and I had a rainstorm. Great place to relax on a hot afternoon. Remember to take your glass with you or return it for a $3 refund. There was a group of 5 people who walked away without their glasses, the waiter asked us if we wanted the glasses so we returned them for the deposit so we had two drinks for free that afternoon and a silly walk back to the Windsor Court hotel near the river!