The building that Snake and Jake’s Christmas Lounge now occupies has always been a neighborhood bar. From the 1950’s, it had been a local hangout for the black residents of Uptown. That was until Roger Clements and his friend Robert Shram conceived their own vision of a bar while drinking and playing miniature golf in Clement’s home across the street from the building.
The humble exterior. Photo by Will Gurley via Flickr, reproduced here under the Creative Commons.
Originally, the friends did not take this idea seriously, and they toyed with it through several more drinking sessions. Together, the pair imagined opening a new “late night dive” in the neighborhood. In 1994, Clements saw that the house and the bar behind it were on sale. Clements found out the owners wanted $35,000 for the property after he had asked a neighbor about the price (Clements, Dave. “Dave Clements: Interview With Owner of Snake and Jake’s Bar.” Interview by McClain. Go NOLA. N.p., 13 June 2011. Web. 27 Oct. 2011).
Amazed by the small price, Clements and Shram prepared to make a bid for the house, but Shram quickly backed out of the venture when he dreamed that he got shot while tending the bar. So, Clements turned to another friend, who offered to provide $13,500 for the property. Miraculously, the owners accepted the desperate bid.
The bar behind the house (in the current location it is today) was owned by Richard “Snake” Brown who called it the “S&J Lounge.” Meanwhile, Clements was busy with renovations in the house. When a bar down the street on the corner opened up, Clements was able to convince Brown to take over the bigger, more attractive location while he managed the smaller, current location. Brown obliged, but when Clements proposed managing the bar to his original partner and family members, they turned down the silly notion.
However, Tony Tocco, another friend of Clements’, was interested in the project, and chipped in some money to help Clements start the pair under their management. They changed the name from “S&J Lounge” to “Snake and Jake’s Christmas Lounge.” At first, the bar was not too successful, only attracting a few regulars. One of the most notable, and disruptive, of these characters was Chris Rose, a local columnist, who was known for barging into the bar late at night, proclaiming he was “Liquor Store drunk!” (Clements) Often, he would drive out other customers, but the bartenders would allow him to stay for fear of becoming bored with the other, tamer customers.
After running the bar successfully for a few years, Clements hired a bartender named Frank. Snake and Jake’s found a new level of success after his hiring, as he would invite his musician friends to the bar after their earlier gigs. This catered to the late-night crowd Clements had desired, as well as bringing in countless new patrons eager to drink and listen. The bar turned into “Mardi Gras every night,” giving the bar a notorious reputation (Clements). Patrons were greeted with Christmas lights and decorations that created a dim, eclectic setting, and earning the bar’s “Christmas Lounge” title. Often, regulars had to be recognized by the sounds of their voice. The mixed crowd included people anywhere from the ages of 20 to 70 (Marszalak, Keith. “Snake and Jake’s Christmas Lounge.” Web log post. Nola.com. Times-Picayune, 15 July 2008. Web. 7 Nov. 2011).
The dim and very merry interior. Photo provided by Viva Nola via Flickr, reproduced here under the Creative Commons.
In recent years, the wildness of the beginning has subsided. Snake and Jake’s bartender Elaine commented that “It used to be the Wild West in here. Right now, we’re upstanding citizens. Or that’s what we’re trying to be” (Twist, Brendan. “Snake and Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge.” Times-Picayune [New Orleans, LA] 15 July 2008. Print). Recently, Snake and Jake’s began opening up earlier (moving from 9 PM to 7 PM), and introduced a new Happy Hour that started at 7 (Carter, Stephanie. “The Best Dive Bar Any Time of Year.” Visit South. 24 Oct. 2011. Web. 5 Nov. 2011).The bar has adapted to the evolution of social media, using Twitter and Tumblr to alert patrons and fans to new events at the bar. Snake and Jake’s continues to be an Uptown treasure and staple. The bar plays music, occasionally live, such as jazz, country, and reggae (Twist).
