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ORAL HISTORY
O'Neil Broyard
Saturn Bar
East of the French Quarter, the Bywater neighborhood is home to the Saturn Bar. Here, owner and barkeep O’Neil Broyard has been holding court amongst his collection of baseball caps and garage-sale paintings since 1960. O’Neil does not serve many of New Orleans’ famous cocktails, but he will be happy to shake up a Whiskey Sour or stir a Martini for you, if that’s your taste. As he puts it, he likes to keep things simple. If you want a fancy drink, you can go to the Quarter; if you head to the Saturn bar, you can get what you like. You can even get a peek at some of the many plants O’Neil keeps in his urban garden or hear tales of naked boxing. (Yes, naked boxing.) While you’re there, put a little Eartha Kitt on the jukebox, settle into a leopard print booth, and plan on staying for a while to take it all in.
It is with great sadness that the SFA shares news that O’Neil Broyard passed away December 22, 2005. The Saturn Bar reopened in June 2006, with Broyard’s family at the helm.
