We were originally scheduled to go to New Orleans but had to cancel due to Katrina. After a long day at Universal, we decided to take in Pat O'Briens so we could still have a little of our New Orleans vacation.

We ate early, around 5pm, so we just walked right in. The pub is set up just like the one established in the early 1900s in New Orleans. There is an open-area walkway that takes you past the bar area (a little dark for my tastes), with a singer and settings there, into an open-area courtyard. The courtyard is set up with two fountains (after dark they turn off the water long enough to light the tops of both fountains and turn them back on--really neat!), lanterns, and lights, and it is done in all brick. The tables are scattered throughout the courtyard but aren't too close to be uncomfortable.

The food was awesome. I had to try the Hurricanes I had heard so much about on the New Orleans forums and reviews. They have quite a kick. They are 4 ounces of their Hurricane mix and four of their rum. The drink runs about $9 but is worth trying at least once. They bring it out to you in a glass that I thought at first was a carafe. If you finish it, you'll wonder how and why. It's a lot of drink and packs a punch.

For an appetizer, we tried the crawfish nachos. I'd never had crawfish, and my fiancee wanted me to try some. I wasn't sorry. If you like seafood, you will love the nachos. For the main course, we had jambalaya and their seafood basket. This is real jambalaya, not that wannabe stuff. After a couple of bites, my mouth was on fire. It was so good, however, I had a hard time stopping eating it when I was full.

We, of course, couldn't finish without at least trying desert. We had their cheesecake. It was the smoothest and best cheesecake I think I've ever had. I'm very glad we didn't pass it up.