Shreveport Nightlife: Where to go for a good time!

Shreveport is a fun place to visit, lots of bars, casinos, and clubs to choose from! When we first moved here we were overwhelmed by it all, and it took about a year to decide which bars were worth going to or not... We still haven't been to all of them, but we definitely have our favorites...

First thing you should know about downtown Shreveport, it doesn't shut down until 6 a.m. Yes, you heard right, bars downtown don't stop serving until sunrise! That can be a good thing or a bad thing; good for those who don't get an early start in the evening, bad for those who should stop drinking at 2 and are too drunk to stop.

Every place I mention in this article is strictly 21+. If you'll be visiting with anyone underage, don't expect to do anything in town but shopping.

Sometimes you just gotta shake it... These are a couple of dance clubs that my honey and I like to hit up on the weekends.

Phoenix Underground

Phoenix is a fairly large club in the downtown area. The inside is nice, and as the name implies, it is in the basement of a large building. I like to go here because it enforces a tasteful dress code, so most people are looking their best to go dancing. (It eliminates a casual crowd) The bar is impressive when it's actually full, but don't go here at midnight and expect to have it packed. It is more of a late-night scene, usually starts filling up at around 2.

The bar has a few downsides though... if you are sitting there for longer than 2 hours, the music will start getting repetitive. Much like the radio with no commercials. The bathroom situation is kinda sticky too, they have about 6 bathrooms (with stalls), and no distinction for gender. So alot of the time you will find the opposite sex in your bathroom. The cover is $10, and most of the time you are only there to shake it for an hour and leave. For one person, it's not that much, but going as a couple, that's a lot to pay for an hour.

Mojo's Voodoo Lounge

Mojo's has the best of both worlds. Normally no cover. Small casual bar downstairs, and does a complete 180 with the hot dance floor upstairs. The bar is very classy, they serve their drinks in nice glasses. The black and white leather lounges are amazing, and the lighting makes the whole place. Black lights in the lounge/bar and a great laser light system on the dance floor.

The downsides to this bar is that there is never anyone there. I believe this is due to the appearance of the bar downstairs. Not to mention you have to go downstairs to the bathrooms.

If you are looking for a bar that isn't packed, or a bar you can just wear jeans and a t-shirt to and fit in just fine, these bars are just for you. A little karaoke on certain nights, a few games of lawn darts or pool, ooooh yeah...

Fatty Arbuckles

This bar is our spot, its like the batcave to Batman. This is the bar we start out with every time we venture out downtown, and spend the majority of our time at. The bar staff is friendly, fast and funny. There is always a place to sit, inside or outside. On the weekends, they hire a DJ by the name of Ashley, and she is one of the most talented DJs in Shreveport. She plays a little something for every kind of crowd. They also hire many different bands to perform outside after midnight. Since this bar is right under the Texas St. Bridge, it brings a great atmosphere to the Red River District.

The only downside to Fatty's is that they only have a single stall restroom for both bathrooms, so the line can get pretty long on the weekends.

The Boot

Located right next to Mojo's, the boot sees enough traffic to be a blooming bar, but not enough where you feel uncomfortable. People, this bar has karaoke all night long, all weekend long! (I've been known to get down a time or two) The bar staff is friendly, fairly quick, and they have a mini bar upstairs with some pool tables. Most of the time, there are some fairly decent singers to make it enjoyable.

The good news, they have more than one toilet per bathroom. Bad news, you have to take the walk of death up the steep and narrow staircase leading upstairs. The staircase was only made for one person at a time, and the traffic between the bathroom and second bar is almost disastrous.

Everyone wants to try their shot at that money! We usually never win anything, but the ride of gambling + free drinks= a pretty freakin fun time!

El Dorado

This is our favorite casino to go to. The boat is alot nicer than all the other casinos around. Most of the larger casinos are located inside riverboats floating along the Red River (for previous gambling laws that required you could only gamble on the river). The cocktail waitresses are normally staffed well enough that you see one often. Most casinos you spend all your money before you finally get a drink. El Dorado has more of a 50/50 ratio of new slot machine games vs older slot games. (That is high for new machines)

I don't recommend that you visit on a holiday. We came for New Years Eve and waited an hour to get a parking spot, an hour to get a drink for a midnight toast, and an hour to get back out of the parking garage. Not to mention, we only had enough patience to actually gamble about $20. Needless to say, I thought the boat was going to sink because of occupancy issues.

Horseshoe

If you are looking for something a little more fancy, you got it here at The Horseshoe. With tons of high roller games, inner casino bar lounges, and fun slots, this place is a treat for anytime you decide to go. The service is great, if you've got the buck to spend at this place. The inside of the boat is very glamorous, and makes you feel comfortable inside the casino. They even have a wall of 100's to make the "Million Dollar Wall". The buffet is tasty, the hotel is very nice.

The only reason this place isn't our favorite, is that it tends to be the tourist trap of downtown. Meaning it's ALWAYS crowded, therefore the more popular machines and tables are harder to get to. Not to mention, this place is for people who want to spend more than $200 per hand/spin, so most of the minimum bets are pretty high.

Note: Casinos never close OR stop serving alcohol.

Please Also Know While Visiting Shreveport

While looking up fun things to do in Shreveport you may notice a bunch of places in Bossier City, LA. Know that the only thing separating Shreveport from Bossier City is the Red River. And its really not far out of the way. I'll be writing another hub on some great places in Bossier as well! So be looking for it soon!