“There’s a lot of love in this place” was a frequent reaction from first-time visitors to the Mother-In-Law Lounge.
From 1996 to 2010, this tiny nightclub was the most fun, funky, and egalitarian bar in New Orleans. Its name came from the song “Mother-In-Law” by Ernie K-Doe (Ernest Kador, Jr., 1936 – 2001), which topped the national record charts in May, 1961. Such success established K-Doe as a New Orleans R&B icon. But his other fine songs didn’t sell, and K-Doe slipped into a long downward spiral of alcoholism, exacerbated by the death of his son from a stray bullet. Eventually, however, Ernie K-Doe’s life was turned around by his second wife Antoinette. The couple opened up the Mother-In-Law Lounge as a shrine to K-Doe where he could welcome his colleagues and hold court with his fans. Happiness reigned supreme in this surreal, Fellini-esque realm. Everyone received respectful hospitality, be they black, white, affluent, destitute, young, old, locals from the neighborhood, or visitors from afar. The K-Does never changed the ambiance to accommodate tourists who, instead, got to experience genuine cultural immersion. The K-Does’ political pride manifested in the photos of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Muhammad Ali, and Joe Louis that adorned the lounge’s walls: After Hurricane Katrina, Antoinette K-Doe counselled many people at the Lounge. In 2008, she held voter-registration drives there. Antoinette passed away in 2009, and the lounge closed in 2010. It has since been reopened by the popular jazz trumpeter Kermit Ruffins. (Courtesy of Ben Sandmel)
Favorite Neighborhood Restaurant
The Original Cajun Seafood
1479 N. Claiborne Ave. New Orleans, LA 70116
(504) 948-6000
treme@cajunseafoodnola.com
Serves a wide variety of classic New Orleans dishes such as gumbo, po’ boy sandwiches, seafood platters, and yakamein.
To Learn More
- Ben Sandmel, Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans (The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2012).
- Kim Marie Vaz-Deville, The “Baby Dolls”: Breaking the Race and Gender Barriers of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Tradition. (LSU Press, 2013).