Bar: Ragin Cajun Piano Bar
Location: 210 W. 3rd St, Alton, IL 62002
Score: 8.4/10
On a recent Halloween bus bar crawl, one of the stops was at the Ragin Cajun in Alton, IL. I’ve been to Alton many times for trips to Fast Eddies, but have never explored any of the other places the city has to offer. That has been a huge mistake, cause this place is awesome. We were only there for a limited time, which really sucked because I would’ve had no problem spending the rest of the night there. Walking in, the setup and decor immediately catches your attention. As the name suggests, it gives off a New Orleans, Bourbon Street vibe. It really set the tone for a lively atmosphere. We grabbed drinks from the bar, and walked over to where a stage was setup for live music. The band they had playing consisted of a drummer, guitar player, and a pianist and they were rocking. We talked with some of the other people we were on the bus with who had been there before, and they said some nights they do dualing pianos. I know that’s not everyone’s thing, but I love it, and will 100% be going back for a night when they have it going on. The night continued by crushing cheap beers and ripping apple pie shots, which were some of the best ones I’ve had, personally.
The bar had every drink you could ask for. Beers, mixed drinks, shots, you name it, the’ll serve it. At one point, I found myself with a 32 oz bucket drink in my hand and it was god like. My memory is a little blurry from the night, and I can’t 100% say what it was, but I believe it was a Hurricane, or some other form of rum drink. All I know is that it tasted absolutely amazing, and they did not short you on the alcohol content. I’m extremely happy this bus trip made a stop at the Ragin Cajun, and look forward to adding it to my list of bars when making a trip to Alton.
Decor: Everything in the bar fits the name. Gave off all the vibes of a New Orleans bar, and felt like I was back in a Bourbon Street bar. One of the coolest parts was seating that they made from an airplane First time seeing something like that in a bar and I thought it was elite.
Prices: Very affordable bar to hit up for a fun time. Cheap bars and shot specials. Rum buckets were also cheap for 32 ounces. Believe they were around $10. I’ve been to some bars where the same drink is pushing $25.
Service: Both bartenders were very friendly. Got drinks very quickly while also engaging in conversation with the patrons.
Atmosphere: Majority of the crowd consisted of people on the party bus. This was a stop earlier in the night, and as we were leaving it started to fill in with people who I assume are local to the area. And if I lived closer to this bar, it would be a place I visit frequently. Place is a killer time where I would love to spend my time drinking.
Cleanliness: Zero concern. Had that grimy bar feel, but was in no way dirty.
Bonus Points: Cash only bar.