We were at Port Orleans — French Quarter Resort early yesterday morning when the NEW Scat Cat’s Club — Cafe debuted (we’re talkin’ Mickey Beignets for days here, people!) — and just in case you didn’t set your alarm, you can read about our experience earlier in the day here!

And now we’re back at Port Orleans for another round of the BIG EASY, because guess what! The NEW Scat Cat’s Lounge is now finally OPEN!

Atmosphere

Last month we told you about Disney’s plans to introduce a new dining area at Port Orleans — French Quarter called the Scat Cat’s Club — Cafe as well as the expansion of Scat Cat’s Lounge!

Read more about the new Scat Cat’s Cafe and Scat Cat’s Lounge here!

Don’t worry! The new Scat Cat’s Lounge will still offer live jazz music five nights a week, Thursday through Monday, starting at 7PM, but NOW has MORE seating to “serve up their signature beverages and flavorful bar options!” 

First, let’s take a look around this beautiful new space and soak in the details! Check out the pretty crystal chandeliers, which help to set the mood of this elegant space!

Of course, the brickwork, wooden vaulted ceilings, and gorgeous arched windows do a pretty darn good job setting the mood, too!

There are club chairs surrounding the stage with side tables to rest your cocktails.

And a large antique-style cupboard anchoring one side of the room.

The rest of the furniture is contemporary, including wood-look tables with modern bentwood chairs stained a rich dark espresso brown.

Drinks & Eats

Now let’s take a look at the menu! There’s a LOT of ground to cover here, so bear with us!

First off, Scat Cat’s Lounge has an extensive list of signature cocktails. There’s a bourbon Smoked Turkey cocktail or a Negroni made with Bombay Sapphire Gin…

…as well this whimsical Antioxidant Lemonade featuring Van Gogh Acai-Blueberry vodka and pomegranate juice, or the Walk the Plank made with Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky and orange juice.

There’s also a Rum Swizzle, Raspberry Mojito, and Bacardi Mojito to choose from…

…as well as a Whiskey Breeze and Moscow Mule, which comes served in a copper mug.

If you’re in more of a tropical mindset (or at least trying to be) you can choose the Blood Orange Margarita, a Spicy Poblano Margarita…

…or a delicious Watermelon Margarita! There’s also this Paloma drink, which has tequila with notes of ruby red grapefruit.

A classic Bahama Mama or a Pina CoLAVA might also be in order, especially if you love tropical coconut flavors!

There’s also a Captain’s Mai Tai or the Ultimate Long Island Iced Tea for those beachy drink vibes.

What would a classy night out be without a cold martini? At Scat Cat’s Lounge, you have lots to choose from! There’s the Cold Brew XO, Godiva Chocolate Martini…

…as well as their Blue “Glow-Tini” and Magical Star Cocktail.

If you’re more into getting your sip on, you can do so with this fine selection of 2oz Bourbon Pours. Can’t make up your mind? How ’bout a Bourbon Flight of 3/4oz pours?

The specialty cocktails menu lists a few offerings including a Sazerac, Southern Hurricane, The Big Easy Sangria as well as a Bayou Rum Flight, while draft beers include Abita Amber and Bud Light.

And there are a few additional beer selections including plenty of pale and amber lagers as well as some wheats…

…and some pale and amber ales, IPAs, seasonal beers and hard ciders.

If prefer to listen to your jazz music with a nice glass of moscato or chardonnay, Scat Cat’s Lounge also offers an extensive wine menu.

There are also these delicious-looking red and white sangrias! The Red Sangria has flavors of raspberry, apple, and blackberry, while the White Sangria has notes of banana, pineapple, grapefruit and a hint of ginger.

If it’s non-alcoholic drinks you prefer, Scat Cat’s Lounge has you covered. You’ll find a selection of lemonades, a spritzer and a No-Jito on their mocktails menu.

Alright, enough of the bar menu! It’s time to get down to what we came here for! The food! It looks like the Scat Cat Lounge’s offerings have mostly stayed the same. Their eats include a sweet and spicy Chicken and Waffles, Sassagoula Crab Dip, Crawfish Etoufee, Mardi Gras Mac and Cheese, Bayou Brisket Sliders and Baton Rouge Beignets- which you can read out review of here!

First, we’re ordering up ourselves a big delicious bowl of Mardi Gras Mac and Cheese!

Nestled between the cheesy noodles are tender pieces of shrimp and andouille sausage! It’s like a treasure hunt every time we find one!

Meanwhile, the elbow mac is really working overtime to hold onto all the ooey-gooey cheese sauce which really is the star of the show here. The crispy panko bread crumb also adds a nice toastiness and texture to this super-rich dish!

Next up we’re ordering some Chicken and Waffles — a true southern classic!

We gotta say our Chicken and Waffles looked a little bit like a let down when they came out to us (are those…waffle cones?!?), BUT we’re happy to report they’re MUCH more enjoyable than they look!

The chicken has a nice kick to it and the thin, crispy waffle pieces add some nice sweetness to complement the heat. Of course, we weren’t mad at all about all that crispy bacon either.

Remember that Sazerac we mentioned to you earlier? Well, we got ourselves one of those, too. It was deliciously smooth — just how we like our jazz!

We finished up our meal just as the jazz musicians were taking the stage — looks like we’ll be grabbing some more cocktails to stick around while the band plays!

The musicians perform four 45-minute long sets starting every hour after 7PM Thursday through Monday.

Nosh or Not?

Head on down to Scat Cat’s Lounge if:

• If you prefer a little food with your alcohol
• You enjoy live music
• You’re staying at Port Orleans – French Quarter or Riverside and want a nice night out

Scurry away from Scat Cat’s Lounge if:

• You don’t dig jazz music or lounge club vibes
• Aren’t impressed by extensive bar menus (you’d rather eat your dinner than drink it)
• Alcohol after a long, hot day at the parks sounds like a bad idea

Overall

We think the choice to turn this space (which was formerly where Bonfamille’s Cafe used to be) into a lounge was a good idea. Not only did it give the jazz musicians a better place to perform (previously their stage was in the middle of the French Quarter’s lobby, which wasn’t great for Cast Members working the front desk or guests checking in), but it also breathed more life into Port Orlean’s nightlife, which, until now, had been a little sleepy.

We wouldn’t expect you to make the trip to Port Orleans – French Quarter just to visit the new Scat Cat’s Lounge if you aren’t staying at either of the Port Orleans resorts, but if you have an aspiring young jazz musician in your family, have an affinity for jazz or just simply want a super-fun new experience for an adults’ night out (don’t worry, kiddos are welcome, too, if you can’t snag a sitter!) then Scat Cat’s Lounge might be right up your alley!

Will you be stopping by the new Scat Cat’s Club — Cafe or Scat Cat’s Lounge? Let us know in the comments section!