JB’s Fuel Dock
JB’s Fuel Dock is New Orleans’ waterfront restaurant and bar offering a relaxed dining experience. Soak up the sun at West End • 126 S Roadway St, New Orleans, LA 70124

Go for: Water views, good food, friendly service, and fun times
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JB’s Fuel Dock is : New Orleans’ best-kept waterfront secret
Ever wonder if you’re still in New Orleans or if you’ve somehow stumbled into a Jimmy Buffett song. Well, let me tell you about JB’s Fuel Dock. It isn’t just a bar, and it isn’t just a restaurant — it’s that perfect escape hiding in plain sight at West End.
This historic building houses one of the most laid-back hangouts in the city, and honestly? There’s few places I’d rather be on a springtime or summer Sunday afternoon. Everything about it says: relax, chill, and hang out for awhile.
JB’s Fuel Dock is open year round, but for me … from the week after Mardi Gras until football season kicks off, JB’s deck is a slice of waterfront paradise within the city limits. Picture this: you’re sitting there with a cold drink, watching sailboats drift by on Lake Pontchartrain, maybe sharing one of their pizzas with friends, and you think to yourself, “Are we in Florida or maybe Gulf Shores?”
Here’s the real magic of JB’s — those random January and February days when New Orleans remembers it’s supposed to be winter for about five minutes, then gives up and hits 75 degrees. And suddenly, … everyone in the know makes a beeline for JB’s outdoor deck. It’s like we all decide: “Yep, this is where we need to be right now.”
JB’s Fuel Dock serves everything from pizzas to burgers, but the food is just part of the story. It’s about that moment when you’re sitting there, watching the sun play on the water, maybe seeing a pelican dive for dinner, and realizing you’ve found that perfect sweet spot between restaurant and retreat.
And speaking of perfect moments — if you haven’t caught the Christmas Boat Parade from JB’s deck, you’re missing out on one of New Orleans’ most magical holiday traditions. Every December, they host a viewing party that’ll make you feel like you’re in some kind of waterfront winter wonderland, … New Orleans style.
What makes JB’s special isn’t just what it is — it’s what it represents. JB’s feels like that friend who always knows how to help you slow down and appreciate the moment. It’s the first restaurant to bring life back to this corner of West End Park since Katrina, and they’ve done it without any pomp or circumstance.
The owners get it. They understand that sometimes the best thing a place can do is just let New Orleans be New Orleans. A simple mission, that aims to provide simple pleasures — just good food, cold drinks, and that waterfront view that makes you forget all about whatever was stressing you out twenty minutes ago.
So next time you’re feeling like you need a vacation but can’t quite swing that trip to the coast, remember: JB’s Fuel Dock is right there, waiting. Bring your friends, bring your dog (yeah, they’re cool with that), or just bring yourself. Trust me — being on the waterfront counts.
But, you know what they say about time spent on the water? It doesn’t count against your life span. There’s something about sitting at JB’s, watching the pelicans dive and the sailboats drift by, that resets your internal clock. Maybe it’s the way the light dances on the lake, or how the breeze carries away your worries along with the sound of clinking glasses and easy laughter.
It’s” hard to spend an afternoon at JB’s, and not think: Beautiful day to be alive, ain’t it?”
That’s the thing about a place like JB’s — it reminds us that some of life’s best moments aren’t about doing anything special. They’re just about being present, letting the water work its magic, and remembering that New Orleans always has another perfect afternoon up her sleeve. — scott mccrossen
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