Teddy's Juke Joint When the Blues Is Hot

This is, in our estimation, one in a list of thirty marvelous places, flavors, events, and experiences that anyone who lives in—or loves—our part of the world should experience at least once in his or her lifetime.

“The directions to Teddy’s Juke Joint sound like a blues song,” wrote Alex V. Cook in the lead to his very first music column for this magazine back in 2006. Follow those directions and you’ll find “a house glowing from within, strains of blues guitar, hoots and hollers, and the whiff of barbecue mixing with the night.” In the Zachary house where he was born, Teddy Johnson has been keeping the South’s juke joint tradition alive since 1979. There aren’t many places like this left and none like Teddy’s, where the thicket of Christmas lights casts its glow upon a lifetime’s worth of club memorabilia and illuminates the smiles on the faces of visitors and locals alike. Folks of all ages, stages, and walks of life mingle here, drawn by the welcoming atmosphere, tasty soul food, and consistently jaw-dropping blues played by local, regional, and national artists. There are several live shows a month, a jam with Dixie Rose each Wednesday, and Teddy spins records every night of the week. 17001 Old Scenic Highway, Zachary, La. (225) 892-0064 or teddysjukejoint.com.