Mardi Gras definitely has charm. It's the only dive bar you'll find in Shadyside. And the only dive bar with fake windows with french shutters lining the walls, giving you a window in the mind of the owners' vision for the gruff no-nonsense watering hole they have created right off of Pittsburgh's most pricey shopping area. Drinks are poured very generously, especially to its crowd of regulars (mostly old men) steeped in the haze of smoke that permeates the bar. Keep that smoking bit in mind, before you commit yourself to washing everything that you wore when you walked in.