The EARL
Categories: Dive Bars, Music Venues, American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhood: East Atlanta Village488 Flat Shoals Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30316 (404) 522-3950
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-2:30 a.m.
Sun 11:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Late Night
- Music: Live, Juke Box
- Best Nights: Tue, Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: Yes
- Coat Check: No
51 Reviews for The EARL
i haven't eaten food from this place in years. usually I am the one bummin the rest of you out by chain smoking over your meal.
Today we ordered lunch for everyone at the tatty shack. The service was quick and polite.
I had a grilled cheese with a house salad. It was perfect.
They guys had the Earl Burger and a Jerk Chicken Salad. They were very pleased. It wasn't a hard meal to conjure up but they did it quickly and with grace.
I like that.
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The EARL boasts some of the best food at any bar I've been to in ATL, great burgers served a variety of ways (Bleu Cheese, Bacon & Mushroom... OMG) as well as daily specials like meatloaf, and a decent assortment of appetizers and snackables like some bomb-ass nachos and PBR battered alligator tenders. The alcohol selection is great, with ample selections of bottles and drafts, and all the liquor you'd expect at a proper bar.
My only complaint with the bar / restaurant area is the jukebox is always SO DAMN LOUD YOU HAVE TO SHOUT AT THE PEOPLE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. I'm not some old fart; everyone I know who's been there agrees. If they'd just turn it down a little, it'd be so much more enjoyable. At least it's mostly good stuff in the jukebox...
Their music venue in the back is also excellent, a mid-sized room with a corner stage. Good sound system and sight lines. You're likely to encounter unconventional acts at the EARL, assorted indie rock, post-rock, electronic, hip-hop, comedy, etc. They may seem a bit elitist, but so what. They book good acts outside the mainstream and fill a vital need in East Atlanta, especially since the Echo Lounge shut down.
www.badearl.com will fill you in on the rest, like concert schedule, menu, etc etc etc
Check it out.
Atlanta is a new place for my shenanigans and general malfeasance and the Earl is a great fit for my antics. I came for a show, but the laid back attitude of the crowd, good food, and friendly service gave me a reason to stay. The earl is cool to the touch and has good tunes, but you don't feel like to need to meet a tattoo requirement to get in the door like some of the places in little 5.
The $10 cover to see the bands is a little high. I support artists and independently owned businesses, but after dropping precious cash monies (grad loans) on food and beer, at least you could let me listen to the music for 5 or under.
You will probably have an interesting experience at the Earl. Mine came in the form of me pounding beer, and picking up a fan. A tennis pro named Fritz (seriously?). He provided interesting conversation and an additional PBR, as if it was needed.
Way to go Atlanta. We just met, but you know how to keep it real.
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Great dive bar.
good food, good shows, good times...
The earl is what you wish for any local dive. They have amazing shows (i.e. David Bazan, Liam Finn, John Vanderslice, Buck65 etc.) The only pitfall is the ventilation of the back area where the bands play. There is no way to move the air back there, so the smoke builds up and it gets ultra hot. The bands they book though make it worth the minor inconvenience. I have yet to have food there, but from the reviews I've read, and friends who vouch for it, I can only imagine that all of them couldn't be wrong.
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Live Shows! Fried Okra! Fried Okra! Fried Okra!
(and the place is pretty cool, too. on my last 3 trips to East Atlanta, I've come here. this place makes me very happy.)
Great beer! Fried Okra! Friend Okra! Fried Okra!
(sorry.)
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I have lived in GP now for 3 years, and finally tonight made it to the Earl...which strangely enough reminds me of the crab shack on the show "My name is Earl"..hmm.
I have seen many reviews for them, but have always been a little taken aback by the smokey atmosphere... not really for me these days. However, our experience was great and almost entirely smoke-free. (the incredulous reader now calls "BS, there is no way you were at the EARL if you were calling your experience, in any way, smoke-free").
How did we manage it? Well, it appears that if you sit in the round table all the way to the left as you walk in the door, there is a beneficial AC blast coming from somewhere that I could not identify... maybe it was the ketchup bottle. Anyway, this somewhat frigid blast of ketchup air seemed to keep the nearby smokers' funk away, leaving us to enjoy our burgers and beer in peace.
- My beer was the Red Brick blonde... a good summer brew by any standard :)
- The burgers, I would say were pretty good, but they just weren't that great. For the place that is supposed to have the best burgers in town, I was sorely disappointed (this alone may be my reason for only 3 stars) I had the bluebacon burger (blue cheese). It was tasty, but just a little overcooked for my taste.
- My fried okra were however, mighty fine! There is something about the fried-salty-sliminess that is southern fried okra which makes me crave it so.
I will be back again... and will try the burgers again, and will update if there is a significant change in my experience. I must have hit them on a less than stellar burger night.
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Great music...Great Music.. dark.. good drink selections.. it can make for an interesting night if the mood is right! I like the outside patio, and the large counter top they have going on outside. The fact that it's a dive bar is even better.. so you can where whatever you wish, and you wouldn't be out of place. I like wearing me flip flops and just walking around town- and this place let's me dress as I please.
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I wish I had known about this place earlier. Great dive bar with a small concert venue in the back. I would have never known it was there if I had not been there for a concert. They bring in some pretty good acts at a reasonable price. (drinks were also reasonably priced) I love the decor of the place too. It might not seem like much, but look around...the random pieces such as toys near the skylight and sponge bob table lamp make it seem so accidentally cool.
The staff is also very helpful and friendly. I had a great time while I was there. I haven't tried the food though. I'll have to go again sometime and maybe write an update.
I especially love the bathroom at the Earl....it's nice to have something to look at..it feels like a cave and you no longer hear the outside noise, a moment of solace in the chaos. The burgers are the best around, with a side of fried okra and a pint! You can sit outside, inside, check out the live music and visit friends at the bar. I never have to wonder if the Earl is open or if anyone is around..it's always happening and feels like a neighborhood bar should. Especially when the bartender is drunk and slinging shots!
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Mmmmm the burgers were awesome!!! I had the Blue Bacon Burger and it was yummy. I thought me friend (who claims she is vegetarian) was going to have a hard time finding something fer herself on the menu BUT they had several veggie choices for her the choose from. The service was great, I felt like our waiter was a long lost friend
It was a great day as we sat on the outside patio with good food and the inviting East Atlanta Village street traffic. I will have to come back some time one evening to experience the bar action.
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Out of the detritus upon which the Metropolis stands, the denizens of the Stein Club flocked to the The Earl. Along with The Fountainhead and the Echo Lounge, The Earl was one of a triumvirate of cool--edgy folks with heady 'tude. At the time, East Atlanta Village was the epicenter of hip, with more slackers and MFAs than a dozen Apple stores. I remember those days, when people would spill out onto Flat Shoals for no apparent reason and the best place to go to the bathroom was the secret bathroom in The Fountainhead that people only used to snort coke. Unless you're me and you just used it to go to the bathroom.
But alas, only The Earl remains as one of the originals. What's the secret to their longevity? They smartly offer something for everyone. It's a smoky bar. It's a place to see up-and-coming bands. It's got good food. It's even a brunch destination. The Earl is all of the above and as I've aged, I've gone through each permutation. Right now, it's the food that concerns me. The Earl burger remains one of the best in Atlanta while the side of red beans and rice is a favorite. Their alligator bites, though, could use some work. Brunch (or in Earl parlance, "Dunch") has most of the breakfast basics set to live musical accompaniment.
Beyond the food, The Earl did one thing a few years ago that cemented a place in my heart. In a poorly thought out date choice, I asked my girlfriend to see "Captured by Robots" play in the backroom, a concert to which she foolishly agreed. What she ended up getting was a man pretending to be enslaved by a group of robots who plays loud thrash metal. Who. Plays. Thrash. Metal. As a bonus, the robots were dressed as the crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation since this was their "Tribute to Star Trek: The Next Generation" Tour. And did I mention the thrash metal?
The fact that my now girlfriend agreed to a third date demonstrates 1) my girlfriend truly loves me 2) she has infinite patience 3) The Earl has wonderful, magical powers and 4) chicks (apparently) dig thrash metal.
So thank you for that, Earl. For better or for worse, I owe the past two and a half years of my life to you. May you, and them robots, live long and prosper.
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Thank you for hosting great acts like Jesu, Wolves in the Throne Room, and Mono, recently. The Earl is great, although really crowded on the weekends. If crowds are your thing, you'll dig. Lines to pee can suck, but that's my only gripe after you've found a place to sit. Vegan/vegetarian options on the updated menu. Haven't tried them yet, but once they went out of their way to prepare me some "tater and broccoli" thing. Shit, I think I'll go here, tonight.
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A creative take on average food. The sweet potato fries were delicious and covered with cinnamon! They claim to serve aligator, and maybe if I am brave enough one day I will see if it's true.
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So I have this bad habit of almost fainting in really crowded, smoky places. It's not something that I'm proud of, but it seems that my body has developed a finely tuned sense of the most inappropriate and embarrassing possibly places to faint, and decided to enact some bizarre form of revenge on me by causing me to faint in all said places.
930 Club in DC? Check. Fainted during a Smashing Pumpkins show (what was I even doing at a Smashing Pumpkins show is a discussion for a later time). Random venue in Manayunk, PA. Check. During horseback riding camp while carrying the largest horse saddle in the entire universe. Check. And now. Nearly in the Earl. Because OF ALL THE DAMN SMOKE. Aghhhhh.
Anyway that's totally beside the point. The Earl is great - good place to see a show if you can stand your lungs literally turning black inside of you while you stand there. I recommend either not breathing or wearing some sort of gas mask contraption while inside.
Oh and tonight I saw my co-workers band play there and the lead singer had a glass thrown at him, his arm cut vertically open, and he had to be basically carried off the stage to an ambulance where he was taken to the hospital to get stitches.
So yeah, it's always a good time at the Earl. And I really don't mean that sarcastically, however the rest of this review made it sound.
Heh.
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"Can you dig it?!" Yes! I can dig it!
Whether or not you're in the Rouges, Ophran, Furies, Lizzies, Boppers or Riffs...it just doesn't matter, let's all call it truce at the EARL. Come for the booze, food and music! With all the gentrification going on in East Atl, this dive has not and will not ever change. Everything that's popping up is bland, lame and without personality. Ever since the demise of the Echo Lounge, the EARL stayed true to the indie music scene. Their jukebox is one of the best in Atl.
Don't expect the best service b/c "you'll get nothing and like it!"
The burgers are one of the best in Atl, that goes without saying. The EARL dog tube-steak ain't from Coney Island but it's 100% Black Angus....even Cyrus can dig it!
Now all you Warriors...come out to play-ya!
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The Earl is, hands down, one of my favorite bars in Atlanta. The food is great (if you haven't had the burger, get it!). The jukebox is great. The bartenders are great. The shows are usually great. And it's located in a great neighborhood.
Some of my most favorite moments with my friends happen at the Earl. For example, one random Sunday evening, two of my friends and I ended up in a video (and no, it wasn't girls gone wild or anything like that). I also have seen some very good shows at the Earl (which I won't list because there are way to many).
All in all, this is a great place. Get a booth and check out the stuff on the wall (the moose with the human ear is my favorite).
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Well for what this place lacked in red wine selection, it definitely made up for in cute guy candy selection!
So this is where the cuties are hiding :) I was kinda starting to wonder, actually, but alas Hotlanta has hotties. Hotties who appeared at our table within a minute of sitting down, hotties who make cakes and just won a Food Network competition last week and hotties who are just damn cool. Yes, I'm talkin bout Joshua, so go in here and let him geek out with his camera over the cake he made that won him the prize, it's worth it, it's a cool cake.
Now onto the joint. I really liked this place and it reminded me of some of the dive bars I love in SF. The walls, had ratty and pealing paint jobs, the bathroom walls were artfully covered in graffiti and it was nice and dark and filled with cool looking locals who in another lifetime would have all been named Norm.
The burger was also quite solid, but really how can you go wrong with a thick, juicy burger, blue cheese and bacon? You cant. Ooooh, we also tried their boiled peanuts since hey, I'm in the South dangit, and I wanna experience all things local. They are interesting, definitely try a boiled peanut at least once in your life.
I guess they also have bands that play here which is cool, so if you are looking to catch a show, grab a beer and maybe even a burger, then have at it. Now I just wish I could get a doggie bag for that Joshua character, hehe :)
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Thanks to my fellow yelp friend, I must review The Earl. Don't listen to what people say, when you're in Atlanta go to the Earl.
In September 2007, I took a trip from Virginia to Atlanta on my Vespa. It rained the whole day, including a tropical storm the whole 100 miles in Georgia. That slowed my pace, weighed me down, and made me crave food like I've never craved food before. As I pulled up, I saw my Los Angeles brother and our friends, but before I could say hi, I had to take a shower and get food, and that's when we went to The Earl.
As we were promptly sat, we talked and chatted about my adventure and how everyone was. We then proceeded to order some boiled peanuts (fabulous) some drinks, then some food. My former Midtown now East Atlanta friends then called Joshua over and asked if he had any of his desserts left. After saying he did, we bought the rest of them. We then ate and sat and I got the food and I felt great. The food satisfies your weekly craving or your craving after a long trip.
The only criticism I've ever had of The Earl was they wouldn't let my friend in on the Eve of his 21st birthday when we all wanted to go see The Books.
I'm not joking around, life is too short not to go to The Earl. Get out from under the downtown skyscrapers, get into The Earl. Eat at The Earl. Love the fact you followed my advice!
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I've never tried the food, but I go there a lot to see bands play. The sound system is great, and it's a relatively comfortable space. I'd like it better if it were non-smoking, but that's my only complaint. If a small band is coming to town, I'd rather see them here than Drunken Unicorn or Star Bar.
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Hello Earl.
Would you like to know what I think about you?
You're pretty freaking cool. I like that you're a music venue, with super diverse and always interesting shows. That aren't crazily expensive. You're also laid back, and I can do anything from have a burger to a beer at you, too. You've even got brunch!
Your website name even has a sense of humor (www.BadEarl.com). And I really like that you're name's an acronym. You're genius.
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my pampered angeleno ass was surprised with how smoky my leather jacket was the day after hanging out at the earl.
the jukebox was cheap, well stocked, and super. i had alot of fun queuing up jams. i also met some really nice people and i think that is a good bellwether for viability of a spot.
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The service was miserable. It seemed the waitress was more interested in getting piggyback rides than processing my credit card. The environment is pretty cool, and it looks like the people at the bar are all enjoying themselves. The food is pretty good. My order of onion rings came with exactly 7 rings, and they seemed a little overfried, but the patty melt was good. I'm still on my quest for the best burger in Atlanta, but I don't think I've found it yet.
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Service sucks. Ambiance is terrible. Very dirty looking inside, but I guess that is suppose to be the appeal for people who like that kind of thing. DO NOT EACH BRUNCH THERE. They brought my boyfriend stale sour smelling toast. The sausage was cold, and the eggs were luke warm. Worst brunch experience ever. They have good burgers, sandwiches, and onion rings though.
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So my husband and I have fairly different ideas about what is considered a good meal. Trying to find a place where we can both eat and one doen't leave either grumpy or still hungry can be a challenge. The EARL is one place we can usually both eat our fill and leave pleased.
I know, most people think of the EARL as a bar and music venue, but
husband swears this is one of the best patty melts in the city, while my little vegetarian self is never let down between a more-than-serviceable black bean burger, the tofu-veggie pita wrap and the nachos which more closely resemble a salad (as long as you get the black bean version anyway, the chili version will make any meat-lover quite happy). Oh, and their salads actually look like salads too, they don't skimp on the good stuff or load you up with iceberg. I've spent countless hot summer days on their patio with a PBR in one hand and a spoonful of that cucumber/tomato/onion salad in the other. Great way to beat the heat.
This is also one of the few places we can both leave stuffed (possibly toting a to-go box) for under 25$ (sans tip).
If you've only been there to drink and hear bands, that's great, but you're missing out on one of the things they do best... cook!
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I go for the shows, but I am surprised by the food. They usually have about two to three can't miss shows a month. If you don't like smoke you may want to make sure the show is non smoking.
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This is my favorite place to see a show. They always have a fantastic line-up. I usually go to eat at the Earl before shows and I've loved everything I've gotten. It's also one of the few places that I usually can't finish my meal. The portions are huge.
The venue itself is a bit smoky, but not too bad. It's a trade-off since if it wasn't 21+ and smoking allowed, there would be quite a few hipster high-school kids there. A la the Tabernacle and the Variety Playhouse.
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Great bar/resturant and venue.... hip staff, locals and jukebox... something for almost all intresting tastes!
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Decent venue and great burgers (including a pretty good bean burger for the vegheads out there). Way too smokey though. The staff is great and very friendly. Parking can be a bit of a trick.
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The Earl has great burgers! I love the shoestring fries and the sweet potato fries. The place is pretty cool inside and the waitstaff is friendly. There's good music on the jukebox for lunch times and the live bands are great.
Wish they had a better ventilation system- one smoker can make your eyes burn!
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If I still lived in Atlanta, I would probably still be here way too much. I always appreciated that the front bar was separated from the stage area in the back. For nights when you are really into the band, it's great to be able to listen without all the chatter. And for those nights that you feel like chatting, well you can do that too. Or just mix it up and hang out in both areas on the same night. All venues should be set up as such.
The real beauty of the EARL is in their selection of bands. I have seen some really (!) good shows here. And the cover price was always reasonable.
Now that I live in San Francisco, when I return here the smoke is a bit much, but I find that is true of most places in Atlanta. I always manage to forget that smoking is allowed and I always hate how I smell after leaving.
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Went last night to check out a couple of bands..
had a great time..
nice atmos (alittle smokey , but im ok with that)
there were $2 tall boys .. and the bartenders were super nice...
would definitely come back again..
I dig it, so should u
the end
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This is my favorite little place to go see a band. National acts and local acts get booked here. I've seen the Whigs (before & after their record deal) and Jamie Lidell, to name a few. It's very casual, the food is decent bar food, and the French fries are fantastic. They serve tiny little shoestring fries...totally adorable!
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How can you not love cheap PBR's and hipsters in skinny jeans with fauxhawks!?! The Earl stole many many many a drunken evening of mine during my three year tenure in Atlanta. Its dirty, sleazy and a little bit pretentious, but a great live music venue that serves solid bar food and cold beers to its scenester populous. Their week night shows are great because it get super packed on the weekends, but if you cant stay up past your bedtime on a school night, look into staking out a table early cause seating is a hot commodity here on weekends.
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The EARL is Atlanta's best music venue. Sure, you won't catch a huge act here, but that's not the point either. East Atlanta's quaint Restaurant and Lounge is more or less a hip dive, but with such a consistently fantastic schedule and such delicious veggie burgers, it's really hard to go wrong.
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The EARL Haiku Review
Loud, trashy, smoky:
The EARL's not classy, but
that's how I like it!
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I've been to sooooo many shows at The Earl, it just feels like the backyard of my house! And when I talk about backyard, I mean it in a figurative and literally way. The magic begins when you walk down the little hallway that leads you to the show, because...I love this place although it smells terrible (yes, sigh...bare with me, por favor) and it's pretty bad and "poisonous" when it comes to the smoking inside. But the food is greasy-good and generous, and you can have a decent range of beers. The restaurant is extremely loud, and usually the music they play in this area of The Earl is terrible (ear killer tunes, screaming, pitchy dudes, and heavy rock beats that torture tender brains like mine.) The service usually lacks big time, but all those star takers are beaten by the fact this place has a COOL show area, and they usually present fantastic indie bands for ridiculously cheap prices (that is highly appreciated by live music addicts like yours truly!)
I will continue going there but I will bypass the restaurant, as I usually do. It's a shame, because I like the food, it's been always a fairly good experience. But I rather have something to eat at home before than let that loud rock drill my eardrums or perform a non-desired lobotomy on me. If you want to hang out before or after a show, I strongly recommend you choose the outside seating or wearing your earplugs while dining, unless you like loud LOUD, and smoky.
Just walk down the hallway...it'll be great then!
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It's smoky, loud, and the food isn't exactly going to bowl you over. But when you put it all together on a night with a good band, the sum of The Earl rises above its mediocre pieces.
The food is typical pub fare: nothing unexpected or out of the ordinary. Definitely give the fried okra a shot, it's a close winner over the onion rings in my opinion. Brunch on Sundays is great for recovering from last night's trip out. Grab a spot outside or at the bar that looks out onto Flat Shoals and relax. And be prepared for your server to be just as hung over as you are.
The Earl definitely isn't for everybody. Nothing about the place will stand out under close inspection, especially if you go into it expecting something special. However, the PBR will be cold, you'll see an interesting crowd, and the food will provide the right level of grease and comfort to offset the alcohol.
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Do you have any melted butter? "We have butter but not melted butter"
That was the conversation I had with my waitress the other night. I have eaten at the earl on numerous occasions, everytime having a new item and everytime liking what I get, except this time. I got the shrimp plate, not a good choice it is the second most expensive thing on the menu and it is the worst thing outta everything I have had.
My next review will be positive a promise
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Cool bar. I go to shows there regularly. They typically have good bands playing. The food is awesome and it one of the few places that you can find aligator on the menu!
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A true legend in East Atlanta, in Atlanta for that matter. Everyone likes the EARL!
The backroom music venue features hard rock, punk, and other bands.
You can fight it out with your friends on which cheap beer to order: PBR or High Life.
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