Top 5: Beer Bars in Atlanta

When it comes to drinking in Atlanta, the prices and atmospheres at the bars aren’t always in your favor. However, these five watering holes know how to do it right, and treat you right, so let loose and let yourself feel the love of libations once again.

Wrecking Bar Brewpub

Hanging out on the fringes of Little 5 Points near Inman Park sits what was once a 20th-century Victorian-style home, a Methodist Protestant church, a dance school, an antiques store and now, the best bar in Atlanta. The Wrecking Bar Brewpub boasts an ever-changing selection of specialty beers brewed on-site and up to 15 taps and 2 casks in service at any one time, with the styles brewed running the gamut from light to dark and hoppy to malty. Oh, and their beers are super affordable and they serve phenomenal craft pub food as well.

Manuel’s Tavern

Deep in the Poncey-Highland neighborhood lives Atlanta’s most historically relevant bar. In 1956, the original owner, Manuel Maloof (still fondly referred to as the “Godfather” of Georgia Democratic politics), bought what was once an old deli and transformed it into a neighborhood bar, which he modeled off the taverns he visited while stationed in England during the Second World War. Manuel filled the tavern with salvaged furnishings and assorted peoples, and one can still find, at any given time, a true and broad cross-section of American culture and the Atlanta community at Manny’s. Still owned and operated by the Maloof family, Manny’s still serves some of the same regulars from its earliest days. Above all else, while people first come here for the beer and the eclectic decoration, they stay for the feeling of comfort and acceptance, always known either by their name or their regular drink.

The Porter Beer Bar

Down in the heart of Little 5 Points thumps a sturdy bar that pumps out brews on unimaginable scales. With an absolutely gigantic menu of more than 800 beers either on draft, in bottle or tucked away in the cellar, there is ample reason for beer lovers to keep coming back. Three steps into The Porter, you feel like you’ve been transported into a secret bar tucked away in the back alley of a European city. And as you walk further up its steps, the bar just keep on expanding, like a Narnia for adults. It boasts some of the best bar food in the city, and you can even visit (for free) and rent out (for money) the beer cellar for your own magical occasions.

Cypress Street Pint and Plate

Cypress is what would happen if all your best friends from college got together and decided to open a bar together. With daily food and drink specials, Wednesday night trivia and a notable beer menu — as well as sampler flights on Beer Geek Tuesday s— this bar is a sturdy anchor in the Midtown area for almost any kind of date or gathering. Bring your new friends here and show them how cool you used to be, even if only by association, in college.

Ormsby’s

In Atlanta’s Westside/Home Park district, you’ll find this hidden gem of a bar. The food here is good, the crowd is good, the beer and drinks are good and even the doorman is nice. But you can find all that elsewhere. What really puts Ormsby’s over the top are its games. You can enjoy a wide range of traditional games here including backgammon, bocce ball, darts, pool, shuffleboard and a variety of other group-friendly board games. And remember, drinking, like gaming, is more fun with friends.