We’re catching up with our reading now that the holidays are here and checking out the best places to step out for a cocktail, or three, when we need time for the family. Atlanta Magazine came out this summer with a cover story ranking the 50 best bars in Atlanta, and they didn’t skimp on the gayness.
Mary’s is no stranger to best bar lists both nationwide and worldwide, so no surprises here as they make it into the top 10 on the list, with Atlanta Magazine saying, “Walk in the front door and you’re immediately on the dance floor, where the crowd—a mix of ages, genders, and fashion and sexual preferences—is moving to remixed 1990s pop songs.”
Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium came in at number 14, with a description owner Grant Henry would surely be proud of: “The wall space is covered with iconography: some of it funny, some of it offensive, all of it compelling, like a series of car accidents you can’t turn away from.” Sadly, last Sunday night Church had its last Sunday Service for awhile, as DJ Vicki Powell will be taking a winter hiatus and hitting the road for some gigs.
No surprise that Blake’s on the Park made the list, coming in at number 22 as “Atlanta quintessential gay bar” as the magazine puts it.
GA Voice “Best Icon” award winner Blondie will be happy to hear that the Clermont Lounge is included, which the magazine says “endures as a stubborn piece of authenticity in a world gone plastic.”
“The gay and gray” just barely squeezed in at number 49, with The Bar at the Colonnade making an appearance.
And we have a soft spot for number six on the list, Manuel’s Tavern, the longtime hangout for Atlanta politicos and journalists where you might just find the staff of a certain local gay media outlet having their editorial meeting.
Check out Atlanta Magazine’s full list here. And which bars do you think got the shaft?