The Earl

Recommends

Unfiltered

Joined 2 years ago

A Nice Dive. The Earl brings in great acts, and the sound is usually very good. The feel is gritty without being grimy, and usually the crowd is good too.

If only they could get some smoke out of the room, it would be perfect.

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ryansims

Joined 5 years ago

Grab a show, a burger, and a PBR. The East Atlanta Restaurant and Lounge, known simply the EARL can be seen and heard in the tiny pocket of cool shops, restaurants, and bars known as the East Atlanta Village. Boasting that quintessential dive bar feel, complete with beer art and Sharpie-scrawled toilets that is oh-so-crucial to enjoying a sweaty rock and roll experience, the EARL stays a few shades of class above the rest by including a classic bar menu with touches of brilliance (tots, a slammin' cheddar burger) and a relatively clean feeling atmosphere. Service can be a bit spotty during busy times, and the door men at the concerts are downright surly if a show is sold out. If you can, park in the lot next door or else cruise the area for a cheap pay lot. Check their website often so you don't miss out on seeing some killer shows.

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HunterPearson

Joined 3 years ago

Atlanta's best burger + awesome up-n-coming bands. I'm a big fan of the burger craze of the last few years. It's cool to have so many great (and creative) options around Atlanta for the sandwich that defines the US of A. But I keep going back to one that seems to be more American than any other, and that's the burger at the EARL.

For starters, it's not too big and not to small, and there's nothing fancy about it. It's just 8oz of red meat slapped on the grill, served with lettuce, tomato and your choice of cheese. It tastes like the 4th of July. Plus they'll actually cook your burger medium rare if you want it. While there are a multitude of sides (including tots) their shoestring fries are where it's at. They're always crispy and always salty. Which is the mark of a good fry to begin with.

So get a PBR tallboy, go catch some new band that all the hipsters are excited about, and enjoy a night at East Atlanta's best music venue.

Doesn't Recommend

kc404

Joined 4 years ago

Absolutely HORRIBLE service. Decent food but absolutely terrible service for the most part. While some of the staff is attentive and friendly, the other half is shifty, complacent and seems extremely put out but the smallest request. I was a regular there that put up with their horrible service simply because the place with convenient. While I might tolerate poor service alone, I will not tolerate poor service with an attitude which I recently received. Pretty odd, considering my friends and I rack up pretty big tabs and tip ridiculously well. I certainly won't be back.

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dilizharb

Joined 4 years ago

Nice...even for an old lady. My 23 year old son took me there...I wasn't sure what to expect, but the staff was friendly, the partrons all seemed friendly and fun. They had a decent wine menu (I'm probably the only one that ordered wine)...but they actually had what I liked. The food was excellent...we noshed on the Irish Nachos..which were really good and then I had a cheese burger...EXCELLENT! The ONLY thing I didn't like about it was the smoking....UGH...but other than that it's a fun place.

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kokoATL

Joined 5 years ago

Great food, atmosphere and music. The Earl has the best burger in town by far. I have been many times and the food is always consistent. The Reuben is also very good as are the onion rings. The atmosphere is very chill and they have an awesome jukebox. Service is always good. The back room features great bands usually a few years before they get really popular. My only complaint is that it's way too smokey. You will smell like the butt of a cigarette when you leave.

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josiahiii

Joined 5 years ago

Lunch Dude. I go to The Earl mostly for lunch. I must say that they have what is probably the best burger in town. Big claim I know, but you really should try it. Love the staff, real working stiffs like the rest of us. Give it a try.

Doesn't Recommend

silenttype1

Joined 5 years ago

Great atmosphere, food not so much. Love burgers and kept reading how unbelievable the burgers were. Atmosphere was very good, no frills and be your own self. The burger was slightly burned and dry and the string fries were cold. I think it gets high ratings because the clientele do not own cars and can only patron restaurants within walking distance. Go for a beer and to listen to music, food not so much.

Recommends

Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

Pawnshop-chic decor, top-notch burgers and a hard-hitting indie-music lineup make the scene in East Atlanta.. The Scene
With lurid candelabra, yard-sale art and urban artifacts, the Earl is the perfect gathering place for post-punk locals. The hard-partying crowd, ranging in their late 20s to early 40s, knocks back paper-cup shots in between pints of Pabst Blue till the wee hours. Meanwhile, a serious small-time indie-music scene flourishes in the back. The Earl boasts a great booking agent, a reliable sound system and a terrific lineup almost every night of the week.

The Food
Long on bar atmosphere, but with plenty of space devoted to dining, the Earl specializes in unpretentious, competitive bar chow. Particularly notable are the standout bacon cheeseburger, the tempting but messy vegetable-chevre pita, a pleasantly spicy tomatillo-poblano chicken sandwich, and the worth-the-drive skinny fries. The bar has a moderately extensive beer selection and respectable hard liquor pours. Open late, it's a perfect first or last stop.

Doesn't Recommend

bradboulet

Joined 6 years ago

Watch out for poor service. There are only 4 things more annoying than waiting 30 minues for your beer to be served after you've ordered:

1) Doing this sveral times in the same night, at the same bar, with the same "server"

2) Also waiting 30 minutes to get a shot you ordered when the other 4 people at the table already have their shots, which they also waited 30 minutes for, and the "server" knows all of this...

3) Watching your "server" talk on her cell phone on the sidewalk for 10 minutes, then take time to hug each person within 4 blocks of the bar and generally just clown around WHILE you're wating 30 minutes for your beer or shot.

4) Being asked to leave the bar because you requested better service and not even having a manger come to talk to you. I saw the server tell the manager she didn't like the way I approached her about the poor service and then she brought the bill and asked my whole group to leave. The manager never even came to our table even though he was aware a customer had a problem...

I eat and drink out an average of 4 nights/week and have been doing this for about a decade. My night at the Earl represents the worst service I have ever had.