Northside Tavern

02/16/09

The Northside Tavern. service with a smile

by derekclive at Citysearch

Some time ago I attended a show at the Northside Tavern. A friend of mine was playing a reunion show with The Urban Shake Dancers. The band was great, and the bar was a good venue to see a band. All was well until it was time to leave. i am a sober Alcoholic, and had been drinking coke all night, and thus had not spent very much money. I handed $20 to the barman (a somewhat dirty looking man) who had served me. I waited for my change, he handed me about $5 or so and said THANKS A LOT YOU CHEAP B***ARD. So, if you plan to go to the Northside Tavern be sure to drink yourself stupid. If like me you do not drink for some reason, say like you are driving, you will NOT be welcome.

07/15/08

Good music, good beer, good people.

by CbgetwnGrl at Citysearch

Northside is definitely a venue/bar with a lot of character, alongside amazing music and good vibes. The people that go there have obviously been going there awhile and the environment, although strange at first, is heartwarming in it's own light. Everyone is very comfortable with themselves and no one is trying to play a part- just relax, enjoy a beer and some amazing music. Mudcat is definitely a band of my recommendation. Not to mention- the group of people there is extremely eclectic: white, black, brown, blue, old, young, new- everyone is just having a good time. I have more fun here than any fancy bar in Atlanta.

• Pros: Music, pool tables, good people, good place.

11/02/07

Established Atlanta blues bar

by atlanta08 at Citysearch

I walked in not knowing to see Taj Mahal. Incredible experience. Old blues club that always has a good show. Pool. You cant go wrong with a raw blues club if you like the music.

• Pros: Good music, security, old school, raw and dirty
• Cons: no food, out door area is lame

02/01/07

Best Live Blues in Atlanta

by littlewing6745 at Citysearch

I'm not the kind of person who likes to go any place where people actually pay attention to what other people are wearing, what they're doing, etc. (like it matters?). I love this place because as long as you're not bothering anyone else, no one's going to pay attention to what you're doing. Everyone is there to listen to music and have a great time. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays are my favorite for free music. Fridays and Saturdays usually host great bands and musicians (blues, of course). I always take my out-of-town friends here when they come to visit....and they immediately see what makes it such a great place. Even if you're not a huge fan of the blues, or don't know much about it, you may quickly find yourself a fan after visiting the Northside Tavern.

• Pros: cheap/average prices, raw atmosphere, diverse crowd (white collar to college age hipster)
• Cons: difficult to find free parking on Fri & Sat

09/28/06

best blues in the city, every night at 10pm!

by leiff1961 at Citysearch

Crowded, noisy, smoky, loud- and I LOVE IT!!! Music every night of the week at 10pm- $7 at the door Friday night and Saturday night- free all other nights. Two popular pool tables - with some very good players almost always available for a challenging match.. Tuesday night with Donnie Mac and Bill Shefield is my favorite night to be there. Donnie plays his "chicken coop" instrument to the audience/viewer's delight. He is also there on Sunday nights.

• Pros: Music, music, and oh yea
• Cons: Parking (weekends very very difficult. may have to pay $10 nearby), vagrants asking for hand-outs as walking to bar door, drunks/fights occasional

08/31/05

Gritty blues in your shadiest neighbor's basement.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
Blues portraits stick to black cinder-block walls as a reminder of what really matters here. The joint began as a 1940s quickie mart but eventually surrendered to neighborhood drunks. In 1972, the new owner added live blues and gained a loyal following. Like any good bar flirting, nay courting, dive bar status, its pool tables are bald and its ceiling fans shaky. You'll be hard pressed to get better basement-like ambience from a street-level bar.

The Draw
Glassy-eyed blue collars from the surrounding warehouses share the bar with surly bikers and white-collar music aficionados, while college kids shoot pool and watch the band. Show up around 10pm on Monday night for Atlanta's longest-running blues jam--legends like Taj Mahal, Tinsley Ellis and Col. Bruce have dropped in. House bands play weeknights, and special guests take the stage on weekends. Wednesdays belong to Northside pioneer Mudcat Dudeck.