10/11/08

My favorite bar in Atlanta

by swissartyknife

I'd say that most of the negative reviewers of this bar are bland, pretentious people who come from sheltered beginnings. ATL is chock full of these people and you shouldn't listen to their whining. One reviewer suggested the owner put in HD flat screens and try to keep up with trends...redesign. For shame! This is the best kept secret in Atlanta. This isn't Buckhead, people. Stop trying to ruin everything by expecting it to be PC and sterile and clean.

Great clientele, excellent service. David the bartender gives some of the fastest and best quality service I have ever had in a bar. Is it smoky and a little dingy? You bet, and that's the idea folks. If you want fancy schmansy, please direct your attention to Vinocity across the street. This is Kirkwood and if it weren't a little grimy, we wouldn't want to live here. Aces isn't a dive bar by any means, but it has that worn-in feel, like a great old Guns n Roses t-shirt or a best friend you've had all your life. If you live in Kirkwood and go there even semi-regularly, you're going to see someone you know. Smoking allowed, dogs allowed, punk rockers, bums, comedians, rabble rousers, practical jokers, artists, businesspeople, accountants, carnies allowed. If Kirkwood ever decides to invade Reynoldstown or Candler Park or Decatur (and given the rivalry between certain softball teams, it's a possibility) Aces is where they'd assemble the troops. At which point they'd all down a bunch of tall boys and forget why they showed up in the first place.

And lastly, there's lots to do. You can watch the game, play pinball, pool, listen to the kick butt jukebox by the door or talk up the kooky chicks that frequent the place. They have regular theme nights and drink specials as well.

At Aces, the saying might as well be, "It's all good in the 'Wood."

• Pros: Great "Cheers-like" bar. Good people. Good food.
• Cons: Bar area is a little small on some nights when it gets busy but that's really not a big deal.

07/25/08

Blah

by pokerprincess

Aces has no atmosphere, overpriced mediocre food, and drinks. Its definitely not a place I would recommend.

• Pros: Close to home
• Cons: Just about everything else

07/16/08

not THAT badd guys!

by mjeh

Been twice since I moved to the 'hood. It's nowhere near as bad as some of these folks suggest. I went in solo, in a suit dammit, and was surrounded by black tees and tatt's. But every one of those folk got chatting with me. Very friendly indeed. Very neighborly. Food ordinary, but beer selection pretty dang good guys! It's good for a drop in, not necessarily a night out. Agreed on the need for some flat-screens and sports. But overall, jeez, I've seen much much worse! I enjoyed it!

• Pros: nice, neighborhood drop in
• Cons: yeah, a spruce up would be good

11/30/07

5 stars for this place is a crock

by bryanabq

I don't know who would review this place with 5 stars, oh wait, yes I do, the owner. ACE's is a dark, dreary, smoke-filled bar with hardly any ambience and decor. The food is average at best, the service is mediocre and the drinks are weak. I live down the street from ACE's and I wish it could be turned into a great neighborhood bar. You can't watch sports in there, it's way too smoky to enjoy your time there unless you're a smoker, maybe a new ventilation system would help? Or better yet, ban smoking in there all together, and watch the clientele increase! It's obvious the owner has no desire to keep up with trends or increase his foot traffic. If he's going to compete with the resurgence of Kirkwood, he is going to have to change it up a bit, so here are a few suggestions: Brighten the place up a bit, get rid of the black walls. Install some flat screen HD TV's. GET RID OF SMOKING, there are a lot more non-smokers than smokers in the "hood". Change those three things, I bet your wallet would get a bit fatter, I know I'd give you more money.

And to the person who reviewed that Kirkwood is a dangerous neighborhood, go back to Alpharetta if you don't like a bit of color in your surroundings. Most people are very nice and pleasant if you give them a chance.

• Pros: none except it's close to me, but I still won't go.
• Cons: Too smoky! Too Dark! Too Boring! Just plain blah

09/20/07

Good neighborhood bar, eclectic crowd, no yuppies

by kdbanks

Ace's sits right in the heart of the (still) transitioning Kirkwood Village. It's a dark, sometimes smoky place with a too small bar with too few draft beers. That being said, it's a good local bar for the people in Kirkwood, a fun place for those who live in Decatur, Candler, East Atlanta, Inman Park and VaHi to venture to for a night. Parking is easy up and down the street, and with Vinocity now moved in across the street you have a couple of options. There are some sketchy characters about, but they are harmless unlike the crackies you see closer to downtown.

Highly recommend the Big J sandwich and curly fries. Good eats.

Needs more TVs for sports watching, needs a longer bar and fewer booths, needs stiffer drinks (I mean come on - pour 'em heavy and we'll come back more often!)

• Pros: Location, Parking, Big J Sandwich
• Cons: Length of bar, stiffness of drinks

08/09/07

Bueller...Bueller...?

by mebrandon

We met some friends here for Johnny Cash night, with the promise that this place had cheap eats and great music. I ordered the club sandwich and my boyfriend ordered a salad. There were two other tables that arrived shortly before us, and I SWEAR TO GOD that it took an HOUR for our food to arrive. The only thing on our plates that required cooking was the toasted bread for my sandwich, and my french fries. I have absolutely NO IDEA what took so long.

The worst part is that the server kept telling us our food would be right up; just be honest and tell us the cook is stoned and he's moving in s-l-o-w m-o-t-i-o-n.

A free Crown and Coke wasn't worth the hour wait. Plus, the whole time I was in there I was worried that someone might steal the wheels off my car!

• Pros: What pros?
• Cons: Parking, service

08/05/07

Good neighborhood bar but?

by drdodo

Good neighborhood bar but it is in a rough neighborhood. I think this area will improve in a few years but things are little bit sketchy.

If I lived in the area, this would be a nice hangout place for a quiet beer or two with the friends but rating on Citysearch is way over rated. I know that this bar is a sponsor of the site but I do not think rating reflect the user rating. The average of all user rating is around 3, not 4.5/5. My rating is not good reflection of what I thought but a vote in hope of balancing the current rating.

Food is very good and reasonably priced. Beer selection is not bad either. However, it is not a happening place on the weekend. There are friendly regulars, bartender and the owner knowledgeable about beer but if you are looking for an action packed fun, this is not the place.

• Pros: Good service and food
• Cons: Not a good neighborhood, dead on the weekend night

05/21/07

great food and beer selection

by likeit

Old reviews should be ignored. The food is always excellent. The staff that may have been lacking to some are no longer there. Servers are attentive, never let you thirst, so if you want to have a good time, meet some nice folks and eat good food, visit Ace's. The place Rocks and brings a nice diversity to the neighborhood. Go to Midtown or Buckhead if you want molly sunshine, overpriced crappy food and dull people around you. I love Ace's!!! If there is something you don't like tell your server, don't write crappy reviews haters!

• Pros: food, ambience, service
• Cons: parking

03/03/07

Can we go already

by petco75

the food, the atmosphere and the service are all lousey. not a very memorable experience at all. definitely this place can be skipped.

• Pros: because of lack luster ambiance there's always a seat
• Cons: horrible food, lousey customer service, and a bit pricey for what is offered

12/14/06

Stay home

by psychorocker

the owners should find a new line of business as Aces seems to metaphorically the ship without a rudder. So much could be done with this place that it's a shame it is just being wasted. There's just nothing here offered that's worth the time to find parking for you car. Same lame promotional nights (trivia), less than exciting menu selection and mediocre drinks, dull conversation, a decent jukebox but the bartenders are always playing one of their lame cds (journey? who goes to a bar to hear journey? nobody!) Needless to say the service is horrible and has a very "your unwelcomed" vibe about it. If it weren't for the bad service it might be tolerable to give it a chance until Aces finds its niche. Simply no passion here in all areas.

• Pros: free street parking
• Cons: lousy service, mediocre bartenders, food very unappealing