Looking for the late night spot?
Atlanta is the birthplace of Waffle House, so it goes without saying that we understand the value of 3 a.m. social plans.
Beyond that hometown All-Star special, many of the city's best restaurants, bars and entertainment venues are burning the midnight oil with deals, special events and all manner of late-night fun.
Credit: Courtesy of their Facebook page
Credit: Courtesy of their Facebook page
1170 Howell Mill Rd, Atlanta
Ford Fry has seven other restaurants around town, but the Westside Provision District's Marcel is known as a sanctuary for Atlantans looking for after-hours fun. Inspired by the old-school American steakhouse, and flavored with French undertones − Restaurant Marcel is named after a French boxer −the 1920s aesthetic is at once brooding and classic, with velvety red chairs and ornate chandeliers and all the things that would make a man like Ernest Hemingway feel at home over dinner. On the weekends, after 11 p.m., the late night menu offers a number of $10 plates including the Burger and steak fries, which are delicious and amazing in all the ways you hope they'll be.
» RELATED: Marcel excels as a brasserie and a steakhouse
483 Edgewood Ave SE, Atlanta
It's not that The Sound Table set out to be a late night spot, it just sort of is one. Maybe it's because the DJ sets and the tantalizing cocktails make it an anchor destination on Edgewood that, come midnight, usually is packed to the rim. The Sound Table is one of those bars where, sure, you went to a few other bars for a cocktail en route along Edgewood, but the destination was always clear. It's a fun spot with friends after you've had some dinner and are ready for drinks and grooving to some of the hottest sounds in the city.
Credit: Courtesy of their Facebook page
Credit: Courtesy of their Facebook page
560 Gresham Ave. SE, Atlanta
Atlanta lost a good man in chef Angus Brown earlier this year, and the city, especially the food service industry, mourned his untimely death immensely. But for the chefs and late night crowd in the know, it's the the place you go when your own late shift has ended. Octopus Bar soothes hip vibes − from the graffiti on the walls, the sophisticated touch on cocktails to the ever-changing fare from Asian and European hybrid cuisine. It's an evolutionary sort of place that challenges the conventions of what a restaurant can be, or ought to. And, it just works. Especially on the late night. Angus Brown will be missed, but in Octopus Bar his legacy is alive and well.
470 Flat Shoals Ave. SE, Atlanta
Argosy is a craft beer bar among its other specialties, like their wood-fired pizza and brunch. It's huge, which means it can almost always accommodate the influx of East Atlanta Villagers stopping through en route to the Earl or the 529, or flooding in after a show. Amidst the hardwoods and metals, a subtle underwater theme alludes to the historical reference in its name. (Argosy means merchant ship.) This enormous restaurant fills up quick, but there is a quieter corner in the back of the restaurant with a small bar and space to kick back play skee ball. Beyond all that, the best deal in town kicks in after 11 p.m: buy a draft beer, get a free cheese pizza. A well-made, not cheap, not crappy, deliciously free cheese pizza.
»RELATED: MAP: Places open 24 hours in metro Atlanta
758 Ponce de Leon Ave NE, Atlanta
The Local is a dive bar, through and through. Karaoke on Monday nights, check. Dart boards? Check. Turn up spot on the late night? Check and check. You order late night food at a walk up counter, which is always a good sign after midnight, and it's the kind of greasy that goes well with PBR, which they sell at a respectable rate. If you've never been on a Monday, the bar gets crowded and wild, week in and week out. The bottom line is that The Local is just a fun time, a super affordable dive bar with greasy but delicious bar food, and the kind of environment you are looking for in a late night bar.
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