A few weeks ago, Sammi and I drove over to Decatur, a hip neighborhood in Atlanta, for me to research an article and to keep us busy. Sammi has been working at a 4 H Center an hour south of town and hasn’t gotten as many hours as she wants, so she spends a lot of time at home. I still haven’t started my job at a nearby restaurant and I was beginning to crawl out of my skin.
Decatur is known for cute boutiques and the most bars per square foot of anywhere in town. I was checking the award-winning Square Pub, named one of Garden and Gun‘s Best Southern Bars, and the Brick Store Pub.
I’d been to Decatur a few times before, once to visit a friend at Agnes Scott and most recently for the Decatur Book Festival a few months before I left for Australia.
Decatur is known for the surrounding universities, namely Agnes Scott College and Emory University, so it has the same funky student vibe as Athens.
I was most excited about Brick Store Pub because I had lusted over the outdoor patio and vintage wooden doors on my previous visit to Decatur. It’s right off the square, so it’s easy to find.
But the real reason to visit Brick Store? They have a second bar devoted completely to Belgian beers. In case you don’t drink a lot of beer, most Belgians are easy to drink, light wheat beers. Just don’t put fruit in it because it’s not Blue Moon.
The beer menu is longer than the food menu, so ask the knowledgable staff for recommendations depending on your tastes. Sammi ordered locally brewed Wild Heaven while I went Belgian with Blanche de Bruxelles. The glass even has the Mannequin Pis on it!
I was taking notes and photos of the place and one of the waiters came by to ask what I was doing. I became very embarrassed and stumbled over my words, saying, “Uh well um I’m trying to write an article um but nothing has happened yet.”
Thankfully we ordered food and I didn’t have to talk anymore. Sammi got grits and sausage bites with Anson Mills grits, andouille sausage and tomato jam, while I went authentic with fish and chips.
Getting there
If you’re staying in town, you can take the Blue MARTA line east towards Indian Creek and get off at the Decatur station. It lets you off in the middle of town.
If you’re driving, you can take 75 or 85 into town. Get off at the Freedom Parkway exit and take Ponce de Leon Avenue all the way to Decatur.
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