4 reasons why Edgewood Avenue never fails on a Friday night (or any night of the week)

For a decade leading up to the pandemic, Edgewood Avenue felt like one of the best, and most trendsetting little melting-pots in Atlanta. The Sweet Auburn district, once known mostly as the home to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park, had been reborn as a thriving bar district; the backdrop for some of the most popular nightlife in the entire city.

But a lot changed on Edgewood during the pandemic.

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Popular underground dance hall Music Room closed, taking its upstairs sister establishments Bone Licking Southern Kitchen and the hidden Edgewood Speakeasy with it. Corner Tavern shut down its Edgewood location, and the space gave way to the expansion of the Church bar. Mother abruptly closed its doors forever. And the iconic Sound Table shuttered too, just weeks before nearby construction caused the entire west-facing facade of the building to crumble, mural and all.

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With so much change in recent years, the vibe in Edgewood suddenly feels a bit more transitory; as if the entire neighborhood will soon enter a new and different era. With several mixed-use developments already underway, the next iteration of Edgewood is just over the next horizon.

But in the meantime, one thing remains sure about the nightlife hotspot: it’s still a great place to grab a drink. Looking to go out on Edgewood? Try these four mainstays on the scene:

Sister Louisa’s Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium

Surely the most famous bar on the street thanks to the iconic paintings and decor choices provided by owner and resident artist Grant Henry, “Church,” as it’s known more colloquially, attracts a hip crowd in search of reasonably priced drinks, sarcastic paintings, ping pong and other games, church organ karaoke, and other sinfully good times.

Location: Edgewood - 466 Edgewood Ave SE; Website: sisterlouisaschurch.com.

Noni’s

A longtime anchor on the Edgewood scene, the restaurant behaves like any other Italian trattoria until the kitchen closes at 11 p.m. But for special events that run twice monthly, Noni’s transforms the restaurant into a ticketed event party destination; with events ranging from a monthly LGBTQ Latinx night, a monthly Southeast DJ showcase, a quarterly Drag King showcase and an every-other-month drag show hosted by @TaylorAlxndr.

Location: Edgewood - 357 Edgewood Ave SE; Website: nonisdeli.com.

Joystick Gamebar

Joystick is a casual bar lined with arcade games. The establishment is open to all ages every day until 8 p.m., at which point it goes 21-and-up. If you’ve ever wanted to play Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat while chilling out with friends, Joystick is what’s up. They also have regular events including D&D nights, karaoke nights, OpenDecks 404 (like an open mic for DJs), a comedy showcase and more.

Location: Edgewood - 427 Edgewood Ave SE; Website: joystickgamebar.com.

Georgia Beer Garden

Brought to you by Johhny Martinez and Brandon Ley — the same fine folks from Joystick Gamebar — Georgia Beer Garden is an approachable beer bar featuring 24 taps of locally-brewed beers and ciders alongside a ton of local cans and bottles. The bar is housed in a former peanut butter factory, and the basement kitchen is allegedly haunted. Georgia Beer Garden has a huge backyard with plenty of seating, making it a great place to hang out and drink beer when the weather is nice. The Garden also plays host to events, markets, DJ’s, comedy nights and more.