Earlier this year, Blue Frog Cantina owner Brent Cunningham decided to make a major change, transforming his funky East Atlanta Village Mexican joint into a proper pub he dubbed the Elder Tree Public House.
The look: Cunningham hired Benchmark Innovations to completely renovate the Flat Shoals Avenue storefront, replacing Blue Frog's colorful decor with vintage brick, dark burnished wood and pressed tin ceiling tiles. An angled bar and a row of tall booths run the length of the dining room. There are dart boards in an alcove in back. And flat-screen TVs stay tuned to soccer or rugby.
The scene: During a recent visit, the tables on the cozy covered front patio were occupied by an early evening cocktail crowd, while most of the regulars at the bar were ordering the Wednesday $5 house burger special. On Mondays, $7 fish and chips are the draw, and other nights feature poker, trivia, live music, and drink specials.
The menu: Executive chef Sean Culpepper's resume includes turns at Gordon Biersch and Fado. At the Elder Tree, his menu is a mix of hearty pub grub and Euro bistro fare. A crabcake starter ($12) comes with Marie Rose sauce and arugula salad. The Aberdeen sandwich ($9) is stacked with house-cured corned beef, and the Lonrach BLT ($9) combines slab bacon and house-cured pork loin. A grilled double pork chop ($16) is flavored with pear and onion chutney.
The drinks: Behind the bar, 13 tap handles tilt toward British Isles ales, stouts and ciders, with a few American craft beers, such as Harpoon IPA. Whiskey is the star of the cocktail menu.
The extras: The daily lunch menu, served noon-5 p.m., includes sandwiches with chips, salads, and specialties such as bangers and mash with mushy peas ($13). While the Public House Breakfast ($14), with fried eggs, bangers, pork loin and white and black pudding, is always on the menu, weekend brunch brings on the likes of hanger steak and eggs ($15) and salmon Benedict ($12).
Dining Out
The Elder Tree Public House, East Atlanta Village
Noon to closing Sundays-Saturdays. Lunch: Noon-5 p.m daily. Brunch: Noon-3 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays.
Appetizers, $6-$10; soups and salads, $5-$12; sandwiches, $8-$12; entrees, $12-$18.
469 Flat Shoals Ave., Atlanta, 404-658-6108, www.eldertreeatl.com
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