Struggling service works against Argosy

Service: a hot mess, though a polite one

Best dishes: pork belly kebabs, fried chicken sandwich

Vegetarian selections: a few salads, veggie burger, and sides

Price range: $$

Credit cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover

Hours: 5 p.m.-2:30 a.m. Mondays-Fridays, noon-2:30 a.m. Saturdays, noon-midnight Sundays

Children: not highly recommended

Parking: one of the few EAV spots with its own parking lot

Reservations: yes

Wheelchair access: yes

Smoking: no

Noise level: moderate to loud

Patio: yes, semi-outdoor patio up front

Takeout: yes

Address, phone: 470 Flat Shoals Ave., Atlanta. 404-577-0407

Website: www.argosy-east.com

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Argosy

470 Flat Shoals Ave., Atlanta

1 of 5 stars

When I first heard that the team behind Bookhouse Pub and MJQ was planning a new gastropub in East Atlanta Village, my mind conjured images of cozy, intimate, low-lit nooks where I could trade bites with friends while sipping a pint. So, imagine my surprise when I first enter Argosy.

Partners Ben Rhoades, Donald Durant and Armando Celetano succeed in creating the feel of intimacy in such a large space, in one of the more impressive build-outs of late. The first thing you will notice is that this space is massive. What began as an old A&P grocery store back in the ’40s and until most recently was housing a shabby antique flea market, the inside of Argosy is expansive. Now completely renovated, a huge propellerlike fan above the center of the room punctuates the airplane hangar feel of the impossibly high ceiling.

On the main floor, the sprawling wood bar follows a jagged line, creating corners and cubbies to congregate in, while a series of low-lying couches lines the back wall. Then, the space moves upward into two higher levels with booths and tables, each feeling simultaneously separate from but still giving a great bird’s-eye view of the crowded bar floor.

While the design elements of each area seem disparate, the overall feel somehow meshes. A covered patio carved out of the front of the building smacks of Tuscany, while the middle level displays a series of decidedly anime-inspired art. Centered along the back wall of stacked reclaimed wood from the renovation sits a brick pizza oven and cooking area, where chefs constantly toss dough into the air.

At its core, Argosy is a craft beer-driven pub, with over 30 taps and more than 100 bottles, all constantly rotating. The beer influence pops up in chef William Silbernagel’s menu as well, like the Two Hearted Ale cheese sauce in the Bell’s dog ($4.50) or the IPA jus in the roasted half chicken ($15). Cocktail fans should bear this emphasis in mind and tread carefully, as the first challenging sip of my Arti-Palmer ($10) — a boozy artichoke-flavored twist on the sweet tea/lemonade drink — is a good indication of how many of the drinks here miss the mark.

With such a large space and large number of seats, it must take a small army to properly staff. Unfortunately, the most consistent part of my multiple visits is the distinct feeling that Argosy is a few soldiers short.

However polite and apologetic they are, there is a disjointed franticness to the service indicative of a spread-thin staff, and the list of infractions I experience is sadly extensive. To pass the time during one 30-minute wait, we count the number of open tables we can spot from our vantage point at the bar, only to finally sit at one that was open the entire time.

It is obvious that my glass of WhistlePig rye on the rocks ($13) spends the majority of my nearly half-hour wait poured and ready on the bar, as so much of the ice melts that the hue is barely recognizable as whiskey by the time it arrives. And I wonder if the fault for my overcooked and lukewarm grilled pork chop ($16) lies with the kitchen or the server allowing it to sit on the window too long. It is a shame, as the flavor of the grain mustard glaze gives this dish great potential.

One evening while waiting for our desserts, we must inform a pair of very confused runners that we just finished the two entrees they are attempting to deliver to our table for a second time. By the time the bread puddin’ ($6) finally arrives, the ice cream is more of a vanilla soup, and any warmth from the dish is long dissipated.

Not every dish is marred by the struggling service though. My order of pork belly kebabs ($8.50) — a trio of skewered onion, red peppers, and cubes of pork belly — arrives perfectly cooked. The pork fat melts on the tongue and shows off just how tasty that grain mustard glaze can be when paired with properly handled pig. And the fried chicken sandwich ($9) arrives piping hot and packed with flavor from the soy-lime marinade in the breast meat, though a lighter hand on the salt will go a long way to improving the dish.

Some of the less fussy pub-style eats may be the best route to go here, like one of the 100 percent house-made hot dogs. I relish my Purp dog ($4.50), topped with Sriracha, purple cabbage slaw and green onions, nearly as much as I enjoy the jalapeno jam-, mustard- and onion-topped Jimmy Jam dog ($4.50). The dogs are a little on the small side, so two will fill a hearty appetite, but if you plan to double up, you might want to arrange to hand off one of the included sides of fries to someone else at the table.

And while the Admiral ($15) — a pizza topped with mozzarella, Spotted Trotter pepperoni, chorizo and arugula — isn’t going to win any awards, it remains a good bar snack to split with a group.

All together, many of the pieces are in place for Argosy to become a great casual drinks and pub grub destination, but there are too many frequent missteps to realize its full potential. Whipping the servers into shape will go a very long way to righting the ship, but until then, Argosy is still a very cool spot to grab a few pints.