Northside Tavern
Live music bar · Atlanta
1058 Howell Mill Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30318
Highlights
Dive blues bar with live music nightly & pool tables
Dive blues bar with live music nightly & pool tables
"With peeling paint and metal bar-covered windows, Northside Tavern looks like an eyesore among West Midtown’s polished mixed-use buildings. The aesthetic feels appropriate for this thriving blues bar. There haven’t been many upgrades to this divey spot in its 50-year history as a bar. And that’s the way we like it. The small interior gets rowdy with crowds at the bar (keep your drink orders simple here), a line to claim the next pool game, and some musician playing knee-slapping numbers to blues fans and tone-deaf drinkers every night of the week." - Jacinta Howard, Juli Horsford, Nina Reeder
"A squat one-story building with metal bars affixed to the windows looks out of place amidst the trendy high-rises in the revamped West Midtown. But what some might label an eyesore, we call the best dive bar in Atlanta. We doubt there’s been any significant upgrades to the place in its 50-year history as a bar, and that’s fine with us. Inside, the walls are painted completely black so the space feels small—even though it houses a pool table, a few tables, and a small stage. But longevity aside, it's the live blues that makes this rowdy venue a top nightlife destinations. Seven nights a week, there’s some local musician serenading a crowd of music lovers, tone-deaf drinkers, and anyone out just searching for a good time." - juli horsford
"Northside Tavern has been around since 1972, which makes it a classic by default, and it hasn’t changed much over the years. That’s why we like it. It’s the definition of a dive bar, with cheap beers and strong drinks. With all the development in West Midtown, it’s the kind of place that you may be tempted to drive by and dismiss because of its less-than-shiny exterior, but once you’re inside, we think you’ll be charmed by the live blues music that plays nightly and the comfortable atmosphere where everyone is welcome." - juli horsford
"Few Atlanta bars are as iconic (or regularly serve as a filming location for movies and TV shows) than this westside Atlanta haunt. Despite explosive growth along this portion of Howell Mill Road, Northside Tavern endures and continues to be the spot for shots of Wild Turkey, cans of PBR, and blues music into the wee hours of the morning. Keep an eye out here for celebrity sightings here." - Denise K. James
"The dive blues bar Northside Tavern has been an establishment on Howell Mill Road for decades. This iconic Westside haunt hosts bands and blues legends from around the country, and even helped launch of few locals musicians onto the national music scene. Open well into the early morning hours. Be sure to keep an eye out here for celebrity sightings." - Beth McKibben
