The Bookhouse Pub
736 Ponce de Leon Ave.
404-254-1176
Open daily at 5 p.m., Bookhouse Pub offers a calm place to enjoy a laid back meal to the soundtrack of 1980s alternative rock music. Wooden and ceramic owls and gnomes live on high shelves in the art nouveau styled dining room. The coziness of Bookhouse Pub is enhanced with the shelves of books that line the ceiling over booths at the far ends of the restaurant. The ceiling, architecturally interesting with exposed wooden beams, showcases tiki-dragon creatures that a local wood sculptor created for Bookhouse Pub. A customized tiki style totem pole, by the same sculptor, enhances the festive atmosphere on the back patio which can seat about 30 people.
The draft beer list updates weekly with limited-time-only beers that would be unavailable at other local eateries. A current favorite is an 11.9 percent mead, Monk’s Mead, which is a gluten-free option but not for the weak stomach. This honey-fermented drink is sweetly strong and to be consumed wisely. The bottled beers are listed by the extensive varieties like sours and hefeweizen, proving that Bookhouse Pub lives up to its “pub” name.
Tikis and Tacos on Tuesdays liven up the scene with drink specials like the ginger mai tai and the dark and stormy, both served in a tiki mug the guests can keep.Appetizers like roasted bone marrow and the cheese plate, featuring cheese from local dairies, are both $7. The blue crab and asparagus dip, also $7, perfectly marries the tastes of queso blanco and chunky crab salsa. Old-school favorites like the grilled cheese sandwich get revamped as havarti and gouda are melted between white bread and served with a charred tomato dipping sauce for $6. One of the most ordered sandwiches is the chorizo burger, $11, which is full of a grass-fed beef and chorizo mix, jalapeno mayo, gouda, pickled onions, lettuce and tomato. More expensive options like the seared duck breast and the Neiman Ranch pork shank pot pie, both for $14, complete the pub’s menu with classic tavern cuisine.
