The Corner Pub

I don't get out to Decatur as much as I'd like to considering the reputation of the general area and many of the eateries around there, but one day on a whim, I decided to take an alternate route back to Midtown, just to see what was around.  While driving down the worst-quality road on the planet (seriously, you might want to get your alignment checked driving down College) I passed a couple of places that piqued my interest.  The first one I would end up trying was Corner Pub.

Despite the fact that lots of places in Decatur near downtown are notorious for cramped, or a lack of parking, The Corner Pub is pretty conveniently located in a hip little plaza that has a decent amount of free parking for plaza patrons.  Aesthetically, it's modern looking and bright, but not while giving off that vibe of smarmy or overly chic.

But it's when you walk inside where you get a fairly stark contrast, contextually.  It's woody, and more relaxed feeling inside, while still being clean and cozy.  The bar sits dead center of the entire establishment, after all it is a pub, and a single pool table occupies most of the right third of the place near the restrooms, which are clean and very potpourri-scented.

I came on a Tuesday evening before the typical dinner rush since I act like I'm on AARP and like to eat at 6PM, so it was a little on the slow side when I was there.  The waitress I had was cute and quick to take our drink and food orders, and there was not a whole lot of wait for the food to actually arrive.

While waiting for the food, I look around The Corner Pub and feel a little envious that a place like this exists for people who live nearby.  I'd love to be "a regular" at any place like this where I could realistically walk to from a nearby neighborhood and nurse a beer or five, and shoot the (crap) with my fellow regulars and the bartender(s), but living where I do that would be impossible unless the cows decided to evolve, learn English and human behavior and oh yeah, open a pub.  I've always enjoyed neighborhood bars like this one, and I can't help but wonder if the people hanging out and chatting or watching one of the several hanging televisions has any clue to how lucky they are to have a Corner Pub.

Anyway, I ordered the catfish plate because I've had a hankering for fish lately.  It was three generous flanks of fish, battered and fried, served with cornbread and greens.  I found the fish to be pretty decent, but a little on the bland side.  Lemon and the tartar sauce were relied upon a little heavily, but it was still good overall.  I was impressed with the quantity of greens that came to me, but I was a bit perplexed by the presentation of a bottle of vinegar that came with it; I guess I'm so used to like soul food joints giving me what they've got which was usually their interpretation of the right amount of tanginess to their greens, so I was a tad skeptical when vinegar came with.  They're okay on their own, but it's made clear why the vinegar comes along with it; they're kind of bland, and really need to have vinegar added to get that tart tangy taste that I'm more accustomed to when eating greens.

Regardless, the food wasn't IMO five-star worthy, but I still enjoyed it overall.  Their menu had several things that sounded appealing to me, so it's safe to say that I'd come back in the future.  The prices are fair, the location is quaint, and the quality of the food is good enough for me.  It's the kind of place that appeals to people like me, and doesn't have to have the greatest food on the planet, as long as it's still a great place to hang out, relax and drink some cold ones with good company.

The Corner Pub is one of our "go-to" places in Decatur for dinner. It helps that they are just down the street so when I come home NOT wanting to cook, we usually end up there.

I was on a very strict diet - you know, New Years Resolutions, and all that - that consist of meat and veggies (no starches, no dairy, no sugar, no processed foods). I am in LOVE with the Corner Pub because, even though I have tons of limitations on what I'm eating now, I have options there (aside from just salads). I came in one evening, pre-diet, and I saw mashed cauliflower! One of my favorite substitutions for "starch".

The menu has changed but I usually get mashed butternut squash, broccoli, roasted root vegetables, and/or collards. I can also eat the trout (hold the sauce). I can eat the steak salad (or any of the salads really). We can get the pimento cheese dip app - I eat the cucumbers and carrots while my hubby uses the bread for the cheese. Or we can get the edamame all. So many diff choices.

Just be careful if you're doing a similar diet - the root vegs have potatoes in them.

The only thing that would make this a five star review ... If we felt like the staff knew us and chatted with us when we came in - after all, it's probably five times a month we do (if not more)

(The menu changes and I started this review a while ago - some things have changed, but I still love this Pub)

This place has a fantastic beer list and a really awesome patio to enjoy for the summertime.

if you like fish I recommend the catfish as it was really really good here. My wife also got the veggie cuban which she enjoyed.

Service was friendly and its all pretty reasonably priced. Parking isnt a problem from what we have seen.