New findings: Righteous Room is open for lunch and they've got free wifi.
The tables may be rickety and you'll still smell the smoke, so I'm not saying this is the best workspace in the land. But for those of us who find ourselves working out of bars on the regular, it's a solid option. Their food is great (I love the adult grilled cheese or the rosemary chicken sandwich) and the service is always friendly. Check it out while its still light outside for a whole new experience.
The only thing that isn't cool at the righteous room is that one drunk guys who is always hanging out there, Bill Beane is his name i think. He's always staring at my crotch and drooling, making strange noises, & playing the same song over and over on the juke box. I don't get it man. That dude needs to find jesus.
Review Source:Great little bar. I would just stay away on Weekend evenings though, as it can be too crowded. Heavy pour on many of the simple drinks & really tasty food (particularly the turkey wrap and whatever lunch specials they are having that day). My main complaint is that the music can be too loud, but that really isn't that important.
Review Source:Hands down the best bar food this side of the city. Â Everything is always fresh. Â The daily veggie specials always make you feel like you're eating something from your mom or grandma's kitchen. The service is great an the prices are extremely on par for the food/service. Must see for the "Poncy-Highland" area"
Review Source:It was the kind of night that reminds you how splendid youth was. Â The rain was just beginning to set in. Â The rolling humidity and familiar temperature of new gave it away. Â I sat in an old chair and ordered a whiskey sour. Â John, the bartender, gave me a look of intrigue and set about his business. Â All I could taste was the sweet aroma of her hair on my breath.
Review Source:A classy dive bar? I think so...
We had a strong craving for a hamburger on a Wednesday evening, so went on for dinner and drinks and man-o-man, the reviews were not kidding about the food. It was GREAT! The hamburgers were one of the tastiest burgers I've ever had. And I'm a real burger fan, not one of those boutique, new wave burger places that covers up their average beef with "style." The french fries were excellent as well.
And it's a dive, so expect the smoke but it wasn't a hot box or anything. It's a small place and actually a kind of intimate considering it's dive status...Righteous Room is indeed appropriately named.
I'm not really sure what inspired the folks who run Righteous Room to go out and get fresh, awesome food. Did no one tell them they're a dive bar? This is the sort of place you wouldn't expect to find food at all. It reminds me of the bar I used to go to after work in New York, where the "dinner special" was a rocks glass of warm whiskey chased with a can of Schafer beer.
But Righteous is so much better than that. The servers and bartenders all work together, so there's no waiting around. There's a good beer selection and the PBR is cheap. And the food. The food! The veggie burger is tasty, as is the rosemary chicken wrap and the chicken quesadilla (which has feta, a nice little surprise). When you just want small bites to share, the nachos are good, but the veggie chili cheese fries are even better.
It's an awesome neighborhood joint with a decent juke box and crowd. It's a bit dark inside, so it's not where you go to enjoy the nice weather. And some may complain about the smoke, but it's one of the few places where Jay H. can have dinner and a cigarette in peace, so if you're into that kind of thing, good on you.
Righteous Room is one of my favorite places in Atlanta. I have been here for so many good moments in my life. When one of my best friends, a former-Atlanta resident, comes into town we have to go to the Righteous Room at least once.
It's dark and divey, the ever-changing art on the walls isn't all that great, but the music in the jukebox is. The drinks are cheap and food is delicious.
If you want to indulge, I recommend the veggie chili cheese fries. The chili doesn't meet traditional expectations of chili, but it does meet expectations of yumminess. If you are seeking a more balanced plated of food, the veggie burger is awesome. It's served broken up on a soft, warm pita. I recommend it to vegetarians and meat eaters alike.
Yes, you will leave here smelling like a smokey bar. It's the only thing I would change about the place, but it's worth the nuisance all the same.
This place is sort of a hipster/dive bar, but it fully deserves the 4 stars for its surprisingly delicious food.
I've been here twice and both times the salmon quesadilla always shines. The thing is just surprisingly awesome, and simple. Full bar as well with great selection of beer. Not much seating but it makes the bar feel more homey and local. Personally I don't go here to hang around but I definitely stop by here for a quick bite and some good drank.
So, this review might make me look like an ass... but here goes.
It smelled like a wet ash tray to me. Maybe because it was raining heavily that night, and I'm sure a place full of soaked smokers may have a bit stronger of a stench than dry days... who knows... but it was early enough to where I was eating, and I don't like dinner to taste / smell that bad. And I'm a smoker!
That's another weird thing... The place had that modern dingy vibe design wise, yet the food was prepared rather... prettily. Strange.
I went here since I had 30 minutes til my movie and it looked pretty busy. Â Walked and got SLAMMED by all the cigarette smoke stuffed in this joint. Â Wanted to make it quick to get out of the place. Â Went to the bar and ordered Sweetwater 420 and some chili cheese potato wedges, NO CHEESE. Â Bartender was pretty cool. Â Typical tattooed older gentleman, nothing special about him. Nice flat screen showing Monday night football. Â Got my food 15 minutes later and it was piled high with cheese on top. Â No worries, I just fork the glob of cheese off the fries and started to engulf myself in my plate. Â The chili(veggie) was actually good on top of these fries.....mmmmm, who would have thought. I couldn't finish the mountain, so I paid the check and ditched the place.
It is a great atmosphere, if you can get past the smoke. Â If you are not a smoker, then stay away. Â I got home and had to immediately take the clothes off. Â yuck!
In search of an affordable dinner, my friends and I took a break from the Midsummer Music Fest in Candler Park to go to the Righteous Room. Â I might describe the atmosphere as dank...even in the middle of the day...but I loved the mini chandelier and the bar's motivation to rotating a collection of art work. Â Overall, I got a goth vibe that made me want to watch something campy, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or something.
I ordered a salmon quesadilla that had mushrooms, spinach, onions, and feta cheese. Â The flavor was decent, but the feta was concentrated in the fold of the quesadilla. Â I need a more even distribution of cheese. Â Also, my friend asked for a carry out box twice. Â Despite her repeated requests, she had to go get one herself. Â
...so if I return to the Righteous Room, it will be for the company and the drinks, not the food or the service.
I swung by the Righteous Room for a snack after bumbling around an art show at the Druid Hills Baptist Church. After all, admiring photography, paintings, jewelry and clothing makes one work up an appetite.
The long, dark, narrow room is dimly lit by clear, gothic chandeliers. Wood beadboard sets off the maroon walls, covered in folk art. My favorite very large painting contains an octopus with a cat head, eight tentacles ending with paws. Holding a knapsack over its shoulder and shaking a furry fist, the octopus-cat proclaims, "God said it, I beleeve it, that seddles it!" (Intentional misspelling often is found in folk art.) In the distant ocean, a dolphin is leaping into the air, chiming in, "Amen!"
My second-favorite piece has a cat-submarine bubbling through the water and seaweed. A talk bubble above it says, "El Amor Profundo de Cristo!"
My companion and I sat at a table, waiting 10 minutes before deciding that if we wanted to receive service anytime soon, we should move to the bar. One girl appeared to be working both the bar and floor by herself, eventually taking our order in a hurried but amicable fashion.
I had a hot dog. A little too charred and topped with kraut and mustard, it made for a nice mid-afternoon snack.
I'm most intrigued with the Righteous Room for the atmosphere and current artwork installment.
I love it here. It's cozy and laid-back. I had a nice time sitting with a friend for a couple of hours with some beers. Bartenders are friendly.
Saw a guy in an old-school Devil Rays hat, which was awesome, even though he didn't know the team and was wearing it, I guess, ironically. I'll take what I can get. Go Rays.
I wish I hadn't eaten because the food looks great, but I'll definitely be back.
Pretty good graffiti in the women's restroom.. ("Today I got my period + 3 shots + bebop," probably my favorite.) But no toilet paper. No biggie.
It's convenient  and very neighbor-woodie, and I mean that in the wittiest way. The juke-box spins the Stones and The Smiths regularly which is a good thing.
The bike rack is a good place to settle bar tab disputes and the patio high chairs during nice evenings are nice with their not totally bar food menu.
Well, i had passed by this place a few times and noticed it full but the music did not seem so great (was 50s/60s pop/soul often in the evening it seems) and it was the only place around after all..
But stopping in on last Sunday night  for a quick drink we ended up staying for 6 hours as the music got progressively better and could not bring ourselves to leave.
As it turned out, we were there less than some other groups, seems to be a real neighborhood hangout.
Music was really great.. From a jukebox apparently. Â David Bowie, Morrissey, Neil Young, Pixies, The Clash, Morphine.. right up my alley anyway..
Late in the night a large group of goth/biker/metal looking people showed up but they were nice enough and either they didn't care to hit the jukebox or the queue was too long, it didn't turn bad until near closing time (which is only 12 on sunday.)
Drinks are not all that cheap though they can be if you drink Pabst. Â Not very exciting beer choices if you are a connoisseur but oh well, it can be a lot worse.
Art was interesting, and the food really quite good and cheap, the righteous salad very good and healthy, quality vegetables.
Good BBQ sandwich.
Football on the TV could be a downer but fortunately no one was paying attention.
Patio is quite small and overlooking a parking lot and busy highway (ponce de leon) so not the biggest draw i'd say.
Great place all in all.
Hole-in-the-wall establishments always have my vote, no matter what. In my book, Righteous Room is one of the best holes in the wall around.
It's a little sliver of a restaurant in a strip mall on the corner of Ponce de Leon and N. Highland. Their outdoor seating is directly on the sidewalk so there's only space for about eight. Since we were a party of four, we decided to take the outdoor seating and enjoy the cooling weather.
RR is a typical bar with local artwork on the walls. There are plenty of regulars crowded around the bar and table seating throughout. There is one large booth in the back near the bathrooms. But the table is small and low...perfect for drinks, but not for food.
We ordered chili cheese fries for the table, and I had a burger oozing with garden and grease...just the way I like it. The fries were fantastic and sloppy and steaming hot.
I thought, since we were the only ones eating on the sidewalk, that we would be forgotten, but our server was quick and attentive.
Someone mentioned the TV show "Cheers" in a review below mine. Optimus is not familiar with this show. Perhaps Optimus should check it out. Like, NOW:
...{cheers-tvwatch-seasonquery1-?-downloadall-Âinstallfile}...
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downloadcomplete...
begininstall...
cheers/allinstallexe...
0000001111010100000whoaiknowkungfu00110
installcomplete...
watchcomplete...
reboot...
rebootcomplete...
[AWAKECOMMAND]
Ahem... I'm back. Wow! Cheers was a really funny show! Â Ha! That Sam... what a cad!
Anyhoo, Optimus totally sees the parallels to this place. Folks recognize each other, regulars are abundant, and newbies are welcome. This place has the best jukebox, too. I've been here before, but it's been a long time. I came here alone after work with an hour to kill yesterday, and the bartender was friendly and informative. Food's great, the beer flows like data through a T1, and it's in a great spot on Ponce.
Optimus shall return on a night out, perhaps with friends, perhaps with a ladybot. Been lonely in here lately...
Optimus [sniffle] OUT.
Want to get hit on by a 60 something dude? Â Head to the Righteous Room. Â At least, that's what happened to me last Friday night. Â I have to hand it to him, he was really persistent. Â Kept offering to buy my drinks, talking about how much we had in common after our 20 minute conversation, and then actually said, "So, shall we get out of here?" Â Yeah, you get out of here!
Scenes like that are exactly why I love the Righteous Room - you never know what's gonna happen. Â It's a fantastic place to get a beer before or after a movie at the Plaza. Â The prices are reasonable and the bartenders tend to have the heavy hand when pouring. Â I like sitting at the bar, or outside if the weather is nice. Â I also love that they serve champagne in splits!
The food is good, too. Â I haven't eaten there in a while, and I think the menu has changed a bit, but I remember liking the hummus plate and the veggie sammich.
I generally run in to someone I know. Â Which really gives it that Cheers feel. Â Or maybe it's just that my circles are starting to connect. Â No matter. Â Go and have fun. Â Just be sure to have your geezer gear on. Â Shields up!
The food is surprisingly excellent. The turkey melt is my favorite menu item and, in my opinion, not to be missed. The bar area is smaller than average and gets way too crowded and smoky most nights.
Your best bet is to go with a friend or two and grab one of the little tables by either wall. The music selection on the jukebox is perhaps THE best in a neighborhood teeming with bars possessing great music selection jukeboxes.
The jukebox tunes, good beer prices and the excellent (yet reasonably priced) food will keep bringing me back here often.
Sure the little strip has changed.......Harry's in a Hurry? Gone. Korean BBQ? Gone. The Plaza Theater? Not the same. But the Righteous Room remains, unfazed. Â
This was invariably the first place I took out of town friends, especially if there were from smaller towns. Â It exudes unpretentious-bar-in-the-big-city. It's cool without trying. Â
Countless hours spent inside and outside (on the massive "patio"). Â Easy going service, interesting rotating local art, and the best chips/cheese/salsa combo around. Â I tend to judge bar food menus on the chips and cheese. Â This is not rocket science here people. Â So, when I think RR, I think about extra garlicky salsa, blue chips, and sharp white cheese. Â Yes Please.
Other classics: Â sloppy turkey melts, burgers on nan, and big ass wedges of potato, fried and crispy. Â This is also the only place I can remember EVER ordering a veggie burger on purpose. Â Usually they're just dry slabs of pressed bean, but these are very edible. Â
Not a giant beer selection, but they make a helluva caucasian.
I have been frequenting the RR since 1997!
THAT should tell you something! I love this place!
I've met so many interesting, well-rounded, diverse, cool people here.
Many of which I am proud to have as friends who I wouldn't have met otherwise.
As a woman I enjoyed this place as a safe place to go alone, blind dates, other female friends, and being married!
I've never had a complaint about the staff -except once- in the 11+ years I've been a patron. Sure, you dig some staff more than others, but there is a consistant friendly service here!
I don't like wings, but my friends say they love the RR's! Not too spicy and not too bland. Just GOOD! I, personally, love the thick grilled cheese, veggie burger (and I don't even LIKE veggie burgers!), the Market Luguinne (full of veggies and yummie sause! YUMMMMM!), humus quesadia (great for when I'm starving because it's so filling!), the RR salad is the BEST because of the Balsamic Blue Cheese dressing!, the fried fish & chips (more than I can EVER finish in one sitting!), the apricot glazed salmon is the BEST deal around the area (Fontaines would charge DOUBLE for it!), the BBQ sandwich is fantastic especially with extra BBQ sause that I always ask for on the side, and I almost always get a side of onion straws! YUMMMMIE! I can even take the onion straws home for late night munchies because they are even good cold (but that may be just me!)
Can't beat the drink prices for the amount of drink ya get!
And if I have a few stiff Jack on the Rocks, I LOVE the Jukebox!
They even have Blondie old school Eat to the Beat on there! YEAH!
But all of this is just my opinion and I'v eonly been going there since 1997. Maybe you should check it out for yourself :)
The Righteous Room is a solid no frills bar. Â The juke box is eclectic. Â Where else can you play John Lee Hooker and Waylon Jennings back to back? Â
The menu is a little steep, especially considering that The Majestic is stumbling distance away, but the beer is reasonable. Â
This place tends to draw a laid back crowd and is a nice contrast to the Va Hi scene.
A cool place to hang out with a few friends and have good food. In the future, I would make this place my first stop in a night of bar hopping. The place is a bit small but has above average food which is why it's stop #1. When it gets too crowded, I'll already have eaten and can bounce.
I was able to try the salmon quesadilla, chili, wings, and crispy onions. All pretty good except for the wings which were just average.
I am more of an eater than a drinker. A bar is going to have to have at least decent food to keep my attention if I am going to stay there long enough to become hungry, which for me is any longer than two hours. Also, I don't eat meat except for fish, so that limits my bar food consumption somewhat. This is probably what underlies my decision to crown the Righteous Room, with its top quality food and many vegetarian options, my favorite bar in the city.
The onion straws are addictive in a way I can only imagine is comparable to narcotics. I have consumed large portions of four baskets during my TWO visits. I woke up Saturday morning craving the veggie chili cheese wedges I had had the night before. The veggie burger is both unique and tasty.
OK, but beyond that, it's just a fun place. It's small, yes, and smoking is allowed, but I have not found it to get prohibitively smoky. The juke box is a lot of fun. It's dark but not too dark. You can stand up or sit down. I was nervous having a birthday party here because it's so small, but it actually worked out fine.
In some of the other reviews it is suggested that the staff is somehow rude here. Some people actually described this as a good thing. I did not sense any rudeness from anyone. Our server was not what I'd call outgoing, but I definitely did not get a negative vibe either. Just sort of, "okay, what will you have." That's fine with me, I don't need overly perky service at a bar. Just bring me my food and drink and don't make me feel bad.
Got nothing bad to say about the Righteous Room. I sort of wish it were closer to me, but I sort of don't, because I don't really want to become an alcoholic just because I like going to a bar so much.
Righteous Room. Â I moved here in the middle of May and this is the only bar I have been to more than once. Â Why? Â My peers seem to like it because of its convenience, tasty treats, and (really) laid back atmosphere. Â It gets crowded, but never "packed". Â You usually dont have to fight hard too get a drink or a seat. Â
Located on Ponce directly next to Urban Outfitters and the movie theater. Â Easy to get to and in close proximity to VA Highlands delights, but weird because the front porch is really a parking lot. Â
I like the Righteous Room. Â It's a good place, but it lacks that element of insanity necessary for me to really rave about it. Â It's chill. Â Good for most occasions, but if you are like me, you require something irregular, offensive, isolating, dirty, or shocking to return again and again, if for no other reason than to simply articulate its character. Â Righteous Room, if you abuse me, I will probably love you more.
Great bar, attentive staff, solid-to-good food and a decent jukebox (though they could switch it up a little more often, I'm not sure how "righteous" a bar with two Little Feat CDs can ever hope to be). In fact, they rotate the artwork more often than they rotate the music selection.
Seating can get a little dicey when it's busy, and the outdoor seating fills up fast in the warm months. Additionally, it's one of the rare good bars in the city that is found in a plaza, making it generally very easy to find a parking spot right in front.
The Righteous Room is aptly named. Â Righteous in atmosphere, righteous in food. Â It's a little small, so seating can be at a premium. Â It's preternaturally dark in there, so pick up a date at your peril. Â But it's always friendly in there and the drinks are priced reasonably. Â The jukebox is lauded, but music isn't my thing.; food is. Â The somewhat exotic bar food is underrated. Â Some, like the rosemary chicken sandwich, have a Mediterranean twist. Others, like the meatloaf special, are more homey. Â The vegetarian chili cheese fries even has this carnivore eating meatless.
It also makes for the perfect pre-movie dinner and drinks before a flick at the LaFont or and alternative to the rest of the Highlands crowd. Â If you've never been, enjoy this hole-in-wall.
Ok, I'm a little biased on this one. I lived within a two minute walk here. Â Plus I had a really fantastic first date here.
The RIghteous Room is a bit under the radar, and makes many a bar hopper's top five list. Â It's a laid back crowd, has a good music selection on the jukebox and has bar food good enough to eat even if you're not drunk. Â
The tables are spaced out enough so you don't feel cramped, and you can actually hear what other people are saying. Hence my vote as a good place for a first date.
Like Michelle K mentioned, the patio is tiny - so if weather's nice and you're looking for a nice outdoor place to settle for the night, you'll be rolling the dice that one of the few tables is empty.
I love this place, but I wish people would stop going there - it's hard for me to find a place to sit down now! Â With only one small room and an even smaller front "patio" there isn't much choice when the place is full but to stand in the middle of everyone's way.
I love the jukebox, and they always have good music playing. Â It's so close to the Highlands too, which makes this a great stop in the beginning or the end of the night. Â Cheers to you, RR.
Of all the bars on the crowded Ponce strip, the Righteous Room has been consistently the bar I've had the most comfortable and relaxed nights at. Though the size is pretty cozy (about 14 tables plus the bar seats and a couple small gathering areas in the back, as well as a small patio that is open on nights when weather permits), I've never really had a problem finding a place to sit, though I wouldn't recommend trying to bring a large group here. That said, the wait staff is cool and quick and comes back to check the tables often, which suggests to me that they actually care about their customers.
The atmosphere is standard local bar: dark with weird art and smoky but not stagnant. They have some really awesome grafitti in the men's room.
They also have by far the best jukebox in the midtown area. A good mix of classic punk and indie rock from Gang of Four to Prince, and unlike several other bars in Atlanta they never try to bring in live DJs or bands in, so the atmosphere keeps a consistent, conversation-allowing chill. You can actually hear what people say when they're talking to you: a novel concept for some other bars.
The food, a small but varied menu, is also above your average bar food. A range of well made sandwiches and snacks. I've actually chosen to go to dinner here and not just eat to go along with the drinks, so that says something about the quality. There's choices for the vegetarians also.
Overall, I'd say this is one of the best, if smallest, bars in Atlanta, and one of the few places you can go and not have to do with an inordinate amount of hipsters or yuppies or badasses.
The Righteous Room is cool. The Righteous Room is unpretentious. The Righteous Room is chill. The Righteous Room is just what the doctor ordered: a cozy neighborhood bar that's nice enough that it doesn't feel like a dive but casual enough that you don't feel like you have to go home and change before you head there after work.
Plus its got great vegetarian fare, including a veggie burger that's made from scratch.
Excellent choices for vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous humans.
Laid back atmos with consistently good tunes playing. Â
From intimate and low lit to loud and smoky, this place is great for the younger gen. Â Service used to be slow but has been much more alive, as of late. Â Great beer selection, too.
I recommend going for the first time during the week. Â If you wanna grab a seat on Sat. be sure to get there early.
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