Beer Me - The Porter Beer Bar

Pretty much like Brickstore but better. At off-peak hours, the place is charming. When the crowds come poring in (as they often do), it still ain't bad. It's a small place, but for whatever reason, I never feel cramped or annoyed despite the very small and often crowded bar.

Vindaloo Ravioli

The beer list is extensive, but if you're reading this review you already know that. The food is similarly as ambitious as their beer menu and almost all items are made in house. The problem with the Porter is that I've had equal hits and misses with the food. The goat cheese fritters with honey and black pepper is perfect. I don't care if Ecco did it first, Ecco isn't this chill. I once had a pork Vindaloo ravioli with those beautiful little watermelon radishes that was as splendid to taste as it was to look at. I'm also a big fan of the mac and cheese. However, pub staples have always suffered every time I've ordered them - particularly that burger.

Where to start on that damned burger? Let's work our way in. Starting with the delicious bun. It comes on an oversized, delicious asiago cheese bun. The bun is delicious on it's own, butit doesn't work with the burger. Not to mention you can't figure out how to hold (because of the cheesy top) or bite (because it's oversized) the thing. The pickles and pickled onions (I wish more places would throw this on a burger) are really quite good, however an entire clove of pickled garlic made its way onto my bun on my last visit. I think it was part of the pickling solution. The bacon has always been overcooked - like too crispy strips of bacon bits. Given the quality of much of their food, you'd think they could cook a hamburger patty to temp. NEVER. Every time I order medium rare, every time I get medium well. Really aggravating. Additionally, I think that they should really switch to hand-cut fries as these get boring after a few. They're advertised as Belgian fries, but they're just not there.

Outside of their burger and a couple of other small items, their food is pretty terrific and leagues above Brickstore Pub. The Porter is one of Atlanta's best offerings and I encourage anyone who likes beer, or just a different non-Atlanta vibe to stop in.

Goat Cheese Fritters

I apologize for the lack of pictures (and iPhone ones at that). It's been a long time since I last reviewed and hope to have more frequent posts in the near future.