I recently saw Sylvan Esso perform at The Earl's tiny little venue. The show was amazing and the intimacy of the venue contributed to the "awesomeness". I have never been a fan of huge venue concerts due to the fact that you have to give an arm and a leg to even see the artist without a jumbotron. The Earl is the perfect setting for me as long as it's a "smoke free" night. The night that I saw Sylvan Esso perform was smoke free. For as small as the venue is, I can't imagine a night where smoking was permitted. I've had my fair share of smokes, but a smogged out room is just not my thing anymore. The max capacity for The Earl is roughly 300 so if you are there early enough you can get right up to the stage and stare into the face of the artist you are there to see! Located in EAV, the vibe is undoubtedly hipster but this may vary depending on what's going on on stage. The Earl is also a restaurant and bar. I have yet to try their food but I hear that they have quite a few options for vegans/vegetarians. You must pass through the restaurant to get to the stage area and the restaurant/bar is always "smoking". Until that changes I will probably not eat at The Earl. Call me a senior citizen, but I think smoking indoors should be a thing of the past. read more

The Earl - Great time with Sylvan Esso! The smallness of the venue makes it more intimate. - Dive Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I'm going to start off with my one and only con, but it's huge to me: Con: No signature drink selection... So I attempted to create my own, and it was a failure... Ended ordering a beer and a shot after the second remake!!! Pro's: Great boiled peanuts!!! The best I've ever had, and I'm from the country so I've had plenty... Awesome catfish Poe Boy!!! Wished I would of tried the shoestring fries, instead of the red beans and rice! The front area outside was nice, due to the breeze and ceiling fans... I would stop through again, if in the area for a sandwich, beer, and the boiled peanuts!!! read more

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The food was amazing! I only didn't give 5 stars because it's a smoking establishment and I personally don't like to be around smoke when I'm eating. It's definitely a dive bar type of establishment so no frills but I was impressed with the service, everyone was so nice! I got the blue bacon burger but I hate blue cheese so I subbed it for goat cheese. I got sweet potato fries which come with some special dipping sauce that was so good I put it on my burger too! I haven't tried any of the other spots in EAV so I'm not sure how they compare but I'll definitely be back here for sure! read more

The Earl - Blue bacon burger w/ goat cheese instead of blue cheese - Dive Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Sweet potatoes fries with the fucking sauce is bomb!!!! Jake the bartender is awesome!

me and a couple girlfriends came after going to the clurb, server was PISSED we didn't get more drinks even though we got food and water. honestly in 2024 very not female friendly read more

This place was pretty good. I recommend the Big Earl burger and the tot nachos. The drinks were a good value. Not much character though, which is odd for the area. read more

I always giggle to myself when I...an Atlanta native have to admit, I've never been here before...and then they go and host a thing called the Air Sex Championship, and all of a sudden, I'm programmin the address into the GPS. LAWD HAF MERCI......they still have places that let u smoke inside the building??? Upon entering, the cigarrett smoke almost knocked me back out the door. Eyes burning....My allergies are very tempermental, and since I still had an hour for the show to start, my guest and I went to a nice table outside....it was a great nite for patio sitting....no bite in the air...nice and smoke free for the moment. Then some guy comes out and realizes that my guest has on a Braves hat...he comes over and spends 3 mins tellin us how the Braves are back....dat Bobby Cox is retiring...and this is the way to go into the Post season....as a WILD CARD PICK...great...I love non-pompous people!!!! GO BRAVES!!! We had to track down a waitress to wait on us outside, but once we got her to attend to us, she was attentive....assured us that our food would be out before the show started...it was...and since the show started two hours late (i think due to lack of participants)...we had more than enough time. We shared the Salmon Buger BLT...really nice thick piece of salmon, condiments nicely slatherd on...lettuce and tomato fresh...and bacon (love of my pork diet) fried crispy and just right...cheese melted....mmmmm mmmmm great! The smallest fries I've ever seen, but hot and fresh....and a pickle....lawd...I thought they had done away with pickles. Strong drinks....I asked the waitress, how are the long island ice teas...she say....oh....we're heavy on the liquor here....my guest...and I both concur....they are! Still wondering why all the Yelpers kept suggesting that I participate in the Air Sex Competition...darn...what kinda gurl do yall think I am? Now can someone tell me...do the shows normally start 2 hours late here...cause I found another one I wanted to go to, but want to know whats normal, cause my friends dont like standing around waiting on the show to start while the fight off second hand smoke!!! read more

Bartender with the greasy hair here is a complete and utter moron. I come up to get another beer at two thirty, he just shakes his head and walks away. Nobody announced last call, so I had to use my oh so common sense to deduce it was because it had passed last call. I go back to my table to ask my friend who told her last call was at 2:40, well that being irrelevant, I walk back to the bar, the "genius" saunters back over looking inquisitive, so naturally I ask what do you think I want? "Uhhhh no idea" so I say well if I can't get another drink then is it reasonable to assume I'd like to close my tab? He finally caught on and closing out, NO tip for this Einstein. I swear the stupidity of millennials is absolutely astounding. Dumbass... read more

Best bartenders and waiters in town. Food is delicious. A staple in Atlanta. Dive bar delux. Local favorite. If anyone talks smack about the wait staff they are bousie and don't listen to them. They are tops and down to earth. They care and there for the locals. read more

Just a down right nice old school bar. And when I say old school, I mean it--I can't tell you the last time I went to a bar with cigarette vending. The draft angry orchid was great...and the nachos were plentiful and good. I think the rating of #46 is too low for this place...it should be higher...great mixed crowd. Next time around I have to try the philly or one of the burgers because they looked scrumptious. My only real issue with this place is that they do not allow you split ANY checks. read more

The Earl - Earl nachos. - Dive Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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Good and plenty food I had the Earl burger was big and cooked the way I like, others prdered the greenie chicken sandwich came with a pile of fries, Salmon salad looked delicious, vegan wrap even looked appetizing & I hate tofu. If you don't smoke like me you'll eant tp eat outside, server was very attentive brought us huge ice waters first thing big plus on a sweltering day in July. Looks like a great punk/rock bar at night read more

Fried chicken sandwich, topped with a Chile spiced honey mustard...GOTDAMN...that's all I got. But what had me looking around crazy for the cook is the cranberry dijon with a hint of horseradish! read more

The Earl - Fried Chicken Sandwich. - Dive Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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The Earl is a cool, relaxed dive bar with great live music (that costs to enter separately) and pretty good kitchen. For the most part the food is quite good. However, this is a haven for smokers. You'll def have to endure cigarette smoke inside and outside of The Earl. read more

The EARL is a great place, best show venue in Atlanta. That being said, their tofu pita was probably one of the best vegetarian sandwiches you could get. Always looked forward to it before shows. Well, they changed it and it is terrible. It went from awesome to actually being gross. Bring back the old tofu pita! read more

Used to love seeing shows and eating here. Wanted to go to a show recently so I sent a message and emailed asking if I could bring an EMPTY sport bottle since I need electrolyte mix due to the disability I developed last year. It should be allowed because of the ADA but since it is a rare condition and accomodation I wanted to give a heads up. Message and email were not even looked at prior to the event I wanted to attend. Message was opened a week or two later with no response. I guess I have to tell my friend "sorry I didn't cone to the show, the venue doesn't follow ADA requirements." Also, no gender neutral bathrooms in 2022? Get with the times. As a non-conforming man I am not peeing behind a curtain or getting hassled for using the single occupancy restroom. read more

Standing at the altar of sound, feeling the noise in my chest, and giving myself up to a sonic god is the only way I listen to music. Whoever told you, "Going to a concert by yourself isn't cool." is a rube. It's the only way you can truly enjoy the music. But this time I don't get to do that, Gracie wanted to tag along. She doesn't really like the same music I do, which I knew was a problem when this started, but being in a dead end relationship is better than being alone, right? "When does your band come on?" I wish I was apart of this ba- "After this next act." The second act I knew nothing about, but I was blown away by her. She was a harpist and made some of the most interesting music I've heard in a while. "This is boring, is YOUR favorite band just as boring?" That's a mean question. "Well, I told you, you didn't have to come, this isn't quite YOUR scene..." seeing as how the last band we saw together was STRFKR. "What's the band's name again, the last widow?" "True Widow." Gracie started to get restless, I knew she wouldn't enjoy it, I guess love does things to people. The main band came on, and I found the best place to stand to enjoy the oncoming sonic hymn. "Well, I think I'm gonna head out..." "The band just came on, I don't want to leave." "You DON'T have t-" "You always say that when you want me to leave with you..." "I don't" "YOU DO!" Gracie storms off and heads back to her place, I'm sure I'll hear about this in the morning. I move back to the spot I've grown oh so fond of, it must be true then, I am the beast I worship. read more

Ordered the black bean burger and the veggie pita- both really good!! They have two vegetarian options. No more veggie patty but the black burger still exists and you can sub any burger style that way. Love the people I talk to on the phone with when I am calling my order to-go in (they're always so cheerful!) I've never ate inside because I don't smoke cigarettes and can't really stand to be around it. But ordering to-go always works for me and it's take less than 20 mins. You'll need an ID to enter btw read more

Went out with my lovely wife a few weekends ago, with the thought to get dinner elsewhere. Went to our first choice and there were shrill, screaming tweenie boppers running amok!! Went across the street to The Earl, which we always love, and they saved our sanity. No shrill pitched, screaming tweenies! The service was spectacular, even on a Friday night at super rush. I had the burger with swiss and shrooms, and my wife had their nachos. She said they were the best nachos she has had! My burger was cooked to perfection and absolutely delicious. So, if you ever find yourself searching for the loud noise of adults, and trying to get away from screamy tweens, do yourself a favor and head to The Earl. Eh, head there anyway. And while you're there, check out who is playing that night and pay the cover. Fantastic venue for live music! read more

Best burger in Atlanta. Let me clarify, there are a lot of awesome and crazy burger places in Atlanta, but if you just a great burger this is the place. I had a bacon blue cheese burger and fries, so good. read more

Food was good music is cool but only 4 stars because the smoke was a bit much for a non smoker. I'd go back on a chill night.

Ahh The Earl. I've never been for the live music because I am 400 years old and prefer the musicians of my time. But I have been here several times for the burgers, drinks, and divey atmosphere. I'm not a smoker and actually don't react well to secondhand smoke if I'm around it a lot. However, I weirdly appreciate places that allow smoking, especially since they're becoming rarer and rarer. Part of it may be that because smoking is allowed, the establishment is 18 & up. So the burger. It's one moderately thick patty that is delightfully juicy. I somehow can't order anything other than the guacamole burger, which also comes with pico de gallo ("salsa fresca" on the menu). These toppings make this burger nearly impossible to eat as an actual burger. It's a giant, delicious mess. That is not a complaint. Just a heads up. If you order a regular cheeseburger, as my SO does, you'll have a much easier time. I love that you can order a baked potato as a side. I usually go for the tater tots or shoestring fries, which are always cooked to perfection. Lastly, I think the ladies' bathroom is something to behold. It's EAV's personal message board. My favorite part is to the right of the mirror, where someone took too much time (seriously, I hope there weren't people waiting while this was being produced) to write out some lame "we are all star dust" #justgirlythings pseudo-poetry. Someone else later took much less time to scrawl "GO DIE" over it. Yessssss. read more

Moody and brooding... I like it! Nobody had ever mentioned East Atlanta to me before, so you can imagine my surprise when we stumbled into this Seattlesk (yeah, so... I make up words) bar/music venue! After we hit that Satanic strip of fast food restaurants between the city and East Atlanta, I was sure civilization had all but ended! Thank God I was wrong! I felt right at home! We weren't there to see a show, but I can't wait until I do! read more

I've only been living in Atlanta just over a month and I've already been to the Earl three times for their live music acts. I haven't finished unpacking. My shower curtain still isn't up. I have yet to locate a decent dry cleaner. My savings account is dwindling. But I don't care. Because of this place. read more

They bring in the best acts, they serve a mean hamburger, and it's not hard to find a show that's non-smoking. What more could you ask for? A slightly better beer list, sure, but who's counting? read more

Finally got to experience The Earl. For one reason or another, I kept missing shows here, so this weekend, I finally made it to one. Bought tickets at the door. This place definitely lived up to the hype. I've heard from numerous Atl folks that this is their favorite venue, and I can see why. The front of the house serves food and drinks, so no need to get a ticket for the show if you just want to hang. The venue is in the back of the house, down the narrow hall. It's totally unassuming, but when you head back, it opens up to a larger music space than i had imagined. While still small and intimate, I didn't feel like i was smushed up against anyone or being sandwich in the large crowd. A major bonus. I chose to stand near the back, kinda close to the sound guy, and the view was perfect. A few tall folks got in front of me, with a couple inches shift to the left or right, and i was good to go. Such a nice change to a lot of shows I go to where i feel like i either have to be pressed up against the stage to be able to see or stand 10 feet behind someone all the way in the back, just to see the bobbing of the singers head. No thanks. I've already scoped out the site to find some upcoming shows I'll be in town for. And I'm looking forward to it. I want to see all my shows here from now on. read more

So I have this bad habit of almost fainting in really crowded, smoky places. It's not something that I'm proud of, but it seems that my body has developed a finely tuned sense of the most inappropriate and embarrassing possibly places to faint, and decided to enact some bizarre form of revenge on me by causing me to faint in all said places. 930 Club in DC? Check. Fainted during a Smashing Pumpkins show (what was I even doing at a Smashing Pumpkins show is a discussion for a later time). Random venue in Manayunk, PA. Check. During horseback riding camp while carrying the largest horse saddle in the entire universe. Check. And now. Nearly in the Earl. Because OF ALL THE DAMN SMOKE. Aghhhhh. Anyway that's totally beside the point. The Earl is great - good place to see a show if you can stand your lungs literally turning black inside of you while you stand there. I recommend either not breathing or wearing some sort of gas mask contraption while inside. Oh and tonight I saw my co-workers band play there and the lead singer had a glass thrown at him, his arm cut vertically open, and he had to be basically carried off the stage to an ambulance where he was taken to the hospital to get stitches. So yeah, it's always a good time at the Earl. And I really don't mean that sarcastically, however the rest of this review made it sound. Heh. read more

If The Earl were a non-smoking establishment, I would give it five stars. The sound is great; the lighting, muted and warm; the bar service, fast; and the bathrooms, ne'er crowded and consistently clean. I most recently caught Noot d' Noot headline at this East Atlanta dive, excitement built with performances by The Selmanaires and one of Mathis Hunter's jam band side projects. During the three performances, I moved to different spots in the room, all offering quality sight and sound. Surprisingly, I got a little cold beneath the fervently spinning fans. I always leave The Earl with ringing ears and a smoky stench. read more

Well for what this place lacked in red wine selection, it definitely made up for in cute guy candy selection! So this is where the cuties are hiding :) I was kinda starting to wonder, actually, but alas Hotlanta has hotties. Hotties who appeared at our table within a minute of sitting down, hotties who make cakes and just won a Food Network competition last week and hotties who are just damn cool. Yes, I'm talkin bout Joshua, so go in here and let him geek out with his camera over the cake he made that won him the prize, it's worth it, it's a cool cake. Now onto the joint. I really liked this place and it reminded me of some of the dive bars I love in SF. The walls, had ratty and pealing paint jobs, the bathroom walls were artfully covered in graffiti and it was nice and dark and filled with cool looking locals who in another lifetime would have all been named Norm. The burger was also quite solid, but really how can you go wrong with a thick, juicy burger, blue cheese and bacon? You cant. Ooooh, we also tried their boiled peanuts since hey, I'm in the South dangit, and I wanna experience all things local. They are interesting, definitely try a boiled peanut at least once in your life. I guess they also have bands that play here which is cool, so if you are looking to catch a show, grab a beer and maybe even a burger, then have at it. Now I just wish I could get a doggie bag for that Joshua character, hehe :) read more

Atlanta is a new place for my shenanigans and general malfeasance and the Earl is a great fit for my antics. I came for a show, but the laid back attitude of the crowd, good food, and friendly service gave me a reason to stay. The earl is cool to the touch and has good tunes, but you don't feel like to need to meet a tattoo requirement to get in the door like some of the places in little 5. You will probably have an interesting experience at the Earl. Mine came in the form of me pounding beer, and picking up a fan. He provided interesting conversation and an additional PBR, as if it was needed. Way to go Atlanta. We just met, but you know how to keep it real. read more

My wife and I have gone to a few concerts at The Earl, and while they manage to get some amazing acts both of us just can't go there. To put it bluntly the room is too small to contain the amount of cigarette smoke that tends to be produced during a regular event. The last time I saw a performance there I was sick for two days. Elvis Perkins will be there soon, and while I really want to go I'm just not sure I can handle the choking cloud that seems to settle hours before the main act even starts. So while I want to give this little venue more stars, I simply can't over look the fact that The Earl has smoked me out of some damn good shows. read more

Where a waiter looks like a hipster Captain Jack/Johnny Depp Where you can watch the air sex championships or burlesque vaudeville type shows and everything in between! I've been here twice for shows now, the venue area is in the back of the bar and is standing room only ( so wear comfy shoes...if you're under 5'6 wear heels to try to see above the crowd) Plenty of parking next door as well. I haven't had a chance to try the food as of yet...the beer is always beckoning me. read more

Ok, I have now had the Earl Burger and must say that it is excellent. The bacon cheddar burger I had is definitely one of my favorite burgers in the A. The bun, bacon, and cheddar are great and the lettuce and tomato are fresh. The patty itself is thick enough and was cooked medium-rare like I requested. I think not overcooking the patty is crucial to the overall burger experience. This will be blasphemous to some, but I have to say that I like it more than the Ghetto Burger at Ann's. To me, the Ghetto Burger is pretty tasty, but it's also kinda a novelty/monstrosity burger and I feel that when you break it down it's really just a couple big hunks of low grade, well-done beef, some weak bacon, average/subpar ingredients for the rest, and some decent chili on top. Good, but not amazing. I think the Earl Burger is just a higher quality burger that's actually cooked properly. If the Earl was smart, they'd offer a double stack bacon cheddar burger with chili - it'd be a Ghetto Burger slayer I think. For me it would knock the Ghetto Burger out of the park. Apparently they already have awesome chili at the Earl - why are they not doing this already??? Anyway, I was a big fan of the burger, but unfortunately the shoestring-style fries that came with totally sucked - thin, flavorless, boring. Such a good burger needs good fries to match. Earl Ghetto Burger ftw? *fingers crossed* 5 read more

The Earl. One of the few things that can bring me all the way out to EAV during the week and keep me out late on a school night. They do a really good job of bringing in some great acts. The place is small and intimate enough that you can hang back and still have a great view of what's going on. I stalk their webpage to keep abreast of who's playing. Tickets are always pretty cheap and they just keep a list of names at the door so you don't have to worry about forgetting them or losing them. I've also eaten there a few times before shows. Everything has been decent. I like the food at another locale better so nowadays I just grab food at the other place and then pop over here for the shows. read more

It's like writing a review for your living room: it feels a little pointless because you know you'll always end up back there regardless of your next experience. It's not like the Local (which is tucked safely into a pocket next to my heart), it's not a hot spot, not another one of the bazillion gastropubs in Atlanta, not the next big thing. It's a stalwart and fortunately for us, the food is surprisingly good, it's cheap, and they know how to pour a drink. The menu is overwhelming large, so a few highlights: the fried tofu is awesome, as is anything else fried or with cheese on it. The salads are not the wilted pile of sad you'd expect in a place so dimly lit. I'm not sure what possessed me to order salmon here, but it was passing. The only bad thing I've had here is the steak, which was just gross: tough, weirdly flavored, fatty in a non-marbled way. Still, who really goes here for dinner? There are dozens of higher quality, more innovative options in the same price range. I go for drinks, shows, shoestring fries, and because my scorned "hipster" friends and I really kinda like being allowed to smoke in a bar. Sorry guys, but at least for now, thems the rules. read more

Great bar/resturant and venue.... hip staff, locals and jukebox... something for almost all intresting tastes! read more

The Earl - Dive Bars Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

I went to the Earl to see a show, and after reading all of the reviews about how great the food was, I really wanted to try some. I guess I didn't get there early enough though, because the place was packed, and the (vaguely rude) waitress snappily told me when I asked about any place to sit that it was "first come, first served." So we had to go to the Blue Frog Cantina instead, and my husband missed out on trying an Earl's burger. A bit disappointing. However, the scene at the Earl did seem really laid back and fun. The show was excellent local bands, and the crowd had a lot of energy. For the ticket price, I think it is definitely worth going back sometime. Since I don't live in Atlanta, (and am a relative newcomer to the south) I know literally NOTHING about the Atlanta scene, but I enjoyed my night at the Earl. read more

Great dive bar. good food, good shows, good times... The earl is what you wish for any local dive. They have amazing shows (i.e. David Bazan, Liam Finn, John Vanderslice, Buck65 etc.) The only pitfall is the ventilation of the back area where the bands play. There is no way to move the air back there, so the smoke builds up and it gets ultra hot. The bands they book though make it worth the minor inconvenience. I have yet to have food there, but from the reviews I've read, and friends who vouch for it, I can only imagine that all of them couldn't be wrong. read more

Dear *The* Earl, Thank you for being one of a handful of places open AND serving food at 10:30 at night on a rainy Monday night. Thank you for having a nice and helpful, but not cloying, server. Thank you for cooking my burger medium. Not rare, not medium-well, but medium. I appreciate that. Thanks for allowing graffitti in your bathroom. It makes a jaunt on the toilet so much more entertaining. Thanks for having delicious tater tots and delicious onion rings, and from the looks of other reviews, thanks for having really really delicious sweet potato fries which I really wanted to get last night, but because I was in a mood for onions, got the onion rings and extra onions on my burger. I will try them next time I'm roving around with the BF looking for somewhere to eat late at night during the week. Thanks for having moosehead on the wall and a bicycle hanging from the ceiling. I don't get that at all. I will BBL for sweet potato fries and more burger. Signed, Lindsey read more

If I still lived in Atlanta, I would probably still be here way too much. I always appreciated that the front bar was separated from the stage area in the back. For nights when you are really into the band, it's great to be able to listen without all the chatter. And for those nights that you feel like chatting, well you can do that too. Or just mix it up and hang out in both areas on the same night. All venues should be set up as such. The real beauty of the EARL is in their selection of bands. I have seen some really (!) good shows here. And the cover price was always reasonable. Now that I live in San Francisco, when I return here the smoke is a bit much, but I find that is true of most places in Atlanta. I always manage to forget that smoking is allowed and I always hate how I smell after leaving. read more

The EARL Haiku Review Loud, trashy, smoky: The EARL's not classy, but that's how I like it! read more