The Vortex Bar & Grill - Little Five Points

Bar, Eatery

438 Moreland Ave NE
Atlanta, Georgia, 30307-1423
United States

(404) 688-1828 | map
thevortexbarandgrill.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.12
Reviews:
9
Ratings:
33
pDev:
13.83%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.84 by beersampler6 from Michigan

Oct 06, 2019
 
Rated: 4.41 by Kkoma from Georgia

May 04, 2019
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Reviewed by sholland119 from Pennsylvania

4.11/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.25 | food: 3
It's rare to find a good beer bar these days that allow smoking. Even rarer to find that the smoking "aroma" is so well contained it does not bother a former smoker. Nice place with a good beer selection. Nice bartenders, though given that they both did three shots in the hour we were there (5-6pm), who knows what it's like later. Food was a disappointment. Both of our burgers tasted like they had been cooked a couple of hours before. All in all pretty solid.

HV
Aug 10, 2016
 
Rated: 4.64 by jcMPLS from Minnesota

Dec 24, 2015
 
Rated: 4.16 by thatoneguymike from Georgia

Dec 01, 2015
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Rated by JParlow from Wisconsin

4.71/5  rDev +14.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.75
Great vibe. Very hipster
Oct 10, 2015
 
Rated: 4.58 by ryho from Georgia

Sep 08, 2015
 
Rated: 4.01 by jshusc from South Carolina

Mar 09, 2015
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Rated by zest4itall from Georgia

5/5  rDev +21.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 5
Cool place where they have good beer, good food, and some sexy psychobilly waitresses!

One of the got to see places in ATL.
Feb 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by djgoodwi from Illinois

Feb 18, 2015
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Reviewed by Bull19 from Georgia

5/5  rDev +21.4%
I give it a 5 because it is such a unique joint to come and hang out. No screaming kids or crying babies. It is an adult hang out surrounded by loads of eclectic people and shopping. If you like a burger to go with your beer then this is your place to stop by and get a triple coronary bypass burger. You can thank me later after the hospital bill.
Dec 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by GeorgiaBeerGuy from Georgia

Nov 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by WoostaBia from Massachusetts

Nov 05, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by SplitsAtoms from Georgia

Oct 16, 2014
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Reviewed by jophish17 from Georgia

2.45/5  rDev -40.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 2 | food: 2.75
Really hard to rate this as a beer bar. The vortex has a very unique vibe: some parts I hate (smoking) some I love (generally grunge character). Their cocktail selection is not the most refined but it scores high on the booze per dollar scale. As for beer.. it’s not great. A few craft options, some of the US big players (think New Belgium), some locals. Pours are always in pints or goblets, not always close to style. Beer is usually fresh but I’ve run into some (presumably) dirty lines. It’s been harder and harder to justify going here now that I’m in my mid 30s- if you’re seeking beer, go somewhere else. If you’re seining a unique Atlanta cultural institution, it’s worth a try in the same way that Magic City and Waffle House are
Sep 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Robyn from South Carolina

Aug 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by halo3one from Georgia

Jul 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by bruedabaker from Georgia

Jun 12, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by jburns301 from Georgia

Jun 07, 2014
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Reviewed by etownhooligan from North Carolina

4.6/5  rDev +11.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.75
I got hypnotized by the Big Bad Voodoo Paddy and the Bruised Banana Beer cocktail was delicious. They have a good selection of frosty brews to accompany the dynamite food. The burger was one of the best I have ever had and the sweet potato fries with a marshmallow dipping sauce was out of this world. I loved the atmosphere too, it had a mardi gras feel to it yet it was a place where you felt at home.

"We are sorry if you are offended by the foul-mouthed
strippers sitting at the table next to you. We’re sorry if
you think the bar is too smoky or crowded, or the music
is too loud, but it’s time to get a clue. This is a bar. On
occasion, it might get rowdy. If you’re easily offended, or
need to have total control over your environment, then
you should probably stay home. Nobody likes a whiner."

As stated on their menu, this is an awesome places to go if you do not mind waiting. Trust me it is totally worth the wait.
May 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by psoriasaurus from Thailand

May 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by jayfarley3 from Nevada

Apr 02, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by bakerbill from Massachusetts

Mar 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by ColSanders123 from Georgia

Feb 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by nickfl from Florida

Jan 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by crowbar540 from Tennessee

Dec 19, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by Bnjmnlws from New York

Oct 23, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by doublewide from Georgia

Oct 19, 2013
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Reviewed by Cyberkedi from Georgia

4.18/5  rDev +1.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
Cozy, intimate, with plenty of wild decorations and a few TVs that are not intrusive if you don't want to watch them, this is truly an unpretentious neighborhood bar. The patio area, though open, doesn't seem to get too hot - and is a good place to sit if you don't want any TVs distracting you. Servers are friendly and helpful - service can be slow, but they are usually quite busy. They have a good selection of locals, craft brews and imports, as well as combos. Food is well above average, and they have plenty of vegetarian selections. Prices are reasonable. You probably want to visit this place on a weekday because weekends can get hectic.
Sep 16, 2012
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Reviewed by bamadog from Ohio

2.93/5  rDev -28.9%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4
Atmosphere: In a nutshell, this place just tries to hard to be "unique" -- you know, kind of like how punk kids won't believe you're punk unless you shave your head and get the same tattoos that they get to be unique when in reality you look just like them now. It looks like a bad prototype for a TGIFridays that hipsters think is ironic, so you know, cool. But I guess they're rebels in their own right... I will say this, the skull that you walk through is pretty bad ass.

Quality: Not shabby in terms of a beer place -- small number of taps with some southern beers, but not really great examples of them. The bottled selection was actually a little bit better, but still not really worth it.

Service: They talk a mean game on their rule sheets, but the guy was actually pretty nice and took order, even answered questions without being a snob, so kudos to him.

Selection: See Quality above. Have some better taps, man, and I say it like that because they seem to be bragging about their selection. If you're going to talk the talk, walk the walk.

Food: Known for burgers, and well, I would say worth stopping by for that alone. There are some that are downright scary are named with such words as triple and double bypass and coronary. I got the chili burger, which was ok, but the tater tots were the coup de gras for me.

Value: Fairly cheap, but you get what you pay for. Not worth becoming a regular.
Aug 23, 2012
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Reviewed by pioneer13 from Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Went to the Vortex for the Burgers and came away just as impressed with the beer menu. Not a huge selection on tap but did have Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale which was a great start. Next three were in bottles; Allagash White, Ommegang 3 Philosophers and Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA. 4 for 4 on the beer selection.

Next, the food. Myself and two friends decided to knock down the Triple Coronary Bypass burger as an appetizer. Huge burger which has two grilled cheese sandwiches as a bun and a third grilled cheese between the patties.

Anyway, great beer, great burgers, bartender was really cool and helpful. We sat at the bar by the door which we kept open so the smoke in the bar didn't bug us. May have been an issue otherwise. Sitting at the bar also got us seated right away as there was a wait for tables.

I hope I can get my photo of the place sized right to download because it is one of the cooler entryways I have ever walked through.
May 09, 2011
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Reviewed by JayS2629 from Alabama

4.65/5  rDev +12.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 5
The atmosphere is friendly, but cramped and crowded. It is a bar, so it is a bit loud, especially considering how many people crowd into such a small place. Smoking is also allowed. Taking these factors into consideration, the place is very warm and friendly, with exciting crazy decor and things hanging from the ceiling like skeletons, street signs, motercycles, etc. Very fun. Children not allowed due to smoking so if you want to try it and have kids, do the take out.

The quality was excellent. Great beer selection. They include a great assortment of local brews, and quality stuff. Huge bottle menu. Quality food and service too, considering how crowded it was. The wait on our food was very reasonalbe. The food was absolutely aweseome! They deserve their reputation for the best burgers, and the most creative and unique ones. Try out the quadrupel bypass burger, the blue shroom, the spanish fly, or the elvis burger that has fried bananas, bacon, and peanut butter! Awesome fun place, great beer, great service, and great food.
Jan 03, 2011
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Reviewed by sarahspat from Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
This location doesn't have as big of a beer selection as the one in Midtown, but it's still pretty good. They have at least ten beers on draft that I would consider drinking, including 4 or 5 local Georgia beers. They don't have a crazy amount of beers on tap, but they do have some really good ones. The bottle selection was much more expansive. You can look at their beer menu on the website, which is nice.

Atmosphere is pretty good. Lots of skulls and weird shit. Stuff all over the walls and hanging from the ceiling... basically like a typical chain restaurant, except not quite as corny. It seems like they want people to think that only badass bikers and strippers go there, but there were all kinds of people, including just regular college kids.

The service was perfect. Our waitress was attentive, but not annoyingly so.

The food was delish. The Vortex supposedly has the best burgers in Atlanta and the prices are very reasonable. This is a great place to stop for dinner and a beer, especially if you are just in town for a bit.
Jun 11, 2009
The Vortex Bar & Grill - Little Five Points in Atlanta, GA
Place rating: 4.12 out of 5 with 33 ratings