If you want a dive bar atmosphere mixed with live music, this is your place. The Northside Tavern boasts seven nights of live music, and its homepage claims the tavern has received some of the best musicians to ever hit the stage. The Northside has won many accolades in the last decade, including "Best Blues Club" in 2006 from "Insight Magazine" and "Best Cheap Drinks" in 2004 from "City Guide/City's Best." Originally a grocery store from the 1940s, this spot has been under the same family ownership for 35 years.
Neighborhood: Westside / Home Park
1058 Howell Mill Rd NW
Atlanta, GA 30318
(404) 874-8745
www.northsidetavern.com
A casual blues club, Blind Willie's has been featuring live music for almost twenty years. Not only a bar, the establishment offers Cajun-style bar food to accompany the patrons' listening experience. In 1997 the club won the W.C. Handy Award for the best blues club of the year. E! Online rated it one of the top 10 blues clubs in the country. Drinks are priced at around $4 to $6 dollars, and the club is open from 7 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday. Hours of operation and prices are valid as of early 2010.
828 N. Highland Ave. Ne
Atlanta, GA 30306
(404) 873-2583
www.blindwilliesblues.com
If you want an upscale jazz and blues experience, you can head over to the Star Lounge. Its website claims: "Star is building a reputation for providing a candlelight dining atmosphere with exceptional entertainment and a sophisticated nightlife for the mature crowd." The lounge offer a full restaurant menu of American-style fare and a house band with no cover charge from Thursday to Saturday. It is open until midnight during the week and to 2:30 a.m. on the weekends. Drinks are between $3 and $12, and the food ranges from $6 to $14.50.
Neighborhood: Castleberry Hill
177 Peters St.
Atlanta, GA 30313
(404) 522-6139
www.starjazzandblues.com