Looking for a down to earth, old school, earthy comfortable bar in the heart of Decatur.. .. u gots it . Gets a bit loud at times later at night, and still holds on to that friendly family vibe you don't see anymore, in Decatur. Their beguiling beer/tap menu is bout 4 pages long by itself. The friendly informed barkeeps (EMMA & Davey) are more than happy to guide you thru the choices and give an intelligent recommendation. No joke. I always gets one of their plethora of stouts, with their soup o day, Veggie Empanadas, & the vicious Deviled Eggs / Spicy Fried Pickles. Yum. Locals and regulars are always there and friendly & kind. Easy Parking, lot at TMT. Made a friend at this place. read more

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I was in the neighborhood and decided to stop in for one beer. I was in the mood for a good stout. There was medium sized shared parking lot. I quickly found a spot and entered. I headed straight for the bar. There were a few patrons scattered around, but it definitely was not packed. The first thing I noticed was how dimly lit the interior was. With my old man eyes, I actually had to turn on my phone flashlight to read the menu at the bar. I was happy to see the beer menu was very extensive with a solid number of food options as well. I was looking over the beer list and the friendly bartender came by. I advised I was in the mood for a nice sweet stout and he made a suggestion and provided a taster. I was sold and ordered a full size. I was leisurely drinking my stout and enjoying the atmosphere. The bartender made sure to check on me and make sure I didn't need anything else. I will definitely be back to taste some other beer and food options. read more

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Thinking Man needs to have way higher ratings than it does. I am not kidding when I say that I think about their Chicken salad sandwich with tater tots on the side at least 5x a week. Everything I have had here is delicious. It's a standard bar food but slightly better than you'd expect. The prices are great too! We know in this economy, that's hard to find. They have a small outside area that's perfect for sitting outside when it's a nice day. The inside is bigger than what you'd think with dart boards and everything. I've always had great service and the food comes out pretty quickly. HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

Amazing food! Lots of vegetarian and vegan options. Nice ambience. They do karaoke at night. Great service with friendly staff.

Thinking Man Tavern is one of Atlanta's hidden treasures. Located in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it location near Oakhurst, this spot is the perfect setting for a relaxed drink and some serious eats in a casual yet refined pub setting. We stopped in for lunch on a weekday and started with a couple of their surprisingly curated cocktails. For lunch, we shared a couple of small plates. The hoisin tofu bao with tots was delicious, the soft pretzel was decadent, but the buffalo fried cauliflower really stole the day. A perfectly zingy and crispy treat. I look forward to many more lunches at this cute eastside spot. read more

Nice little spot for a quick bite and drinks. Great location to meet a group of friends. I ordered the fried pickles and the portion was huge. Staff is also very friendly! read more

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Came on a Friday night and got to witness karaoke. Bar is busy, love the decorations, especially all the flags. It's definitely like an after a 9-5 work shift place to hang out. Love that there is a happy hour and even a later happy hour on Fridays. Food was okay: your typical bar food. read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Saturday brunch and we're starting our day of drinking across Atlanta. There's a neat vibe here that is half sports bar and half dive bar. On Saturday at 11:30, we weren't the only ones who had started drinking. I ordered off the brunch menu, choosing the brisket hash. My friend chose the gyro with tots and I think she had the better meal. Mine was roasted potatoes and onions with pieces of brisket drizzled with an overly sweet barbecue sauce. I'm sure some folks love this - I found it only okay and wouldn't choose it again. The gyro looked great though the cold tzatziki sauce turned the sliced meat into just warm. Big portion of tots with it though and they were perfect. Fun spot and I would like to return for evening drinks. [Review 20042 overall - 642 in Georgia - 1017 of 2023.] read more

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Had lunch here not long ago and everything was really good, including two different sandwiches plus a gyro with a Greek salad on the side. Also a solid drink selection (Octoberfest, rose wine, an IPA, and a dark Czech beer). Service was also solid and would definitely come back. read more

I've been to Thinking Man several times over the years in the neighborhood. We look for good pubs for late dinner after attending a meeting or movie and this fits. The place always has nice enough staff and decent drinks but the past few visits the food is really bad. The cuban sandwich was just awful. I ate half because I was hungry but I'm suffering the consequences late into the night. My partner had the Tuscan chicken sandwich and it was not much better. It's like the meat in the sandwich was cooked in rancid oil or something. My previous visit was a bad food experience as well. I gave a three star rating only because I like the feel of the place. It's an interesting bar with great decoration. People are always seem to be having fun here and the staff is nice so I might come in for a drink but I'll never eat here again. read more

This is a sweet little spot to checkout, especially if it's a late night. They have stickers in a lot of places, a great bar selection & fast service, usually. Food is pretty damn good too! They've got potato fries that are very delicious and like little potato sliders. Super tasty! A lot of good vegetarian options too! read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Jackfruit sandwich - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Stopped in for a Sunday brunch and had great time. The food was so good and so filling! I was very impressed with there brunch food. For a bar or burger place the food was reallt good. Service was fast and very pleasant. The atmosphere is a typical bar look. But lots people in side and they were also having a great. Me and my wife had a great experience! read more

Thinking Man Tavern - It was called death by hash - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Great food and great vibes! This is a great spot we recommend to anyone in the Decatur area looking for a fun spot with good and pretty affordable food. Service is consistently friendly and quick! Lots of vegan and vegetarian options too make it one of our go to places to meet up with friends for drinks and a bite to eat! read more

Cool chill bar. The food is also delicious! I love the veggie empanadas and the Korean bbq wings were cooked to perfection. Robert the bartender was great and very welcoming and accommodating. Since I live in the area I'll definitely be back again. Also they have so many board games and card games as well read more

Came for a quick drink and burger. Sadly I didn't love my burger. It wasn't very flavorful, but I did enjoy my cocktail. They had a good number of cocktail options for a place that's more like a dive bar. read more

Cool little bar... it was pretty slow when I went on a Friday night. Service was pretty good they bartender was very attentive. I would describe it as a quaint neighborhood bar. It was a good vibe. Didn't have food but there is the regular menu then a late night menu. I would absolutely go back here for drinks. read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Bar - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Good clean fun! Go on a Friday night for karaoke, burgers and beers - such a fun time!

This was a cute little late night find. I love the atmosphere of this Tavern as it reminded me of my old neighborhood pub in Baltimore. How nice it is to see people enjoying drinks, darts, and each other's conversation! My friend and I sat down at a table first, and no one acknowledged us. We realized after a couple minutes we had to go to the bar to order food and, of course, drinks. The bartender lady was very busy, but she did a good job taking care of her patrons. Our food is where things took a downturn. I'm completely perplexed as to how the food could be SO WARMLY COLD. It wasn't like it had been sitting there a long time, but maybe more like it had all been poorly microwaved. Although it was around 10pm, we figured there was no reason fried common bar food like tater tots and fried potato rounds should be warm but also cold. The mashed sweet potatoes and broccoli were the worst, two foods that should not be eaten when not hot. The tofu sliders were an intriguing idea, but the bread was way too thick and bigger than the tofu, and the flavors created more CONfusion than fusion. I do appreciate the large variety on the menu, but the execution I tasted failed miserably. If 1 hour before kitchen closing is not enough time to prepare hot food, maybe they should close the kitchen earlier. Apart from the food, the drink side of things was EXCELLENT and very reasonably priced. Several pages of beers, wines, and sustainable spirits. I had so many good and local beers. I could've stayed forever. Highly recommend this place for beer and drinks! Just be careful of the food! read more

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It is a nice dive bar. Affordable, and good food. It's not too busy, which is a plus. But sometimes their service is a bit slow. I'd definitely recommend this establishment for college students and locals. read more

I live local and wanted to try this place. We walked in and the sign said please sit yourself. We opted for the patio. No one came, turns out you need to notify the wait staff to sit outside ... cool. Wait staff notified. She *eventually* comes out with ice water. The same ice water we had to make last for about 2 hours, because it's just too inconvenient to bring more water. Immediately, she like " y'all want to sit outside, it's so hot". Her vibe was totally like hurry up, so I can tend to more important things. While ordering, I felt rushed and overtalked. We did order a lot of food for two people. 1. Wings - Caribbean Jerk Flavor 5/5 2. Avocado and Corn Fritters 4/5 3. Chicken and Waffle Sliders 5/5 4. Pulled Pork Tacos 1/5 5. Cobb Salad 4/5 6. Gyro -NR All the food arrived to the table about 30 minutes late, everything except the gyro. The food and apps were bought out together. I assumed she forget to put in the gyro. Nope, 20 minutes later it arrived cold. I looked at the waitress, like you could've kept this. And we both knew it. So after a LONG wait, we see her again, and we ask for to-go boxes and water. She lets her know that we might not get water, because she's too busy. I was shocked, but okay girl. I ask for a bigger to-go box because it's an entire meal that needs to go. She brings back tiny boxes and lets me know they ran out of big to go boxes. At this point, I'm like can you just take the food off , I don't want it and I definitely don't want it if it has to be disassembled to put in a box. So the waitress let's me know the following: 1. It's already on the table so no she can't take it off 2. She can't bring a bigger box but she can stuff my food in 3 boxes (because it should fit) 3. They're overwhelmed When I asked to speak to someone else above her, she let me know it wasn't anyone else, that she would need to call the owner to have the 11 dollar gyro taken off. I agreed - call the owner and tell him. Eventually, the other waitress ( I presume the manager) came out and squared everything away with no hesitation. Overall, this place missed the mark and the waitress was a mess... it was just a weird experience all together. read more

I had a pretty ok experience tonight. It's was crowded with only 2 bartenders that did their best and apologized for the delay. However when I went to use the women's bathroom. A man had came in the women's bathroom with his female friends and I was immediately uncomfortable. Me and another woman stated that we were uncomfortable that he was on the women's bathroom. He was verbally aggressive and insulting, stating that he identifies as a woman. Which is fine but the bathroom door said women not all genders. Him and his female friends said that this restaurant was inclusive of all genders however their was no way of me knowing that when their wasn't an "all gender" sign on the door. The man in the women's bathroom, felt offended that I was uncomfortable with him being in the women's bathroom. He immediately began verbally accosting me, and pointing his finger in my face, as I remained calm in my communication. I am accepting of anyone that identifies as whatever, however that does not erase the fact that he is physically a man who is scientifically and legally stronger than a woman. Because he was verbally threatening, I reminded him that he couldn't fight a woman. He then stated that he could get one of his friends to fight me. I continued to communicate with the other women that were accepting of his presence in the women's bathroom on how that's not ok and he finally left the bathroom. This restaurant should know what happen and take the right steps in preparing patrons for an all gender situations. read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Bathroom signs - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Two single girls walk into the Thinking Man Tavern lookin' for a man that can hold a conversation. The bartender did a good job. We sat at the end of the bar and I had the Six Bridges Sour Continuum sour out of Johns Creek, Georgia while my dear friend had a could gin cocktails. We were about to have dinner at a friend's house so we didn't enjoy any of the snacks on their menu. Review #29 of 100 in 2021 read more

This is the kind of place that doesn't give a s**t in a really good way. The essentials, food and drinks, are top-notch but everything is very relaxed. The staff were extremely friendly. read more

Came in at 10pm on a Thursday right after landing in Atlanta. It was pretty empty, service was attentive. When you walk in it definitely smells like a tavern (you know that smell lol), and we were able to sit anywhere. We ordered a beer (wide variety of selection is nice) and ordered a plate of loaded potato rounds (one of a couple vegetarian options). My mom is allergic to latex gloves, and they do use latex gloves for anyone else who is allergic. The potato rounds ($8) were yummy and satisfied my late night cravings of cheese. I wish they served with more pico! read more

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One of the few places in the area with a chill bar vibe. I had a mule and the ginger was so fresh. Will definitely be back. read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Mule - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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I used to love this place. What happened? The food was gross, to put it politely. The avocado corn fritters were burnt on the outside and doughy on the inside. The nicest thing I can say about the wings is that I've had better from a gas station. So disappointed. Service wasn't any better than the food. Like the wings, I've had better service at a gas station. Money would have been better spent if I used it to light a fire. I'm so sad that the quality has taken a nose dive. read more

I guess their menu changes a lot because it didn't match the one I found online. That would be no worries if the current menu made any sense. Just no cohesiveness and not even basic bar food - no fries? No regular chicken strips? A few vegetarian friendly options but no vegetables as a side? Service was fine but our overall meal was pretty disappointing. read more

I've been calling Thinking Man Tavern my 'go-to' neighborhood pub, and it is. So why have I given it only four stars? I have no idea. I shall correct that error. In the category of neighborhood craft beer pubs, Thinking Man earns top marks. They specialize in American craft beers on tap, which I prefer, and I have never been unable to find something I like. Last night it was Sierra Nevada Harvest, one of the best IPAs made. But I could have gone with several others as well. Food is always good, too. I have favorites, but often opt for the daily special. Perhaps not a 'gastropub', but pretty good. Potato rounds are killer. And the space, ambiance and staff are just about perfect. read more

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This was a really disappointing lunch. The server was friendly enough, but disinterested. I ordered a chicken salad salad. The ingredients were fresh and the portion generous, but overall the salad was uninteresting and the chicken salad mixture was bland. My server didn't bring or offer me water -- drinks were never discussed. After serving the food, she never dropped by to ask if I needed anything or how things were. To get my check, I had to go find her at the bar. I paid my check up there and headed out. There were three tables occupied in the entire restaurant (including mine), so I can't attribute her performance to being swamped. Odd. Between the service and the food, I won't be back. read more

What an awesome place!! Some friends and I stopped during a bike ride for a few brews and a snack. Really great food!! Awesome beers... some of the best taps in the city! And really wonderful service!! I love this spot!! read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Good food. Great decor. The place to go if you enjoy pub food but aren't a sports freak.

This is the place for beer lovers. I'm more of a wine person so I didn't try the beer but I like the casual, laid back atmosphere and I love that they have a board games corner so you can choose a game and play at your table. Nice touch! I had the flat iron steak salad and it was yummy, nothing at all to complain about there. Kinda cool they have half bottles of wine too. read more

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I usually come here everyother week to get their gumbo with a side of bread. Unfortunately for me i almost always go during trivia night and it gets PACKED. The server told us that today that their machines were down so service would be slower but thats fine. It wasnt that busy and i had time to spare. This time i decided to get the lunch special with two sliders and a side of gumbo. For less than 10 dollars i got SO. MUCH. FOOD. WORTH IT. My friend got the veggie tacos with the beans and rice then had a side of mac and cheese. The mac and cheese was to die for. The reason why im giving it 3 stars was because the server this time seemed a little more off standish to us and interacting more with other customers. Ill still come back for the food but I hope the service would be a little better next time. read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Sliders with a side of chips and gumbo in the corner. - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

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Horrible service. I went to pick up my order and it was ready, on a chair by the front door. However, it was missing a drink. I tried to flag down one of the employees, a woman wearing glasses (hair in a bun), we make eye contact and she turns around and runs into a different room. Extremely unprofessional and childish. All she had to do was direct me somewhere else or take 2 seconds to just hand me a drink. Disappointing experience. read more

Decent low key pub in which to escape the heat. I can't recommend the food though- to be charitable: "it didn't agree w/ me at 3am".

Vanessa T. and I planned a date night at a location that was oddly closed on the Wednesday night we tried to hit it up. We were both hungry and our brains were scrambling, trying to figure out a place nearby where I can eat. I started scouring my Yelp, trying to think... Wait, THINK. Thinking Man! That's it!! We dashed down Dekalb Ave to find the Thinking Man waiting for us with open arms and parking lot. We sat down in a booth (which can be painful on your booty, ease into them) and ordered edamame to start. Edamame prepared right is always good, and these little guys were done right. I've been wanting to try the TLT and asked if it is vegan. I crossed my fingers and cringed- it sounded so good! Marinated tofu, Texas toast, avocado spread!! The waiter immediatedly said they will leave the butter off the toast, therefore making it vegan, YES!! It was delicious!! And the potato rounds are great, nice and crunchy, and my dousing of vinegar didn't phase them into limpness. Vanessa had a BLT I believe, and she finished hers before me, which is a rarity since I generally inhale food like a ravenous dog. I think the conversation and the ease of being able to hear each other in a bar-like setting helped me to slow it down. After parting with my lovely date and heading home, my husband greeted me at the door with wide eyes, asking me about the TLT. I couldn't lie to him, it was all that and a side of potato rounds. Looks like I'll be back soon so he can get some of that vegany goodness in his belly. read more

I can't believe it but after 30+ years of living and working in and near Decatur, i finally tried TMT - twice in the past 2 weeks. First time, I had a burger and potato rounds, which are addictive. The burger was pretty good but on my return visit I got the kale Caesar with chicken and Pine St Market bacon. That is my favorite dish now - soft Kale and romaine, vinaigrette dressing, finely shaved cheese tossed in and croutons. The chicken is grilled, not marinated and the bacon is sublime. I am a white wine gal and they only sell my preference by the split, which is the cost of a glass of wine in a more expensive - they capped it and sealed up for me when I Uncharacteristically failed to finish said split. Atmosphere is pun casual. Great diversity of patrons and they show wacky grade D movies on the TV at the bar / who van resist a teen (they looked in their 30s) beach movie featuring a double-headed shark? read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Thinking & drinking - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

My friends and I came here for drinks after catching a movie at the AMCs. On a Friday, this place isn't super packed or rowdy like some other bars. It was a great environment for us to just sit down, chat and hangout. They have a decent amount of selection for drinks and food. I got to try their potato rounds and fried green tomatoes. I really enjoyed the rounds because they weren't as dry and crispy as chips and has seasonings (old bay maybe) that aren't usually on regular fries. The green tomatoes were decent too. I like how this place seems like a classier place to hangout and not super crowded and loud, especially on a night like Friday. The service was great also. read more

Some transitions in life are easy to point out, your first steps, puberty, graduation, etc. The difficult ones are those that you realize after they've happened. The Thinking Man Tavern hit me as one of those after I was pondering it at my local bar. It's the kind of place that you go after you have accomplished a few things, Moved away from home, attended college and secured your first decent-ish paying job (not inclusive but hit at least one of these landmarks). It had the feel of a college bar but with a definite air of those who have experienced things. The beer/drink list is a little higher class and the crowd was my age. Thankfully, it lacks the whoop and holler hormone crazed crowd that I still know but can appreciate from a distance. With ambiance pinpointed, here's the food. I opted for the Fried Green Tomato Sandwich, (ahem, when in Rome or Decatur as it where.) which came with potato rounds. The unassuming peppery fried green tomato was precisely what I needed on my last day here, a food to sum up Georgia. Sweet, sour, peppery and salty, it occurred to me, mimics the days and summer nights in the Atlanta area. It conjures up the possibilities that anything can happen if you just let it. We lounged comfortably in the booths and enjoyed the taxidermy and a little Braves baseball. Thinking Man, thanks for being a grown up but not too grown up, post college, bar. read more

Thinking Man Tavern - Fried Green Tomato sandwich - Pubs Near Me - Decatur, Georgia

Walking into Thinking Man, I first notice the variety of stuffed wild animals perched along the walls and the bronze sculpture of the "thinking man" with a Georgia Voter sticker slapped proudly onto his behind - first impressions are everything and Thinking Man did not disappoint. I've only visited Thinking Man on their Tuesday Trivia Nights, but I'm really liking my experiences here so far! Both times I arrived to find their small parking lot out front filled by their faithful trivia crowd. However, there's free street parking alongside the tavern, so I didn't find parking to be an issue at all. We seated ourselves upon seeing the "Please Seat Yourself" sign by the door. Within a couple minutes, waters and menus were plunked down in front of us by friendly servers. Most of the tables were occupied around 7:00 pm, so if you're coming for trivia, get here a little early! Thinking Man offers a wide selection of craft beers on draft that's available in both glasses and pitchers. They also have an impressive array of bottled craft beers, too. I personally like the Bells Two Hearted. It has a nice, underlying sweetness that's laced with hoppy and bitter notes. If you're interested in tasting a draft beer before investing in a whole glass or pitcher, the bartenders are happy to give you a small taste first. On to the grub!! I find that the food's decent, but nothing that will blow you away. Chicken & Waffle Sliders ($8) - These little sliders are adorable! I personally found the portion to be too small, especially since a large sandwich + 1 side costs only $1-2 more. The syrup it comes with tastes amazing. It packs a strong, agave flavor without being overly sweet thanks to the rosemary. Sadly, along with being small, my sliders were rather cold when I got them. The chicken had lost the hot, crispy skin that we look for in fried chicken, and the waffles were soggy. I probably wouldn't get these again. Potato Rounds ($4) - All right Thinking Man fans, don't hate me but...the potato rounds did not do it for me. Not only were they not crunchy enough, they're completely hollow inside! I was searching for some fluffy potato encased in a crisp exterior, only to be disappointed by an empty, soft-ish potato shell. Spicy Fried Pickles ($5) - If you're going to label a food as spicy, it better be spicy. These pickles were not, sadly. All you can taste is salt and vinegar, really. The red powder sprinkled on tasted like paprika rather than the advertised "cayenne." It's quite sad, since some spice would have helped with the sharp acidity of the pickles. Not a big fan of these. I love Thinking Man's beer selection and the friendly service. The atmosphere's great and you can tell everyone's having a really grand time. Don't come here looking for killer bar food, though. They have some interesting sounding items, but they're not really executed to their full potential. read more

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