Ok, so I’m never going to be able to eat at Ormsby’s, but I love the atmosphere of this new Westside tavern. I literally don’t think there’s anything on the menu I can eat except the peanuts and rosemary popcorn, and perhaps a burger patty, hold the bun. This tucked away bar in the White Provisions development that opened right before Christmas, is known for its beer, but I must say, that it’s also got a great wine selection. They do not yet have any gluten-free beers, but Ormsby’s wines by the glass are well priced, with a large selection. (Sure, it feels a little funny to not be getting a beer at a place intended for beer drinkers, but we celiacs are used to feeling a bit out of place at breweries and taverns.) My wine preference here is the $8.50 glass of Grayson Cabernet Sauvignon. The biggest difficulty is finding Ormsby’s as it’s basically in the basement of the building. If you park in the garage behind West Egg, and walk towards White Provisions, there’s a big wooden door with a small sign saying Ormsby’s. On a Saturday night, it’s not as difficult to find as this quickly popular spot will have a long line of folks waiting to get through the door.
It isn’t just the booze that makes Ormsby’s a great place to meet up with friends, watch a game or celebrate a birthday. Downstairs they have a variety of games to entertain, such as bocce ball, shuffleboard and darts. We went to Ormsby’s one of the first nights it was open and had a great time playing the games. Now that Ormsby’s has been ‘discovered,’ you should definitely plan on waiting awhile for a game on a Saturday night. Weekday nights or a weekend afternoon might be your better bet if trying to get in on the game action.
David and I went a few weekends ago to watch the Duke/Georgetown basketball game. (We don’t have television so during basketball season, we spend more money going out to watch games than an actual cable bill would cost.) As Duke was getting frustratingly clobbered, David and I noticed Ormsby’s also has board games. Love it! We pulled out Scrabble and brought it over to the bar. I proceeded to crush David at Scrabble, as witnessed by our friend John Jones, making me victorious in at least something that day, since my Dukies couldn’t pull off the ‘W’.
Ormsby’s will continue to be one of our ‘go to’ Westside neighborhood spots due to its great atmosphere and the entire place is non-smoking. Ormsby’s has enough TVs so you can watch your favorite game (they’ll even change the channel for you), but the televisions don’t overtake the place like some sports bars. The wine list is pretty expansive, not limited to ‘house red wine’ like many beer spots. As I mentioned earlier, gluten dominates the menu, so if you’re looking for a gluten-free dinner, try somewhere else in the neighborhood for dinner, then venture to Ormsby’s for a glass of wine, boiled peanuts and a game of bocce.
Ormsby’s – 1170 Howell Mill Road – Atlanta, GA 30318 – (404) 968-2033
Category: Atlanta