by Kristine M. on I'll be honest. I wasn't expecting much. A friend invited me, offered to get me on "the list", and I wanted to get out of the house. I expected it to be either full of popped collar Buckhead douchebags or for it to be a wannabe South Beach Latin club. It was kind of both, and then some. The crowd was pretty diverse in age and ethnicity, which is an accomplishment for this town where everyone loves to self-segregate. There was some jailbait in whorishly short skirts and lecherous old escapees from Johnny's Hideaway and everything in between. I didn't see any actual popped collars, but the aggressively flat-ironed hair left no doubt that this was still Buckhead. (I suspect there were even a couple of Bumpits.) First off, it was grand opening night, so not a normal evening, and things started off crazy. They divided the driveway into two lanes, and yet they still backed up Piedmont quite a bit. (Don't plan to make a U-Turn at the club to get in. You want to be headed south on Piedmont.) Dropping off the car was a PITA, but it happened. The line to get in existed at all, which I hate, but moved quickly, and we were only out in the cold for a few minutes. I forgave this because we got in with no cover, and got the first round of drinks on the house. Worst part (and this costs them a star) - NO FUCKING COAT CHECK. I know this is Atlanta, and it's hot in the summer, but people wear jackets half of the year, and there is a shortage of hooks or chairs to drape them on, so yeah... (This is a pet peeve of mine.) Anyway. The club is divided into three almost distinct clubs. There's the main area, which was packed (but I was there during the open bar part of the evening) and had a band of some sort. Then there's what I shall call the Techno Room, which has trance music and flashing lights. There's also what I shall call the Salsa Room, which looks bigger than it is because of clever use of mirrors. This room was packed as well, and didn't seem to have a bar, but maybe I couldn't find it through the crowd. There was no line for the bathroom, amazingly enough, and the hallways dividing the different areas give you a quieter space to check your phone and/or hear yourself think, or just get some cash. They do need trashcans or more people going around picking up empty drink cups. But all in all, it's not a bad place. I admit that I kinda wanted to dislike it, but if I were ten years younger, and/or I didn't call Buckhead "Schmuckhead", I might go there every once in a while.
by Daniella M. on We came out to the Bordello bar when it was first known as "Little Pedros" to see a friends band perform. It was fun, although finding parking was hell! Now in days, known as Bordello, the decor is definitely what makes this place a hit. The atmosphere is very romantic, the furniture and art on the walls create a Marie Antoinette feel to it. Overall, its a cute spot if your ever in the LA area. (If you've never been here and plan on going, I suggest you do a thorough mapquest, because it's in a very random location)
by Kesha Nazzise on A TINY NIGHTCLUB WITH A BIG HEART! I love Kat's! The first time we went was for a friend's b-day. My initial thoughts were that the food was not that great and the drinks were just OK. I remembered the spot from when it was Jake's Ice cream and couldn't imagine how a place that small could possibly be "THE" nightspot on thursday nights. By the end of that night though, I had run into 3 diffrent groups of friends; all regulars, all raving about the place. So I decided to to give it another shot. By our second visit, Kat was greeting us personally with hugs and smiles and my friends and I were joking back and forth w/ other customers and our new best friend Alex, the bartender who is a MUCH better mixologist than the previous one (ladies, it's worth the visit just to hear his accent) . By the third visit, we were regulars ourselves. Thursday nights is open mike. Anyone with talent - real or imagined - is welcome to join the band on stage. Sometimes it's great. Sometimes ..... not so much (a tip for all you American Idol wannabes: don't attempt the likes of Marvin Gaye, Whitney Houston (pre-crack) or Aretha Franklin unless you REALLY can sing). But even the bad ones keep you entertained as you laugh and joke with your neighbors (after all - misery loves company....and alcohol) Every once in a while, Kat herself will jump on the mike and blow the crowd away. The real thrill however, is when local artists pop by and join in to sing or play a few songs and then stay to hang out and enjoy (or suffer through) the music with the rest of us. Kat's is like Cheers for the music set. There's none of the attitude and pretentiousness that you get at other midtown spots. Just friendly people, there to enjoy the music.... and enjoy it you shall.
