Omnivore - Can The Drafting Table fill Hill Street Tavern’s shoes?

• The Drafting Table
• Can it live up to college kids expectations for a new hot spot?

Last week we informed you about a new bar taking over the shell of the once-loved college bar, Hill Street Tavern, which was located only blocks from Georgia State University at 349 Decatur Street.

The Drafting Table is the newest venture from the guys behind Midtown Tavern, located off Piedmont Ave. If this new concept is anything like Midtown Tavern—pool tables, good beer, great twists on traditional bar cuisine—there could be great success coming to the area.

Still, many of Hill Street’s regular patrons (myself included) were upset by the bar’s closing. When I saw that a new gastropub would be taking its place, I had to wonder if The Drafting Table would be able to attract the same crowd, or even be a contender among the other bars in the area.

Here are my concerns: Concept. The Drafting Table is slated to be a gastropub. When I think gastropub, I think Midtown bars like Ormsby’s, equipped with a dimly-lit, English-pub design, pricey craft beer, and a crowd of young professionals with deep wallets.

And after scanning a proposed menu, it seems like gastropub prices might pose a problem for the area’s resident college crowd.

More after the jump

Sounds delicious, right? But let’s think about the average college kid who is probably living off ramen noodles and stale pizza. Hill Street Tavern’s menu was a geared a little closer to this demographic.