The Righteous Room turns 20
The beloved Poncey-Highland dive celebrates two decades of slingin' drinks and bringing folks together
Tucked in the Briarcliff Plaza shopping center at the corner of Ponce and North Highland, The Righteous Room's storefront is a delightful mixture of unassuming and garish AF. A smattering of bench seating joins its loud neon sign; the latter doubles as a bat signal for some of Atlanta's finest weirdos. I can say this, by the way, because I count myself among them.
My first pilgrimage to Righteous Room was sherpa'd by former CL staff writer Gwynedd Stuart. Its vibe — cigarette smoke married with an utter lack of ego among patrons — immediately seduced me. Though that may be thanks to a poor sense of smell.
"Once, I dated someone who wouldn't let me into bed after drinking there unless I showered first," Write Club co-creator and screenwriter Nicholas Tecosky says. "Legit. Place has a powerful aura hanging about it."
Powerful is a good word for it. The dive prices libations with artists' wallets in mind (like those $12 bottles of wine Gwynedd and I would split; sometimes I'd nap on her couch after hanging there, so what), served up by quite the spread of employees, who range from that disarmingly nice dude in hardcore punk band Slugga to a number of equally sweet bearded men (and not-bearded not-men, too).
The Righteous Room's numerous charms are sneaky in revealing themselves, perhaps most paramount among them: its romantic lure. I've personally had a number of first dates set at one of The RR's sticky tables. My move? Cueing up Electric Light Orchestra's "Strange Magic" (tip: the menu mis-titles it. Sneaky) on the fully-loaded jukebox. (Though this has never resulted in a second date, so maybe disregard.)
But for some, the bar's mysticism — when joined with a suitor — can create lasting results. "I got engaged there," writer Alayna Huft Tucker says. "I met my husband at that bar over Jack and Cokes. Exactly one year later, he proposed to me with a box of tattoo needles in lieu of a ring in the same seats we met in!" Damn, y'all.
Sexy and marriage-y vibes aside, The Righteous Room really shines in its lack of frills. Everything on the food menu is fine to good, strangers don't talk to you too much (save for that one time last week when a gentleman high-fived me for putting on ELO. Finally), folk artist R. Land has work plastered to the walls, and the place seemingly never closes — making it quite a different, yet still fantastic, experience during daylight hours. It really is a gem in our city.
Celebrate two decades of this killer dive at its anniversary bash on Sunday. Festivities include beer and liquor specials, live DJs (ask for ELO for me), and a grand wall signing, so patrons may return the favor in making a mark.
The Righteous Room 20th Anniversary Party. Free. 1-5 p.m. Sun., Sept. 25.
1051 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E. 404-874-0939. stayrighteous.com.