James Joyce Irish Pub

I am so depressed as the Joyce closed it doors for good this past Sunday. This was my first place to get drunk with my brother and where I spent my crazy summer after undergraduate. I have stumbled home from this place so many times I have lost blurried count. Gosh I am going to miss their tater tots.
I loved being able to walk in here and see people who I used to babysit for and catch up with them. I LOVED my loyal bartenders because they were my brother’s friends. Man I am so depressed…
They listened to my parents when there were issues with the food and hunted them down when they had rectified the situation. I loved being able to roam up here and sing my heart out to Queen and not be stared at because I was being ridiculous. They already knew I was COMPLETELY ridiculous because they knew me.
Ugh… we need a fairy godmother to bring this place back! AND she’d better be wearing a KILT!

No longer is called James Joyce– has new management… called Brewhouse Café! (Which is the same thing-​but better!)

This neighborhood bar has gone through quite a few name changes, as well as a short-​lived management switch. It’s back to old management and is now called «Brewhouse Café Avondale» (sister to the Brewhouse in L5P).
I come on Monday nights for Full Contact Trivia. The menu is very similar to the L5P Brewhouse’s menu… i.e., not very exciting. It does have some hilarious typos: you can get «totsor coleslaw» and «penny pasta.» Hee.
The food is okay — I’ve found a couple things that are decently tasty and I stick to those. Namely, the prime rib sandwich and the portobello mushroom sandwich. The hot soft pretzels, «Bangers and Mash» (sausage and mashed potatoes in gravy), and bread pudding (the only available dessert) are pretty good, too. Service is always friendly and relatively attentive.

Its a «meh» Irish pub thing with mediocre food and a weak beer menu. We were just there for the band.

Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s so-​so. But we’ve never had a bad beer — the Guinness tastes fresh — and there’s lots to choose from, and they make a big, spicy Bloody Mary. And did we mention a nice selection of Irish whiskeys? Sitting outside on their patio is a comfortable way to spend a few hours. At least as long as you’re drinking and not eating.
Ok, that last remark wasn’t quite fair. They make some decent sandwiches, but too often the food comes out, well, kind of mediocre. Sort of three stars, like. Or maybe two stars. The Shepherds Pie has been both good and mysterious (what is that meat lurking below the crust? What is that gravy?). Bangers and Mash pretty good, plain ol’ cheeseburger pretty good … you getting the message? We like it here, honestly, but we don’t come expecting a delicious meal. And we’re seldom disappointed — or surprised.

I’ve been here to James Joyce a few times. I really like their nice, big patio. The food is okay and the service is friendly but can be slow at times. But if you’re camped out with friends on a warm Spring evening, sitting on the patio while drinking Guinness on tap and discussing the price of tea in China, you don’t really notice the service gaps.
The last time I was here I was in a comfort food mood, so I ordered their Shepherd’s Pie. It was warm and somewhat comforting, mostly mashed potatoes with a scattering of cheese on top and some meat and gravy beneath. Not horrible, not fantastic. About as expected. The Guinness was cold and tasty, as usual.
Now why the hell is tea so cheap in China, anyway? (wink)

The reviews mimic my experiences here — the service and food are either spot on or horribly off depending on the night. I recommend going on a weekend night when they are busier as it seems when they are slow the service is waining.
Given that, I had my wedding rehearsal lunch here and the service was great.

We came in here while checking out the Avondale neighborhood for some dinner, and its definitely a cool place with an Irish feel. They even had BBC and Fox Soccer Plus playing on the tvs for a regular night.
Our waiter was awesome and the food came out relatively quickly. Everything was pretty solid as we had the fried green tomatoes, the salmon salad and the beef tenderloins.
The menu is a bit pricey, but if youre going for value the burgers looked pretty huge here.
Ill be coming back again to try the wings and maybe even check out an Arsenal game here.
I came back, I liked the wings :) 4 stars. Came during the Arsenal game though and only one other guy there watching it so not a crazy place for EPL.

This was my third time going to James Joyce, and every time I go I try to order something new in the hopes that it will taste better than the previous time. Sadly, I was proven wrong again. I went with 3 other people, and we shared the wings (garlic hot and lemon pepper), grilled chicken dinner, and the shrimp and chips. Surprisingly, the beer-​battered crust on the shrimp was crispy and light, although the flavor in the batter could have been kicked up a notch. The wings and chicken breast were definitely lacking in flavor and left me wishing for BW3. The word «garlic» should be left out of the flavor «garlic hot» as the garlic flavor was definitely absent, and hotness was more vinegary than actual spice.
The server was meh. She seemed a bit impatient and really annoyed when we moved tables due to a leaky roof on the patio. All in all, I may go back for a beer but will plan to skip out on the food.

James Joyce is a good local pub with pretty decent food. I love their «big salads» but recently, I ordered the steak tenderloin, rare. It was actually served as 3 small rounds which were disappointingly chewy and covered in an equally disappointing brown sauce.
Stick with their pub food and you’ll be much happier. That being said, the service is always friendly and parking is relatively easy so I bumped this review up to 3-​stars.
Be warned tho, the real estate business to the right of James Joyce was towing cars from the parking lot the night we were there (totally lame since they’re not even open). Park in the lot to the left of the restaurant.

The James Joyce is NOT a gastropub!!! I don’t know how the foodies found this place, but they obviously haven’t frequented it. Does anyone remember what a good old Irish pub is? No? Go to the James Joyce, and for once, don’t over think the food.
The Joyce is a local pub, and everything that implies — their S-​shaped bar contains every alcohol imaginable (ok, don’t get too fancy), including PBR’s famous 24oz tallboy and Jaegermeister shot freezers. Their 20 barstools hold many Avondale and Decatur locals.
If you drop in after 9pm you’ll discover it for what it really is — the neighborhood bar. Smoking is permitted indoors and out from 9pm-​close, while during the daytime only the uncovered patio area is available for smokers.
You’ll be hard-​pressed to find a parking spot in either of their two lots on Friday and Saturday nights, which are easily packed. Weekends are hopping between Saturday night karaōke and Sunday brunch, which is to die for, but you’ll hear all that from the other reviews. The rest of the food is either good or not good, which you’ll also read. I haven’t been back to the Encounter since a bag Jaeger night, which should say enough right there.
The weekend crowd is hugely diverse, from Emory frat boys+dates to urban young professionals to the wait staff of many of the area’s other bars and restaurants. It is truly a neighborhood pub in that many regulars live within walking distance and know each other.
Despite all this, I first fell in love with the Joyce for the desserts, which come from Southern Sweets Bakery. I have since discovered the bakery itself, so I now appreciate the Joyce for what it really is — the neighborhood bar I call home.

James Joyce is an excellent destination for any occasion. The ambience is classy, but casual, making it appropriate for a casual dinner, quiet date, group of friends, or a family meal. The service is attentive, the food is quite good, and the drinks complete the trifecta.
Have a Painkiller while you wait for your appetizer, which should be the Encounter (menu item). Any restaurant that is not afraid to serve roasted garlic cloves deserves a heaping pile of respect, at least in my world.
For the main course, I’m always torn between two items that I would rarely seek out in most irish pubs: the ribs and the gyro. The ribs are tender, flavorful, and served in generous portions. The gyro is just what you’re looking for in a gyro.
Get the tots.
And, if you’re in the mood for crab legs on a Sunday, this is the place to be. Roll up your sleeves and starve yourself for a day or so before going in. All you can for a reasonable price, and the quality easily rivals Spondivits or Six Feet Under.
Long story short, you can’t go wrong at James Joyce. The menu is comprehensive, the food is fantastic, and the patio is a great place to sip (or pound) some drinks on a nice day.

It has been a while since my last review (wow, I feel like I’m at saying confession) and since today was the first day I’ve made a ROTD I felt obligated to write another review. I’m shocked I haven’t reviewed James Joyce since I’ve been to this local pub more times than I can count.
What continues to surprise me about J.J. is the excellent menu options that range from your traditional Irish pub fare… fish and chips to healthier options like salmon and salads.
The beer selection is decent. The waitstaff has been consistently nice. Even better, they have all you can eat crab legs on Sundays, and really how can you go wrong with that.
Overall, I’m a fan of James Joyce and recommend others stop by if you’ve never been.

I’m always impressed with my experience at the James Joyce Pub. While it’s a trek to it’s location in Avondale Estates from my midtown abode, I’m always ready and willing. The bar tenders are great, and always remember me and my usual guest. The food is good and comes out quickly, and they have great drink prices and a decent selection of beers and booze. It’s never really busy, and the crowd is mixed, with college kids, elderly people, and those that you’d find off the street.
I highly recommend the James Joyce Pub in Avondale Estates! Get a beer and some food and enjoy good friends and fun!

One of the best brunches in Atlanta! This place is awesome.
Their pancakes with pistachio cream cheese are to die for, and the special of two breakfasts and a pitcher of mimosas or bloody Mary’s for $ 25 is just too awesome to resist.
The waiter was awesome, fast, and extremely nice.
I will DEFINITELY be going back here for brunch in the future.

Naturally, the James Joyce was my first stop after I became settled into my new place. A sign advertising trivia gets me every time…
I enjoy the atmosphere — the interior is handsome, and while I have seen children there they’ve never outnumbered even the group I was with.
The service is only speedy if the pub itself is hopping, and that was on Thursday trivia night.
I’ve been four other times and the service was unnecessarily slow.
I’m a fan of most of their food. I was a jerk I suppose and ordered a grilled cheese sandwich off the kids menu one night and it was terrible. I feel it is kind of hard to screw up a grilled cheese sandwich — but they didn’t even melt the cheese…
Overall it is so close & the atmosphere is nice for catching up.

I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure this is a sister restaurant/​bar of Brewhouse Café in L5P. If that is true, then it is a homely Irish stepsister. The places have kind of a similar feel, but Brewhouse is better. Not bad, but I would never go here unless I was already right in Avondale.
2.5

I am a fan of Irish pubs and this one is pretty good. Of course, there was Guinness on tap. However, being new to the area and not knowing anyone, it is sometimes intimidating to go into a place that you are unfamiliar with. I’m happy to say that the bartender introduced himself and I got into a conversation with a couple of the patrons there. Oh, and the wings were good, too.
It is a nice unpretentious and friendly place with a decent menu. I will be going back.

Mr. Ivan S. ate with relish the eggs and sausage made of beasts and fowls. He liked the potatoes and the soda bread. Most of all, he liked the bacon, which gave his palate a taste of smokiness and the scent of cooked pork. The baked beans, however, tasted as from a can.
Beer was in his mind as he moved about the pub softly, righting his brunch things on the humpy table. He toyed with Smithwicks, but followed the traditional path of Guinness as the air swirled out of doors gentle summer afternoon everywhere. Made him feel a bit peckish.
Another slice of bread and butter: three, four: right. Another pull from his pint and his head set sideways watching the soccer match on the flatscreen. A young lady nearby purred mewed softly. Mr. S. watched curiously, kindly at the lithe form. He moved to buy her a drink. «Milk for pussens,» he thought, but then thought twice. Mr. S. examined the space surrounding him. Dark woods, pictures of a peculiar fellow named Joyce, and a Golden Tee machine rounded out the authenticity of this Irish pub. Well done space, Mr. S. thought. Where was the dart board? He glanced round him. No.
He sought to pay the man with the trays. He had eaten and drank with his friends and enjoyed their conversation:
–A good day to you!
–Lovely weather sir!
–Tis all that.
He dug into his pocket, ten, fifteen pence perhaps, instead drawing out his credit card. The man with the trays tendered his card, smiling broadly. And Mr. S took his card from the man and, fingering his car keys, proceeded to the remainder of his day. The day had bloomed forth and he stepped forward into the sun.

James Joyce Pub is a quaint little pub in Avondale Estates. They have a fantastic patio which is great during the Spring and Fall.
Service is attentive. The menu offers good pub fare and even some higher end choices (grilled salmon and risotto). I love a place that offers tots (tater not children) and JJ offers this as a side instead of fries. Their tap menu is excellent.
This is a great place for brunch, trivia, lunch, dinner — anytime.