Atlanta’s The Irish Exit Serves Up Southern Hospitality and a Frozen Irish Coffee Worth the Trip
BEFORE YOU SIP
The Irish Exit is an Irish pub located across from State Farm Arena and comes from the team behind NYC’s The Dead Rabbit.
The cocktail menu blends Atlanta and Irish influences, featuring drinks like the Frozen Irish Coffee made with Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey and Mr Black Coffee Liqueur.
The pub offers a selection of small bites like Kerrygold Butter Popcorn, a Cheeseburger with Dill Pickle Sauce, and Irish “Spice Bag” Fries.
If you’ve visited downtown Atlanta in recent weeks, particularly during World Cup, then you know that the area has welcomed a number of new restaurants and attractions. COSM, an entertainment venue with a massive dome viewing area, and The CTR (the former CNN Center food court) are among the notable attractions.
I had the chance to visit The CTR on numerous occasions and I’m still plotting my visit to COSM, but for me, there’s another downtown addition that has me eagerly planning my next visit.
The Irish Exit is a new Irish pub located right across the street from State Farm Arena. It serves as the latest venture from the team behind beloved NYC pub, The Dead Rabbit.
The menu features an array of cocktails that take their cue from both Atlanta and Irish culture. And of course, there’s plenty of beer on tap.
I haven’t had a Guinness in years, but having one at The Irish Exit reminded me of exactly why this was one of the first beers I fell in love with. It was rich, perfectly chilled, and had the most immaculate head of foam.
There were at least three bartenders when we visited on a Thursday night (there are two sides, so there may have been an extra bartender that I missed). All of the bartenders were super friendly, and the one serving us let us try out a couple of samples.
The first drink we sampled was the Frozen Irish Coffee. It features Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey, Mr Black Coffee Liqueur, Five Farms Irish Cream, cold brew coffee, cane sugar, and cream. Sorry to my pint of Guinness, but this was my favorite from our trip to The Irish Exit. It was nice and icy, which is very much appreciated in this Georgia heat. And it was just the right amount of booze, coffee, and sweetness. The pub also serves a regular Irish Coffee if that’s more your speed.
The second cocktail we sampled was the Centennial Cooler. It wasn’t on the menu, so I don’t remember the exact ingredients. I just remember it being peachy and boozy. I wasn’t a huge fan.
Also, the food menu is pretty limited. There are just shy of 10 items on the food menu, and they include a variety of small bites like their Kerrygold Butter Popcorn, a Cheeseburger with Dill Pickle Sauce, and the Irish “Spice Bag” Fries.
I was most intrigued by the Irish “Spice Bag” Fries, which is described as featuring crispy chicken and curry sauce, so my friend and I decided to split an order. Yeah…no. The fries were pretty meh, the crispy chicken was almost non-existent, and the curry sauce was peculiar. I didn’t enjoy it, but I am at least willing to give it a second try. Maybe it was an off day for Spice Bags. I dunno…
Also, let’s talk TVs. Because I know this is an important topic given that The Irish Exit is right next to both State Farm Arena and Mercedes-Benz Stadium. I didn’t spot a ton of TVs, but I also wasn’t really looking for them since we weren’t there for a sporting event. So if you’re planning on visiting The Irish Exit to watch a game, you might want to call ahead.
All in all, I had a great time at The Irish Exit and definitely plan on paying another visit before the month is up.