The Five Spot

Shitty room, shitty sound, shitty beer prices. Just a shitty place.

I’m really starting to love The Five Spot as a live music venue. Why? I’ll list it out.
1. NON SMOKING. Yesss.
2. Better than average, well priced beer selection. Session, yes please.
3. Awesomely friendly bartenders that will play Rock, Paper, Scissors with you with your Session bottle caps.
4. Great location right on the strip in L5P.
5. A divey atmosphere that’s comfortable but cleaner-​than-​divey bathrooms. Bonus.
6. They book Megan Jean and the KFB on the regular, and for that they deserve all the stars in the world.

Thank you to one of my heroes, Vanessa T., she led me on a trek way past my bedtime on a «school» night (what I call a weeknight) to see a band she got me hooked on that performed at one of our awesome elite events.
Tickets were $ 7 (a steal for a show), and I purchased them just hours before the event. My printer wasn’t working, but it said to just write the confirmation and everything will be ok. So I did just that. Getting there around 11ish on a Wed. night, I parked in the lot in the back. There were 3 paystations, and I ended up putting my money in one. Then a homeless guy came up to me and said parking was free, and asked for money, I told him to fish out the money I just put in the damn machine. He didn’t think I was being serious, and kept walking. Also, I tried parking my car next to 4 vintage mobiles, then some dude came up to me and told me to move my car, as they were props for a movie set (WTF) and that a bunch of movie trailers should be rolling in any moment and would block me in. So I finally found a somewhat legit/​safe place to park.
Then I got to the door– the «bouncer» (the guy was the size of my right arm) was drunk, and I tried to explain to him my situation, as my name was not on the list– but I had the confirmation number… Someone was about to get their asses handed to them if they wouldn’t let me in, as it took me 45 minutes to get there and I had to be awake for work by 245AM. He went to his boss and came back 15 minutes later, and let me in– explaining to me there was a glitch in their ticketing system and it should have already been cut off. I am just glad I got to get it.
Got to see Unilocal buddies, including The Empress herself, Vanessa, Charlie, and Tanya. It was great seeing them!
The place was cozy, but not crowded– I could hear conversations, and there were plenty of seats. The bar was in the back, the stage up front.
Lots of beer options, which was nice– including PBR– yeeea! The bartenders were nice as well. The place was nonsmoking, but re-​entry was simple, as long as you had a stamp.
The show itself was great, but I couldn’t stay for the whole thing. I was glad I got to make it, as things finally simmered down…
Initially, that parking and ticketing crap really got me going…

The Five Spot = «The Hot Spot»
On an average weekend, one will find me in Midtown or Buckhead. I typically neglect Little Five Points; I guess for lack of familiarity with the area. That is, until I discovered The Five Spot.
This place is «The Spot.» The warm vibe, cheap drinks, and retro feel makes this place hot. Has it been a long week? Are you looking for somewhere to chill and enjoy good company? Then The Five Spot is for you.

If you love hipsters, terrible sound quality, and a decent beer list, this is the place for you!
I came here on Saturday night to see Clark Paterson with some friends. I hadn’t ever been to this spot, so I figured I would check it out. The bartenders here are awesome. I never had to wait more than a minute to get a beer as they were always asking people if they needed anything. They have some decent beers on tap. Southern Pecan, Hopsecutioner, etc.
It’s a long space with a bar in the bar, some tables in the middle and the stage on one end. Certainly designed to direct your attention to the stage, even when at the bar.
I was expecting a place that focuses so heavily on the music to have better sound quality. I actually felt bad for the musicians because the bass was up way too high and the vocals were down too low. They NEED to hire a new sound guy. The kid working the board had no idea what he was doing. You could barely hear the singers, even the second act with the Eddie Vedder lookalike screaming in the mic.
Expect to see a lot of scarves and thick black-​rimmed glasses.

Nice concert venue with decently priced drinks. This is where the young kids hang out and that’s alright. I have seen a few shows here that are pretty reasonably priced.
Sound is decent and its fun to hang out in the parking lot!

The WORST place to see a show.
I spent $ 50+ to buy 2 tickets to see Lloyd Cole on Saturday, June 18^th. The start time was posted as 8:30 and we got there before 8pm. There were just a bunch of plastic chairs that were already taken up. Who knew you had to arrive several hours early just to get a seat??? Parking was a total nightmare. This place is a DUMP! I will never, ever buy any tickets for a show at this hell-​hole.

Yes. Love Kirk and his place. This is such a great spot in the Little Five points area. They always have a great band playing, friendly staff, and suprisingly awesome bar food.

really cool bar, the bartenders were cool, quick and attentive.
BUT the food, I had the pork tenderloin special on Friday. tasted pretty good, BUT I only got 5 slices, little bit of spinach, and half a scoop of mash. happy meals are bigger than this.
Would come back for the drinks and music, not the food.

MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE PLACE TO GRAB A DRINK!
I love the 5 Spot! The food is great, the staff is AMAZING and there’s always good tunes going on! I never have a bad night @ the 5 Spot! The drinks are always good and the prices are just right! The Art, the Atmosphere… Little Five Points BEST Bar/​Venue!!! Where else can you see Col. Bruce stop in on a Tuesday night and get up on stage and jam & and the Monday Funk Night is FuNkY, its never a dull moment at the 5!!!

I don’t know how I’d missed this place but I think I’m going to have to update my profile because I’ve found my latest crush. This place is the essence of cool in that it is so varied and diverse and I LOVE that! I also love the dive bar feel and the closeness of the stage but with enough room to shake a tail feather, when so inclined.
I came here for the MLK Funk Day and boy was I funked. Hard. The band was huge and extremely talented and the crowd was definitely feeling the groove.
I drove past the place a couple of times because I am directionally (and sometimes simply visually) challenged, so I completely missed the very large and convenient parking lot right beside it. I ended up parking on the street and had no issues (thankfully), but now that I know there is parking, um… duh!
I was fairly impressed with the beer options and the bartenders were very friendly and attentive, which was sorta surprising considering how busy it was. Gotta like that.
Now that this place is on my radar, it will be very difficult to stop me from going back.

We went here for SantaCon, probably the best stop of the night. Didn’t feel packed in and there was a pretty good band. Beer prices were decent and it was generally good atmosphere. This place was great for a small concert… just enough room for everyone to enjoy the music and dance.
Bathrooms were decent for a bar… I actually experienced going to the men’s room due to the super long wait and it was not bad. The wait to get a drink was not bad considering that it was super busy because of SantaCon’s crowds.
Loved the place and the atmosphere. Can’t wait to return to this place… awesome place to listen to bands and just dance the night away.

A very small little dive bar, that occasionally has great music. I wouldn’t come here unless I was already in little 5 or unless I specifically liked a band that is playing there.

I’m some what shocked to find out I haven’t written a review on the Five Spot before. I’ve been coming here off and on for almost 10 years with increased frequency in recent months.
They generally have great live music and maintain a good crowd. In turn, you’ll likely be paying a cover so just be prepared. It generally runs around $ 10 a person.
The beer selection is decent. The food is surprisingly good. The bartenders rock. It’s a great dive bar with a good vibe and energy. Definitely a spot to check out the next time you’re in little 5 if you haven’t already.

I’d never been to the Five Spot before last night, but I’m glad we decided to head out.
We went for the music — a performer I’ve known for several years was there. We didn’t eat, but I was definitely impressed with the menu and the looks of the few things I saw around.
I was absolutely impressed with the beer selection. The beer list was easy to read, and I’m not even sure that it reflected everything they had available. Prices aren’t great — $ 5 range for most of the beers, which is the same as the super nice bar up the street. Probably a little high for this joint, but people pay it.
Parking is a little rough because of the closeness to the Variety Playhouse — if you’re planning on heading over there, make sure you have alternative parking ideas, because if there’s a halfway decent show over there, the parking lot will fill up quick.
As a music venue, the Five Spot made me happy. The place is small, but the sound is good– obviously their sound guy knows what he’s doing. The stage fit a seven piece band and they didn’t seem too cramped. There is ample standing room, although half of the bar area has a blocked view of the stage so if you want to sit at the bar and watch the music, get there early.
And probably my favorite part — its non smoking. Theres a little porch, so you can go outside and smoke and still be able to hear the music, but I can go home not reeking of second hand smoke.
The bathrooms could have used a little help — the ladies room was out of soap the first time I went in, before the headliner even went on, and the stall doors don’t quite close enough to lock. But they were clean, and that’s better than several other places I’ve been.
All in all, I enjoyed the experience. I’d love to go to more shows at the Five Spot, and maybe try some food next time.

Five stars for five spot
You never know what you are going to get music wise and you never know what type of people are going to be there and I love it. Generally though, the crowd is super diverse in terms of age, race, orientation, class, even style. You can have a girl there with the normal club wear on (dress & heels) and you can also have a girl with like leggins, blazer, scarf and flats on (that would be me, wave, say hello).
The Bartenders are the sweetest. They are super quick, attentive if you are at the bar, and conversational if you are one of those folks who, everytime you are asked what would you like to drink, acts as if it was the first time. I have yet to have a mixed drink there but there is a good selection of liquor in general (I have made my way up and down the hard ciders).
The food was surprisingly good. I had nachos. There was way to much there to eat in one sitting, especially because it was loaded with cheese. In my mind, these are good things to be able to complain about.
If you like live music and a relaxed atmosphere, I would give this place a try.
There is a parking lot but you have to be there pretty early to get one.

I’m so late in posting this review but hey, better late than never right.
I was actually surprised when I was finally taken to partake in a little live music and drinks here at the Fivespot. I mean honestly I had heard some really good things about this place but always had my own assumptions which kept me from ever coming here. I’ve been to Elmyr, i’ve been to Star Bar, and i’ve been to possibly everwhere else in Little 5 Points and never once attempted to drop in the FiveSpot. From the outside it just looked like it would be a tiny little hole in the wall spot and for some reason I always assumed it was 18+ which to me meant i’d been surrounded by children and would leave feeling like a cougar or old maid. lol I may be wrong but I think it is 18+ actually.
Either way long story short I had a great time at this joint. It was actually much bigger than I would have imagined, plenty of seating and standing place for a live music venue, very polite and helpful staff with reasonably priced drinks and I just really dug the vibe this place gave off. It was chill and relaxed and a place that I can say I would definitely return to. Technically I originally visted about 2 or 3 weeks ago and we’ve gone once a week since I popped my FiveSpot cherry. Also since I did mention it was a live music venue they had some great artists performing on the nights i’ve been and you can also take a gander around the place at the local art work on the walls as well. Adds a nice touch I’d have to say.
See you soon FiveSpot.

Saw the fantastic Lloyd’s Rocksteady Revue tonight-​very tight and a great vibe. FUNFUNFUN! A cool, comfortable hang…

The Five Spot has a special place in my… stomach LOL. Their quesadillas are Fantastic. They have pretty good beer prices. And YES the disco trivia on Tuesday nights are fun.
Me and my trivia buddy won 3^rd place our 1^st time playing there, although, it sounds like we were the losers we won $ 20 comp. from the place and got to use it at anytime which was cool.
The bartenders are all so kind. And the Manager that I met was sweet and funny (and this was on a busy, event night and she was still cool).
The Five Spot makes sure all there customers are happy and taken care of.
~Thanks Five Spot, keep it up~

Not only is this a fantastic overlooked bar. They have great food, I recommend the ATL. Its like a BLT, but with Avocado, Bacon and Lettuce. Yumm! The Chicken Noodle Soup is also a winner. I like everything I’ve tried from here. but those two are my top choices.
I like the dark, very open feel of the place. Its the perfect spot in L5P to do lunch on a hot day. And if you don;t like to talk to everyone who recognizes you as they walk by while you are trying to eat.