The Root

This is one of my favorite places in Athens. It’s pretty low key and has a great vibe! The bartenders are amazing: very knowledgeable and attentive. They need more seating for larger groups. Currently there is only one large booth/table. The prices are pretty reasonable. For me, this place gets 5 stars because of the atmosphere and ambience.

The Root is located in The Five Points section of Athens. It is located under The Pine and there is parking available in the back of The Pine. The Root is cozy with a large bar, televisions for sports enthusiasts and games for kids, ADD or drunk patrons. It's clean and the bathroom is clean. The craft and macro beer selection is better than average and the bartender has a list of interesting drinks that she's created. The menu is small-mostly snacks and small bites, but you are able to order the food from The Pine (located upstairs) and they will bring it down. People are friendly. It's an older crowd. Mostly white and kind of preppy, but still fun. The bartender is great and makes the place. She is smart, friendly, knowledgeable about the beer and drinks and on the ball. I would definitely recommend you go sit at the bar and have one of her specialty drinks or a beer.

After my dinner at The Pine upstairs, I wandered down to the basement of the building to have after dinner drinks at The Root. (For all the Athens' Natives the building Charbon's Outfitter's bicycle shop was in for the 90's and 2000's) I ordered an DIPA (Double IPA) I haven't tried yet from a local Athens brewery and to my disappointment, they were out.......While the selection of local brewery beer was extensive if you like Southern Brewing Company and Terrapin - no other beer on the menu really tickled my fancy, so I ordered a mixed drink. The drink I ordered was the same drink I ordered upstairs at The Pine, a custom tequila drink, but it might as well have been two completely different cocktails. Lime juice is to be used conservatively as the tartness can easily overpower what you are actually paying for in a high end cocktail, the premium liquor - or that's my personal opinion on using it. The bartender was very young, nothing unusual in a college town, and must not practice tasting new beverage requests as the drink was almost undrinkable. I forced the drink down, paid my tab for the drink and went back downtown to more familiar establishments to conclude the evening. I hope it was a one time bartender experience and hope my next experience makes the first very forgettable.