One of my problems, if not my only problem, with Lili Marlene’s is that it’s always been the only bar of its kind in town. Which means that sometimes when you want to sit in a dark loungy bar listening to Portishead you can’t, because 750 other people all want to be doing the same thing at the same time and sometimes it’s dark or loungy in there at all. Plus all the bartenders are really frigging lovable and friendly and cute and popular and talented at making drinks, which makes it even more crowded.

So the other night I stopped by The Avery, JR’s brand-new titty bar bar that happens to have lots of breast imagery everywhere. As I suspected, the former Decatur location was crazy busy. JR himself was behind the bar so the drinks were good (and cheapish!) I didn’t get close enough to the bar to see what kinds of fancy libations he had back there, but that’s okay, because there’s a lot of other stuff to look at in that place once your eyes adjust to the darkness. more »