When your business resides on the hippest gay street in town and your customers are as straight-inclusive and cool as they come, it’s nice to get some citywide recognition. Just ask Joystick Gamebar.
Like its gay neighbors at the helm of Church and Noni’s, Joystick is gay-run but not gay-narrow. The editors over at Thrilllist get that, and they knew that the arcade and eatery had to be Old Fourth Ward’s best date night when selecting Great Date Ideas for each Atlanta neighborhood. The appeal goes for gay and straight couples alike.
Old Fourth Ward
Joystick Gamebar
427 Edgewood Ave SE
Atlanta, GA 30312
404.525.3002
Restaurants are always a solid date choice, because you gotta eat. But when you pair delicious snacks (Illegal Foods started out here) with great drinks and classic arcade games, you’re guaranteed to have a good time. And if you’re really hitting it off, you can always wander over to the dim, cozy lounge room on the other side of the arcade and recreate Daniel LaRusso and Ali’s arcade date from the original Karate Kid.
How could you resist? You couldn’t. That’s what Johnny Martinez (photo right) and Brandon Ley (left) were counting on when they made a commitment to big fun and provocative ideas on Edgewood.
As flattering as the shout-out is, accolades are nothing new for Joystick. It’s regularly selected among Atlanta’s Best Bars, and its oh-so-welcoming-and-inclusive block has also been called the city’s Best Nightlife District. It’s good to be one of the gay reasons to love Old Fourth Ward. No wonder the proprietors in the area actually get paid to fluff their façades with cold, hard cash.
Photo byJ Cassoni Photography
