Porter Beer Bar has reopened in Atlanta’s Little Five Points

Two years after changing ownership, beloved Little Five Points beer bar The Porter reopened its doors in May.

Since reopening, old regulars have come in droves to exchange hugs and have a few beers while swapping Porter stories at the bar. Curious newcomers to Atlanta have also ventured into The Porter to see what the L5P institution is all about.

The Porter is alive again with the chatter of conversations, the cacophony of clinking beer glasses and waiters taking orders and serving food. It stays that way, from the beer bar opening at 5 p.m. until last call at midnight.

Molly Gunn and chef Nick Rutherford handed over the reins to Manny’s and Euclid Avenue Yacht Club owner Manny Maloof and longtime Atlanta chef EJ Hodgkinson in 2022.

What was supposed to be a quick refresh of The Porter to upgrade it for a new era under Maloof and Hodgkinson turned into a two-year ordeal of unforeseen setbacks with permitting and repairs. The back bar, for example, which once housed The Porter’s extensive whiskey and glassware collections, has begun to separate from the wall. After removing the bottles and glassware from the shelves of the old back bar, they polished and stored everything until the custom back bar arrived.

The new back bar offered Maloof and Hodgkinson the opportunity to display the beautiful glassware collected over the years by Gunn and Rutherford, while also showcasing the variety of glassware for different styles of beer served at the Porter.

The Porter features 18 pressure lines and 60 pressure taps, up from 42. The vintage beer list is back, now handwritten and displayed in the dining room on three giant boards spanning the length of the wall (Le Porter offers 800 different beers and nearly 5,000 bottles). Maloof and Hodgkinson have also added cocktails on tap and more non-alcoholic options to the menu.

The dining area beyond the main bar features custom banquettes and tables as well as new artwork. During renovations, they discovered a terrazzo floor beneath the Spanish tiles. Even the bathrooms got attention, repairing years of damage to the floors and plumbing.

But despite some needed improvements, The Porter’s laid-back, community vibe remains firmly intact.

“It started with Nick and Molly and what they did from the beginning. It wasn’t just a beer bar. They offered a lot of whiskey and cocktails, which helped The Porter receive a James Beard semifinalist nomination for best bar program,” said Bob Townsend, a Porter regular and food columnist and contributor to the AJC Beer Town. “Nick’s food was supposed to go with the beer, but then he would make these unique specialties that came from his background in fine dining. This made The Porter stand out. It wasn’t all about the beer, and that helped them build fan loyalty.

Fan favorites from Rutherford’s days in The Porter’s kitchen, like fish and chips, goat cheese donuts, fall apart pretzel and salt and vinegar popcorn, are all back, sprinkled between Hodgkinson’s new dishes. There is now a smash burger on the menu and a veggie burger with an artisanal patty topped with gruyere cheese.

Paying homage to Rutherford’s foodie roots at Seeger’s in Atlanta, which helped make Porter’s wildly creative menu so extraordinary, Hodgkinson created new dishes such as Georgia Shrimp Toast, Crispy Hen of the Woods Mushrooms with a French onion dip and umami salt, and a grilled cauliflower starter with cauliflower puree, grilled mushrooms, chimichurri and Espelette pepper.

Maloof and Hodgkinson will soon launch weekend brunch and will consider adding lunch to the lineup if demand dictates.

“People tell us what’s important to them at The Porter. They tell us what’s special to them and what they want to see more of here. We honor that as best we can,” Hodgkinson said. “Don’t fix what’s not broken with The Porter. We just came in and repaired 14 years of wear and tear to make sure this place is around for a long time.

Take a look at the Porter Beer Bar menu:

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 5 p.m. to midnight. Weekend brunch to come.