The Family Dog

Whenever Sarah McLachlan belts, “In the arms of an angel” during those ASPCA commercials, we head straight to The Family Dog’s patio to hug the closest schnauzer. The outdoor area of this Virginia-Highland/Morningside bar has roughly ten tables and a congregation of canines waiting for their owners to “accidentally” drop scraps of thin-patty cheeseburgers on the ground. Inside, there are no dogs. But there are TVs perpetually tuned into ESPN and strangers discussing Atlanta’s latest sports debacle over good beer. While most people just come here to drink something locally made (like Scofflaw and Sweetwater), The Family Dog also makes decent bar bites like a towering plate of nachos with ground beef and queso, and solid lemon pepper wings. Basically, The Family Dog is like a waterboy during a tennis match: useful when you need a drink, but forgettable when you aren’t thirsty. And that's just fine with us (and probably all the dogs on the patio, too).