Pinky Cole, the owner of the famous Slutty Vegan finally opened Bar Vegan this past weekend located in Ponce City Market. I was excited because Ponce does not have a lot of vegan options for patrons while shopping. When the bar was first announced last year, the press release described it as a bar theater that would be a fun, high energy atmosphere with exciting and exotic visual presentations of food and drink. In addition to drinks, they were to offer sandwiches, salads, egg rolls, cauliflower wings, cheesesteak, and tots.
My first impression walking in was that it was beautiful and vibrant. The bar also had great music (hip hop, R&B, afrobeat). Unfortunately, in order to sit at a table you must spend a minimum of $250. The bar had limited availability and it took about 20 minutes to finally get two seats. Possibly because it was All-Star Weekend.
Covid Restrictions
- No temp check
- Staff wears mask
- They sanitize after each guest
- Staff doesn’t wear gloves
- Contactless menu
- No social distancing or limited capacity seating
- Provide Sanitizer
The menu is very limited. As far as food, they were only offering cheesesteak and tots which was priced at $16. The drinks were also $16. I tried the Mexican Margarita and a Mojito. They did not offer any specialty drinks. Also, a guest next to me had an old fashion which was full of ice. Traditionally an old fashion has one large cube of ice. The cheesesteak was amazing, but my tots were cold. The staff quickly replaced those cold tots with hot ones. The drinks were very light, which was disappointing considering the price.
Food Menu 
Drink Menu 
Bottle Service
Overall, I will give it another chance. Maybe when there is not a major event going on in Atlanta (it is All-Star Weekend). I love that Bar Vegan is black owned, in a great location, and has a great ambiance. They need more food options and better drinks, but hopefully, this changes as time goes on. Bar Vegan gave me an ATL lounge/club vibe with sections & a DJ , instead of normal restaurant seating. Considering Bar Vegan is located at Ponce City Market, I would have liked to be able to sit and enjoy my food in a booth (with limited seating/social distancing). I also did not like that they charged gratuity to small groups and they do not accept cash.
To see more of my reviews please head over to my yelp page here.