Leon’s Full Service
By Tom Maicon at March 9, 2009 | 4:08 pm | Print
Think Brick Store Pub beer in every sense, from temperature-conscious storage to a proper pour. Combine that with local grass-fed burgers (White Oak Pastures) and strips of Benton’s bacon, and you’ve got Leon’s Full Service (131 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Decatur, Tel: 404.687.0500), a new concept by the owners of Brick Store Pub.
Much to my surprise Leon’s went with a more fashionable look — modern with minimalism in mind. Those hoping for quirky a la Brick Store Pub will be disappointed.
The menu flaunts local sourcing and a few ingredients you’d only find at upscale restaurants, but like with any gastropub these days, the kitchen manages to strip these ingredients of all their pretentiousness making them fun and approachable.
For example, strips of Benton’s bacon are served in a glass with a glop of, uh, peanut butter for dipping. This fun combination works surprisingly well. The bacon lends a sense of salty to the peanut butter and in return gains a somewhat creamy, satisfying texture.
The local grass-fed burger, topped with Tillamook cheddar, homemade catsup and mustard, and butter pickles, is unquestionably the better of the sandwich offerings. Though the butter pickles are overpowering.
Burgers are obviously the hot thing these days, and as guilt by association would have it, so are fries. Here they are called pub frites, and they come in a package with a dozen or so options of coatings or, dipping sauces. Every server I asked pointed to a different favorite. I personally thought the mildly spiced masaman curry was best. Melanie, a big fan of smoky things, was partial to the smoked tomato mayo.
This time, the guys obviously put effort into the food program and instead of just being something there to soak up the alcohol, it’s a part of the experience, an experience that brings together craft beer and good food — two of my favorite things on earth. In terms of beer, besides a killer selection as one would expect, I was thrilled to learn that they serve by-the-glass pours from 750 ml bottles — what they call a “Biggie Shorty.” If I lived in Decatur, I’d be lush. Uh, well, a bigger lush.
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