On game nights, the noise at the 11,000-square-foot Taco Mac at the Prado, with its eighty-plus TVs, could puncture eardrums. Those in the know—and who are seasoned beer drinkers at Taco Mac with a special card—can stroll down the sidewalk to a concealed steel door and slip into the quiet swankiness of the Fred, a members-only hangout with calming wood- and stone-lined walls. Servers pass out iPads that list artisanal bottled beers as well as seasonal brews on tap. To gain access to the Fred (named after the chain’s beverage director, Fred Crudder), ask a server at any Taco Mac for details: You’ll need to sign up for the company’s Brewniversity awards program.
Drink This: Allagash Curieux, a tripel ale from Maine aged in Jim Beam bourbon barrels.
5600 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs, thefredbar.com
This listing originally appeared in our June 2012 issue.
