Those on the eastern edge of Acworth along Bells Ferry Road now have a neighborhood pub of the "Cheers" ilk close to home. A few months ago, Joe Murphy opened the doors to the Tavern, a 298-seat refurbished former steakhouse that he revamped into his idea of a cool place for adults to hang out. (This is a smoking bar; patrons must be 21 or older to enter.)

"I live nearby and have known this building for some time," said Murphy, who is making his first foray into the food-and-bar business.

Renee Brock/AJC special (ENLARGE)
Recent lunch special offered roast pork,mashed potatoes and peas.
Renee Brock/AJC special (ENLARGE)
The Tavern, in a revamped steakhouse \uFEFFin Acworth, has pool tables, live music, karaoke and poker – not to mention lunch specials, brews aplenty and a relaxed vibe.
Renee Brock/AJC special (ENLARGE)
Hot wings are a standby that satisfies.
MOST POPULAR STORIES 'Housewives' star forced to move from Duluth home Who are metro Atlanta's sexiest men? Prosecutor: Jealousy behind Hudson family killings Six Flags to auction part of Monster Plantation Woman sues Tyler Perry for copyright infringement
EMAIL THIS PRINT THIS MOST POPULAR

His philosophy: Keep it simple. You want eggs in the afternoon? No problem. "Just ask the cook and he'll whip it up."

Easygoing pub grub

The official menu keeps things simple as well. Prices don't go any higher than $10.95, and that's only on Saturday nights after 6, when the kitchen cooks up a prime rib special with a baked potato and salad. The rest of the lineup is casual, starting with an array of favorite appetizers. Dig into potato skins, chicken wings, onion rings, queso dip, jalapeño poppers, a personal-size pizza, nachos and chicken tenders. Get your veggie allowance with a plate of fried green beans. Bowls of homemade jambalaya blend chicken, shrimp and sausage with rice in a spicy broth.

The Tavern burger is a third of a pound of beef, with your choice of toppings. Hot dogs come plain or smothered with chili, cheese and onions. Sandwiches are stuffed with grilled chicken, roast beef, ham and bacon, and there's a stacked club as well as a chicken or beef Philly cheese steak.

The chefs whip up daily lunch specials for $5.25 that may be meatloaf with mashed potatoes and veggies or baked chicken with potato salad and green beans.

From the bar

The Tavern has six beers on draft and another 30 in bottles. The rotating "draft of the day" goes for $1. There are 10 wines by the glass or bottle, as well as a full cocktail menu. Each day, a select shooter is priced at $3.

Just for fun

One side of the Tavern houses pool tables; another room is the stage for the live music that plays on weekends. There's trivia on Sundays, open mic night every Monday and karaoke on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Tavern hosts several poker groups that play during the week, as well as a pool league that gets together every Thursday. Murphy also plans to start a dart league on Mondays.