The Rusty Nail, an Atlanta mainstay for nearly five decades, is closing. The pub, located at 2900 Buford Highway, will have a "Last Call" Saturday September 23, before closing for the final time. Located in what is today part of the City of Brookhaven, the dive bar opened in 1974 and became a landmark, in part due to the 18 foot (smoking) gun out front.
The Rusty Nail is typically open until 1 AM on Saturdays but we are told the sendoff party might go a little later!
Occupying a onetime KFC, The Rusty Nail added a second outpost along Roswell Road in Sandy Springs in 1978. The Sandy Springs location closed last August, at which time it was understood that owner Nick Cardellino would shift his focus to the Buford Highway outpost.
Unlike the Sandy Springs property which Cardellino owned, on Buford Highway he was a tenant and was reportedly recently informed by his landlord of their intention to sell. For his part, Cardellino was reportedly offered the opportunity to purchase, but given the age of the building and current cost of commercial land in Brookhaven, opted to close.
DeKalb County tax records indicate that the .7 acre property is owned by Bradbury Investment Partners, LP, an Atlanta-based entity. The property is currently zoned C3 and has for at least the past seven years been valued by the county at $456,000 ($326,800 for the land and $129,200 for the building.)
There is reportedly a chance that Cardellino reopens The Rusty Nail somewhere at some point but it's unlikely to be anywhere near Brookhaven.
What is your favorite dive bar in metro Atlanta? What former Atlanta area dive bar do you miss most? Other than a bank, car wash, Mattress Firm or Take 5 Oil Change, what would you like to see open in place of The Rusty Nail in Brookhaven?
Please share your thoughts below.