Riley's

Stopped by at about 3:30 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon. Riley’s is just off I-20 on Fulton Industrial Boulevard in a pretty sketchy part of west Atlanta. Driving through the area you will likely see random guys with low slung pants walking or bicycling around. A while back I pulled off the highway and pulled into a gas station in the area to take a telephone call. I wasn’t stopped more than a few minutes when a skanky looking streetwalker rapped on my car window and asked me if I wanted company. That’s the kind of neighborhood it is. Nevertheless, Riley’s looks pretty safe in daylight, even though I’m not sure I would come here at night.

As you might guess from the neighborhood, Riley’s is a typical dive bar. There is limited parking in a small lot in front of the building. There was no charge to park and no charge to enter, at least during my daytime visit. Upon entry there is an island bar immediately to your front, a pool table to the left, the main stage is to the right. There is also a smaller satellite stage to the right back. Restroom are past the bar in the back. The overall appearance is dated and worn, but not dilapidated. There were only 4 or 5 guys in the place, all white blue-collar looking types. A mixed drink at the bar set me back $7, about what you would expect.

The girls are generally also what you would expect for this type of place. There were maybe a half-dozen, all white, working when I walked in, ranging from 3 to 6 on my scale, except for one 7. (Maybe 8? More about her later). There were a wide variety of sizes, from skinny to plump. There weren’t any I would say were flat out ugly or obese, but most just didn’t have the curves or the face to dance at better places.