Universal Joint

Universal Joint is a pub, and the wine list knows it. But credit where it's due: they actually list wines. The selection runs about a dozen options including Ecco Domani Pinot Grigio ($8/$28), Hess Select Chardonnay ($9/$32), Mark West Pinot Noir ($9/$32), Bogle Merlot ($8/$28), and 14 Hands Cabernet ($9/$32). Canyon Road and Barefoot round out the budget end. It's a distributor checklist, but the prices are honest and there are no $30 glasses of Josh Cellars hiding in the list.

This is a beer bar that happens to serve wine. The craft beer list is the real program here, and that's fine. The wine exists for the person at the table who doesn't want a beer, and it serves that function at fair prices. No pretension, no apology.

The prices are fair and the wine is drinkable, but the selection is pure autopilot. A pub with a full bar and this much foot traffic could stock one interesting local Georgia wine or a single surprising by-the-glass option and instantly upgrade the experience. The effort just isn't there yet.