First-time visitors may not get the appeal: the service can be painfully slow and the drinks are not cheap---but Trader Vic's is a living legend in tiki history. The fact that Atlanta claims one of only five in the country is such a treat that I will gladly pay $7-10 and eagerly wait 5-15 mins for their potent, exotic cocktails, like a spicy Navy Grog, a cucumber-garnished Suffering Bastard, or the perfectly-mixed Mai Tai, an original creation of the chain's colorful, one-legged entrpreneur-founder, Vic Bergeron. Home of Creative Loafing's ""Best Bartender in Atlanta,"" Trader Vic's is a place for special celebrations. Go with cash, patience and a four-drink maximum. Stay in the bar area and keep away from the dinner menu (the bar apps are divine) and you'll soon be paddling your way to polynesian nirvana with a ukulele and a song.
Pros: unique since 1932, exotic drinks, decor!
Cons: dinner menu, crowded weekend
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