Right at home

"The whole bar is a little bit tongue-in-cheek,” said Feizal Valli as he described the bar he and his wife, Rachael Roberts, opened downtown, The Atomic Bar and Lounge. They don’t want to take themselves — or their bar — too seriously.

Valli and Roberts first crossed paths at The Collins Bar, which Valli helped design and where Roberts served. A few years later, on New Year’s Day in 2016, they left The Collins Bar to open one of their own.

“In a way, I had already opened a bar,” Valli said. “Except The Collins Bar belonged to somebody else.”

Eight months later, they signed the lease for their new bar at 2113 First Ave. N., just days before they were married, Valli said.

After trying out what Roberts said must have been 20 designs for potential bars — one of which included a miniature version of Avondale for a mini golf course — they decided on an iconic mid-century modern look with furniture from all over the country. 

Guests can chat on barstools from Louisville, Knoxville, Nashville and Chattanooga or relax in booths from Detroit under lights from Miami.

“I’ve always been a fan of mid-century modern. Furniture wise, it’s so timeless,” Valli said. It also adds to that feeling of being at home. 

The artwork in the bar fits the theme, with a large re-creation of the Beatles’ famous Sgt. Pepper album hanging above the bar featuring local Birmingham celebrities and a giant grid of friends and regulars painted in an Andy Warhol fashion decorating the back wall. 

Photos line the walls, too, but they aren’t just random celebrities; they’re baby pictures from friends, family and locals. Even the trophies belonged to Roberts and her brother. 

“As people come in and see this space, we ask them to bring in theirs, too,” Valli said. “We want it to be more like a home.”

Valli and Roberts carried that welcoming and tongue-in-cheek feeling by adding another element to The Atomic: costumes.

After visiting Las Vegas with friends and having a second wedding, this time Elvis-themed, Valli and Roberts decided they liked the idea of having a bar where “unspoken walls” are broken down. 

“I’m from New Orleans, so it wasn’t uncommon for me to go out on a Wednesday as a rabbit all night and shoot some pool,” Valli said. “Just because you’re in that booth with your friends doesn’t mean someone can’t come over and ask you why you’re dressed as a chicken.”

The costumes range from animals to the Elvis outfits they wore in Las Vegas, and Valli said they’re hoping to add more group sets as well. 

Just like with the costumes, Valli and Roberts didn’t want to take their drink menu too seriously, either. 

Take one of their signature drinks, the Sex Panther. Valli said it’s an old fashioned with a twist, and is named after the cologne from the movie “Anchorman.” It even comes with a temporary tattoo of a snarling panther. 

“We want some of the drinks to be a little ridiculous,” he said. “I think we’ve lost the reason why people go out and drink in the first place.”

Roberts agreed, saying the main idea is to help people unwind and feel welcome with drinks and company; they want The Atomic to feel like the bars that they frequent. 

“This is a place where it’s super easy to be a regular. When you’re a regular, it’s not just a Bud Light waiting for you. Your face goes up on the wall. Pictures of your parents go up on the wall,” Valli said. 

“It’s not really a business,” Roberts added. “It feels more like home.”

The Atomic Bar and Lounge is open from 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday and from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. 

For more information, go to theatomiclounge.com.