Wander into the courtyard at Bootleggers Augusta Bar & Grill by the Riverwalk, and you'll probably decide to stay awhile. Even during a hot September day, it feels like a getaway from the downtown construction and heat of late summer in Augusta.
Bootleggers is located between Reynolds Street and the river at 816 Cotton Lane off 8th Street and near the Cotton Exchange. There's plenty of parking in the front of the restaurant.
The courtyard is mostly shaded with several large outdoor overhead fans that keep things cool. There are shrubs and other plants, and an artificial grass wall that softens the brick and gives the space a cozy feel. And there are plenty of tables,
chairs, and five big-screen TVs. It's the kind of place you want to sit down and order a drink along with lunch or dinner.
Inside Bootleggers is where the fun happens. Bootleggers' website describes itself as having a "sports/dive-bar vibe."
Inside, there are more big-screen TVs, slot machines, dart boards, and other games for entertainment, along with a loaded menu to enjoy in the ample seating available at tables or at the long old wood bar with plenty of high stools.
Across the courtyard, there's a room with a pool table. And there's karaoke with a DJ on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
Bootleggers opened two years ago by the owners of the Bootleggers Savannah. It had been Noble Jones before that, said manager Taylor Cross.
The most popular menu item is chicken wings, and customers eat a lot of chicken wings, Cross said. In Savannah, it's hamburgers that are most popular. Bootleggers' Almost Famous Jumbo Wings come bone-in in baskets with up to 50 wings.
The menu is large, with typical bar food like salads, sandwiches, fries, onion rings, quesadillas, fried mushrooms, tacos, nachos, and more.
During this visit, the daily special, the Bootlegger Burger with fries, was ordered. The burger was well-cooked, and the bun was so soft. The fries were also delicious.
Cross said Bootlegger's is sort of a hybrid establishment.
By day it's a restaurant. At 8 p.m., it becomes more of a bar, and only those 21 and older can enter. And the atmosphere is more entertainment-oriented.
Copley said Bootleggers occasionally holds theme nights where the staff and any participating guests dress up with themes like Halloween and superheroes.
Bootleggers is open seven days each week. Monday through Saturday, it's open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and from 11 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. To see the menu and order online, visit the website at www.bootleggersaugusta.com.
Jennifer Miller covers food and business for The Augusta Chronicle. She can be reached at jmiller@USATodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Bootleggers pairs shaded courtyard with late-night fun | Exclusive
