Highlight #172: pleasant and comfortable - Restaurant: Leon's full service

The restaurant business is tough. Almost everyday, I hear news about some place closing. But there is one formula that almost seems immune to the times and that's the formula of a down to earth pub, a place where people go either alone or with a group, whether to celebrate or to sulk. In Decatur, there has always been the Brickstore. If I don't tell my husband J where to go, he automatically drives in its direction. But now, just a few doors down, there is a fresher and sunnier option.

Leon's Full Service came from the same roots as the Brickstore. As such, it inherited a similarly excellent drink list. One thing I always loved about going to the Brickstore is that I can have a glass of wine in the beer place without feeling like I've made a very stupid decision. Sure, the beers are the main attraction, but the point is that the wines don't feel like an afterthought. And that same philosophy applies at Leon's to both the wine list and the food here.

There is nothing overly different on the eats menu. A few fun things here and there for sure. Bacon in a jar with peanut butter for dipping? If that doesn't make you smile, your outlook on life needs reevaluation. :) J must have been fully starved as he went straight for all the meats and potatoes. The pig smörgås is essentially the old favorite combination of ham and pineapple on toast. It features Benton's country ham, something I've enjoyed all over town. I couldn't quite taste the cherry jam, but it's really not the key ingredient, so didn't hurt the overall enjoyability of this dish. Starch, meat, fruit, and cheese all in one bite is hard to complain about.

Continuing the meat and starch theme, we also asked for the currywurst. For some reason, J expected the curry to be in the wurst itself. :) Maybe we are really due that trip with our favorite friends to Germany so he can eat some proper wursts. No one serves the whites I like here.

Then there are the pub fries. They are a few shades darker than the usual, but are not burnt. The taste is pleasant and nice, just like all the other food here. It's not the best I've ever had, but it is nonetheless satisfying. Combining the pleasantness of the food with the comfort of an excellently airy place to drink, Leon's full service is nothing short of the winning formula.

Leon's Full Service
131 E Ponce de Leon Ave | Decatur, Georgia
404.687.0500