El Malo — Restaurant in Atlanta

THIS IS THE OUT OF TOWN REVIEW YOU NEED: This covers the aesthetic with an emphasis on lighting, the space, service, and creature comforts......

I attended El Malo on 5/10/25 by way of Detroit MI, and was there from 10:30PM until closing. Upon arrival, I parked at the Atlanta Dairies Parking Deck, which is a very well lit space. Once you walk out of the deck, make a right. Malo is in a very unassuming place, but the closer you get to the building, you will soon realize where to go. The outside of this club is so plainly perfect, and seriously adds to the sexiness and mystery of the entire establishment. Once you enter, you will be greeted by multiple hosts. That initial space is all black, which I feel is intentional to give your brain and eyes time to adjust to the sexy yet warm lights all throughout the space, followed by a long red lit hallway that builds perfect anticipation. I would HIGHLY suggest making a seating reservation. There are more than 1 option to choose from, and honestly, they are all amazing:

Aesthetic/Space: ~The Serpent Room: Located in the back of the club, is an almost money green monochromatic space, that is intimate enough for good convo, and large groups. It's totally photoshoot ready! ~The Red Booths: If you are looking to be in the mix a bit, this is the way to go. I would recommend not seating more than 4 people in this space, so if needed, book more than one booth, and ask to have them side by side. The booths are in a cozy semicircle, with beautiful wallpaper adorning each space. A low light hangs above. Also, photoshoot ready! ~The Purple Room: I am not sure if this is what is called, but if you are looking for true intimacy with your crowd, this is perfect. I would definitely host my birthday in this room, especially if I had a cake, and many guests with purses and phones. It holds a long leather purple sectional, with a hanging disco ball cluster. This is a true VIP space that is located behind the DJ booth. You would only know it existed if you are supposed to be there which I love. Another bonus is it's proximity to the restroom. ~Wall Sections: Like the Purple Room I am not sure what this would be called, but it is another row of plush velvet sectionals directly in the mix of the DJ and dance floor.

The emphasis on color and lighting is sooooo important! The owners really took their time perfectly crafting the intimacy of this place. The infamous lighting towers you see people post aren't even the half, but seem to be the star of the show. As the night heats up, and the music gets more live, the towers move to a red light special, that's perfect. From the floors to the literal ceiling, no stone is left unturned.

Things I noticed: ~The DJ Booth is this raised space behind a brick like enclosure. It's as if the placement is to put the DJ over the crowd while still making them feel accessible. This night the theme was heavily riddled with latin inspired music, with some dope hip hop and r&b mix-ins. Tip your DJ always ~The air is on! I know that's hilarious, but coming off of that dancefloor to my designated space truly was a breath of fresh air....literally. For my sweaty girlies, I was perfectly fine with no need for makeup touch-ups. ~Bathroom access is broken into two lines controlled by security. Bathrooms are nice, and "club clean". I didn't feel grossed out, and would have taken cute flicks, but I wanted to get back on the dance floor! ~The attire ranged from classy to casual, and everyone blended comfortably in the space! SERVICE: All of the employees from hosts, to bartenders, and security wear all black tailored to their individual style which I loved! Ask for Antonia (Toni Tone) or Mairig. Everyone was amazing and hard at work by the way, but those were my hostesses for the evening. When I asked them to "surprise me" with drinks, they did not disappoint! The "El Destino" and "Dos Mundos" from their drink menu were absolutely refreshing and delicious with no skimping on the liquor. 3 drinks had me ready to...

Ok so now that I’ve been to this bar twice on well attended nights, I feel I can leave an accurate review. Good, bad and ugly. Firstly the bar itself is aesthetically pleasing in design and vibe. Yes it’s nice for photos if you’re into that. It feels plush and cool to be in. The two nights I went I can say that overall the music was just ok. Not horrible but not great either. In my opinion the role of a dj is to yea play some crowd favorites but also introduce me to interesting and eclectic variety of music, or else you’re just playing music I can hear on the radio. If my Spotify does a better job of djing why am I paying $20 to come to your bar which leads me to my next point…why come to your bar to hear ok music and then be surrounded by ppl who don’t dance!? Maybe it’s the music but I feel it’s mostly these new ATL ppl who do things for IG likes not bc they are interesting or want to have a good time. A lot of folx standing around looking anxious or standing in the middle of the dance floor having full on conversations but then dance for a few seconds if their friend is recording. very lame. Next the ugly which was hands down the bartenders and bar service. Both nights I waited so long to get a drink. The second night the bar wasn’t even that crowded and we waited 30 mins (not exaggerating) for the bartender to take our order. Both times the bartenders would get distracted or start a random side convo or just move very slowly. I can tell that they are not trained to handle a higher volume of ppl. Please train them AND hire more qualified servers. I’m sure on slow nights it’s fine but if you know you have a big show, bring in two more ppl. Lastly the bathroom line is ridiculous. The length, the proximity to the dance floor and the line it creates on the dance floor and the way it’s snaked through the hallway. Not sure how this can be fixed but…man. Overall unless there is a dj I know who is amazing, I don’t have a desire to return. It was nice to visit but if you like to genuinely have a fun night out dancing, I would search for...

Cute bar on the eastside.

Didn’t eat

Drinks are good

Staff is mostly ok but there was what seemed like a manager or supervisor black woman who was quite rude when I was trying to seat my party.

As a black woman entrepreneur with experience is social media management and operations I understand that dealing with irritating customers can be overwhelming.

However, that does not mean you have license to alter someone’s experience based on plans of the organization that were not made clear to the customer.

Yall shooting social media clips is fine. Your supervisory staff getting an attitude with me when I’m trying to seat my party and making statements about I will be on the news or blocking off exits and entrances is out of pocket.

I even let the woman know I was not trying to be an annoying customer or have attitude. She did not seem to understand that I had two separate parties with two separate reservations. I will be accountable for not having all the names of the members but my client was having her birthday and made modifications the day before. I too was performing my job duties ensuring my clients family were safely in the El Malo building and being served for her birthday.

It would be best to schedule social media with actual extras and not while you are actively serving the public. Otherwise you risk creating negative experiences for customers who have already paid for drinks and parking and are actively in their vibe.

Teach your staff how to probe and ask clarifying questions and also help them to understand that leading with bad attitudes is how you miss out on opportunities. My client is a high value client and because of this incident she will likely not be returning.

My suggestion is to teach your staff specifically about how to choose words carefully, be clear about instructions and when it may be necessary to bring a customer to the side or a quieter place for clarification. All of this stuff can be avoided with proper planning. I hope you all will take this into...