A friend who likes almost everything about pubs - the wide selection of beers, the burgers and battered fish that pad the belly, the atmosphere ideal for quiet conversations during the day and fall-off-your-barstool raucous come evening - says she hates actual pubs. Doggy-smelling old carpet grosses her out. Cave-like interiors render her claustrophobic. It's no wonder that O'Terrill's ranks supreme on her list of favorites. The popular Midtown bar and restaurant has all the trappings of a classic pub: Terrapin, Guinness and Bass on tap; a dark, smoky burrow ablaze with televised sports and neon beer signs; and outstanding fish and chips.

View to a spill: Yet, O'Terrill's is thoroughly not pub-like. Sipping a beer at the bar inside feels much like hanging out in a friend's basement hideaway kitted out like his own personal sports bar. Least common to a typical pub is O'Terrill's deliciously air-conditioned patio with a view of Renaissance Park. Cradling a pint of Guinness, one guest in the far corner of the terrace took advantage of the free Wi-Fi while a group got rowdy across the room, knocking over empty glasses.

Po'boy, rich 'wich: It's fish fry time Friday and Saturday nights, with blue plate specials of crab cakes, catfish and, the night we visit, oyster po-boys. O'Terrill's does a bang-up job with the sandwich. The bread is textbook-perfect: The thin crust and light interior crackles under your fingers as you give the po'boy a bit of a squash, compacting it enough to fit in your mouth. Tufts of shredded lettuce, tomatoes and a slathering of mayo cushion the plump battered oysters, of which there are just a bit too few.

Cashin' in my chips: Cold beer and malt vinegar dream of hooking up with O'Terrill's battered haddock and chips. The white flesh practically melts on the tongue, while the batter holds up, crisp to the end. House-made tartar sauce delights with its piquant flavor, but the soggy coleslaw is forgettable. Hand-sliced potato chips, ringed a caramelized brown, flutter with a lightness surprising for their satisfying thickness.

Show of force: If you didn't get your pint in during your meal, knock back another in the form of the Guinness ice cream and brownie. Caramel and chocolate sauce zig and zag all over two scoops of Greenwood's Guinness ice cream atop the hefty wedge of homemade brownie in a combination that's a little too generous and sweet. But lazing on the patio, watching early evening melt into night, a little too big and sugary proves just right.

O'Terrill's:
510 Piedmont Ave. 404-815-0079.

Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-3 a.m.;
Sat., noon-3 a.m.;
Sun., noon-midnight.

Entree range: $5.99-$19.99.
Major credit cards.
Lot parking (free).