Everybody knows your name at this Forest Acres bar

If you’re looking for that place where everybody knows your name, look no further than J. Peters Grill & Bar.

The Forest Acres spot that opened two years ago on North Beltline Boulevard definitely gives off the “Cheers” vibe.

“We’ll walk a family from the front door to the back of the restaurant, and they’ll have to stop three times to say hi to their neighbor, their pastor, their friend,” said Leigh Reamer, front-of-house manager. “People come from Blythewood on down, but most of our people live 15 minutes away. It’s in their backyard. It’s like eating at home without having to do the dishes.”

Behind the bar, a lot of classics are made – gin and tonics, Manhattans, old fashions, vodka sodas – along with their feature cocktails.

“We spent a lot of time playing around with them, a lot of experimentation,” said co-owner Jason McDowell. “We try to throw in some of the neater liqueurs. And it’s also all about color. When we open a restaurant, we’ll make all the cocktails and line them up. We have almost all the colors of the rainbow represented, which is nice.”

Popular choices include the Carolina peach cocktail, the Pomegranate margarita and the namesake J. Peters punch.

“We put our name on it, so we love that cocktail,” Reamer said. “It’s classic. It’s rum and juice when you break it down, but those flavors work so well together. It’s such a summery, sweet drink, but not too sweet. Everyone just loves it. Very refreshing.”

For beer, the focus is on craft; all three Columbia breweries have different selections on tap – impressive considering that the place only has six taps.

“We try to keep the type of beer consistent. There’s not a ton of taps, but we try to represent each type of beer that’s popular,” Reamer said.

And if you become a regular and want something off the menu, there’s a good chance the staff can make that happen.

“We try to take care of our guests,” McDowell said. “We have a number of different bottles here that are specific to certain guests.”

McDowell said of the 10 locations, the Forest Acres spot has one of the better percentages of beer, wine and liquor sales – or, as he put it, “People like to come in here and have a good time.”

“It’s about being a high-quality restaurant with the most quality ingredients at a good value,” he added. “We don’t do anything here that isn’t value-based.”

This story was originally published May 10, 2017 at 2:18 PM with the headline "Everybody knows your name at this Forest Acres bar."