Sneak peek: Dante’s Down the Hatch reborn as MJQ nightclub

Josh Green

Tue, 01/21/2025 – 10:35

The fondue and crocodiles might be history, but Underground Atlanta’s iconic former Dante’s Down the Hatch space has finally got its groove back.

Closed to the public for more than 25 years, the old restaurant and jazz club fondly remembered by so many longtime Atlantans has new life as MJQ Concourse, another storied local nightlife venue.

With its devout following, seductive lighting, and famed, thumping sound system, MJQ is poised to become the beating heart of Underground’s revitalization, as a recent media preview event proved. (MJQ’s official grand opening at Underground is Jan. 29, postponed by recent weather events; the venue’s last night on Ponce de Leon Avenue, where it’s operated for nearly 30 years, is Saturday.)

The famed Dante’s ship (and kitchen), where crocodiles once patrolled a moat below, as seen three years ago. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The old Dante’s ship (with a fresh bar inside) feels more spaceship today. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The design for MJQ’s new digs was inspired by sci-fi and cyberpunk aesthetics and incorporates some of Dante’s elements, including the old Dante’s ship and crocodile pit. The redo is described as “an immersive atmosphere inspired by Blade Runner and Mad Max, creating a futuristic, sci-fi ambiance” with “hidden nooks for mingling and relaxation.”

Other components will include an arcade area and “snack corner” that pays homage to the diverse food offerings of Buford Highway, per project leaders.

The two-level dance floor and bar, at ground level. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

Dante’s opened in the early 1970s and shuttered in 1999 as Underground’s post-Olympics slide took hold.

Today, MJQ joins Underground’s ongoing live-work-play revitalization and a broader entertainment portfolio that includes The Masquerade and venues such as Future. Collectively, those tenants hosted more than 3,000 shows last year alone, according to the property’s owners. The goal is to eventually create a “24-hour downtown Atlanta,” as Shaneel Lalani, CEO of Underground’s owner, Lalani Ventures, recently put it.

Head up to the gallery for a sneak-peek tour of the former Dante’s space, now reborn as MJQ.

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Images

Entry to the preserved, former Dante’s Down the Hatch space, as it appeared in summer 2021. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

As seen in 2021, the mothballed Dante’s space still featured the restaurant’s dangling wine bottles and what was either an old steamboat or train engine in the corner.Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The famed Dante’s ship (and kitchen), where crocodiles once patrolled a moat below, as seen three years ago. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta

The main room where Dante’s jazz bands had residencies six nights per week while diners munched fondue. This is MJQ’s bilevel dance floor now. Josh Green/Urbanize Atlanta