Location: Athens
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In the sweltering Georgia heat, no place is as cool as Athens. This hip college town is home to the University of Georgia, Pulitzer Prize winning authors and famous rock musicians. Explore the downtown area, where Victorian buildings are filled with an eclectic combination of independent coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques. Named "Live Music Central," Athens' busy music venues are known around the world. Check out The 40 Watt Club, where The B-52s and R.E.M got their start.
Things to do in Athens
1. Last Resort Grill
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By birthdayvacation - maryland, usa
Tried the Last Resort based on TA reviews. The bread was yummy, fried green tomatoes were good. My daughter ordered the pasta with shrimp minus the bacon as she his pescatarian, I had the wrapped chicken, and my husband had the beef tenderloin. All of our plates were empty! I admit my husbands dinner looked much better then mine did. We ordered one slice of white chocolate cheesecake with Oreo crust. I was not a fan of the dessert. I felt it lacked taste and was not as firm as cheesecake should be. We didn’t complain, we shared it.
The place is small and appears fancy, with white tablecloths, however there is a bar area next to the dining area where people wore shorts. There is a small free parking area adjacent to the restaurant. With so many places to try in Athens, I’m not sure we would go back as a must go again place.
2. Mama's Boy
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 634 reviews
Reviewed By bmttrips - Atlanta, Georgia
Stopped at the Oconee location on the way into town. We ordered "to go" at the counter and received free coffee while we waited. Our food took a little while and was obviously cooked when we ordered- it was hot, fresh and so good! Employees were friendly and thanked us for coming in.
Be prepared and hungry- the breakfast sandwiches are HUGE...I couldn't finish it but it was awesome. The coffee was great too. Weekdays are not crowded but call ahead for grab and go if you are in a hurry.
3. The National
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 309 reviews
Open for lunch Monday - Saturday and dinner daily; our bar also remains open for coffee and tapas during the day 2:30 - 5pm. The idea behind The National is simple: to provide a casual neighborhood gathering spot reminiscent of the bars and cafés we’ve enjoyed on travels to Europe. Mediterranean inspired food and wine is served for lunch and dinner in the dining room and throughout the day at the bar. While our menu points to culinary traditions from abroad, we value our local farmers and our dishes reflect the changing seasons in Northeast Georgia.
Reviewed By Lisa R
We've heard about The National from friends for some time and were excited to try it. Service was professional and prompt (love this!), but we were quite underwhelmed by the food. There were 4 in our party and no one was wowed and we certainly didn't think the price reflected what was on the table. The cake we had for dessert actually tasted and felt stale. I did offer to my friends that there was no way old cake would be served and this must be how it was meant to be. No one was buying it though. We all enjoyed the atmosphere and service, but I don't think any of us will be back for another round.
4. Home. Made From Scratch
Overall Ratings
5 based on 89 reviews
Award Winning Restaurant With A Strong Catering Branch As Well As A Line Of Nationally Available One-of-a-kind Southern Snacks
Reviewed By GrandmamaBJ
Sorry, TAdvisor, this time we asked a local resident & then check with you. We were pleased with both recommendations & we had a delightful & delicious lunch made from scratch. Get there before 11:30a to beat the crowd. The chicken salad was great with bits of fruit & nice chucks of chicken (not mushy). The veggies were yummy. Service was attentive w/o being distracting. Reasonable prices.
5. Cali N Tito's
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 512 reviews
Reviewed By Sheilavehla - Alpharetta, Georgia
Place your order at the counter take a number and it is delivered to you. I have the Cuban sandwich it was very good. My son had quesadillas and fries. The fries were awesome. He wouldn't share the quesadilla but I took pictures see below.
A lot of indoor seating a lot of outdoor seating as well with a plastic enclosure to make it nice during the cold months. They even have a place for fire and a heaters to keep patrons warm while they eat.
I would come back here to hang out. They offer in on corking fee of two dollars for any bottle you bring in since they don't have a liquor license.
6. South Kitchen + Bar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 184 reviews
Reviewed By Mommyof4greatkids - Chickamauga, Georgia
We went there today for Sunday brunch. Arrived at opening. They asked us to wait a few minutes because they had just seated a bunch of people ( what????) ....ok... we waited. We were a party of 5 and they seated a party of 4 that arrived several minutes after us about 5 minutes before us (really? Why? Not lack of tables!). That table had there food by the time we got to order..... fast forward to 10:55 when our food arrived.....mediocre service by the way...... Grilled cheese BLT was delicious, French toast was yummy, duck fat tater tots good, bacon tasty......fried eggs...ok.... the biscuits and gravy.... 3 biscuits about 3” in diameter with a total of maybe a very scant 1/4 cup gravy.... not nearly enough for hard dry biscuits. Gravy was very good, but had to buy more to be able to taste it. Service lacking, she came by when we were just given the food to ask how it was....how would I know at that point, and again when we were done.
First impression....so many things I would like to try...we will have to come back....lasting impression....NO THANKS.... not awful, but disappointed.
7. George's Low Country Table
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 217 reviews
Reviewed By MariefromGeorgia - Ludowici Georgia
Ever since I had my first taste of authentic etouffee at Merci Beaucoup restaurant in Natchitoches, LA in 2015, I have yearned for and sought out any place within driving distance of Hinesville, Georgia to eat this absolutely delicious cooking once again but to no avail. That is until I heard about this place in Athens, Georgia. I had just finished up my annual trip to the mountains at the Moonshiners Festival in Dawsonville, Georgia, when I saw a listing for another place, homemadeathens.com which advertsed that they had beignets, in Georgia Eats, The Official State Culinary Guide. I decided to drive an hour and a half out of my way going back home to Hinesville, Ga. to sample this and to ask about etouffee. While there enjoying coffee & beignets, I asked about any place that I could find Etouffee and was directed to George's Lowcountry Table. I quickly arrived since it was just a few blocks from there and was blown away by the menu, service, food, atmosphere, value, and the ever present smile on Jermaine, my waiter's face and his drive to accommodate me and ensure that my dinning experience was the most pleasant one to date. I slowly looked over the menu with its mouth-watering choices and at first couldn't decide on what to order but he suggested I try a FREE SAMPLE of their Etouffee, from that first taste, I was hooked and decided to order one of the most ordered items, the Eggplant Pirogue that normally comes with a salad. I also wanted to sample the fried green tomatoes with remoulade sauce. That is where Jermaine went over and above to make me a very happy customer. I told him I don't do salads and he offered to subsititue the fried green tomatoes minus the Hopping John, for the salad! He went to put my order into the kitchen and quickly returned with a basket of fresh, hot, home made biscuits and butter and a glass bottle of ice water along with my glass of ice water with lemon. Those hot biscuits just melted in your mouth. He brought out those wonderfully fried to a golden hue fried green tomatoes and sauce. From the first bite, I knew that I had made the right decision to drive out of my way for this meal! In no time, Jermaine was bringing out my order with that ever-present smile and infectious joy he had about him. It looked wonderful, that fried eggplant with shrimp, crab stuffing, & crawfish etouffee! It smelled amazing, and tasted simply devine with each and every bite. You can close your eyes and can taste the vibe and distinct flavour that is New Orleans. The portions were generous and I had to get a box to take my food back home to Hinesville Ga. in and could smell it the four hours it took me to get home. I am enjoying those leftovers as I am writing this review and reliving that wonderful food all over again. I want to thank the entire staff for making me feel right at home and the unforgettable dinning experience that I had. I am planning on a return trip in April 2018 to see the Botanical Gardens a mile and a half away and to once again sample that New Orleans flavour found at George's in Athens. Many thanks to Zack who told me about George's. I will return to his place for those beignets and coffee for dessert! I was really lucky to have gotten a table on a friday night, but most people were away at the Ga Bulldog game in Jacksonville, Florida, including my sister and her finance! They have free wifi, reservations are available too! P.S. the menu also offers steaks, seafood, short ribs, country fried chicken, collard greens, prok tenderloin, salads, pimento cheese & fried okra, Gumbo, etc.
8. De Palma's Italian Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 390 reviews
Reviewed By Dekki - Athens, Georgia
We headed to DePalmas east side, long a favorite neighborhood cafe. We’d been traveling, so glad to sit with a glass of decent house wine but then, oh. Ordered a pork dish that arrived in an over cooked breading and raw inside. Like grossly raw. They were very apologetic and brought us a free pasta dinner
which was nothing special but good enough. Their pasta DePalma with rosemary sauce is s go to, as is shrimp Charmaine (not sure about that spelling). They have good salads, the stuffed mushrooms with both pesto and sausage are great bite sized treats. The stuffed breadsticks will feed your carb addiction for a week at least. Pasta Alfredo is better than most. Pizza is great; we tend to stick to pretty modest toppings, mostly veggie, but it’s one of the best on the east side of Athens for sure.
Daily special lasagnas are hit and miss but their classic is good.
Just be a little careful. Can get pretty crowded and a little noisy.
9. Seabear Oyster Bar
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 90 reviews
Reviewed By Jim D
We arrived on New Years Eve around 8 pm with no interest in raw oysters, on the recommendation of our hotel staff. The place was absolutely full with an upbeat, friendly vibe. We were told we would be seated in 25 minutes and while we waited a charming young lady named Victoria asked for our drink order. I had left my reading glasses and asked if they had an oaky, buttery Chardonnay. She made a spot on recommendation without hesitation. We were expecting a 45 minute wait, but were seated and ordering in 20. The food was out so quickly that I raised an eyebrow, but everything was hot, fresh and flavorful. My wife and I share most things so we got the Shrimp and Crabcakes (a mixture of both), a sweet potato salad, and Shrimp and grits. I started with the Shimp and Crabcakes. These were exceptional. I have no idea how they cooked these the way they did. After a very thin, crisp crust, the fork practically fell through to the plate, yet there was pleasing texture and flavor in each bite. I liked how servers rotated helping with each others tables and glasses were filled without hovering, over-eager servers. Our server, Ashley, was attentive and equally charming and answered our questions about the food as well as a server possibly could and was so engaging that we felt like we were her only priority despite a full restaurant. I cant adequately describe the sweet potato salad. It was layered greens and roasted (perhaps) sweet potato slices with a vinaigrette that had a slight bit of heat, perhaps chipotle? The heat and vinaigrette was an unexpected surprise which we have resolved to attempt to approximate at home. I am more qualified to comment on the shrimp and grits, as I have eaten them from Galveston to Charleston. I have never had better and only a few have even been close, in part because the shrimp were cooked to perfection. The dish was wonderfully flavorful without being heavy on salt. When bitten, the shrimp burst and were cooked and tender throughout. Looking at a review above, I cant imagine UGADawg55 and I ate at the same restaurant. I believe shrimp and grits and shrimp and crabcakes were $12 each. What I would describe as an entree salad, which we shared, was $9. Two $9 glasses of a very nice Chardonnay and our food and drink cost was roughly $50, so I don't get that anyone would feel this place was overpriced. I really can't adequately express how pleasant and attentive the staff was and how they did so without making it about them. By teaming up to help keep glasses filled on every table, servers checked our table practically every minute or so. Servers only spoke to us perhaps every third or fourth time they came by, but never for no reason. The hostess, another warm engaging personality, for example, came by once to confirm that our tab had been closed at the bar with no charge and the drinks transferred to our dinner ticket. New Year's Eve is prime time for a bad restaurant experience. If they ever felt under pressure from the full house and busy atmosphere, the staff at Seabear never once let us feel that. I don't expect to have that experience duplicated and ANY price any time soon. Thank you, ladies, for an exceptional New Year's Eve experience!
10. The Place
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Reviewed By Colon_queen - Atlanta, Georgia
We live here part time.
Seen it. Never been. Went b/c of TA reviews.
Loved it. Everything was delicious.
Innovated southern cuisine.
Decent wine list. The decor was charming.
Unlike many reviews who had a problem , the service was good.
But, went non peak hours.
We will be back.
