Athens Restaurants

The Globe was named one of the "Best Bars in America" by Esquire (October 2007), and it's easy to see why. With 14 draught beers, 70 bottled beers, over 50 single malts, 35-40 wines, and a full bar, it would seem that the place doesn't even need a food menu - but it has a great one!

The atmosphere is very cozy, with exposed brick and sofas, rocking chairs, and spacious benches from which one can gaze out onto the streets of downtown Athens. Local art is also displayed throughout the bar, complemented by a black and white mural behind the bar which depicts the production of some of the world's best beverages.

The menu is simple and affordable, featuring mainly soups, salads, and sandwiches, but everything I've had has been great. The laid back vibe and good food complement eachother well, and I would definitely recommend grabbing lunch there if you have time.

I was led to The Grit by a friend and was glad that I had taken the advice. I am not a vegetarian, but I appreciate being able to eat vegetarian (and especially vegan) food when available.
I came at the end of breakfast on a cold, rainy Saturday. It was close to 11, but they had yet to switch to their lunch menu, so I stuck with breakfast. They have a limited menu of small items plus several omelettes, as well as "specials" that, as I would see later, change quickly when the limited ingredients run out. I chose biscuits and gravy with the vegetarian sausage gravy and a side of cinammon toast.
The atmosphere is very laid-back and cozy. It's in an old building where the walls have been stripped to expose the brick. There are two rooms, both filled with small tables. They have wifi (every place in Athens seems to), but this really isn't a coffee/come-to-study sort of place as it seems to stay relatively full.
The biscuits and gravy came out relatively quickly. The biscuits were fantastic and made with whole wheat flour. The cinammon toast was also good, and wasn't overly buttery or sugary.
My bill came out to about $5.50 with tax.

Favorite Dish: Dessert looked fantastic. Should have gone with that.

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This is a pretty cool place that sells "Asian shaved ice", shakes and sweet crepes with different kind of toppings... from fruits, nuts and syrups. The atmosphere is very confy and the people working there are super polite and always receiving you with a smile.
Sometimes people confuse the shaved ice with a slushie, and it is so different... the texture and the flavour of the Shaved ice are a blast.
The free Wi-Fi is a plus because I can sit down working in my stuff while enjoying my treat.

Favorite Dish: Personally I like the SunO Brownie Overload... it's so good!!!. (and they put extra syrup if you don't think you have enough).

I am listing this in Athens, but it is really in Bogart, just down Hiway 78 a mile from Athens, so really many Athens folk eat here. Just ate there today and had the pork plate, with a big pile of chopped pork with sauce, cole slaw, white bread, and their version of brunswick stew. The pork was great and the HOT sauce was made with alot of black pepper and was really good! The slaw was chopped a little more than I like but had a good flavor. The stew was a little strange looking, but again had a good flavor---everything was ground up, rather than little pieces of corn and chicken like I like it.....All for about $6. Inside and outside seating and a real good value. The staff was unsmiling the whole time we were there, but hey, we went for the food.

Favorite Dish: chopped pork with hot sauce

Stricklands is also open for lunch but I have only eaten breakfast there. The grits are amazingly creamy and good, the scrambled eggs with cheese, the biscuits, the streak-o-lean, almost everything is good here, and the coffee too! Although it is technically in Bogart, Athens is only a mile or 2 down the road.

Favorite Dish: breakfast

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Farm 255 opened in Summer 2005 by the Full Moon Cooperative Farm, with a goal of bringing the story of local sustainable farming to the table and connecting people to the source of their food. The atmosphere is really intimate - the kitchen is open to the dining room so you can pretty much see everything. Everything from the decor to the tables themselves seems very natural, and the lighting is very relaxing. I would certainly recommend going here - the food is amazing, and it's awesome to support local farmers!

From the decor to the menu, everything about this place is unique. The food is described as "Noveau Southern cuisine," and as someone who has tried just about everything on the menu, I have yet to be disappointed. Not only is everything amazing, but everything is incredibly reasonably priced for what you're getting. 


Dinner entrees range from about $10 - $25 if you splurge on a steak or scallops. Make sure you save room for desert and try one of the delicious layer cakes or cheesecakes, of which different flavors are featured every day. The lunch menu offers a great selection of salads, soups, sandwiches and entrees for between $6 and $8. Sunday brunch is my favorite meal there, with prices similar to the lunch menu and extremely unique breakfast creations. However, make sure you get there early - when the doors open at 11, there is already a wait for a table.



If you're looking for a great atmosphere and wonderfully prepared food without the pretentious prices that tend to go along with such a place, check out Last Resort next time you're in Athens.

Favorite Dish: On the dinner menu, the best dish is the Last Resort Praline. It's a chicken breast stuffed with a mix of cheese and topped with a sweet walnut honey sauce. Like most things on the menu, it's served with grilled vegetables and grits. The combination of different flavors in this dish is unique and amazing!

For brunch, my favorite is the Spinach Feta Grill. It's thick toast dipped in egg batter and grilled, topped with poached eggs, mushrooms, artichokes roasted red peppers, feta, and spinach. This is also a very unique dish you aren't likely to find anywhere else, and like the rest of the brunch menu it's relatively cheap ($6.75)!

the varsity is an athens institution. the original varsity opened in 1932 on college street across from the UGA campus. in 1963 the varsity moved to a larger location on west broad street. the varsity serves burgers, hotdogs, chili and fries. much better fare than the chain burger restaurants. the varsity also has a location near the georgia tech campus in atlanta.