The Spring 2021 Flagpole Guide To Athens

File Under: Mexican and Latin American. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. This friendly, family-owned restaurant with Normaltown and Timothy locations serves Americanized Mexican basics (guac, margs, cheese dip, taco salad), but you can also find horchata, Mexican-style tacos with al pastor or barbacoa, rajas, tortas, micheladas (beer-based cocktails) and more. Kids menu. Normaltown location is renovating but has a food truck in the parking lot with seating.

File Under: American, Bars and Clubs. Features: Beer, live music, trivia. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Beer is the focus at this craft brewery that has a full restaurant. Beers (available in flights) featured in many dishes, and the menu goes beyond fried cheese to actual entrees and flatbreads.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Opens earlier than most bars. Two-stories and a big garage door to add some air plus a patio and tiki bar. Hundreds of drink options, including a build-your-own bloody mary bar. Twenty rotating beers, 55 whiskeys, 18 tequilas and over 200 bottled beers.

File Under: Pizza, Bars. Features: Trivia, catering, outside seating, art, take-out, delivery, full bar, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Casual dining space with a long bar and brick walls. This small Georgia chain is known for its wings and wide variety of pizza toppings; the menu is big, with lots of sandwiches, pasta, salads and soup. Good craft brews. Macon Highway location should open this year.

File Under: Breweries. Features: Beer. Athens’ newest brewery is in the historic Boulevard neighborhood. Wide variety of brews, changing often, big patio and occasional food pop-ups.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, counter service, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Top-notch New York-style pizza by the slice or the pie, plus delish but not giant subs, salads, cannoli, all with quality ingredients. Vegan-friendly + gluten-free options. Half-pours on beer and wine while you wait for your order.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Lots of neon, light-up dance floor, ’90s music, karaoke. Choose from domestic and local standbys, or order a house specialty like the disco lemonade or 1.5-gallon Moscow mule.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, live music. Roomy sports bar with TVs, pool tables, darts and foosball. Beer and mixed drinks across a wide range of taste and budget, appealing to students, alumni and visitors alike.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer (Clayton St.), catering, outside seating, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Locally owned burrito chain has expanded throughout the Southeast but remains Athens-y. Serves health-oriented Mexican-ish fare, highlighting low-fat options. Everything is customizable to your taste/dietary needs: burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, tacos, nachos and salads, lots of veggies; vegetarian and vegan options.

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Catering, outside seating, trivia, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. 

File Under: Ice Cream and Smoothies. Features: Outside seating, counter service. Hours: 7 days.

File Under: Bakeries, Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, counter service, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast and lunch, plus Friday dinner. Lots more than bread and baked sweets, although plenty of those, too. Supa-good French toast, eggs, quiche, nice burgers (veg and meat), big salads, tons of veggie and vegan options. Lots of beverages, boozy and non. Large outdoor patio.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Take-out, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Wings and chicken fingers to go, with 13 different sauces. Also: burgers, corn dogs, meaty salads, onion rings, fries and fried apple pies on the side. Other locations are in Statham, Lexington, Commerce, Elberton, Hartwell and Royston.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Catering, outside seating, trivia, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch, dinner and late night, seven days. Long-time Athens sports bar with a big menu and lots of vegetarian choices; New Orleans specials on Tuesday. Beer on tap and in bottles, including local brews. Standard cocktails plus a bloody mary bar on Saturday and Sunday.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Upstairs, above Walker’s, a cozy bar for students and townies with a nice view and a rooftop patio. Big drink selection: 300+ craft beers, 100+ scotches, a wide selection of whiskeys and wine from all over. 

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. Big, multi-level student bar. Pool, beer pong, popcorn machines and more inside. Live music outside every Thursday and on game days. Regular specials on already inexpensive drafts and wells.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. College bar encourages you to chug through Power Hour and party New Orleans-style all night. Pool upstairs. Cheap beer, nightly specials and liquor drinks, including hurricanes and fishbowls.

File Under: American. Features: Beer and wine, curbside pick-up, catering, outside seating, delivery, take-out, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Brett’s is family-oriented, which means a menu with something for everyone and deals on kids’ meals ($2 specials Mondays and Tuesdays). Gluten-free stuff, big salads, tacos, burgers, grilled seafood and more.

File Under: American, Coffee Houses and Bakeries. Features: Take-out, outside seating. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and dinner. This restaurant inside UGA’s Georgia Center does a wide variety of dishes throughout most of the day, including some grab-and-go stuff. Bar snacks, Savannah Room favorites like celestial chicken, Thai chicken salad, burgers and more. Breakfast available for pickup weekdays in front of the hotel.

File Under: BBQ. Features: Full bar, live music, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Divey atmosphere and consistently good pulled pork and ribs, even without sauce, plus tasty sides like chicken mull, corn nuggets, fried okra, meat skins, meaty potato salad.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries, Bars, Sandwiches. Features: Beer and wine, counter service, full bar, outside seating, Wi-Fi. European-style cafe that goes from early a.m. to lateish p.m. Delish pre-made sandwiches, pastries and soft pretzels by The Comerian, hard-boiled eggs, snoballs (including boozy ones) and snacks by the scoop. Coffee, tea, cool sodas, craft cocktails, wine, beer and aperitifs.

File Under: Something Different. Features: Take-out, outside seating, beer and wine. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, seven days. Five Points newcomer in a historic house does breakfast all day (until 6 p.m.), with pastries, burritos, tacos, sandwiches; classic sandwiches, soups and salads at lunch; four different types of tea service (high, low, royal and cream), with scones, clotted cream, tea sandwiches; and then snacks and light drinks in the early evening. Kids menu.

File Under: Mexican and Latin American. Features: Outside seating, beer and wine (Eastside), curbside pick-up, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Both locations of this Athens original do Latin American food with a Peruvian influence: lomo saltado, big sandwiches, plantains (sweet and savory), yuca, tacu tacu (rice and beans topped with eggs) and much more. Lots of veggie choices. Eastside location has more indoor seating, quarter-operated kiddie rides and a La Michoacana…es Natural ice cream counter. Lumpkin has a small fee to BYOB and usually accepts cash and check only, but there’s an ATM in the gas station next door. Westside location is in the works.

File Under: Italian and Pizza. Features: Full bar, curbside pick-up. Hours: Lunch and dinner.

File Under: American. Features: Curbside pick up, full bar, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. This place has a strong desire to push the envelope, in both its flavors and its marketing (they boast “people hate us on Yelp”). Creative bar food, good beer selection, lots of specials, cute kids menu.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outdoor seating. Watch football on a big screen and sign up for the weekly beer pong tournament. A balcony with its own bar wraps around the main floor. Full bar with specialty drinks like the East Clayton lemonade and key lime pie shots. Yappy hour sometimes.

File Under: American. Features: Counter service, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. 

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Counter service, take-out, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, curbside pick-up, outside seating, reservations, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Somewhat upscale steaks and brews in Watkinsville but with a surprising love of vegetables. Menu changes frequently with the seasons and includes many gluten-free choices. 

File Under: Something Different. Features: Catering, full bar, outdoor seating, reservations, take-out. Hours: Dinner. Swanky seafood out of Destin in a historic building, with lots of simply treated stuff, sushi and East Asian-accented apps (brussels sprouts with kimchi, shishito peppers). Signature cocktails with sake or Japanese whiskey as well as standards.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Watch sports on big-screen TVs in a historic space with marble accents and chandeliers. Daily drink deals, plus the usual selection of beer, seltzers and shots.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Catering, curbside pick-up, full bar, take-out. Hours: Dinner and Sunday brunch. Half bar, half restaurant, with burgers, bar snacks, mac and cheese balls and the like.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, take-out, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Hipster diner is best known for burgers, made with all-natural, humanely raised, antibiotic-free beef and creative toppings: bacon jam, peanut butter, gouda, etc. Tots and shakes are popular, and the latter include tasty boozy ones. Gluten-free and vegan options. Large patio and pick-up window.

File Under: Coffee Houses, Something Different. Hours: Open seven days. Features: Outside seating, Wi-Fi. Locally based small-batch chocolate shop makes stuff right in front of you: truffles, chocolate bars, coffee bars and more, plus drinking chocolate, coffee, gelato, ice cream sandwiches, toffee, etc. Vegan options. 

File Under: Breweries. Features: Beer, outside seating. Big space with indoor and outdoor seating and lots of varied art offerings. Popular year-round offerings include Tropicalia, Athena and Classic City Lager, but there are lots of seasonal and limited-edition beers too. Purchase cans and bottles on-site to take home.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. One of the largest pubs in town and a more grown-up crowd than many bars around it. Pool, Skee-Ball, Golden Tee, foosball, darts, a photo booth and football on TV. Huge whiskey selection, befitting its Irish branding, Guinness on tap.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, curbside pick-up, delivery, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Classic Italian in a long-time Athens restaurant. You can go simple with a slice of pizza and a salad or fancier with short rib ravioli and zuppa inglese. Vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free options; kids menu. Long wine list with many Italian reds and plenty of beers.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, counter service, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Breakfast and lunch. Weekend brunch. Something for everyone: hot food made to order until 2 p.m., including a good vegan burger; stuff in the fridge and freezer any other time, plus delivery meals and lots of weekly specials, ranging all over the world in influences. Holiday special orders. Walkers, bikers and bus riders get a 5 percent discount.

File Under: Asian. Features: Full bar, take-out, vegetarian friendly, outside seating. Hours: Dinner. Cheffed-up versions of Americanized Chinese food (mu shu, General Tso’s chicken). Vegetarian stuff is even better than the meatier options, like wickedly good dry-fried eggplant. A variety of ice creams made in-house for dessert. Fun, intelligently picked and described wine list; a few nice beers; fancy cocktails that can be a little retro.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, DJs, outside seating. A college bar named for Athens’ famous non-working piece of Confederate memorabilia. TVs to watch sports and low prices. What you’d expect for drinks but a few specialty cocktails like the Bacon Watson.

File Under: Italian and Pizza. Features: Full bar, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Pizza, including gluten-free options, but also fried apps, wings, salads, subs, wraps, a wide selection of pastas, Italian desserts and big, good garlic rolls. Cornhole outside. Curbside pick-up.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Buffet, counter service, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hot bar inside grocery store includes veggie and vegan stuff, plus chicken and fish, soup, salad.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Full bar, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Tacos (including veggie and vegan choices) that change out regularly, plus nachos, salad bowls, dips, kids menu and a serious bar with lots of tequilas, a selection of mezcals, beer buckets and build-your-own margs.

File Under: Something Different, Bars, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Reservations, outside seating, take-out, full bar. Hours: Dinner. Bar and dining room are equally good, with smart, smart cocktails and an excellent wine list for the former and refined, French-inspired food for the latter. Looking for fancy cheeses or a smoked rabbit terrine? This is your place. Ditto for some of the best charcuterie in town. Meal kits and more for take-out.

File Under: Something Different. Features: Curbside pick-up, delivery, vegetarian friendly, outside seating, take-out, counter service, beer and wine. Hours: Breakfast and lunch. Breakfast served all day, with big biscuit sandwiches made with good ingredients and sourced locally, including the jam, as well as egg plates; meat and veggie ones are equally delicious. Lunch adds non-biscuit sandwiches and burgers plus specials. Baked goods in a case at the counter, good coffee.

File Under: Sandwiches. Features: Catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. 

File Under: Something Different. Features: Full bar, reservations, catering, outside seating, take-out, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Dinner. Fine dining from celebrity chef Hugh Acheson. His focus is on vegetables and careful experimentation with Southern touches. Menu changes weekly, focusing on what’s in season. Wine list by James Beard nominee; unpretentious but smart cocktails; excellent after-dinner drinks.

File Under: Sandwiches and Burgers. Features: Delivery, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. 

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. A classic college hangout, Irish pub Flanagan’s and its downstairs sister bar get packed on late nights and weekends. Pool, daily specials on everything from cocktails to shots. Lots of whiskey.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating, movies, art, trivia. Chill townie bar with cult film nights, grown-up slushies, nice beer selection, retro cocktails and wine. Pouch savory pies available when you're hungry.

File Under: Ice Cream. Features: Delivery, curbside pick-up, outside seating. Rich ice cream in lots of flavors (smoked chocolate, fruity cereal, lavender honey, plus standards), some of which swap out, plus gluten-free and puffle cones, baked goods, coffee drinks and pints to go.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Delivery, take-out, catering, curbside pick-up, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Mexican, Bars. Features: Full bar, catering, counter service, outside seating, take-out, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Controversy-courting downtown spot decked out in Civil War memorabilia, with a MAGA crowd. Drinks: Southern-themed cocktails.

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, catering, reservations, outside seating, take-out, delivery. Hours: Dinner, seven days. Grown-up restaurant now open in a new location serves Gulf and low country classics: étouffée, shrimp and grits, sherry crab bisque, oysters (raw and cooked), jambalaya, redfish and more. Good wine list from all over, beer and Southern-accented cocktails.

File Under: Burgers, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Full bar, counter service, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Small chain based in Atlanta does smallish flat burgers (beef, turkey, beans and quinoa, or Impossible Burger) plus bar snacks, fried sides and boozy and virgin milkshakes. 

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, outside seating, art, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Weekend brunch. An Athens classic for decades. Yes, it’s vegetarian and sometimes vegan, but it’s reliably delicious and not always healthy. Big menu drawing inspiration from around the world plus many daily veggies on the chalkboard. Breakfast (on hold during COVID) and brunch bring burritos, pancakes, omelets and more. Excellent cakes and pies that can be ordered whole (with advance notice) or by the slice.

File Under: Burgers, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, take-out, outside seating, curbside pick-up, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Clever burgers (both meat and veggie), plus salads and hot sandwiches (pimento chicken, Italian beef), good sides (“street corn,” asparagus, brussels sprouts, fabulous onion rings) and milkshakes. Cecilia cakes for dessert.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, art, Wi-Fi, curbside pick-up, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Weekend brunch. Neighborhood restaurant focusing on local produce with a seasonally driven menu. Very accommodating of diet restrictions and preferences; Southern-inspired but not heavy. Seasonal artisan cocktails, some named for the area. Good wines and beers. Large patio for seating.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries, Bars. Features: Full bar, catering, counter service, live music, art, Wi-Fi, outside seating. Hours: Open seven days. Coffee drinks, nitro coffee, teas and juices all day pair with a rotating menu from the Plate Sale. Lots of draft and bottled/canned craft beers, plus wine, craft cocktails and mocktails (some made with coffee).

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Reservations, live music, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Country club-ish place does classic American food with a bit of a Southern accent, like meatloaf, steak sandwich, crab cakes and gumbo. A fair amount of fried stuff but salads too. Big desserts. Nice patio.

File Under: Ice Cream. Old-fashioned drug store with soda fountain counter. Dollar scoops of Edy’s ice cream in a cup or cone. Malts, shakes and floats, too. Sit on the hill outside for the best experience.

File Under: Bakeries, Sandwiches, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Counter service, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Breakfast and lunch. Breakfast and lunch, with nice, small bagels, excellent house-smoked fish and sandwiches (either on bagels or on Luna bread). Sandwiches involve meats sliced in front of you (capicola, roast beef, etc.) but also hummus, roasted veggies, sauerkraut and scrambled eggs. Kids meals.

File Under: Bakeries. Features: Outside seating, Wi-Fi. New owner hasn’t changed how good the bread (made with house-milled wheat) and viennoiserie are. Check the case for specials, like beautiful galettes made with local fruit, but nothing here is froofy or overdone. Counter Culture coffee and a limited selection of cookies. Products available at a few other places around town.

File Under: Something Different. Features: Catering, curbside pick-up, delivery, dinner, full bar, lunch, outside seating, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Warm, family-run Persian charmer has great options for meat and veggies. Anything with eggplant is guaranteed delicious. Great specials, including lamb shanks; kids menu, including pizza.

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Dinner. Cook your own Korean barbecue (protein or veggies) on the grill at your table or have the servers do it for you. Everything comes with salad, rice and side vegetables. Korean soju and sake at the bar.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Beer, counter service, outside seating, take out. Hours: Lunch and dinner.

File Under: American. Features: Outdoor seating, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast and lunch.

File Under: Sandwiches, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Delivery, catering, counter service, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Sandwiches. Features: Drive-thru (Baxter), delivery, catering, counter service, outside seating (Baxter). Hours: Lunch and dinner.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries. Features: Drive-thru (Baxter, Greensboro and Epps Bridge), outside seating, art, Wi-Fi. Hours: Vary by location. The local coffee roaster now extends beyond Athens, but the beans are still roasted on Barber Street. Lots of specialty roasts benefit different causes. Hot and cold drinks, premium teas, locally baked goodies.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries. Features: Outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Mon–Sat. Fresh-roasted beans by the pound — whole or ground; cups of coffee, teas and shots of espresso, all out of a quonset hut where the actual roasting is done in an unprepossessing parking lot. Normally hosts lots of events and food truck/market pop-ups.

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Outside seating, art, delivery, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. The “and more” part of the name is accurate. Lots of pho (beef broth-based noodle soup customizable with lots of additions; available in a veggie version), but also com (rice with grilled meat), bun (noodles), banh mi, etc. Bubble tea, fruit smoothies, pastries in the case.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, catering, counter service, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Be prepared for some serious spice. Jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat, barbecue ribs, salmon, spicy cabbage, spicy squash, rice and peas, fried plantains, mac and cheese, patties, super-sweet tea and cornbread. Kelly has a cookbook/memoir, too.

File Under: Sandwiches, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, counter service, outside seating, art. Hours: Lunch, Mon–Sat. Friendly small-town café is currently requiring you to call your order in ahead of time. Deli sandwiches (including pimento cheese, egg salad and hummus) and salads.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Popular Americanized Mexican fare: burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, taquitos, nachos, tacos and quesadillas. Special entrees and combo plates. Margaritas, Mexican beers, domestics and house wines.

File Under: Ice Cream and Smoothies, Mexican. Features: Outside seating. Hours: Seven days. Astonishingly good Mexican ice cream shop that makes flavors fresh in-store daily, as well as gorgeous paletas full of fruit, rollitos (rolled ice cream), smoothies, aguas frescas and street-food snacks like Dorilocos and loaded potato chips. Tostadas de ceviche on Fridays plus specials like tamales. A food truck appears at the J&J and there’s a counter inside the Eastside Cali ’N’ Tito’s.

File Under: Something Different. Features: Wine, Outside Seating. Hours: Closed Mondays. Like The Expat’s approach to drinks? The Lark is from the same folks, retailing and pouring a smart, fun selection of wines out of a former bookstore. Light eats, too, picked to accompany the wines nicely, and small pours.

File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Outside seating, art, curbside pick-up. Hours: Dinner, Wed–Sun. An Athens classic for more than a generation, this restaurant added a big outdoor dining area in its parking lot recently. The menu draws from the South and the Southwest, often mingling the two; veggie and vegan choices, plus fish and seafood that it’s well known for. Cecilia cakes and more for dessert. Good bar, with American vodkas, gins and vermouths, as well as Armagnac, ice wine, Madeira, sherry and a long list of wines.

File Under: American. Hours: Brunch and lunch, Friday dinner. Features: Counter service, curbside pick-up, delivery, take-out, outside seating, vegetarian friendly. Winterville doesn’t have a ton of eateries, but this is a lovely one. Southern breakfast and brunch include biscuits, eggs, quiche, Red Mule grits. Lunch means sandwiches on housemade breads, burgers and salads. Good desserts, coffee and veggie options.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, trivia, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Like its sister bar, the Manhattan, it’s a bit more for grown-ups, but still with plenty of dancing. Big, dog-friendly patio with cornhole. A variety of bottled beers and rotating drafts that include seasonal brews. Wine and cocktails, too.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music/DJs, outside seating. This all-purpose performance venue has three stages—two inside and one in a large beer garden. The space is adaptable for private parties, fashion and film events. Meeting spot for the Athens Dart League. Drinks: A good assortment of craft and local beer, as well as budget-friendly options. Wine and cocktails, too.

File Under: American, Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, trivia. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Sports bar and grill in the middle of Five Points with the motto "Friends, Food and Fun." Lunch is meat and three. Dinner brings flatbreads, sandwiches, burgers, salads, fried cheese, wings, kids’ menu. Also, cocktails that say things like “zero carb.”

File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Curbside pick-up (Timothy), delivery, live music (Timothy), trivia, catering, Wi-Fi, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Locally based sportsbar chain has a big menu with lots of vegetarian choices, deli sandwiches, burgers, salads, grilled cheese and chili combo, wings, fish tacos.

File Under: American. Features: Full bar. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: New bar coming soon in the former That Bar location.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Delivery, outside seating, full bar, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. One of the best Mexican restaurants around, with excellent tacos (filled with cilantro, onions and fish, al pastor, barbacoa or lengua), big tortas, menudo, tostadas de ceviche and a molcajete full of grilled meats and veggies.

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Reservations, outside seating, live music, room service, take-out, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast and dinner, seven days. Hotel Indigo’s restaurant serves heavy and light breakfast, with some locally made baked goods. Dinner brings both fancy bar snacks and full meals. Nice cocktails might include house-infused peach bourbon, High West vodka or blackberries.

File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. A way to make you eat your veggies and like it. Pick a base (brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, salad greens), then a protein, two veggie sides and a housemade sauce. Menu changes seasonally and food is ready in no time. Condor Chocolates and La Michoacana paletas for dessert. Kids meals. Gluten-free choices. Everything is recyclable or compostable. 

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Two-story bar in a historic building has free pool upstairs, a great view of downtown and campus and TVs for sports. The usual array of brews behind the bar, plus house mixers like the Humbly Hammy.

File Under: Downhome, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, curbside pick-up, counter service, outside seating, art, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast and lunch, Tues–Sun. Two locations help spread out the diners at this popular updated Southern resto that focuses on breakfast all day. Chow down on biscuits, chocolate cake, strawberry lemonade, various egg dishes, pimento cheese-topped burgers and more. Lots of great sides and family meals for pick-up. Very accommodating to those with special dietary needs.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, DJs. The ultimate townie bar, with a chill, vintage-decorated, dim interior. Popcorn and snacks available. Specialty drinks, including a whole selection of hot ones in cold weather, listed on handwritten signs. Cocktails, beer, wine, sangria and sake.

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and brunch. Beachy fish shack does Georgia and Gulf seafood: lightly fried baskets, peel-and-eat shrimp, oysters (raw or cooked), grilled or blackened entrees and sides like coleslaw and hush puppies. Burgers and chicken tacos, too. Beachy cocktails on special on the reg.

File Under: Italian. Features: Curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, take-out, beer and wine. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Family-owned local Italian place has a big menu of primi and secondi, plus antipasti. Craving veal or chicken marsala, saltimboca, cacciatore or something of the sort? They have it, plus lots of traditional seafood preparations and Italian wine. 

File Under: Sandwiches, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, counter service, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast and lunch, Mon–Fri. Southern-style lunch (tarragon chicken salad, pimento cheese, other salads with great pita chips, smoked turkey sandwich with apricot mayo), plus take-home entrees and casseroles, weekday breakfast, all made with copious amounts of love.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Counter service, catering, delivery, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Grilled meats and veggies (lamb, chicken, kufta, gyros) and tons of vegetarian choices, like falafel, salads, dolmas, hummus and tabbouleh, all of which can be mixed and matched into good combos. Kids meals and business lunch specials. Baklava and other desserts.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Catering, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, trivia, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Yes, it’s a chain, but it feels like part of Athens. Lots of toppings and specialty pies, plus pretzels made with the same dough, salads, subs, calzones and munchies; good beer selection.

File Under: Ice Cream. Features: Outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Seven days.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, counter service, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: DJs, outside seating. Clayton Street party bar with warm wood accents and barn doors. Yes, it has moonshine.

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Delivery, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Pho, of course, but other delicious Vietnamese standards, too, including banh mi sandwiches, crepes, summer rolls, claypots and rice dishes. Vietnamese coffee, fruit slushies, bubble tea and coconut juice to drink.

File Under: Something Different, Bars, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Reservations, catering, curbside pick-up, outside seating, Wi-Fi, full bar. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Mediterranean-inspired and chef-driven food that loves vegetables. The “power lunch” (an ever-changing array of healthy, colorful veggie items) is always a great choice, but everything on the menu is good and focused on sustainability as well as keeping your tastebuds happy. Great wine list and cocktails. New garage doors allow for open-air dining with some walls and a roof.

File Under: Ice cream and Smoothies, Coffee Houses and Bakeries. Features: Delivery, catering, outside seating. Hours: Breakfast and lunch. Former mobile business turned brick-and-mortar does both liege waffles and crowaffles, fun doughnuts in intense flavors and now biscuits with pulled pork, sausage, fried chicken and homemade jams as well as coffee drinks. Vegan and gluten-free offerings. Lots of compliments.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. This friendly neighborhood bar in Normaltown is serving on its patio, which has fire pits for the winter. Ever-changing craft and local beers and handcrafted cocktails. Getchaself a pizza from Automatic next door and chill.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Outside Seating, Full Bar. Hours: Mon–Sat. Neighborhood bar and motorcycle shop/hang-out also has snacks and a nice patio. Sports on TV, howdies, frosé.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, take-out. Seasonally focused cocktails, made with knowledge and care. Classics, with the year they were invented, and new things all listed on a well designed menu. Deep list of good spirits, plus some judiciously chosen wines and beers.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Crepe-based restaurant by day (with savory and sweet options, plus non-pancake-based foods) turns into a busy bar by night, offering over 150 beers, including 28 on tap (customers who try 100 beers are recognized on the Around the World Beer Club wall), wines, cocktails.

File Under: Snoballs. Features: Outside seating. Hours: Seven days (closes in cold weather).

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, outdoor seating, curbside pick-up. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Bar focused restaurant with tapas, oysters, charcuterie and fancy cheese from Half-Shepherd. Great whiskey selection, craft beer, a few wine options.

File Under: Downhome, Bars. Features: Outside seating, full bar, take-out. Hours: Lunch, dinner and brunch. A meat-and-three for the now, updated to use lighter, healthier ingredients and less salt. Shrimp burger, buttermilk-fried chicken, grilled pork chop, etc. Southern-accented cocktails.

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Curbside pick-up, outside seating, live music. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Locally owned steakhouse also does crab cakes, chicken, shrimp scampi and other things that aren’t red meat. Lunch includes a fried green tomato sandwich, grilled salmon BLT, she-crab soup.

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. All-American Watkinsville pub with a family-friendly atmosphere. Burgers, hot pretzels, fish and chips, fried shrimp, catfish po’boy, banana pudding. Kids menu. Frosé, tons of whiskeys, good craft beer selection. Breakfast pop-up by the Biscuit Bros includes a pancake taco.

File Under: BBQ, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: BYOB, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, Tue–Sat. Excellent meats smoked daily, which means when they’re out, they’re out. No dine-in during pandemics. Pescatarians and vegetarians will find plenty to eat. Ramen on Wednesdays. Housemade pickles, vinegar-lime slaw, smoked potato salad, tacos and the Redneck Reuben, one of the best sandwiches in town bar none.

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, catering, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken, Bars. Features: Outside seating, live music. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Bar and grill with pool tables, dart boards, slot machines and big-screen TVs. Bar food, including burgers, wings, sandwiches, nachos and fries.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. Dive bar “serving hangovers since 1991” features neon lighting and friendly bartenders. Conveniently located next door to pizza. 

File Under: Bars and Clubs, Something Different. Features: Full bar, curbside pick-up, counter service, outside seating, take-out, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Board-game café has a robust menu crafted to go well with hours of play: panini, cold sandwiches, salads, cheese plates, bowls of salty and sweet snacks. Games for rent or purchase and drinks soft and hard.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar. This college bar has a rooftop patio, a focus on boozy slushies (made with cane sugar), a shot wheel if you’re indecisive and a beer pong table.

File Under: Something Different, Bars. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. English pub does proper bangers and mash, lamb burger, curries, housemade potato chips with blue cheese and bacon, plus a couple of really good desserts. Soccer on the TV. U.K. beers, dry ciders, craft brews, wine, whiskey and cocktails.

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Curbside pick-up, full bar, reservations, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Lots of specialty rolls and sashimi and sushi combinations, plus noodles, rice dishes, tempura, grilled fish and more. Premium cold sakes and cocktails with Japanese ingredients. Beer and wine, too, including four plum wines.

File Under: BBQ, Bars. Features: Full bar, catering, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, take-out, counter service. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Giant barbeque place that has pork, brisket, ribs, tofu, chicken fingers, slaw, beans, potato salad and bread pudding. Bulk orders, too, and margaritas available for take-out.

File Under: Sandwiches, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Drive-thru, catering, counter service, curbside pickup, delivery, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. 

File Under: Something Different, Bars. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, take-out, curbside pick-up. Hours: Dinner. Oysters, of course, from much farther afield than the Gulf, plus smart, tasty small plates, including an awesome grilled cheese, scallop fried rice, lobster roll, veggie-loving dishes. Menu changes often. Beer, wine, absinthe, sake, serious cocktails and frozen Negronis.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, delivery, catering, curbside pick-up, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Two locations; the original, on Tallassee, is smaller. Lots of standards if you just want margs and guac but also good stuff for the more adventurous, including real tacos (on corn tortillas with onions, cilantro, lime and fatty meats). Super-good beans. 

File Under: BBQ. Features: Catering, curbside pick-up, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Karaoke, full bar, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Dinner, seven days. Not the place for a quiet night out but good for a party. Long menu of sushi and sashimi as well as fried softshell crab, dumplings, land proteins (steak, chicken), lobster, noodles and desserts. Hot and cold sake, saketinis, wine, mostly domestic beer but a few Japanese brews.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, DJs, outside seating. This clean, classic college bar is especially popular on game days. Play darts or grab some air on a covered outdoor patio. Ten beers on tap, well drinks and daily specials.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries. Features: Outside seating, art, Wi-Fi. Hours: Seven days. Small, independent coffee shop makes caffeinated beverages with local coffees, carries pastries and treats. Fun specials like Vietnamese iced coffee or frozen lemonade. Many loose tea options and smoothies.

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, delivery, outdoor seating, take-out, curbside pick-up. Hours: Lunch and dinner, Tue–Sun. Somewhat upscale Thai restaurant does dishes that can be easily adapted for vegetarians. Noodles, rice entrees, soups, salads, curries and a Thai dessert selection. Spice level can be serious. Lunch specials. A couple of Thai beers among the domestics, sakes and a section of organic wines.

File Under: American, Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, catering. Hours: Brunch, lunch and dinner. Located in the ornate lobby of the former Georgian Hotel. Small plates like goat cheese fritters or large plates with burgers, salmon and lambchops. Gluten-free menu. Rotating draft beers in full or half pours, good wines by the glass (and bottle) and regularly changing craft cocktails with housemade ingredients.

File Under: Breweries. Features: Beer, live music, trivia. Lots of outdoor space and a wide variety of beers, with standards like the Red and Black Berliner and Hobnail IPA on tap. The brewery also offers small-batch, seasonal releases and lots of sours.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Outside seating, full bar, take-out, counter service, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Simple menu focuses on large New York-style slices, lots of fresh toppings, specialty pies, big calzones and salads. Slice and a salad will run you $6. Domestic and import bottles and cans, tons of craft beer, wine and cocktails.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Counter service, outside seating, take-out, curbside pick-up, catering. Hours: Lunch, Mon–Sat. Dinner, Wed–Fri. This restaurant is in the middle of things but hidden away at the same time. Asian-accented quick bistro emphasizes fresh flavors and minimal salt, with lots of veggies and seafood. Gluten-free and dairy-free options.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, outside seating (Milledge), take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Despite the name, not so much a taqueria as a burrito joint, with excellent nachos (the “mini” size is enormous), veggie chili in the cooler months and quesadillas packed with onions and jalapeños that have their charm. Slight menu variations between locations. Original location on Milledge, recently renovated, is an Athens treasure.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, catering, counter service, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch, Mon–Sat. Dinner, Tues–Sat. Chef-crafted taqueria isn’t trying to be the most authentic, but it is consistently good. Pork, brisket, fried chicken, carnitas, fish and veggie tacos, plus weekly specials and a blue-plate special. Great selection of premium tequilas, build-your-own margaritas, bottled beers.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar (Jefferson and Gaines School), beer and wine (Watkinsville), delivery, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Popular family-friendly Mexican restaurant does all the usual things (burritos, taco salads, fajitas, fried ice cream), but also Mexican tacos and good tortas. Kids menu. Margaritas, Mexican beers, regular bottled stuff, pitchers.

File Under: Asian, Mexican and South American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Outside seating, take-out, delivery, curbside pick-up, full bar. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Small Atlanta-based chain does Asian/Latin fusion tacos: bulgogi and shiitake, teriyaki chicken with pineapple pico de gallo, tofu with sesame-soy vinaigrette and more. Apps, bowls and salads. Margaritas, cocktails, sangria, craft beers.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, delivery, catering, outdoor seating take-out, curbside pick-up. Hours: Lunch and dinner, Mon–Sat. Big menu of Indian standards, from samosas and pakoras to poori, chat, tandoori and many vegetarian options. There’s goat, and combination dinners if you want to try a bunch of things. Lassis, chai and Indian tea, wine and beer.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, counter service, curbside pick-up, delivery, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, Mon–Sat. Mediterranean quick-service franchise does healthful grilled food, including gyros, entree-size salads and "feasts" (grilled veggies or protein, salad, side). Soups, baklava, daily specials, family take-home meals, hummus and spicy pimento cheese, too.

File Under: Downhome, Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Drive-thru, catering, outside seating. Hours: Breakfast and lunch, Mon–Sat. Heavily football-themed place that does biscuits with sausage, bacon, bologna, steak, chicken, country ham, tenderloin, smoke-link or salmon. Beef, chicken, salmon and shrimp burgers. Wings available in large quantities geared to tailgating.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, outside seating, take-out, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Refined, individually sized thin-crust pizzas are light as a feather, with good char and cool toppings. Gluten-free options. Also: sandwiches, calzones, pastas, sliders and a great beet salad. Desserts in the refrigerated case. Good beer in cans and bottles, a few wines by the glass. Large outdoor patio.

File Under: Breweries. Features: Beer, outside seating. Loads of outside space, with live music, at which to taste local craft beer. Dogs are welcome! IPA fiends are into Hopsecutioner, but you might also find a watermelon gose or the Wake-n-Bake coffee oatmeal imperial stout. Food trucks are sometimes present.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Full bar, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch, dinner and late night, seven days. Sunday brunch. Expanded to encompass the former Highwire. Menu includes tacos, sliders, French onion soup, veggie-packed quinoa salad, burgers, ribs, cheeses and snacks. Serious beer, with more than 200 well-described options in the bottle and 30 on tap, plus wine and nice cocktails.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Hours: Lunch and dinner, Tue–Sat. Ginormous two-hands-required burgers are the focus (bison, lamb, lots of toppings, regular specials), but you can also get other sandwiches, hot dogs, fried apps, wings and salads. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. Kids menu.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers And Chicken. Features: Delivery, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Deli and hot sandwiches, stuffed full. Veggie options, too, plus burgers, hot dogs, fries, tater tots, chips, pickles. New location should be open soon, and a food truck, too.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Drive-thru, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Long-time Athens place famous for hot dogs (with slaw, chili or pimento cheese), onion rings and frosted orange drink. You can also get burgers, BLTs, grilled cheese, chicken sandwiches, fries, fried pies and ice cream.

File Under: South American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Take-out, delivery, outside seating, catering. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Not just beef (although it does that well!), this place is well known for its shepherd’s pie, known as pastel de papa, and its filled cupcakes. Lots of vegetarian choices, empanadas, lomo con papas fritas, great sandwiches. You do want the chimichurri sauce.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries, Bars, Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Full bar, outside seating, counter service, art, Wi-Fi. Hours: Open seven days. Local coffee and pretty good light food by day, bar by night. Six beers on draft and over 70 in bottles, including many microbrews.

File Under: Downhome. Features: Catering, counter service, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, Mon–Sat. A legend, in Athens and far outside it. Look for the bright-green cinderblock building and the sign that reads “Automatic for the People.” Fantastic fried chicken, squash casserole, mac and cheese, collards and the like, varying a bit daily. Order online for delivery or pick-up.

File Under: Something Different, Downhome and BBQ, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, counter service, delivery, take-out, art, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, Tue–Sun. One of the best cheeseburgers anywhere, as well as bbq (pork and tofu, both good), excellent veggie sides (including perfect coleslaw), Fanta in the cooler, fun specials, almost everything cooked on the magical flat-top. Lots of outdoor picnic tables.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, catering, counter service, delivery, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Curbside pick-up, take-out, outside seating, beer. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Two locations plus a food truck and a third, Normaltown location to come. Wings, of course, boneless and regular, but also fried green tomatoes, burgers, mozzarella sticks, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and a couple of salads. Kids meals include a cookie. Homemade cake. 

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers And Chicken. Features: Catering, outdoor seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, DJs, outside seating. Craft and draft beer, specialty cocktails and giant Moscow mules, TVs for sports, trivia.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, counter service, curbside pick-up, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. Locally based franchise does personal-size customized pizzas Lots of topping, sauce and cheese choices, as well as several doughs. Pick a specialty pie or build your own. Vegan and gluten-free choices. Panini, bread bowl salads, gelato, beer and wine.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries. Features: Curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, Wi-Fi, catering. Hours: Seven days. Coffee (including iced coffee made with coffee ice cubes) and doughnuts customizable right then and there with toppings from shredded coconut to bacon, pecans, Fruity Pebbles and the traditional sprinkles. Vegan, paleo and gluten-free options.