File Under: Mexican and Latin American. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Breakfast. Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • A mix of Americanized Mexican and more authentic stuff in a family atmosphere. Normaltown location has a gorgeous rooftop bar with a mural and nice views, plus breakfast Thursday through Saturday now starting at 7:30 a.m.

File Under: American, Breweries. Features: Full bar, live music, trivia. Hours: Lunch, dinner and brunch, open seven days. • A wide variety of house-brewed beers that is always changing (more than two dozen on tap at any given time), plus a full restaurant, not just bar snacks. Beer features in many dishes, and there are vegan and vegetarian options. Also: flatbreads, burgers, salads, biscuits + beer at brunch. Cocktails, wine, shots and cider, too.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Opens earlier than most bars. • Two floors plus a rooftop tiki bar, pool and lots of TVs. Hundreds of drink options, 20 rotating beers, 55 whiskeys, 18 tequilas and over 200 bottled beers (including some nonalcoholic choices).

File Under: Pizza, Bars. Features: Trivia, catering, outside seating, take-out, delivery, full bar, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Two options are nearby for this small chain: downtown Athens and on Macon Highway in the Falls of Oconee shopping center. Pizza with a wide variety of toppings, renowned wings, sandwiches, pasta, salads and soup. Good craft brews. 

File Under: Breweries. Features: Beer, live music, comedy, trivia. Hours: Seven days. • Small brewery with lots of offerings in the historic Boulevard neighborhood. Sixteen different taps, changing often, with sours, pilsners, wheat beers, ales, stouts, build-your-own hard seltzer and more, plus a big patio that hosts events and food pop-ups (including by Homero Elizalde, yum!).

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, counter service, delivery, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Big slices of New York-style pizza made in pans brushed with garlic oil, plus delish but not giant subs, salads and cannoli all with quality ingredients. Vegan-friendly + gluten-free options.

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

File Under: Burgers. Features: Beer, take-out, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Small menu done well: smashburgers topped with caramelized onions, cheese, housemade pickles and zippy house sauce; fries; banana pudding in a few different flavors. New Watkinsville location has a drive-thru.

File Under: Bars and Clubs, Something Different. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • ZZ & Simone's sister business is a bar first and foremost, but has expanded its food options to heartier stuff like baked ziti and meatballs. Wine and aperitifs over beer and shots, plus bowls of olives, pretty desserts, fancy toasts, etc. 

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, live music. • Roomy bar beloved by Barstool Sports with TVs, pool tables, darts and foosball. Beer and mixed drinks across a wide range of taste and budget. Pool and beer-pong tournaments, plus cornhole; boozy snow cones in the summer.

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: Seven days.

File Under: Bakeries, Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, counter service, outside seating, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast, lunch, Friday dinner, Sunday brunch • Longtime Athens favorite has a great patio popular with dogs and kids. Biscuits, French toast, continental breakfast, omelets, great sandwiches, quiche, soups, burgers (veggie and non), small but good selection of beer and wine. Baked goods galore, including for special order.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Take-out, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Wings and chicken fingers to go, with 16(!) different sauces and a wide variety of customizations (extra wet, extra crispy, etc.). Also: burgers, corn dogs, meaty salads, fried shrimp, onion rings, fries and fried apple pies on the side. Other locations are in Statham, Lexington, Commerce, Elberton, Hartwell and Royston. Online ordering.

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. • Longtime Athens sports bar has several locations and a big menu including many vegetarian choices. Beer on tap and in bottles, including local brews. Each location has its own specials.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. • Cozy bar on the second story of a historic building, 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. Occasional vinyl nights where you can bring your own tunes.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. • Big, divey, multi-level student bar. Pool, beer pong, popcorn machines and more inside. 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 and champagne, 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. • Family-oriented restaurant with a huge menu, great deals on kids meals and something for everyone, including celiac folks. Big salads, fried apps, tacos, burgers, grilled seafood and more.

File Under: American, Coffee Houses and Bakeries. Features: Take-out, outside seating, full bar. 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 and made-to-order breakfast. Bar snacks, Savannah Room favorites like celestial chicken, Thai chicken salad, burgers and more.

File Under: BBQ. Features: Full bar, live music, catering, outside seating, delivery, trivia, karaoke. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • The rare barbecue place that has both good smoked meats (especially pork and ribs) and a full bar. Sides like chicken mull, corn nuggets, fried okra, meat skins and a meaty potato salad are legit. Desserts are well thought of. Kids menu.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries, Bars, Sandwiches. Features: Full bar, counter service, outside seating, Wi-Fi, comedy, live music. • Boo-vay, not booves, as in the French for "you drink." European-style cafe with a lot of different beverages all through the day: coffee, tea, cool sodas, craft cocktails, wine, beer and aperitifs. Chef Mimi Maumus has been redoing the eats, which focus on real, satisfying food: kale salad, bagel with banana jam and bacon, noodles, housemade granola and more, plus alcoholic and booze-free snoballs. Popular with kids and grown folks alike.

File Under: Something Different. Features: Take-out, outside seating, beer and wine, catering, counter service. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. • Breakfast until late afternoon, with pastries, burritos, sandwiches, good baked things; classic sandwiches, soups and salads at lunch; several different types of proper tea service (by reservation) with scones, clotted cream, tea sandwiches; and then snacks and light drinks in the early evening. Wide selection of teas. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options.

File Under: Mexican and Latin American. Features: Outside seating, beer, wine and margaritas (Eastside), 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 is bigger with an eclectic atmosphere fun for adults and full of quarter-operated rides for kids. Lumpkin has a small fee to BYOB. 

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

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • This hashtag-happy gastropub welcomes "thirst seekers, hopgazers, palate pushers" and plays fast and loose with flavors like sriracha and blue cheese. Good beer selection, regular specials, street tacos, lots of fusion and a food truck that pops up at bars and breweries.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Take-out, curbside pick-up, vegetarian friendly, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. • Watch football on a big screen, dance under the disco ball 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. DJs and karaoke.

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

File Under: Asian, Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken, Coffee. Features: Take-out, counter service, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Corner grocery in Winterville now serves Filipino yums as well as classic American deli sandwiches, coffee, bubble tea (milk only), ice cream and light and colorful slices of cake. Pick up a pack of cracker nuts and some noodles while you're at it. 

File Under: Mexican. Features: Counter service, take-out, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. Downtown location coming at some point.

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, reservations, Wi-Fi, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Steak and beer, but also seafood, chicken, salmon tacos and burgers at this somewhat upscale Watkinsville restaurant. Tap takeovers, mocktails, Southern veggies for sides and gluten-free items. 

File Under: Something Different. Features: Catering, full bar, outside seating, reservations, take-out. Hours: Dinner, open seven days. • Upscale place with an emphasis on Gulf seafood, including a large, well-executed sushi menu. Land animals, too. Signature cocktails with sake or Japanese whiskey as well as standards. Big for date night.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, trivia. • 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 trendy shots. Spiked hot chocolate in the winter.

File Under: Bars/Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, live music. • An event space and college bar, with a frozen drink machine, Creature Comforts beer for $3, more cocktails than usual, a disco ball, a game room with Skee-ball and a covered back patio.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, take-out, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Local favorite does beef and veggie burgers (made with good ingredients and creative toppings: bacon jam, peanut butter, gouda, etc.) plus grilled cheese, tater tots and milkshakes (including boozy ones). Gluten-free options and a big patio.

File Under: Coffee Houses, Something Different. Hours: Seven days. Features: Outside seating, Wi-Fi. • Locally-based small-batch chocolate shop offers truffles, chocolate bars, coffee bars and more, plus drinking chocolate, coffee, gelato, ice cream sandwiches, toffee, etc. Vegan options. Downtown location has big windows to watch the chocolate elves at work, or you can book a tour.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Cheery spot in Watkinsville decorated with bright colors and ocean theme does a lot of seafood: shrimp, oysters, fish, octopus, ceviche, aguachile. Land animals, too, if you prefer. Also: margaritas, buckets of beers, palomas.

File Under: Something Different. Features: Take-out, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Viet-Cajun fusion serves tasty boil-in-bag seafood (crawfish, shrimp, mussels, crab legs and more) with plenty of spice as well as fried baskets, salmon and shrimp burgers, corn, hushpuppies, coleslaw and wings, but the real reason to go is for Vietnamese coffee and specialties including pho, bún, cóm, bo kho and more. BYOB and karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights.

File Under: Breweries. Features: Beer, outside seating. • Big, beautiful brewery with lots of indoor and outdoor seating, pretty lighting and legit art. Popular year-round offerings include Tropicalia, Athena and Classic City Lager, but there are lots of seasonal and limited-edition beers, too. Purchase cans, bottles and merch on site to take home. Food trucks and pop-ups for eats.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. • One of the largest bars in town, with a more grown-up, less college-heavy 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: Asian. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. Features: Full bar, outside seating. • Grilled meats cooked on your table, either in pre-set portion sizes or all-you-can-eat (within 2 hours), plus banchan (free snacks that vary frequently). It's not inexpensive, but it is good. Also: vegetarian options, Korean ramen, kimchi stew. Japanese whiskey, shōchū and other unusual selections at the bar.

File Under: BBQ. Features: Catering, counter service, delivery, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Cheerful, Black-owned barbecue joint that does ribs, chicken, pork and sausage, plus Southern-style veggies (available in small, medium and large) and fruit cobblers. Picnic tables out front plus seating inside.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, curbside pick-up, delivery, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • This Athens favorite has been in business for decades doing classic Italian, from pizza and standard red-sauced pasta to eggplant florentine and grilled salmon. Each location has a slightly different menu, but all have 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. • Something for everyone: brunchy-lunchy hot food made to order until 2 p.m., with lots of veggies; stuff in the fridge and freezer any other time, and lots of weekly specials, ranging all over the world in influences. Holiday special orders. Walkers, bikers and bus riders get a 5% discount. Great with dietary restrictions.

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 ($2 Tuesdays). What you’d expect for drinks plus a cocktail named for UGA grad golfer Bubba Watson.

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, fish, soup and salad.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Full bar, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Most of the restaurant is outside, and the lawn is often busy with a Five Points crowd. Tacos (including veggie and vegan choices) that change out regularly, plus other Mexican-ish standards, kids menu and a serious bar with lots of tequilas, a selection of mezcals, beer buckets and build-your-own margs.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, outside seating, take-out, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Large regional chain Tex-Mex restaurant features murals and elaborate hanging lights, plus a big bar in the middle. You can find some gems among the standard burritos and taco salads: tableside guacamole, chile colorado, large selection of tequilas and margaritas in over a dozen flavors.

File Under: American. Features: Catering, counter service, curbside pick-up, delivery, outside seating. Hours: Breakfast and lunch. • Family-run eatery inside Hawthorne Drugs does a surprisingly good Cuban sandwich as well as Southern lunch standards (pimento cheese and the like), plus breakfast plates, milkshakes, hot dogs and more. Kids menu and a super family-friendly atmosphere.

File Under: Pizza. Features: Beer and wine, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and brunch, open seven days. • Fancy Detroit-style pizza franchise can make you a gluten-free pie. Also serves burgers, salads, mozzarella sticks, soy and sesame marinated cucumbers, family-style banana or chocolate pudding for dessert, all in the former location of The Grit.

File Under: Something Different, Bars, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Reservations, outside seating, take-out, full bar. Hours: Dinner. • Refined and intelligent restaurant with a beauteous bar has an Italian focus to its food, with anitpasti, burrata, housemade pasta (can be gluten-free), risotto and more. Offerings change regularly. Virgin cocktails made with as much love as the boozy ones, plus nice wines.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Delivery, outside seating, take-out, counter service, catering, beer and wine, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Locally originating burger chain does patties with 100% grass-fed, no-antibiotics, locally raised beef, pasture-raised pork, ground chicken or vegan ingredients. Lots of toppings, sides, kids menu, shakes and floats, burger + beer combos. 

File Under: Something Different. Features: Delivery, vegetarian friendly, outside seating, take-out, counter service, full bar. Hours: Breakfast and lunch. • Primarily biscuits, served all day, but not just traditional egg and cheese varieties. Nice ingredients like housemade pickles and jam. Lunch adds non-biscuit sandwiches and burgers plus specials and cocktails. Baked goods in a case at the counter, good coffee.

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

File Under: Something Different. Features: Full bar, reservations, catering, outside seating, take-out, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Dinner. • Newly purchased by local Peter Dale, Five & Ten remains the gold standard for fine dining in Athens. The menu is Southern-ish but chef-driven and up to date, changing weekly depending on what’s in season. Wine list by James Beard nominee; unpretentious but smart cocktails; excellent after-dinner drinks. Look out for specials, including picnic stuff during football season.

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

File Under: South American. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Brazilian steakhouse offers an all-you-can-eat model. Pay once, then go up to the meat window and/or the salad bar (which also has mashed potatoes, empanadas, etc.) as many times as you like. Vegetarians can do the buffet and grilled pineapple and still be happy. Lower prices for kids. Drinks and dessert are separate.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. • Longtime Irish pub Flanagan’s and its downstairs sister bar get packed with students on late nights and weekends. Pool, daily specials on everything from cocktails to shots to Ultra Right Beer. Lots of whiskey, both on special and just regularly.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating, movies, art, trivia. • Cult film nights, cool movie posters and fun drinks at this chill townie bar. Also: boozy slushies, retro cocktails, half pours on beer, mocktails, local tea, snacks (Pouch Pies' savory pies and more). Rent the side room for your private event.

File Under: American. Features: Beer and wine, catering, outside seating, take-out, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and weekend dinner, open seven days. 

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

File Under: Italian And Pizza. Features: Full bar, outside seating, take-out, trivia. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Locally owned pizza place that focuses on big slices with a wide variety of toppings. Also: wings, salads, subs, pasta, chicken fingers, cannoli, fried pickles and the Redneck Stromboli (a hot dog and cheddar baked in pizza dough). Kids menu.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, outside seating, take-out, beer and wine. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Mexican place in Winterville has a big menu (with a section for kids) that includes your standard dips and quesadillas, fried and grilled fish, seafood soup, "tacos gringos" (hardshell with ground beef or chicken, lettuce and cheese), churros and lunch combos. Margs, aguas and horchata to drink.

File Under: Asian. Features: Take-out, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Lots of things in bowls: hibachi, ramen, poke, plus some side snacks like seaweed salad, edamame, potstickers, bao and shrimp tempura. Ramune Japanese sodas to drink. Treats like Pocky and Hello Kitty marshmallows to wrap it up.

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

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, catering, reservations, outside seating, take-out, delivery. Hours: Dinner and Sunday brunch. • Gulf and low country classics: étouffée, shrimp and grits, sherry crab bisque, oysters (raw, fried, grilled), jambalaya, redfish and much more. Good wine list from all over, beer and Southern-accented cocktails.

File Under: Bars and Clubs, Something Different. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. Features: Outside seating, Wi-Fi, live music. • An Athens classic, open since 1989, that hasn't lost a step. Huge beer selection, general literary atmosphere (poetry nights!) and lots of cool things to look at. On the menu, you'll find smart takes on pub food with lots of vegetarian options (hot tofu as well as hot chicken, veggie burgers alongside the beef) plus actual greens and fresh ingredients. Soccer on the tv upstairs.

File Under: Burgers, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Full bar, counter service, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Small chain out of Atlanta does smashburgers with one patty or two (beef, turkey, beans and quinoa, or Impossible Burger), plus bar snacks, fried sides and boozy or virgin milkshakes. Nice upstairs outside seating.

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

File Under: Something Different. Features: Outside seating, drive-thru, take-out, counter service. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Small Atlanta chain does build-your-own bowls, salads and wraps with a protein (chicken, shrimp, tofu, avocado), veggies and sauce, ready fast. Kids menu.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries, Bars. Features: Breakfast, 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, plus baked goods. Lots of draft and bottled/canned craft beers, plus wine, craft cocktails and mocktails (some made with coffee). Breakfast includes beignets, egg plates, a Spam-based brekkie and more. Grab-and-go sandwiches and cheese plates. Loads of events.

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Reservations, live music, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and brunch, open seven days. • 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. Earlybird specials.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. • Comer's first boozery distills its own whiskeys through Soldier of the Sea, often incorporating local honey (hence the name), then mixes them into cocktails. Food pop-ups, camaraderie galore.

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: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, dinner, outside seating. • Fancy rooftop bar with great views of downtown Athens and TVs for gameday, atop the Hyatt Place hotel. Also: some snacks (charcuterie, dips, wings) and some heartier eats (burgers, fried chicken strips, salad). Specialty cocktails, including some made with champagne and billed as Hybar Pops.

File Under: Bakeries, Sandwiches, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Counter service, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Breakfast and lunch, open seven days. • Nice bagels, excellent house-smoked fish and sandwiches (either on bagels or on Luna bread) and made with 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. Hours: Tue-Sun. • Consistently delicious baked goods made by bread nerds with house-milled wheat. Also: delightful viennoiserie (the palmiers are particularly good), a few beautiful cookies, excellent sandwiches that show up around 11 a.m. in limited quantities (fillings change out seasonally). Choco Coffee and hot chocolate, plus house-milled flour and grits. Products available at a few other places around town.

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

File Under: American. Features: Outside seating, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast and lunch, open seven days. 

File Under: BBQ. Features: Take-out, drive-thru, beer and wine, outside seating, counter service. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Barbecue chain out of Birmingham, AL, makes pork, chicken, brisket, ribs and turkey, plus fried catfish, smoked wings, nachos, burgers, loaded potatoes, pie, etc. Gluten-free options.

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

File Under: Coffee/Tea 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 quite a bit beyond Athens, but the beans are still roasted in town. Lots of specialty roasts benefit different causes. Hot and cold drinks, premium teas and locally baked goodies. Stop by the Tasting Room on Fritz Mar Lane for fresh-roasted beans by the pound—whole or ground; cups of coffee, teas and shots of espresso.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, delivery, outside seating, take-out, trivia, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. 

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Outside seating, art, delivery, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Plenty more, actually, in addition to the Vietnamese beef, chicken or vegetable broth-based noodle soup customizable with lots of additions. Other things on the menu include rice dishes with grilled meats, noodle dishes, banh mi sandwiches, goi cuon, tiramisu.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, catering, counter service, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Serious bang for your buck, with hefty portions of 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, served with good cheer.

File Under: Italian and Pizza. Features: Outside seating, beer and wine, catering. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Now open in the Epps Bridge Parkway shopping center in Oconee County, this pizza place has connections to the former Doughby's. Pizza by the slice or the pie, with specialty toppings including chicken and waffles. Also sandwiches and cannoli.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Catering, outside seating, take-out, counter service, full bar, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Birria-focused, adorable, family-run restaurant does quesatacos, ramen, burgers, ceviche, plus the hearty meat stew that forms the basis of most of its menu. Kids menu. Aguas frescas made in house.

File Under: Sandwiches, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, counter service, outside seating, art, take-out. Hours: Lunch. • Sweet little cafe in Watkinsville does deli sandwiches (including pimento cheese, egg salad and hummus) and salads, both lettuce-based and mayo-based. Order ahead online if you like.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open 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: Mexican and South American. Features: Drive-thru, delivery, beer and wine, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Fast-casual Mexican, both drive-thru and dine-in, offers birria, quesabirrias, burritos, tortas, tacos and a few surprising options, like a quinoa salad.

File Under: Frozen Treats, Mexican. Features: Counter service, take-out, outside seating. Hours: Seven days. • Hundreds of flavors of popsicles and ice cream in this shop attached to La Jalisco grocery store and taqueria. Also: street-food snacks like a grilled ear of corn encrusted with Hot Cheetos, agua fresca with ice cream, sliced mango with chile powder and a fruit cup topped with spicy gummy worms.

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 (including queso, tequila, eggnog and more), as well as gorgeous paletas full of fruit, smoothies, aguas frescas and street-food snacks like Dorilocos and loaded potato chips. Its food truck shows up at the J&J on weekends with ice cream and savory stuff.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Catering, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and brunch, open seven days. • Atlanta vibe at this cheffy Wire Park restaurant that brings you three salsas instead of one and offers lamb and octopus in its tacos as well as chicken and steak. Order something interesting, and you'll be happier. Good vegetarian and pescatarian options. Mezcal in addition to tequila. Swanky cocktails. Kids menu.

File Under: Something Different. Features: Wine, Outside Seating. Hours: Seven days. • The Expat’s Krista Slater's wine store and tasting room. Come taste before you buy (half or full pours, cool stuff described in an accessible and smart way), and have a snack while you're at it (tinned seafood, nuts, cheese, charcuterie, toasts and Condor chocolates). Food pop-ups sometimes.

File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Outside seating, art, full bar, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Dinner and weekend brunch. • Crowd-pleasing restaurant mixes Southern and Southwestern cuisine; veggie and vegan choices, plus fish and seafood are highlights. Large dessert case. Plan ahead for lines at brunch. Well-stocked bar, with a variety of single malts, as well as aperitifs/digestifs and a long list of wines, many available in half bottles. Large outdoor dining area.

File Under: American. Features: Counter service, curbside pick-up, delivery, take-out, outside seating, vegetarian friendly, catering. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch. • The Little City in question is Winterville, just outside Athens. Southern breakfast and brunch include biscuits, eggs, quiche and 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, live music, outside seating, Wi-Fi. • Grown folks' bar hosts music, trivia and frequent private events. Big patio with cornhole. A variety of bottled beers and rotating drafts that include seasonal brews. Wine and cocktails, too. Pop-up food offerings occasionally.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music/DJs, outside seating. • This all-purpose performance/events venue has three stages—two inside and one in a large beer garden—and does a variety of events. A good assortment of craft and local beer, as well as budget-friendly options. Wine and cocktails, too. Tiki Taco Tuesdays.

File Under: American, Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, trivia. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Sports bar and grill in the middle of Five Points serves burgers, tacos, bowls, fried things like deviled eggs and mushrooms, kids menu. Also, Southern-themed cocktails. Heated outside dining.

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

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

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Delivery, outside seating, full bar, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open 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, caldo de siete mares, gorditas, sopes and more, plus a mangonada margarita.

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Reservations, outside seating, live music, room service, take-out, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast and dinner, open seven days. • Hotel Indigo’s restaurant serves croissant sandwiches and omelets for breakfast, plus a full dinner, with steak, salmon, sandwiches, salads and even a kids menu. Nice cocktails.

File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Virtuous and tasty quick service, now franchised and expanding elsewhere. Start with brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes or salad greens. Add a protein, two veggie-forward sides and a housemade sauce. Menu changes seasonally. Condor Chocolates and cookies 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 keeps long hours, has free pool upstairs, a great view of downtown and campus and TVs for sports. The usual array of brews behind the bar; house drinks tend to be sweet and beachy, plus low-priced bottles of wine. Dog friendly, trivia.

File Under: Downhome, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, curbside pick-up, counter service, outside seating, art, Wi-Fi. Hours: Breakfast and lunch. • Southern breakfast and lunch all day: biscuits with lots of toppings, hash, egg plates, tacos, pimento cheese burger, chicken salad, strawberry lemonade. Lots of great sides. Very accommodating to those with special dietary needs. The Electric Avenue location in Wire Park is smaller, with a limited menu.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, DJs. • Eclectic decor in a dimly lit, divey interior popular with townies. Zapp's potato chips pair well with 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 weekend brunch, open seven days. • Coastal fish shack does Georgia and Gulf seafood with mostly open-air seating: 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.

File Under: Italian. Features: Delivery, outside seating, take-out, beer and wine, catering. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Family-owned, friendly local Italian place with lots of booth seating has all the stuff you'd expect: baked ziti, linguini pomodoro, veal marsala, tiramisu. Kids menu. Italian wine. 

File Under: Sandwiches, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, counter service, delivery, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch. • Longtime Athens lunch spot guided by the spirit of its late founder is popular for catering, too, as well as for take-home entrees and casseroles that are great for new parents or anyone who doesn't want to cook. Big salads, scoops of pimento cheese and chicken salad, sandwiches, sweets.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Counter service, catering, delivery, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open 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, delivery, outside seating, trivia, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Lots of toppings and specialty pies, plus pretzels made with the same dough, salads, subs, calzones and munchies; good beer selection.

File Under: Something Different. Features: Outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • New Desi restaurant attached to and owned by Achachi Market focuses on South Indian take-out but does have some tables inside and out. Classics like chicken 65 and tandoori chicken coexist with goat sukka varuval (a dry-fry curry), savory donuts, lots of dosai, idli and a bunch of different kinds of naan. Lassis, rose milk, Indian tea to drink.

File Under: Coffee Houses and Bakeries. Features: Drive-thru, outside seating. Hours: Seven days. • Darling independently owned coffee place does drip coffee, cold brew, lattes, tea, kombucha, mochas, bagels, pastries from Kiki’s Bakeshop, all with an emphasis on sustainability. Latte art and pop-ups.

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Delivery, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Sweet covered patio is a great place to sit at this Vietnamese restaurant. It has its titular beef broth-based noodle soup, of course, but also banh mi, crepes, summer rolls, claypots and rice dishes, with a good veggie-friendly selection. 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. • This place always pleases, whether for date night or an upscale lunch. The menu is Spanish/Mediterranean-inspired, with lots of vegetables (try the "power lunch") and high-quality ingredients. Roasted chicken with za'atar, Portuguese custard tarts, pizzettes and a lot more. Great wine list and cocktails. Hosts occasional pop-ups from small operations.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. • This bar from Jerry and Krista Slater of The Expat features fancy cocktails, great wine and cold beer alongside a few snacks (chips, bologna sandwich, sardines) and occasional pop-ups offering pizza, hot dogs or patty melts. Chill DJs sometimes. No kids.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, live music. • Chill neighborhood bar in Normaltown with a great patio with firepits in the winter and a dimly lit interior with plenty of space. Craft and local beers and handcrafted cocktails, plus boiled peanuts for snackin'.

File Under: Distillery. Features: Full bar, outside seating, live music. • This distillery inside the historic Henry Bishop house focuses on gin, rum and vodka. Offering cocktails and tours of the space, which is available for events. Tons of outdoor space under huge oak trees. Food pop-ups, movie nights, open mic, Yappy Hour.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Outside seating, full bar. Hours: Mon–Sat. • A motorcycle bar, but not like in the movies. This is just a chill neighborhood spot for people who like to ride and/or fix bikes and enjoy an Aperol spritz. Non-riders welcome, too. Snacks, regular pop-ups/food trucks, ping pong and a nice patio. Sports on TV, fire pits outside in cold weather.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, take-out. • A cocktail bar intently focused on craft, mixing creativity with classics, and has the awards to prove it. Menu changes seasonally and includes nonalcoholic options. Deep list of good spirits, plus some judiciously chosen wines and beers. Occasional snacks or pop-ups.

File Under: Italian. Features: Full bar, outside seating, reservations. Hours: Dinner, open seven days. • Brand-new chichi Italian with a Southern twist in the Rivet House boutique hotel. Order a family-style tasting meal and let the chef decide what you eat, or pick and choose your own antipasti, primi and secondi before wrapping it up with a chocolate hazelnut semifreddo. Craft cocktails, including nonalcoholic ones, and some crisp beers.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, outside seating, trivia. Hours: Dinner and Sunday brunch. • Huge bar with DJs, live music, gigantic TV for football games also serves a creative, fun Tex-Mex menu. Elote street corn "ribs," excellent smoke-fried wings in flavors like truffle-agave and honey sriracha, tacos with fresh corn tortillas, churro milkshake and much more. Brunch involves fried egg tacos and "brunchos" and is a bit quieter. Craft cocktails, palomas and margaritas on draft, and lots of specials.

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 with beer, wine and vodka-heavy cocktails.

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

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, counter service, take-out, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Owned by the same folks as Little Italy, so the food is similar (New York-style pizza, enormous subs), but the vibe is different and more family-oriented. Italian salads, pasta of the day, stromboli, tiramisu and cheesecake.

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Dinner and weekend brunch. First Friday lunch. • Mostly a bar, with a nice wine list, regular wine tastings and discounts for members of its wine club, but also a restaurant. Champagne brunch on weekends has quiche, burgers, sandwiches, waffles. Oysters, tapas and cheese plates. First Friday lunch pop-ups.

File Under: Downhome, Bars. Features: Outside seating, full bar, take-out. Hours: Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, open seven days. • More refined takes on Southern standards, like shrimp and grits with gouda. Big salads, chicken and waffles (not just at brunch), shrimp burger, collard spring rolls. Cocktails that play on things like peanuts and Coke.

File Under: Chicken. Features: Catering, take-out, outside seating, vegetarian friendly, delivery, counter service. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Tenders fried in rice bran oil, tofu options, vegan patties, hot dogs fried and served with slaw and sides that include white or brown rice and Japanese pickles.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Beer, counter service, outside seating, wine, take-out, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Get an elaborate michelada preparada, a pambazo (a torta soaked in red sauce) and some wet wipes, and you'll be thrilled. Lots of taco fillings, including an array of vegetarian choices that go beyond beans. Good, cold tres leches cake. Beer buckets.

File Under: American, Bars. Features: Outside seating, live music, reservations, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Downtown steakhouse also does crab cakes, chicken, shrimp scampi and other things that aren’t red meat as well as a la carte sides. Lunch includes a fried green tomato sandwich, grilled salmon BLT and she-crab soup. Desserts divided into edible and drinkable. Port and cognac for after dinner.

File Under: American, Downhome and BBQ. Hours: Lunch and dinner. Features: Counter service, beer and wine, outside seating, vegetarian friendly, take-out. • Chef-driven meat and three is fresher and lighter than the trad Southern plate of brown. Lunch features sandwiches, including an excellent smash burger, and some beautiful salads. Dinner lets you make your own plate of protein and veggies or veggies alone. Kids menu.

File Under: BBQ, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: BYOB, catering, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Who says a barbecue place can't be veggie-friendly? Chef-owned restaurant by the train tracks smokes high-quality meats and tofu daily. Watch the Instagram for specials and to see if things are running low; when they're out, they're out. Proudly inauthentic ramen on Wednesdays. Knife sharpening services as a side hustle.

File Under: Asian, Bars/Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating, vegetarian friendly, reservations. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • James Beard Award-nominated little-bitty bar/restaurant with tons of personality and charm has a big covered patio with heaters in the winter. Menu is "Thai drinking food" but so much more than that, with big, complex flavors, a real love of veggies and a strong sense of fun. Graze lightly or keep ordering until you're full. Cocktails change regularly but feature beautiful rums and unusual ingredients. Mocktails, too.

File Under: Mexican and South American. Features: Delivery, full bar, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Darling Dominican resto serves typical rib-sticking fare featuring a lot of rice and meat, including mofongo (plantains mashed with tons of garlic and broth), tostones, seafood, empanadas and churros. Full bar serving all your favorite island drinks.

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

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

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, live music, outside seating. • This dive bar “serving hangovers since 1991” features neon beer signs and friendly bartenders.

File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Counter service, outside seating, live music, catering. Hours: Dinner. • Bar/restaurant on top of the historic Georgia Theatre is open during and just before shows, with food from pop-up restaurants.

File Under: Bars and Clubs, Something Different. Features: Full bar, counter service, outside seating, take-out, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Board-game café with plenty of food: hot and cold sandwiches, pizza made with pita, salads, cheese plates, bowls of salty and sweet snacks, kids menu, coffees, nonalcoholic cocktails. Games for rent or purchase, and drinks soft and hard.

File Under: Something Different, Bars. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • English pub with a bitty kitchen does legit British food: housemade crisps, bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, curries. Also, good burgers (lamb and beef). Soccer on the telly. U.K. beers, dry ciders, craft brews, wine, whiskey and cocktails.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • From the folks behind Lalo's and a few other Mexican restaurants around town comes this new spot on the former Applebee's site with a remodeled rooftop bar. Guacamole can be made deluxe with pork belly, queso fundido is flambéd tableside with tequila, and lunch features some breakfast tacos and a patty melt with an egg. Big menu. Signature sangria and cocktails.

File Under: BBQ, Bars. Features: Full bar, catering, delivery, outside seating, take-out, counter service. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Barbecue in a cavernous space in a variety of iterations: pork, brisket, ribs, tofu, hash or stew, served over a starch, plus sides: slaw, beans, potato salad and more. Available in bulk orders, too. Bar menu is smaller and focused on snacks. Large outdoor space has games and a little playground.

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

File Under: Something Different, Bars. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Dinner. • Longtime hip oyster bar, with a great selection that changes frequently. Also fun takes on seafood and more: scallop fried rice, scallion pancake, lobster roll, grilled cheese. Beer, wine, absinthe, sake, serious cocktails and frozen Negronis. Hire its mobile unit to shuck at your party.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, delivery, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • One location (the original) next to a gas station and the other in a much bigger space on Broad Street. Both serve reliably very tasty Americanized Mexican standards but also lengua, buche and tripe tacos. Chilaquiles and surprisingly good hamburguesas.

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

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Karaoke, full bar, outside seating, delivery. Hours: Dinner, open seven days. • Party sushi bar with private karaoke rooms. Lots of rolls and sashimi as well as surf and turf, noodles, fried tofu and apps. 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, live music. • Not really western-themed, despite the name, just a classic college bar with a covered outdoor patio that's often dog friendly. Ten beers on tap, well drinks and daily specials, plastic cups shaped like a bone. Beer pong and cornhole tournaments and the Dawgs on TV.

File Under: Coffee/Tea Houses and Bakeries. Features: Outside seating, art, Wi-Fi. Hours: Seven days. • Small, independent coffee shop makes caffeinated beverages (including trendy stuff) with local coffees, plus has a variety of treats and other snacks like scones (sweet and savory). Good smoothies and plenty of loose tea options.

File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, delivery, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Noodles (available with various proteins), rice entrees, soups, salads, curries and a Thai dessert selection. Spice level can be serious. A couple of Thai beers among the domestics, sakes and a section of organic wines.

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, outside seating. • Eclectic bar with velvet paintings, Pee-Wee Herman dolls and satirical religious art. Large patio hidden from street view. Dance or play ping-pong. Try the house sangria or check out a drag show.

File Under: American, Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, open seven days. • Historic former hotel with a menu of small and large plates, all with big flavors: sweet potatoes, chicken-fried tofu, duck fat tater tots, candied bacon, that kind of thing. Gluten-free stuff. 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, comedy, live music, outside seating, trivia. • Brewery in Watkinsville's Wire Park is dog- and family-friendly, with about 20 beers on tap, emphasizing IPAs. Plenty of events and a polished inside as well as outdoor seating. Feel free to BYO food, including from the numerous eateries right next door, but also food trucks sometimes.

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, outside seating, reservations. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Upscale Southern in Wire Park is a bit more of a date night place. Signature cocktails are cute and fun. Graze on apps like fried deviled eggs and crab fritters, dig into a big entree or go lighter in the "betweens" (i.e. sandwiches) section. No need to dress up unless you want to.

File Under: American. Features: Full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch, open seven days. • New owners are tinkering with the menu and the atmosphere is a little more casual, but you can still expect seafood, including $1 oysters at happy hour, shrimp and grits, a raw bar, fried baskets, a couple of land-based entrees, lots of drink specials and winery events. Food truck, too.

File Under: Bars. Features: Outside seating, full bar, live music. • A large, two-level bar with duckpin bowling lanes upstairs as well as other games. Domestic and import bottles and cans, tons of craft beer, wine and a good selection of bourbon, including some rare options. Grill and snack bar with burgers and dogs operates from 10 p.m. to close. Popcorn.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Counter service, outside seating, take-out, catering. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Fresh flavors, low salt cooking and lots of vegetables in dishes like pasta with creamy basil arugula pesto or coconut macademia crusted fish at this restaurant tucked away on Baxter. Gluten-free and dairy-free options.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, take-out, outside seating, catering, counter service, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Taco bar franchise based in Alabama appeals to college kids, with not very spicy tacos, burritos, quesadillas and nachos, plus lots of drinks. Loads and loads of free toppings. Also: kids menu, family-pack take-out meals.

File Under: Mexican, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer, outside seating (Milledge), take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Athens fondly home this American Mexican restaurant. Milledge location has been open since the 1970s, with very little in the way of change, as it should be. Burritos, veggie chili, quesadillas (nuked or grilled), gigantic nachos. Eastside has some different options.

File Under: Downhome and BBQ, Mexican. Features: Drive-thru, take-out, catering, delivery, outside seating. Hours: Breakfast, lunch and early dinner. • Texas-style barbecue with a chef pedigree. Breakfast burritos in the a.m. on unbelievable housemade tortillas, pork and other meats in the p.m. (brisket if you're lucky), plus cornbread, beans, collards. Meats smoked daily.

File Under: Mexican. Features: Full bar, catering, counter service, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Chef-crafted taqueria with a focused menu. 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 and 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, open seven days. • Locally owned small chain Mexican restaurant has chips-and-salsa-type standards and will give you fried ice cream on your birthday, but also serves Mexican-style tacos and good tortas. Kids menu. Margaritas, Mexican beers, regular bottled stuff and pitchers.

File Under: Asian, Mexican and South American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Outside seating, take-out, delivery, full bar. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • 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 and craft beers.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, delivery, catering, outside seating, take-out, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Big menu of Indian standards, from samosas and pakoras to poori, chat, tandoori and many vegetarian and vegan options. Get your entree made with veggies, paneer, tofu, chicken, lamb, goat, fish or shrimp. Lassis, chai and Indian tea, wine and beer.

File Under: Something Different, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, counter service, delivery, outside seating, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Mediterranean quick-service franchise does 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: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Drive-thru, catering, outside seating. Hours: Breakfast and lunch. • 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, open seven days. • Personally sized pizzas with thinly sliced fancy toppings. Also other Italian-ish items and great salads. Gluten-free options. Desserts in the refrigerated case. Good beer in cans, on draft and bottles, a few wines by the glass. Large patio with a sandbox for kids.

File Under: Breweries. Features: Beer, outside seating. • Local brewer has a huge space, outside and inside, with live music, at which to taste 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: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, take-out, delivery, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Big menu runs from fresh Thai salads to satay, spicy basil duck, lots of seafood and vegan options, plus gluten-free stuff, with lots of eggplant, basil, chilis and curry, all customizable to your taste. Kids menu. Beer and wine, Thai iced tea and Thai iced coffee.

File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Full bar, outside seating, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch, dinner and late night, open seven days. Sunday brunch. • Big menu of food and beer with lots of vegetarian choices: loaded mac and cheese, Southern fish and chips, tabbouleh salad, housemade pickles, a vegan Reuben, buffalo tofu taco, plus scores of unusual, well-described beers in the bottle and on tap. There's also wine and nice cocktails.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • 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. Cheesecake for dessert.

File Under: Ice Cream. Features: Outside seating. • Athens' most magical toy store Treehouse Kid and Craft also has an ice cream and candy shop, with vegan soft-serve (vanilla or a rotating fruit flavor) served in super-cool cones in unusual flavors, plus popsicles and both old-timey and imported candies. Think it's crazy to put salsa matcha on your ice cream? Don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

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 light food until the early afternoon, bar by night. Six beers on draft and over 70 in bottles, including many microbrews.

File Under: Downhome. Features: Catering, counter service, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • A legend, in Athens and far outside it, and thankfully still open. 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.

File Under: Something Different, Downhome and BBQ, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Catering, counter service, delivery, take-out, art, outside seating, table service, full bar (Watkinsville). Hours: Lunch and dinner, weekend brunch (Watkinsville). • Original location is in an old-timey grocery with high ceilings and a ton of outside seating under fairy lights. BYOB. New candy-colored "Deluxe" edition is in Watkinsville with cocktails, beer, wine and dance party bathrooms. Both serve amazing cheeseburgers, pork and tofu barbecue and excellent veggie sides.

File Under: Sandwiches, Burgers and Chicken. Features: Curbside pick-up, take-out, outside seating, beer. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Three locations, plus a food truck. Wings, fried stuff, burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches and a couple of salads. Kids meals include a cookie. Homemade cake. 

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

File Under: Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, DJs, outside seating, trivia. • Craft and draft beer, specialty cocktails including Stiegl grapefruit soda mixed with vodka, TVs for sports, trivia. Dog friendly.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, catering, counter service, delivery, Wi-Fi. Hours: Lunch and dinner, open seven days. • Locally-based franchise does personal- and full-size customized pizzas. Lots of topping, sauce and cheese choices, as well as several doughs. Vegan and gluten-free choices. Panini, pasta, bread bowl salads, gelato, beer and wine.

File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, reservations, outside seating. Hours: Dinner, open seven days. • Italian restaurant with a bit of beachiness and a great 1960s soundtrack. Primi including crudo and anchovies on toast, housemade pasta, meat-centric entrees, pizzas, from-scratch gelato, a serious cocktail program and more. Book a table ahead or walk in. Heated patio.