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The 2023-2024 Flagpole Guide To Athens, GA

Restaurants Reservations

  • ARTini's Art Lounge

    artinisartlounge.com

    Price: $

    Locations

    • 337 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 30601. 706-353-8530 View Map

    File Under: Something Different, Bars. Features: Art classes, parking. • Local in-town paint-and-sip with beer and wine, plus nonalcoholic beverages if you need to concentrate on your sunset masterpiece. Open studio time if you don't want a structured class. To-go kits for private parties in your own space.

  • The Chop House

    thechophouse.com

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 2055 Oconee Connector Athens, GA 30606. 706-395-7855

    File Under: American. Features: Delivery, full bar, take-out, Wi-Fi, reservations, curbside pick-up. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days. • Mainstream chain steakhouse in Oconee does an array of steaks and chops (beef, pork, lamb) as well as big, ice-cold salads with a ton of toppings, seafood, and way more sides than the average place of its type. Beyond Meat for veggie folks. Kids menu and cocktails. Lunch has specials that can be a good deal.

  • Chops and Hops

    chopsandhops.com

    Price: $$$

    Locations

    • 2 S. Main St. Watkinsville, GA 30677. 706-310-1101 View Map

    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, ratatouille and burgers at this somewhat upscale Watkinsville restaurant. Tap takeovers, mocktails, southern veggies for sides and gluten-free items. App-y hour from 2–5 p.m. brings food and drink specials.

  • Chuck’s Fish

    chucksfish.com

    Price: $$$

    Locations

    • 220 W. Broad St. Athens, GA 30601. 706-395-6611

    Athens Favorites Logo

    File Under: Something Different. Features: Catering, full bar, outside seating, reservations, take-out. Hours: Dinner. • 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.

  • The Expat

    theexpatathens.com

    Price: $$$$

    Locations

    • 1680 S. Lumpkin St. Athens, GA 30606. 706-521-5041

    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.

  • Five & Ten

    fiveandten.com

    Price: $$$$

    Locations

    • 1073 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 30606. 706-546-7300 View Map

    File Under: Something Different. Features: Full bar, reservations, catering, outside seating, take-out, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Dinner. • Celebrity chef Hugh Acheson's flagship restaurant, in a historic house on Milledge Avenue with a big covered porch. 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.

  • George's Lowcountry Table

    georgeslowcountrytable.com

    Price: $$$

    Locations

    • 420 Macon Hwy. Athens, GA 30606. 706-548-3359 View Map

    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.

  • Hilltop Grille

    hilltopgrille.com

    Price: $$$

    Locations

    • 2310 W. Broad St. Athens, GA 30606. 706-353-7667 View Map

    File Under: American, Bars. Features: Reservations, live music, full bar, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner, Tue–Sun. Monday dinner. • 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.

  • The National

    thenationalrestaurant.com

    Price: $$$$

    Locations

    • 232 W. Hancock Ave. Athens, GA 30601. 706-549-3450 View Map

    Athens Favorites Logo

    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.

  • Porterhouse Grill

    porterhousegrillathens.com

    Price: $$$

    Locations

    • 459 E. Broad St. Athens, GA 30601. 706-369-0990 View Map

    File Under: American, Bars. Features: Outside seating, live music, reservations, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • 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.

  • Puma Yu's

    pumayus.com

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 355 Oneta St., Ste. D-400 Athens, GA 30601. 706-850-0709

    Athens Favorites Logo

    File Under: Asian, Bars/Clubs. Hours: Dinner. Features: Full bar, outside seating, vegetarian friendly, reservations. • Little-bitty bar/restaurant with tons of personality and charm has a big covered patio with heaters in the winter and is tucked away in the Southern Mill development. 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.

  • Rafferty's Restaurant & Bar

    raffertys.com

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 15 Huntington Road Athens, GA 30606. 706-613-0045 View Map

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

  • The Savannah Room

    hotel.uga.edu/dining-in-athens/savannah-room

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 1197 S. Lumpkin St. Athens, GA 30602. 706-338-8781 View Map

    File Under: American, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, Wi-Fi, take-out, delivery. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • UGA Hotel restaurant has been around for ages, serving strawberry ice-cream pie and celestial chicken, but also does shrimp and grits, salads, meatloaf, southern vegetables and more.

  • South Kitchen and Bar

    southkitchenbar.com

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 247 E. Washington St. Athens, GA 30601. 706-395-6125

    File Under: American, Bars and Clubs. Features: Full bar, catering, outside seating. Hours: Weekend brunch, lunch and dinner. • 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.

  • Sushi One

    sushiones.com

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 1430 Capital Ave. Ste. 101, 103 Watkinsville GA, 30677. 706-552-0488

    File Under: Asian. Features: Delivery, take-out, full bar, vegetarian friendly. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Miss Ru San's? This new sushi place in Watkinsville is owned and operated by the same folks, with a large array of rolls, entrees, bento boxes, kids meals, poke, noodles, desserts. Sake and Japanese whisky at the bar as well as Japanese beers and other stuff. Friday and Saturday feature an omakase experience that requires reservations. Gluten-free choices and a wide variety of boba drinks.

  • Texas Roadhouse

    texasroadhouse.com

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 1021 Dowdy Road Athens, GA 30606. 706-613-1300

    File Under: American. Features: Full bar, take-out, reservations. Hours: Lunch and dinner, seven days.

  • Thai Spoon

    thaispoonathens.com

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 149 N. Lumpkin St. Athens, GA 30601. 706-548-9222 View Map

    File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Beer and wine, take-out, delivery, outside seating. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • 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.

  • Utage Athens Sushi Bar

    utagesushibar.restaurant

    Price: $$

    Locations

    • 440 E. Clayton St. Athens, GA 30601. 706-227-9339 View Map

    File Under: Asian, Vegetarian Friendly, Bars. Features: Full bar, delivery, take-out. Hours: Lunch and dinner. • Lunch combos have more variety than at many other restaurants. Lots of specialty rolls (the sushi part of the menu is huge), but also good udon and ramen bowls, yakitori, tonkatsu, teriyaki, fried rice and more. Hot and cold sake, Japanese (and American) beers, wine, sake bombs and martinis.

  • ZZ & Simone's

    zzandsimones.com

    Price: $

    Locations

    • 1540 S. Lumpkin St. Athens, GA 30605. 706-395-6556

    File Under: Italian and Pizza, Vegetarian Friendly. Features: Full bar, reservations, outside seating. Hours: Dinner. • 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.