If you are looking for the best restaurants in Athens, Georgia then you have come to the right place! Georgia is one of the most beautiful states in the South! With a rich history and well-known geography, we would hate for you to miss out on one of our favorite cities! Located an hour east of Atlanta, Athens is a great city for foodies!
While vacationing or traveling for work, we have taken the guesswork out of where to eat in Athens! Breakfast, lunch dinner, vegetarian, quick service, or fine dining, we have all the bases covered! We find ourselves coming back time and time again for the best food in Athens, Georgia and we know you will too!
Go grab a snack because you do not want to read this list if you are already hungry! Your mouth will be watering in no time. Get ready for the best places to eat in Athens!
15 Best Restaurants In Athens GA You Must Try
Tlaloc El Mexicano Restaurant
For the best Mexican food in Athens, Georgia, Tlaloc is the place to be! Their extensive ten page menu has everything you could want! Their appetizer list includes spinach dip, fried plantains, and chorizo dip! There are your standard tacos and fajitas, but they also have pupusas and tortas!
The food is delicious and the meat is phenomenal. Whether you go with the chicken, steak, or ground beef, or get something new like tongue, gut, or campechano, you will be counting down the days till you can get back! For the best lunch in Athens, check out Tlaloc El Mexicano Restaurant!
Golden Sun Chinese Restaurant
One of the best Chinese restaurants in Athens, Georgia is Golden Sun! Located on the eastern side of the city, this restaurant makes you feel like you left Athens and entered a restaurant in the heart of Beijing.
The wonton soup is perfect on a cold day! We love to stop in for their lunch specials. They have meat and vegetarian options. The triple delight has beef, chicken and shrimp. The sesame tofu or kung pao tofu are excellent options if you are vegetarian! The prices at Golden Sun are great and the service is even better! When making a list of what to eat in Athens GA, Golden Sun definitely deserves a spot!
Sr Sol Mexican Restaurant
Sr. Sol is an easy recommendation for good restaurants in Athens with their two locations! The thing we love about Mexican restaurants, besides the good food, is their extensive menus! Varying combinations of your favorite flavors for you to explore! Starting with their appetizer menu, you can’t go wrong with the chips and guacamole!
Sr. Sol has all the classics: burritos, tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, and nachos. They also have lots tortas, tostadas, and hamburgers. There are also mariscos plates! People love the food, but they keep coming back for the pitchers of margaritas! For dining in Athens, Sr Sol is an excellent option! And with multiple locations, you are sure to find one close to you!
White Tiger Gourmet
One of the best Athens GA restaurants is White Tiger Gourmet! This hole in the wall located on a quiet street in Athens, has cute 1950’s style kitchen decor, and indoor and outdoor seating. Their menu is barbecue, but with some surprises!
Rumor is that pimento cheese was invented in Georgia. We can neither confirm or deny, but the pimento cheeseburger at White Tiger Gourmet is one of the best burgers you can eat! They also have BBQ chicken and pork sandwiches and their vinegar based sauce has a great tang to it! Surprisingly, White Tiger Gourmet is some of the best dining in Athens for vegans and vegetarians. They have a tofu sandwich, portabella burger, and other options!
Taste of India
For the best dinner in Athens, Taste of India is the place to go! This casual, classy Asian owned restaurant serves authentic Indian food with indoor and outdoor seating! They serve a lunch and dinner service with a two hour closure in between and they are closed on Sunday!
The menu has all of your favorites including Gobhi Manchurian, samosas, tikka masala naan, korma, curry, saag, Allo Gobhi, and so much more! Taste of India has so many vegetarian options as well! There is a vegan menu available upon request! They have a beer and wine selection for both services. When you are trying to figure out where to eat in Athens, GA for a classier dinner, Taste of India is a delicious option!
Hook and Reel Cajun Seafood and Bar
Hook and Reel Cajun Seafood and Bar is the answer to what to eat in Athens! With locations all over the United States, it is no wonder they are so popular. Their goal is the provide an atmosphere where people can get messy eating a seafood boil, elbow to elbow with their friends. With six signature sauces and an extensive menu for seafood lovers and seafood haters, this is an excellent option!
Their boils can include snow crab legs, shrimp, calamari, crawfish, scallops, lobster tail, and a handful of other options! Then you choose your sauce, spice level, and a mix of extras including corn on the cob, potatoes, etc. Hook and Reel also has baskets, pasta, soups, salads, po boys, and so much more! For some of the best Athens GA food, check out Hook and Reel Cajun Seafood and Bar!
Peppino’s Pizzeria
The best lunch in Athens GA can be found at Peppino’s Pizzeria! Located in Whitehall, this restaurant has excellent lunch specials including slice specials for just you or a pie special to share with a friend! You can get a slice anytime, lunch or not! Their slices include Napolitan, Sicilian, or a regular topping.
If you are with a group or grabbing dinner, they have full pizzas, sandwiches, calzones, stromboli, and salads. Do not forget to grab some tiramisu or one of their other desserts! They also have beer and wine if you are dining in! Whether dining solo or with a group, Peppino’s Pizzeria is one of the best places to eat in Athens!
Mama’s Boy
For the best brunch in Athens, we recommend Mama’s Boy! Self labeled as Southern Fine Dining, Mama’s Boy has an amazing breakfast, brunch, and lunch menu! Their selection of shared appetizers includes half french toast, fried green tomatoes, a fruit and cheese plate and so much more.
When it comes to Athens GA downtown restaurants, Mama’s Boy is a popular one! For the main even, the serve a variety of delicious options. Salmon cakes benedict, sausage and pepper bowl, breakfast tacos, and even more indulgent choices like a Georgia Peach french toast, and chocolate cake… for breakfast! When it comes to the best Athens GA breakfast, head to Mama’s Boy!
Thai Spoon
Located right across the street from the University of Georgia is Thai Spoon and it is worth becoming a bulldog to have such easy access to one of the restaurants in downtown Athens! The first Thai restaurant in Athens opened in that location in 1997 and through different owners and different names, Thai has always been the constant!
The current owner was a former waitress who believed in the taste and healing power of Thai food and all current chefs are trained in Thailand. Some of our favorite things on the menu or the coconut soup, spicy jungle curry, and spicy basil. We can’t forget to mention they have really great lunch and dinner specials! Thai Spoon is one of the best Athens GA restaurants!
Bubble Cafe
Also across from the University of Georgia is one of our favorite restaurants in downtown Athens, The Bubble Cafe. The inside is decorated with painted brick, hanging flowers, and potted plants. The perfect blend of whimsy and tranquility. The menu is extensive and you are sure to find something you will love!
Many students rave about their poke bowls for fuel and their noodle soups when they need something comforting when a cold is coming on or homesickness is hitting. Bubble Cafe has a lot of options for their bubble teas including milk teas, fruit and/or herbal teas, smoothies, and matcha. They also have a snacks sections that includes dumplings, chicken nuggets, wontons, fried tofu, and so much more! Bubble Cafe has some of the best food in Athens!
Five and Ten
Opened in 2000, Five and Ten has always strived to be a place that patrons will revel in good food and drink and just be happy! Sounds good to us! For fine dining in Athens, Five and Ten is a wonderful spot! Open only for dinner service and reservations are recommended!
The pimento cheese starter includes a bacon marmalade and crackers. The chilled pea soup has crawfish, crème fraîche, leek, and preserved lemon. We have to recommend the six ounce beef tenderloin with asparagus and bearnaise and a shareable order of cast iron corn bread! For dessert, you must try the rose petal cake! Five and Ten is the place to go for the best dinner in Athens!
The Farmcart
The Farmcart has the best Athens GA breakfast because of their biscuits! Finding a good biscuit in the South is easy, the South is known for their biscuits. But finding a biscuit that surprises your tastebuds can be difficult and The Farmcart surprises us every time! Started as a food cart at the Farmer’s Market, they have expanded to a brick and mortar and Athens is better because of it!
Their menu has almost ten different biscuit sandwiches including The Gravy Train, a buttermilk biscuit with fried chicken thigh and thick cut bacon, smothered in sausage gravy topped with a sunny side up egg. The Carolina Boy is a buttermilk biscuit with pulled pork, Carolina mustard sauce, fried egg, and slaw! When it comes to the best brunch in Athens, check out The Farmcart!
Trappeze Pub
Trappeze Pub is one of the best Athens GA downtown restaurants! This gastropub has such a fun menu to explore. For example, their Belgian fries come with a choice of blue cheese dip, raspberry ketchup, or garlic aioli. The broad sections are sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, entrees, cheese plates, and desserts. Within each section, there is a lot to discover!
One of their most popular items is the pimento bacon burger and their lamb jam. They also have a handful of vegetarian and vegan options including their buffalo tofu taco! Trappeze Pub is one of the best restaurants in Athens, Georgia and did we mention they have a full bar and a Sunday brunch?
Maepole
Maepole is one of the best vegan restaurants in Athens! One thing we love about eating at Maepole is that it is completely customizable. You start by picking your base. The options are super greens, brown rice, sweet potato, and quinoa. Next you pick two sides. Some of the choices are seared broccoli with ranch powder, braised kale with smoked paprika, carrot salad with everything seasoning, and whole wheat macaroni and cheese.
The next step is adding a protein. There are meat options, but also tofu and fritters. This place is a great option for groups because everything is so customizable and you will walk away feeling well fueled with food that is good for you! Maepole is the best Athens GA food for vegans!
The Royal Peasant
When you are ready to be transported to the bar in Ted Lasso, then head to The Royal Peasant! Home to some of the best dining in Athens Georgia, The Royal Peasant is an experience we want you to have! They have the traditional bar food like onion rings and house crisps, but they have some fun items as well!
The baba ganoush is a pleasant surprise and absolutely delicious! They also have a blackened tuna salad, veggie burger, fish and chips, and red vegetable curry! The best part is they have dessert! The toffee pudding and three berry tart both come with a vanilla gelato! The Royal Peasant is one of the reliably good restaurants in Athens, Georgia!
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