Where You’ll Want to Dine in Athens, Georgia

When The National opened in 2007, it quickly became an Athens staple. Located in the heart of Downtown on Hancock Street, The National serves exceptional food (cuisine you’d normally find in Athens, Greece instead of Athens, Georgia) in a casual environment with a neighborhood vibe. Pop here to snack on shareables like Medjool dates, olives, flatbread, and hummus, or enjoy something more substantial like a chard and tomato pizzette, or hanger steak served with cauliflower, mushrooms, and arugula.

Pro tip: If you’re across the street at Creature Comforts brewery or having a few beers at Little Kings, order food from The National to be delivered to you for only $1. Of course, you can always make a reservation and then hit your favorite watering hole, too.

Everything about ZZ and Simone’s is Instagrammable, whether you’re enjoying a drink under the café lights on the upstairs patio or a spritz (they have five!) at the bohemian-style beadboard bar downstairs. This Athens hot spot has a chic coastal vibe and delivers fresh pastas, pizzas, and other Italian favorites. It’s light and airy, casual and completely hip. Sip on a margarita with mandarin orangecello before enjoying a fresh yellowtail or salmon crudo, followed by a margherita pizza, chicken parmesan, or the spaghetti al limone. Don’t sleep on the sides, either: The grilled carrots are a must-have, served with ricotta and a white balsamic, and could easily take the role of an appetizer.

If you didn’t know it was there, nestled in a Craftsman-style house among the sorority and fraternity houses on Milledge Avenue, you might miss it. But the people waiting outside on the sidewalk for Five & Ten to open know exactly what’s up. They know that you’ll find an inviting and intimate dining experience, where every room in the house has a distinct vibe, from the dark and cozy bar to the sunroom, where the natural light beams in. No matter where you sit, you’ll enjoy fresh Southern food from one of the best in the biz: James Beard Award-winning chef and owner Hugh Acheson, who has been delighting diners in Athens for 22 years.

Stop in for happy hour from 5-7 p.m. on weekdays and 4-6 p.m. on weekends to try the rosemary-ginger gimlet or a refreshing paloma. Then, snack on the burrata with fresh grilled bread or the pimento cheese with bacon marmalade (an Acheson favorite). For your entrée, go with the catfish with tomato chutney or pasta primavera, served with Serrano ham, peas, crème fraîche, and dill.

If Athens is the Classic City, Last Resort Grill is the classic Athens restaurant. It’s refined yet cozy, serving fresh Southern food with an approachable, upscale vibe. With an open kitchen as the focal point in the narrow dining room, look for daily specials in addition to signature items like the southwestern pork roll, praline chicken, and Carolina crab cakes. Whether you’re there for weekend brunch, lunch, or dinner, you really can’t go wrong — as long as you order the fried green tomatoes (appetizer or sandwich) and dress your salad with the Vidalia bacon dressing. Oh, and save room for dessert. Cake and cheesecake flavors change daily, but you won’t be disappointed with the strawberry cake or the white chocolate cheesecake.

Find more info here.

If you’re visiting Athens from Atlanta and you remember Jerry Slater’s H. Harper Station, make sure to stop by The Expat. This Italian-focused neighborhood spot is right near the heart of Five Points and might easily become your go-to happy hour spot — get the Bufala Negra cocktail, an old favorite, with snacks like the olives marinated in chile and citrus oil, or the burrata board to start. If you’re sitting down for a meal, don’t miss the frisée and peach salad, and make sure to try one of the pastas (which can also be made gluten-free!) like the all’amatriciana estiva bucatini, tossed with with guanciale, tomatoes, chile flakes, and pecorino. From polenta cake to pavlova, make sure to save room for dessert, too.

On any given night at Porterhouse Grill, you can expect to find couples on a date, families enjoying a celebratory dinner, or a group of students filling up before a formal or semi-formal event. This fine-dining American steakhouse is an Athens staple when you’re looking for a nice evening out on the town. Located on Broad Street in Downtown, Porterhouse is the perfect place to start your evening with a Moscow mule or French martini, then fill up on steak before hitting the Downtown bar scene. Try the bleu filet, served with melted blue cheese and herbed butter alongside green beans and mashed red potatoes. If you’re not in the mood for steak, go for the she-crab soup to start and either the shrimp scampi, served with tomatoes, baby spinach, and garlic butter sauce over angel hair, or the chicken saltimbocca. On Wednesdays, enjoy live jazz from 6-9 p.m.

With three Athens locations, there’s no reason not to visit DePalma’s when you’re craving Italian fare. What started as a pizza joint in 1988 is now a pillar of the Athens restaurant community, always serving up fresh and delicious pizza, pasta, and more. While each location’s menu varies slightly, you can always find favorites like the Italian chopped salad or the pasta DePalma, which is angel hair baked with rosemary cream, mushroom, mozzarella, and your choice of additional protein or veggie (go for the ham and artichoke!) on the menu. Or you can build your own pasta dinner or pizza if you know exactly what you want. Open for lunch or dinner, DePalma’s is a go-to spot for a casual family meal or a romantic date night. Whatever you do, make sure you order the breadsticks right when you sit down; they’re made from scratch, take a little time, and are totally worth it.

Find more info here.

This traditional Latin kitchen opened in the mid-2000s and has two locations; one on Lumpkin Street near UGA’s campus and one on the Eastside. It’s an open restaurant — and most of the seating is outside at picnic tables, creating an inviting communal experience. Go for the food and stay for the atmosphere; Cali-N-Tito’s is a laid-back, dog-friendly, kid-friendly place to relax on a warm afternoon and enjoy a simple and delicious handheld meal. Yes, they have salads and items to eat with a fork, but do yourself a favor and go for the tacos, quesadillas, or sandwiches. Favorites include fish tacos, plantain chips, and the chicken El Sandwich Cubano, although all of the sandwiches are worthy of your time and six bucks. Heads up that the Lumpkin Street location is cash-only and you can BYOB; the East Side location takes credit cards.

No reservations. Find more info here.

South Kitchen & Bar, located inside the historic Georgian Hall, offers a sophisticated but approachable menu with a distinctly Southern charm. Here you’ll find an array of finessed comfort foods, like fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and grilled lamb chops. There’s something very specifically Southern about sitting in a grand old building in a small town, eating some of the most quintessential foods of the region. And as a bonus, South serves brunch every day of the week, so when you roll out of bed with a hankering for fried chicken with biscuits and gravy, South will oblige.

Looking for breakfast? Look no further than Mama’s Boy. Line up outside one of the two locations to get your hands on the famous made-from-scratch buttermilk biscuits, peach French toast, and creamy cheese grits. There are no reservations and it’s first-come, first-served, so get your early bird friends out at 7 a.m. to fuel up for the day. Fan favorites include the vegetable and egg scrambler with spinach, onion, goat cheese, and tomato scrambled with two eggs; chocolate cake for breakfast (exactly what it sounds like); and the Mill Town breakfast plate. You also can’t go wrong with any of the biscuit sandwiches, made your way, or the homemade cinnamon bun.

No reservations. Find more info here.

Jerry and Krista Slater strike again. Owners of The Expat and the wine bar and shop, The Lark, the Slaters also have Slater’s Steakhouse, an upscale steakhouse in Five Points. A date night destination, parents weekend indulgence, or really any time you’re craving steak, Slater’s delivers. Pro tip: Jerry Slater is known for his cocktails, and here, they’re as good as ever — find timeless classics (made right and served to perfection) like a vesper, Sazerac, French 75, cosmopolitan, as well as Slater’s take on the old fashioned.