Best Eats in Athens GA

[musebandrules]

Best eats in Athens GA (in no particular order):

Last Resort (pretty much anything on the menu...the daily specials usually rule...lunch is cheaper and just as good as dinner...and get a slice of cake for dessert...it's awesome)

Rusan's (the menu is six million pages long in Athens, and I love it that way...that said, narrow it down to the crunchy roll, baked spicy tuna roll, shitake maki, and any other sushi you may wish...grab a tower of beer too)

five & ten (sure, why not?)

Five Star a day cafe...in town or on the east side...the meat loaf rules

Kelly's Wings N Tings (Milledge, or Baxter...get a beef patty, small plate w/ chicken, spicy squash, bean/rice, cornbread, sweetest tea...all 7$)

China Wok (Best American-Chinese :) in Homewood (for locals and college students...you will not find better general tso chicken in athens)

Grit (upon general principle...may not be everyone's thing...but caters to veg-heads...and most things are good)

[butterbee]

Last Resort - tasty, mildly full of its self
RuSan's - great deal on tempura, avoid anything with asparagus
Five & Ten - skip it. visit The National instead - better food AND save a few bucks
Five Star Day Cafe - great if you think nutmeg in everything = awesome (and southern?)
Kelly's - Jamaican? not a fan - food designed under extreme hardship
China Wok - Can't agree more. The best. I'd also like to recommend the dumplings (bready!)
Grit - Hell no. Lots of cool people work there. An option for people who don't allow themselves the pleasure of meat. - The Grit can injure your system.

Some places I'd like to add:
Depalma's - delicious pizza and everything else - wine nights
Transmetropolitan - great pizza, nothing else
Little Italy - dreadful pizza, but they sell their risen raw doughballs real cheap for home cooking. - try their hot veggie sub - a college staple
Utage - best sushi, a bit more expensive than RuSan's - cheaper than Shokitini (which has more of a party atmosphere plus karaoke rooms).
The Varsity - look in the window - it's a landmark! don't eat the food - sub par on all levels.
Big City Bread - baguettes are fresh at 4:30 pm every day - glorious - their summer dinners are a fun outdoor experience.
Zaxby's - best fast food in town - big zak(x?) snakzx?
Kui Aura - Best hibachi fast food in town. It's always empty, so catch them before they go out of business.
Cali n' Tito's - Amazing Cuban(?)/Latin - outdoor seating - BYOB (kinda a plus in my book) - great place for a group dinner.
Agua Linda - fantastic Mexican-American. Southern style
Taqueria del Sol - cali style mexican - only order their tacos. their margaritas are pricey.
The Taco Stand - not Mexican. - It's its own thing... which might be an acquired taste. White bread Mexican that's so white bread you can just call it Stoned-American. Say a prayer for your food while you're waiting on it.
Barberitos, Moe's - visit the winner, Qdoba, instead
Harry Bissett's - Oysters, Steak, delicious, pricey. Go to the one out by the mall if you can - better atmosphere.

RIP's
Tartar House - Zaxby's test against Red Lobster. That place seriously rocked the hangover cure!
Zim's - RIP - It's nova over
Tuscan Market - RIP - They had the BEST sandwiches.
Hunan - Used to be my favorite Chinese - had karaoke and the Trader Vic's drink menu. "SPICY CHICKEN!!!!"

[Springdalien]

Depending on situation, here's how I'd go:

Everyday/lunch: Uncle Otto's (formerly known as Achim's K-Bob) Best fries and sauces known to man, and Achim is just about the nicest guy in town.

Soul food: Peaches Fine Food

Latin American: Cali & Tito's. Great fish tacos and Cuban sandwiches.

Porterhouse has very good steaks, only been there once though.

I have never been impressed with Last Resort. Absolutely not worth the wait and prices. Also, when calling to at least check if they took reservations, received a very curt and rude "Absolutely not" response. Have not been back since. If you don't want my business, I'm more than happy not to provide it.

Five & 10 is very good. I'd keep an eye on the Prix Fixe and go when there is a menu that looks good to you.

Harry Bissett's and Casa Mia are reliable and moderately priced.

Avoid The Grill. Overpriced and not that good. As long as it's open, go to Five Guys instead.

Mellow Mushroom has awful service, go to Amici instead.

[AmyWatts]

Five Guys can't hold a candle to the Grill. Nasty, dried up burgers at Five Guys.

[nyom_nyom_nyom_de_plume]

SABOR LATINO: It's in a strip mall on West Broad. It's fantastic--definitely one of the best places in Athens. Their menu is so extensive--Peruvian, Columbian, Mexican--that I was skeptical about whether they could pull off the variety. But my husband and I have eaten there at least a dozen times and have never tried anything that wasn't fantastic. They have home-cooking style stuff, like baked chicken in a sauce that will make you cry, plus saltada dishes that are so superior to Las Conchitas it isn't funny. Their tamales are excellent. They also have a Peruvian fried rice dish (arroz chaufa) that's better than any Asian food I've had in Athens. Seriously, give this place a try. Additionally, you can easily walk out of there paying $15 for an indulgent dinner for two. But if they charged twice that I'd still go.

Also, LA ESTRELLA. Some of their meals are predictably boring--if you order a quesadilla you probably will get the ho-hum you're looking for. But their a la carte tacos are *excellent*-- really delicious. Be sure to order them Mexican style so you get the cilantro and lime instead of lettuce and cheese. Their cubanos are also great. And the staff there are really pleasant--I believe it's family operated.

[uptown jimmy]

La Estrella has some amazing food. Their enchiladas with green sauce are flat-out fantastic, moan-inducing.

We gotta get back there soon. Unfortunately, I don't digest that kind of food so well. If I did, we'd eat there regularly. We'll have to try Sabor Latino.

[nyom_nyom_nyom_de_plume]

I'll have to try the enchiladas in green sauce!

My theory on food digestion is that if you keep eating, eating, eating, your body will learn to cope. Maybe not the healthiest approach?

[gashrink]

The seafood choices at La Estrella are very good and not the usual Mex fare. I haven't had a bad meal there yet.
Sabor Latino is gone and is missed

-----
La Estrella
400 Hawthorne Ave Ste 11, Athens, GA 30606

[Stevorama]

No one has mentioned The National (west end of downtown, Hancock St.), Hugh's (Five and Ten) other operation. The same quality we expect of Hugh, but more options!

I do find that atmosphere influences my willingness to appreciate the food and I'm growing tired of the "townie" atmosphere that runs through many of Athen's eateries. No more repainted surplus from the Goodwill! The National feels cozy and sophisticated without becoming pretentious.

[littlecsr]

This is my wife's favorite restaurant (I'm still partial to 5&10, but this place is definitely in my top 2). Try the marinated almonds-- great snack before going to see a band/movie.

[AmyWatts]

I find myself craving their hummus ALL THE TIME.

[BigSkyCap]

The Daily Deli - Hwy 78 - South of Athens.

Great sandwiches and desserts.

www.thedaileydeli.com

[epsi1on]

Just had to say that 5 & 10, while the food was absolutely amazing, their limoncello was horrible. Far too sugary and they didn't let the rinds soak in the alcohol long enough. Small complaint though for what was otherwise a wonderful meal.

Oh and went to The Grit based on some of the recommendations on here. Just so happen to love Reubens and they had a Tofu Reuben. Ended up being very tasty. So I'd recommend that to anyone else who likes the sandwich as well.

Was just in town for two nights, will be moving down there in Jan. and can't wait to try the other places, especially some of the BBQ and southern style places.

[creativeusername]

You chose well for a 2-night stay! And congrats on moving here. You will love it! :)

[charlottecooks]

Ru sans- you must be crazy. Terrible food- and I've been there on about 4 separate occasions. A menu that large should discourage you from liking that place.

As for the Farm, I love the idea of the place and the atmosphere but everything I have had there is just so poorly executed. I read the menu get excited, order something complex and get disappointed each time. Two examples- a tuna crudo that was smelly and the tuna browning, and a terribly overcooked halibut in tomato broth. I will say the burger and fries are really good and around or under 11 bucks. My advice, go on a nice night, sit outside order the burger, have a beer and don't be tempted by all the nice sounding items on the menu.

[fyodor]

I ate some quite delicious offerings from a restaurant near Athens called Farm 255 at a Heritage Foods bbq fest fundrraiser for the ATL foodbank. The pork product was delectable, but I remember the perfect crisp romaine and pickled spring onion and watermelon rind as well. Haven't been to the restaurant yet, but am determined to make it some time soon.

[batdown]

farm 255 is right downtown, about a block from my house. often they are criticized for "under-seasoning" their food, but when youre working with really quality ingredients, i think that less is more. i love farm, you should eat there soon

[hillarybrown]

The thing is that less is more only up to a certain point.

[batdown]

i would agree with you if, upon eating at farm, i was presented with a spinach salad that consisted of plain spinach, or a hamburger that was simply ground beef and bread. but that wasnt the experience at all. honestly, it was kind of nice to eat food that wasnt hemmed and hawed over, or as i call it 'over-developed.' personally, the criticism of farm (and countless other athens eateries) seems pretentious. you'd think that in a city of 100,000 people, folks (even foodies) wouldnt expect several different options for world class cuisine. just eat at 5&10 when you do find the time to be bothered going out and leave the hate at home.

[hillarybrown]

No hate there. I had a nice meal at Farm last night, and it wasn't a criticism specifically directed at them. Just pointing out that the best chefs do neither too much nor too little. Nor do I think it's necessary or expected to have several Beard nominees in a town the size of Athens. Basically, I still think that a lot of stuff at Farm has lovely ingredients and great intentions, but it's often not had quite enough done to it. That said, it's also improved and it seems more consistent than previously.

[littlecsr]

I really want to like Farm. I have tried it many times, and it just never lives up to its potential. Food is never cooked appropriately (too done-- have their Tuna sometime), service is never good, and oftentimes the menu does not offer an adequate description of what you are ordering. For example, my wife ordered the "cornmeal gnocchi" a couple of weeks ago. It actually had no resemblance to gnocchi at all-- they should have just called it polenta cubes. My last gripe is that I don't think that I have ever left there a) spending less than $120 and b) full.

[batdown]

wow, that's a lot of cash. I went with my mom and sister and the bill (with wine) was 85. cornmeal gnocci - lol! your post reminds me of some culinary crimes that annoy me most:

1. calling anything in small, globular bite size pieces 'gnocci'
2. the deep-fried scallop (why?)
3. overcooked tuna.

a note about that last one. i was eating at a brewery in chapel hill north carolina. i ordered my tuna steak rare (should have changed my order when she asked me how i wanted it cooked). waitress looked at me like i had 3 heads and brought me a plate of totally gray, tasteless fish. rookies.

[Liana Krissoff]

What is Rusan's? Is there really a sushi place in Athens that's worth going to? And by worth going to I mean worth getting a babysitter for. I thought we had to go to Atlanta for that. (I just moved here.)

[gashrink]

RuSan's is uneven Some inventive rolls, some swimming in goopy sauces. Some good fish some a little tired. It's a chain with a huge menu moderate prices and noisy. I personally like Usage (spelling?) downtown better. Less original but more reliable and I like the atmosphere better. Neither is great and I like both of them more than the sushi in the 2 tappan stake houses.
I do not recommend China Wok see this post please:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/393488
I love Bischero's I find it the most authentic Italian place in town, great calamari wonderful pizzas and terrific pastas.
5 & 10 is still the #1 place in town
Hoyt House when it is open is very quiet and the food is sometimes excellent.
I am also fond of Maison Bleu down in Watkinsville.

[hillarybrown]

Utage.

Yeah, both it and Ru San's are pretty much the suck when it comes to sushi. You can get some decent noodles at both, though.

[gashrink]

Went back to Ru San's last night. Both the plates and the rice were warm.
Warm sushi! Yuck! the fish itself was ok but the rice was gummy and tasteless. The prices were high ($42 with tax and tip for 4 rolls and tea for 2) and our server kept getting lost so the wait was endless. It was worth a try to see if things were better than I remembered but the results were worse. I had a fairly decent sushi special at Utage (thanks Hillary) week before last for under $14 for one (with T and T) I'll go back there again before I go to Ru San again.

[batdown]

i think that utage's sushi is adequate. i dont get whats so wrong with it, aside from the sometimes sloppy wrapping. it tastes fresh and is served at the right temperature, at least in my experience (only been there 3 times)

[hillarybrown]

I'm just not impressed with the fish, with the rice, with the wrapping, or with the creativity. It's not awful, but I'm a bit spoiled.

[batdown]

speaking of sushi, my lady and I ate at Shokitini - the new place on the west end of clayton street. it was really good! the sushi (maki and nigiri) was better and more interesting (the selection of maki rolls was fun and extensive) than utagi, and it was about the same price for a dinner for two. my smoked squid salad was a tad too salty, but that was my only complaint. the atmosphere was neat, too. i really felt like i could have been in a tokyo bar.

[uptown jimmy]

I agree with Hillary. When it comes to raw fish, I think "adequate" ain't, well, adequate. ; )

[batdown]

good point, but as a sushi lover in general, I'll take what i can get here in athens. tell you what though, now that shokitini is open, i doubt i'll ever step foot in utagi again.

[gashrink]

Went to Shokitini and had a great meal The shashimi was outstanding and artfully presented. The nigiri had huge portions (too big actually) of fish with too little rice but the over all effect was opulent and the rolls were inventive and nicely prepared (some a little pricey but with large portions) Service was willing and the decor pretty but the noise level was very high. Giant projection TV showed the Braves game behind the sushi bar which was great for my son who was with me but might be off putting to some. I think they have some private rooms upstairs if you don't want the rock and roll/sports bar atmosphere. Over all the best sushi in town. I'm going back tomorrow for lunch. see if it is as good and perhaps a little quieter then.

[batdown]

i was there on a very slow night (only about 3 other tables were sat) and it was very quiet. I'd love to see the place when it's crowded though. when i was there they had titanic on the huge screen. kind of odd, but i liked it!

any idea how late they stay open? im not finding a website for them.

[uptown jimmy]

I recently posted that we enjoyed Shokitini when it first opened, but we went again last night and it was perfectly awful. We actually sent food back, which we never do. The tempura was burnt. The sushi rice was hard and pebbly. The sushi fish was not fresh at all. One of the worst meals I've ever had by any measure.

The sushi chefs and kitchen staff are routinely seen out in front of the restaurant smoking like chimneys. This place is heading for the dumpster, and I urge folks to avoid it. Ultimately, I think one should take absolutely no chances with raw fish.

Oh, how I miss the good old days when Utage was owned by Inoko and Kizawa. And yes, I used to work there...

[gashrink]

I am sad you had a bad experinece. 3 of us went the Friday before the Alburn game and had an excellent experience. The only complaint was that my wife thought the waitresses dress was too tight and skimpy (not a problem for me <smile>) .
It was jam packed (as were all the down town places that night) and there was a 45 minute wait but we sat down at the bar after 10 minutes when someone left and were served by the bar tender.
They actually called our name for a table at the same time our fish arived.
I would say that the plates were not as pretty as when when it first opened and the fish not quite as bright as the first time but overall the fish was still fresh and tasty, the rolls well made and interesting and the service was friendly and quick despite the huge crowds. My wife's girlfriend eats sushi all the time in Atlanta (she especially likes Sushi Avenue in Decater) and felt the food was just as good as she was used to if not better. Over all I'd have given it a 9 out of ten when it opened and would say it slipped to an 8 but still way better than the other Athens places

[AmyWatts]

The one time we went to Shokitini's we had an awful experience. It was full, but not packed and yet, the people who ordered sushi at the table got their dinner a full 45 minutes before the ones who ordered from the grill. And during that 45 minute wait, we didn't see our waitress once, so we knew something had gone really wrong. I was moments from getting the manager when she finally showed up with one person's steak dish. The salmon from the grill came about 5 minutes later with this unbelievable apology, "Salmon takes longer to cook, you know." So our table ended up eating in shifts. I wasn't overly upset about it, because we were enjoying one another's company and didn't have anywhere to be, but it made me never want to go back there.

[charlottecooks]

"salmon takes longer to cook" Unbelievable!!! Remarks like those from servers are at the top of the list of things that make me angry----

I had a server once tell me the a very sharp, 2-inch shard of bone was a result of the fact that they had slow cooked the meat (for a whopping 4 hours) HA!

[creativeusername]

Against my better judgement, I went to Ru San's last night. I was wrongly thinking it might be a good place for someone who doesn't eat raw fish to get something mainstream without having to drive to a Hibachi chain in Buford. I got the assorted sashimi which was good: cold, fresh. No complaints there. The miso soup, however, tasted like the day after a keg party and husband had some sort of lobster thing smothered in sauce that made him gag. Won't go back. Won't be able to get him to another Japanese restaurant either. :(

[Dax]

The curried goat at Kelly's is pretty good, especially for Athens. The spicy cabbage if different than I am used to, as it's both sweet and spicy, but it's ok. Beas and rice ok.

[jcreasy]

I've seen dozens of Athens posts giving the Grit thumbs up and most say everything on the menu is good but don't provide much more detail than that. I'm going to try it out this week for my first time. I've seen one post that the noodle bowls are good and several that the tofu is excellent. Any specific menu recommendations?

[hillarybrown]

Veggie plate. Also, they make some tasty soups.

Earlier today, I tried to post the comment "China Wok? Really?" but it didn't show up. So I reiterate the sentiment. Best? Hmm.

[uptown jimmy]

As a matter of fact, I will further elaborate: RuSan's is awful. Absolutely awful. I'm convinced they serve nigiri which has been sliced and frozen thousands of miles away, then simply slapped on a morsel of stale rice here in sunny Athens, GA.

The Last Resort is mediocre at best, far too inconsistent to impress a true Chowhound. And Cecilia's cakes are not good enough to warrant being served in almost every sit-down restaurant in town. Full of corn syrup. Nasty, heavy things.

The Grit and Five Star are surely good enough for a college town, but far from exceptional. Inconsistency is the great bugaboo in Athens, and even decent-to-good restaurants in these parts allow themselves far too much latitude in this respect. I understand why folks flock to these two joints, and do not begrudge them their success, but they are not exceptional.

And anybody who gives 5&10 a "sure, why not" surely hasn't eaten there. It is easily one of the finest restaurants in the South, hands down. Athens is lucky to have it. I wish I could afford to eat there more often. Speak, memory, of sweetbreads and skatewing. ; )

[batdown]

that skatewing was absolutely incredible.

[gashrink]

I go to 5&10 about twice a month. Never unhappy and sometimes blown away.
I love skate wing. Hugh's soups are always out of this world. I usually eat the specials which are truly special. Posting them on the black board (with prices) is a nice touch. I hate having to ask the waiter the price at places where they do not disclose the price and it often is way out of line with the regular menu prices (East West upstairs does that at times). But the inventiveness, fresh ingredients, light tasty sauces make 5 & 10 a special experience each time

[strate87]

I totally agree. RuSan's is a college excuse for good sushi. I admit, I've gone there many times with friends, but I ALWAYS go to Utage if I want something good.

I've always had good food at The Last Resort, but you're right. It is WAY too inconsistent. I don't ever want to wait 2 hours to sit in a cooped up room with people breathing down my neck waiting for my table. It's annoying. I actually haven't even reviewed it on my blog, www.dawg-food.com. Most of my friends are appalled, but I don't care. I'm on a college budget, anyway.

I am SO on the same page with you about the Grit and 5 Star Day. I feel like people hate me when I go in, and I really don't like how I come out of 5 Star Day smelling like the place. If I had to pick one over the other, I'd pick 5 Star Day. I like their menu better, and I think the people are friendlier.

The 5&10 was named Restaurant of the Year by the AJC. Meridith Ford, the food editor, got a lot of ridicule for it, but I congratulated her for representing Athens. She and Hugh are good friends, too. I ate there on Easter and wasn't impressed. It made me really sad, but it hasn't kept me from going back. Dawg Food hasn't reviewed the National yet, but the whole college budget gets in the way. I'll get there eventually.

[AmyWatts]

For the National, pick a night when you want to see something at Cine. The $26 dinner and a movie is hard to beat. Many of the items on that menu are also on the regular menu.

[Dax]

I had a really good breakfast there a few weeks ago. Rabbit hash I think? At brunch. There was also a nice bit of Srirracha on the plate to spice it up and great bacon. I think the resort is ok, just not spectacular.

[Dax]

Ahh, it was duck hash.

golden potatoes and duck confit topped with a fried egg over avocado crème fraîche and a hint of chili ... 8.75

Nice size portion, reasonably priced and delicious topped with a side of bacon.

[batdown]

I feel the same way about last resort. I've only eaten there twice, and I wasn't impressed. The time I went for dinner, the hostess sat our table of 6 right next to the only other sat table in the restaurant, making it so we had to bump the other folks if we wanted to get out of our chair. This is one of my pet peeves. I really don't understand why they wouldnt just seat us across the dining room, which is already small. That aside though, I had scallops and they were...well, scallops. They were cooked properly and everything, but nothing about the meal (which included salad and sides) made me say wow. I find that last resort is one of those places that inspires a very devoted following, as evidenced by athaub up there. They have a winning formula, as the place is almost always crowded for lunch especially, I'm just not a huge fan.

[uptown jimmy]

Look, my hat is off to them. They have a very successful formula. Methinks that formula would not work just anywhere, but that's neither here nor there. They know their clientele.

I just don't want to ever eat there again. That duck hash does sound good, though...

[jcreasy]

Went to the Grit. I couldn't fight it, the recent thread about Greek in Athens gave me a craving and I chose the Med-E Platter (hummus, falafel, tabouleh, pita spears and raw veggies). Unbelievably good. It should come with a disclaimer though that I will no longer tolerate store bought hummus. Really, really good.

My friend got the veggie plate with mac-n-cheese, squash casserole and broccoli with a delicious dijon lemon buttery sauce thing. Vegetarian clearly does not equal healthy at this place, but holy cow was it yummy. I'm sold. Count me in for more trips to the Grit.

[tatterdemalion]

You are so right on--all counts.

[gashrink]

I had the Indian feast last time I was there (it was a special). My vegetarian Son and his girlfriend dragged me there but I was very happy with the Indian food. Well cooked, nicely spiced and authentic flavor. I will go back and try more of their broad ranging menu.

[dantastic]

Golden Bowl w/ veggies and cheese ... I've been living in Baltimore for 3 years now and I still fantasize about that meal!!

[kewpie]

we just love the GRIT- and have since 1990[never got to the original location at 'the station'' but visited 3x a week when we lived in Athens- no longer live there,but visit 2x a year]].......brunch was a real favorite time to go and get a mondo burrito[ opened faced] and limitless coffee and that PIE!.....blondie brownies too... at night we would have the MID-E platter[ mentioned above] and extra lemon-tahini dressing.. the stand-out tho is the GRIT STAPLE.. a brown rice/pinto bean/cheese/ and steamed vegetable bowl of complete protein and heaven!!...........how do they make that yellow dusted tofu dish ??? we still crave that

[leahinsc]

What! no 5 and 10????