46 Best American Restaurants in Athens

“Delicious food- the pimento cheese/bacon jam starter is AMAZING. The service was great too- we had a large group and they were so welcoming and kind!“

“First time at this restaurant and also our first time in Athens! The food and service were great. Our server, Maya, was AWESOME! She made us feel so welcome and recommended some dishes that were absolutely on point. We had a wonderful experience and will definitely try to come back sooner next time. Highly recommend!“

“a kinder, gentler dive bar“

“Okay, so there are two Maepole restaurants in town. I go to this one most often because it is more convenient, parking is easy and plentiful.

I've always gotten super friendly service and the food is amazing. Summer is especially good because of the hibiscus lime and ginger pineapple lemonade.

Try the salads. Maybe add some tofu if you're super hungry. The crunchies are the best.

Mmmmm. Might have try crunchies on the sweet potatoes. Oh heck! Just go. The food's delicious!“

“Very tasty vegan options!“

“Never ate here before yesterday. First impressions are everything to the relationship between any business and it's customer. That being said, this place had a very good first impression for me. Food was delicious, service was fast and professional, and they have a television in every corner. It's not pretending to be something else. It's a pub and grill, and a great one.“

“last 2 times i've gone the restaurant is closed despite google hours saying they're open. Extremely inconsiderate to the patrons who drive all the way to just be met with a locked door. It takes 2 ninutes to update your google hours. Not sure what's going on here.

*edited my review after owner's response. Honest mistake but seems like they are fixing it so thank you very much! 🙏“

“This place is amazing! Wonderful service. The food is delicious and the presentation is a work of art!“

“One of my favorite places to eat in Athens. Charming ambience, great food, and friendly knowledgeable wait staff! Just wish they took reservations!“

“Placed a To Go order because my husband was working across the street and had smelled it for hours after I hyped it up. He was all for the order and we live almost 2 hours away. I haven’t been to this Rafferty’s in 10+ years. My husband has never had it. I got the regular burger and my husband had the bbq burger and we also ordered fried mushrooms. Flavor is unmatched, quality was top tier and the way everything was packaged looked as if it took time, not just thrown together quickly. Even after an almost 2 hour drive, it was all still perfect! It reminded me of when I was younger and my grandparents took me to this same location often and I always got the burger. The staff then knew my grandparents by name and if I remember correctly, always remembered their orders. The burgers are the best we’ve ever had, hopefully another chance arises for more Rafferty’s in our future. Thank you for always being delicious and consistent.“

“🙂My daughter and I tried this place for the first time yesterday. The food was DELICIOUS, and there is truly something for any dietary need on their menu. The staff and atmosphere were GREAT! We will definitely be going back SOON!“

“Stopped in today for lunch and it was delicious. I ordered the 1/2 chicken plate w/fried okra and coleslaw. Everything was fresh and well seasoned. Keep it up!“

“AMAZING! We were passing through on our way out of state and decided to stop in after reading all the good reviews. The owners were so kind, and you can tell they put their heart into everything they do. The food was delicious and full of authentic flavor. Can’t wait to come back next time we’re in the area!“

“The legacy continues from Athens to Monroe, I don’t care if you go for the food, the spirits or the vibe, it’s not to be missed!“

“We ate dessert at Pauley's and it was amazing. We had the apple pie crepe a la mode- we should have ordered two instead of one, sooo good! Also, VERY honest people! Great service and fantastic atmosphere. I highly recommend any time of the day!“

“Good food friendly service“

“We had a great experience having dinner here and highly recommend it to others. A member of our group has an issue with gluten intolerance and they were able to accommodate it very well. Our server Michael was charming and made the experience that much better. We will be coming back!“

“Had the gumbo last night and it was really good. Spicy and meaty.“

“My wife and I always enjoy eating at the Hilltop Grille when we are in Athens. The cream brûlée is amazing. On our visit to Athens on 2/13/2026, around 11:30 AM, I had the grilled salmon. It was delicious. My wife shared a little of her coleslaw with me. I later experienced mild indigestion. The only other thing I ate all day was some freshly homemade brownies my sweet neighbor brought over. The following morning around 7 AM, I awoke with an extreme urgency to go to the bathroom. I almost didn’t make it. I had a one and done case of severe diarrhea. I am submitting this review just to see if anyone else experienced the same issue after eating after eating there that day.“

“I love that I can sing-along while I wait! Food is always hot and fresh, just wish they had cornbread always available... Guess that means ion really need it🤣 I love to eat there when I can & get slices(to die for) and the pudding bowls🤤 Thanks for being consistently delicious!“

“Awesome Greek salads!“

“Friendly staff, and great food.“

“Highly recommended! I was looking for a savory pie shop that made miniature pies for my daughter's 1st birthday party. I reached out to Chantelle(sp?), the owner and was treated with the best customer service experience I could have asked for. She was very personable, her staff was personable and the food was excellent. I would not hesitate to reach out to her again regarding an event or just to treat myself. Check her products out at Queen's Pantry also.“

“Food tasted great, and our server was excellent.“

“Yummy! I had the Dirty Bird with the sausage gravy on the side“

“One of the oldest and coolest places in Athens. About 80 single malts.“

“The staff and service was great!

The fried onion app was good. Great salads and loaded potatoes.

The steaks were just okay on this visit. We had ribeyes. They were thin and a little fatty (mine was at least). I recalled them being seasoned or marinated a bit so the taste was off for me. They were cooked to order though (medium rare). The ribs my party ordered were good.

Worth popping in for friendly service.“

“Wow! Newk's Catering is awesome! Food was delicious and the sandwiches were creative, Bundle choices were wonderful, delivery was right on time, customer service is excellent! I highly recommend Newk's (Athens) for your catering needs. Thank you, Zach and Makayla (hope I'm close on the spelling!); you both were great to work with and so helpful!“

“great food great atmosphere“

“This place is doomed to fail. Ordered takeout and noticed the health rating as wife left with food. A glorious 85! Needless to say, food was tossed in the garbage and we will never return. This was our third attempt to give them a chance. Horrible service on first try. Horrible food on the second try and abysmal health rating on the third try. Done and done.“

“Cool Bar Vibe…. Between this and the Root… best…! 👏👏“

“The tomahawk steak was very impressive & definitely plenty of food for 2 people. I liked that it came with a variety of oil & butters that you can pair with your steak. We also got a free dessert since it was my birthday and i always love a good lava cake.

The ambience in the restaurant is kinda dark and they are definitely trying to resemble a fancy steakhouse vibes. I wasn’t too impressed and thought it was kinda grim looking. Doesn’t reflect on their food at all & I still really enjoyed my meal!!“

“I recommend the all star breakfast with a peanut butter and chocolate chip waffle“

“Favorite restaurant in town! Best wings, burgers and service hands down!“

“ADD Drug Store excels in having every characteristic a local drug store should have.“

“Love the food and friendly staff.“

“The service was on point, fast, and very knowledgeable. The appetizers and main entrees were very elevated. The drink menu and desserts were just as elevated as well. You have to try the Blueberry 🫐 Cobbler Cheesecake. The absolute best ever. Highly Recommend and ask for Ben. He was great.“

“Their Monte Cristo is the BEST! I will drive out of my way in order to get one. This chain is among my favorite just because of this sandwich. If you've never tried one, you should. This restaurant was not busy when I arrived at 2pm, so I was able to work until my food arrived. Great customer service, great food, good value, cool atmosphere. All things to make this location highly recommended!“

“Good place. Good vibes. Good food. Good times!“

“Every time I come to this location the food is always hot fresh and delicious. Jerrica and Tabitha do an excellent job running the front. And the gentlemen in the back hold it cooking. Great team work great food. Thank you 😊 would post photos but I always eat the food so quick.“

“#roadtrip to The Blind Pig in Athens, Georgia. Got me a #ruebensandwich & wife and daughter got the #phillycheesesteak. All was really good and service was great. Will be back again when in the area. #foodie #localeats #ynotsupportsmallbusiness #athensga #goodfood #yummyfood“

“It's thst third time visit review!! Wingster is CONSISTENTLY feeding me and my son well. The Dubokki is his go to and I am still searching for my tried and true, but that's only because everything is so good! The bimbop is fresh, the kimch is well seasoned and yummy and the restaurant feels like a warm hug.“

“the wings are good but the rice is a no no🤷🏽‍♀️💯“

“Last night was our first time eating there and it was a fabulous experience! Food was delicious, atmosphere was unique and pleasant, and service was phenomenal. Morgan, our server, was amazing!“

“Absolutely love this place! Great atmosphere, great service , great food! Will be back for sure!!“