50 Best American Restaurants near Watkinsville

“Had lunch with a friend yesterday. The food was delicious and bread pudding was awesome. They were short staffed but the service was excellent. Definitely will be back!“

“The meals from the classic Varsity menu are available with an easier access.“

“Great food, staff and prices!“

“Food is delicious. Staff is friendly!“

“Absolutely one of the best steaks I've had in my life. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection. Amazing atmosphere and service on top of that.“

“I can’t say enough positive things about this place. The new location has a nice staff, laid back atmosphere, and terrific food which is the perfect mix for a hometown bar & grill. The “Cocky Cowboy” is the best chicken sandwich in the game and I’ll die on that hill. So glad to have them back in Watkinsville, looking forward to more good times, and good food, from great people.“

“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!“

“I've heard about this restaurant for years. I've heard it was good - and healthy. I think I resisted because it's healthy (which is irrational).
The food was prepared quickly, the price is comparable to fast food (about $11-$15), portions are generous, food tasted great! I was really impressed. On top of all that, knowing how healthy it is blows my mind. You usually have to give up something, but this is win, win, win, win - speed, taste, portion, price.
This is going to become my go to place. Need to get one in the East side now!“

“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.“

“I had a great lunch at Brett’s Casual American — the food was fresh, flavorful, and exactly what I hoped for in a casual spot. The menu has a huge range of American classics, from tasty grilled seafood and hearty sandwiches to crispy appetizers that hit the spot. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere felt welcoming and relaxed — perfect for a laid-back meal in Athens. I’ll definitely be back!“

“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.“

“a kinder, gentler dive bar“

“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!“

“My son and I were in town for orientation this week and decided to stop by here and we were pleasantly surprised. I chose the shrimp and grits and it was fantastic. Our server Cooper was great and answered all of our questions we had about UGA.“

“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!“

“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.“

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

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

“🙂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!“

“Got the recommendation from Kaleb Dance at Bobcat of Athens as this first time eating here. Food was fresh, really good and priced right with fast friendly service. I got the steak philly with everything on it and 5 piece wings (hot) as a combo. Wings are super tiny so I wish I hadn't skipped on the fries. They were pretty busy with people coming in and out so that says a lot in my opinion. The wing flavor was perfect, not too spicy with plenty of flavor. The Philly was buttery rich and the bread was soft but held everything in place“

“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!“

“Very tasty vegan options!“

“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.“

“Its always a quick sit down. I usually always get seated quickly and get the food fast and fresh. They have the best chicken tenders. They are so incredibly crispy and breaded well. Get them tossed in honey hot and get some ranch to dip them in and your golden. This place knows how to fry chicken. Better than any other spot ive been too. Very inexpensive too.“

“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!“

“Good food friendly service“

“Keeley was such a good server. She was on top of everything. We never had to ask for a refill for our drinks because she had them brought out before we were even halfway empty. She checked to make sure our meals were cooked properly and we were enjoying them. I was very impressed by her and she made the experience great and pleasant. Thank you Keeley!“

“Awesome Greek salads!“

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

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

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

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

“Jasolon her customer service on the phone was outstanding Beyond outstanding thank you so much Jasolon, thank you thank you to Wings and burgers for hiring her you did a great job I really stopped ordering from here because of some of the customer service today was a great day and a great person named Jasolom a 10 out of 10 for customer service! To be continue on the food food review!!“

“Wide variety of craft beer choices, and we enjoyed all that we sampled. Food was tasty with a number of options. Service (Ken) was top notch! We will be back on our next visit to Athens!“

“I love Cracker Barrel. 90 % of the time we get a great meal. However every time I order mash potatoes they are cold and lumpy. Someone needs to learn how to make mash potatoes. A little milk and butter will solve your problem.“

“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“

“Friendly staff, and great food.“

“I had the crab cakes and the crab cakes were absolutely amazing. Several of my colleagues ordered food too, and the flavor was wonderful. Anither one of my colleagues had a pork chop that was not cooked the way she requested. Ziare made sure to handle the situation immediately.
Ziare provided top notch service.“

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

“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.“

“Love the food and friendly staff.“

“The food was great, employees were friendly, and the portions were worth the price. Me and my bf will definitely be eating here again!! You guys are so nice 🥰 thank you for letting me taste the wing sauce before getting it!!! :) (so much rice in the wing and rice combo! I recommend :)!)“

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

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

“#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“

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

“I got tuna kimbop and udon togo and they were both super good

-kimbop was not sweet, and the amount of seasoning was great. Like the rice was actually seasoned- not just white rice like some fake korean joints. Fillings to rice ratio was pretty good too. Only thing is that I expected tuna mayo instead of just tuna? But I feel like this is more of a preference so just an fyi

- udon had unexpected flavor, not that it was bad, just different than what I expected. Not like regular japanese udon but more of korean old fasion udon.. (가락국수 스타일!). It was tasty with hearth broth:)

Also the prices are pretty good for this economy“

“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!“