Downtown Athens Restaurants

Downtown Athens, Georgia is home to an eclectic variety of locally owned restaurants serving up mouthwatering cuisine from around the world, as well as familiar southern favorites. Thanks to the city’s range of affordable, yet irresistible, food and a bustling downtown area that’s easy to navigate on foot or access via car, downtown Athens is truly a foodie’s dream come true.

Downtown Athens: Where Local Meets Culinary Genius

Athens wasn’t named a rising star on the food scene for no reason. In fact, it’s the home of Peter Dale, a renowned chef who was born and raised in Athens, GA. Inspired by his favorite cuisines, including Spanish, French, North African, Greek, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern, Dale opened The National right in downtown. In 2014 they received a Silver Spoon Award from Georgia Trend and named one of the top 10 restaurants in Georgia.

Locally Owned, Distinctively Delicious

Lindsey’s Culinary Market, also situated in beautiful downtown Athens, offers a variety of southern lunch staples and catering options, while local brunch favorite Mama’s Boy serves up breakfast and lunch dishes. For southwestern-style southern cuisine, head to the acclaimed Last Resort Grill, which is housed inside a former iconic music venue. Athens is also home to Porterhouse Grill, which earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its spectacular wine list and offers a premier selection of steak and seafood.

International Cuisine from Neighborhood Favorites

If you’re looking for a bit of international flavor, visit DePalma’s Italian Café, where house-made lasagna, eggplant Florentine and other Italian dishes are prepared from scratch. Taqueria Tsunami takes flavors from the Far East and fuses them with those from South of the Border to create Latin-Asian dishes. Serving up authentic Korean-style BBQ in an industrial atmosphere, Iron Factory also has a dynamic selection of wines, beers and cocktails made with fresh ingredients.

Explore Athens

With its seemingly endless list of standout local restaurants, downtown Athens is the perfect destination for the traveler with an appetite for new flavors. Browse the city’s other restaurants for more opportunities to dig into the Athens culinary scene, or embark on our foodie itinerary for an engaging tour of the city’s best eateries.