Explore Athens, Georgia’s Food, Brews & Culture
From trendy brewpubs and cafes to microbrewery hangs and restaurant breaks between exploring the city, Athens' food and beverage scene is alive and well.
Athens is frequently named the most idyllic college town by Southern Living — it is the birthplace of higher education in America, after all — but the streets of the city hold so much more. This edgy town has seen the beginning of bands like R.E.M., Widespread Panic and the B-52’s, and there’s still live music playing almost every night of the week.
From grabbing a bite and beverage on your Walk of Fame Music Tour to hitting all the breweries on the Athens Beer Trail map, here are four things — and some extra credit, since Athens is all about higher ed — you must do on your next Athens trip if you love good food and even better liquids.
Creature Comforts Brewery. Credit: Creature Comforts
1. Athens Beer Trail Pass
Athens is quickly becoming an "All-American Beer Town" with five breweries creating craft goodness. Scan the Athens Beer Trail Pass QR code at any of the participating breweries, collect "passport stamps" at each one and earn points. Once you’ve visited all five, you’ll get a free mug at the Historic Athens Welcome Center!
Begin your golden-ale journey at Akademia Brewing, a brewpub where the wagyu Kobe dog pairs perfectly with the Extra Credit bitter. At Athentic Brewing Company, grab a seat on the patio and try a flight of their creative sours — think plum, pineapple, and peach puree creations. Two University of Georgia alums renovated an old tire store downtown to create Creature Comforts Brewing Co. Pop by for a pine-forward Automatic pale ale or Tropicalia, which went viral after it became Thor’s beer of choice in Avengers: Endgame. In a hip, old warehouse, Normaltown Brewing Company makes a super-citrusy milkshake IPA that you’ll dream about. Round out your trail journey with Athens’ original brewery, Terrapin Beer Co. Tour the facility before crushing a Los Bravos Mexican-style lager.
Extra Credit: Voted one of the “USA’s Top 10 Beer Festivals” by BeerInfo.com, Classic City Brew Fest is held in October. The festival highlights rare and world-class beers, plus one-off cask ales and local craft beer celebrities.
Last Resort Grill. Credit: Visit Athens, Jason Thrasher
2. Condor Chocolates & Other Good Eats
Bean-to-bar chocolatier Condor opened a cafe and factory downtown with huge windows showcasing the small-batch chocolate production in action. The cacao used in Condor’s creations is from the owner’s mother’s home country, Ecuador. Enjoy a latte made with their own Peña coffee and a truffle sampler while you people-watch.
The South takes its food seriously, so you’ll find no shortage of yummy delights in Athens. Five and Ten sports a James Beard Award-winning chef, while Weaver D’s Delicious Fine Foods was named in a list of “America’s Classics” by the James Beard Foundation. And The Grit’s black-bean chili was named the “Best Vegan Chili in the Country” by PETA. Other scrumptious stops include White Tiger Gourmet, Mama’s Boy, Thai Spoon and Big City Bread Cafe.
40 Watt Club. Credit: Visit Athens, Jason Thrasher
3. Music Walk of Fame & Downtown Bites
Athens is the birthplace of some of America’s most-loved bands — Pylon and Drive-By Truckers are two groups that got their start in town. The Walk of Fame is a recent addition to the indie music scene, passing by iconic venues such as the Georgia Theatre, 40 Watt Club, and Morton Theatre.
All three venues are within a half-mile walk of each other in the heart of downtown Athens, which means they each neighbor many of the college town's trendy restaurants, sandwich shops, laid-back gastropubs and craft beer and wine bars. On your self-guided music tour, be sure to take some breaks to refuel on local food and drink before heading to your next checkpoint.
Extra Credit: Each June, local (and regional) musicians play for thousands of people over three days on various outdoors stages at AthFest, presented by Wicked Weed Brewing. Locals mingle with out-of-towners while music fills the air and art, food, beer and fun throughout the historic downtown streets of Athens.
4. Athens’ Fresh Brewed Coffee Culture
Athens boasts a dynamic coffee scene that complements its culinary and craft beer offerings. From locally roasted beans to cozy cafés, the city offers a variety of spots for coffee enthusiasts. Some popular spots for a quality cup of caffeine include 1000 Faces Coffee, a downtown staple offering seasonally rotating brews and award-winning blends, and Jittery Joe’s Coffee Roasters, an Athens institution since 1994, with multiple locations serving microroasted coffee beverages.
Hendershot’s Coffee & Cafe, located in a former gas station, combines ethically sourced coffee with live music and local art events – creating a vibrant community space. Meanwhile, Sips Espresso Café's baked goods, refreshing iced teas, sodas and espresso drinks kickstart your morning or afternoon while exploring the Athens' Normaltown neighborhood.
Extra Credit: If you're around on the first Saturday of each month, catch an Athens Cars & Coffee event. The monthly community gathering centers around classic cars, bikes and good coffee at various city locations – oftentimes at Terrapin Brewing Co.
Find even more reasons to visit Athens.
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