Athens, GA: All Around UGA

City: Athens, Georgia
Foodie: Christopher Byrne, Eye on Sports Media

Venue(s): Sanford Stadium, Stegeman Coliseum, Foley Field
Address: University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30606
Team: University of Georgia Football, Basketball, and Baseball

Christopher’s Taste:

Some of the real treats about coming to Athens, GA for a game goes beyond the game itself. Home to R.E.M., the B-52s, and Widespread Panic, visitors will find a vibrant food and music scene within a 10-block area that is unmatched in many a college town of similar size. If you have an extra day in town, you can take a walk around and see the “Tree That Owns Itself”, “The Double Barreled Canon”, and/or the R.E.M Steeple where it all started, and more.

Automatic for the People: Weaver D’s specializes in down home southern cooking

Fans of R.E.M. might remember the album entitled “Automatic for The People.” This title is taken from the slogan of Weaver D’s Restaurant. In this small restaurant, you will find the best down-home southern cooking you could wish for. If you prefer vegetarian fare, head on down to Prince Avenue to The Grit. Here you will find locals from the Athens music scene and some very good food, even if you are not a vegetarian.

My favorite restaurants in downtown Athens are De Palmas Italian Grille and The Last Resort Grill. De Palmas, located on Broad Street right across from UGA’s North Campus has very good food at reasonable prices. Their calzone, which my kids refer to as the “gutbuster”, lives up to that name. The Last Resort, located at the corner of Hull and Clayton streets is an old music venue converted into a restaurant in the early 1990’s. I am partial to their lunch and Sunday brunch menus, and people rave about their salmon and grits meal. Say what you will about grits, this meal is just not the same.

If you want to experience locally grown produce and fish, head down to Farm 255 on Washington Street. This restaurant only serves foods that have been grown or caught locally. After dinner there, you can head next door to the Trappeze for the nest imported beer selection in town. If that is too expensive for your tastes, head over to what is known as the “barmuda triangle” and you are sure to find a pub to your liking.

Want a Grill?: On Saturday game days, The Grill restaurant has a lengthy waiting list

Last but not least, do not miss “The Grill” on College Avenue. A longtime member of the Athens restaurant scene, it is open 24 hours a day, and there is always a long waiting list on a Saturday game day.

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The Sports Scene in Athens