Athens, Georgia
Paul V. Hartman

Athens Restaurant Reviews - Page Two

MIRKO PASTA
2 Main Street, Watkinsville (706) 310-1233
Italian. Casual. Inexpensive. Parking on-site.
The concept of choosing your pasta and sauce separately was made popular by Macaroni Grill, but Mirko is less ambitious in scale, more homey. And the sauces are quite good. Fifteen types of pasta ($4-5 each) may be ordered with eleven elegant sauces ($4 each). Order your meal at the counter, and they give you a portable name holder to carry to an empty table. If no table, wait for one; food is not cooked until you are seated. The meal arrives minutes later. Our group of 6 loved this place. 18 wines by the glass. Lunch/Dinner 10 - 11, Mon-Sat. Sunday 5 - 9. No reservations.



BISCHERO ITALIAN RESTAURANT
237 Prince Ave (In the Bottleworks) (706) 316-1006
Family Italian; also pizza. Casual. Moderate. Parking on-site.
This is warm gathering spot in the dramatically improved Bottleworks. There is a nice outdoor patio. The Italian menu is extensive, and the long wine list is all from Italy; several choices by the glass. See website for evening specials.
No Lunch. Dinner from 5-11pm. Friday, Saturday. 5-10pm Sunday-Thursday. Call for reservation.



FIRE MOUNTAIN      (now renamed:   Ryan's Grill Buffet)
Epps Bidge Parkway, across from Wal-Mart (706) 543-8203
I liked the name when I watched this place going up. This is the worst food in town, but they bring it to you at a very reasonable price, and the portions are large! If you think the owners will be unhappy about this review, forget it. They could not care less.

You want buffet? They have it here in abundance. What kind of food? Everything from American to Mexican to Southern, to (sort of) Italian, to Soul Food. (Sorry, no nouvelle French.) Here there are multiple buffet tables. Much of the food is below the proper serving temperature. The largest buffet is the one for Dessert. That is no surprise, for in my single appearance at this restaurant, I saw more 300 pound people than I have seen in a week at DisneyWorld. On the plus side, it is relatively clean, when you consider the high traffic flow. This restaurant chain is a spin-off from Ryan's Steakhouse. I would buy stock in this enterprise, and avoid the food. They may need to expand the parking lot. Welcome to Athens.

Lunch from 11:00am, Dinner to 9:30pm. Sat & Sun open at 7:30am. Walk right in.


EAST WEST BISTRO
351 E. Broad Street (706) 546-9378
Asian, Greek, and inbetween. Casual. Parking difficult.
The unusal menu here combines traditional fare with touches of South East Asia and even Greece. The bar here becomes especially popular after 10:00pm. Downstairs the menu is expansive and carefree; upstairs the menu is aimed at fine dining and more limited (and more expensive) dinner choices. The Southeast style "Vegetable Lasagna" is an interesting item on the lower level.
Lunch and Dinner from 11:00am to 10:00pm+, 7 days a week. Reservations accepted.



HARRY BISSETTS
279 E. Broad Street (Downtown) (706) 353-7065
New Orleans style. Casual. Moderate. Parking difficult.
A Louisianna southern restaurant in a delightful space where an old brick bank used to do business. (They even kept the brick teller windows.) The main items here are served Orleans style - a bit on the spicy side. Blackened redfish, crawfish etoffee, gumbo, and a few traditional items sprinkled in for those incapable of the spicy. The bar in front is filled with young folks day and night.
Lunch and Dinner from 11:00am to 10:00pm, 7 days a week. Reservations accepted.



HARRY BISSETTS BAYOU GRILL
1155 Mitchell Bridge Road (West Side) (706) 552-1193
New Orleans style. Casual. Moderate. Parking on site.
This West Side "Bissetts" is not a copy of the downtown version, though the food is nearly identical. This building is outlandish on the outside, modern on the inside (Manhattan night club) and that may be why this place is more about liquor then food: the bar space here is more than twice what exists downtown. And is it crowded! Anyway, it lacks the charm of the original, but should be a financial success. There does not seem to be an upper limit to the number of places selling alcohol in Athens.
Lunch and Dinner from 11:00am except Monday. Dinner to 10:00pm, 7 days a week. Reservations accepted.

ZIM'S BAGEL BAKERY
Beechwood Shopping Center (706) 353-2947
Bagel bakery and upscale Salad/Luncheon Bar.
This is a bagelry in the Jewish tradition. The equipment, from Germany, is intended for bagels. The recipe is a family secret of the Zimmermans. What began as a bagelry is now much more than that - the salad and luncheon bar is famous in this town for its great size and variety, and for its gourmet quality. The morning bagel prep begins at about 4:30 so the bagels are ready by 6 to 6:30. Bagels are baked repeatedly throughout the day so that the bagels are always perfect. As regards the luncheon bar, you pay by weight: grab as much of whatever you want, and they weigh it. The background music is truely the most bizarre in Athens, ranging from the Red Army Chorus to Jazz to 40's Big Band to 60's Soft Rock. You might even hear light opera, depending on Zim's mood.
Breakfast and Lunch from 7:00am to 3:00pm, 7 days a week.


ZIM'S AT NIGHT
Beechwood Shopping Center (706) 353-2947
Bagel bakery and upscale Salad/Luncheon Bar.
(Its Dinner but they call it Supper because that is what Southerners - as opposed to the rest of the world - call dinner.) Anyway...
In the evening, the paper goods are put away, the hard plates come out and the silverware, and wine and beer appear. It's still the same place - salads & sandwiches are still made, but the hot bar expands, and, as earlier in the day, you pay by weight. This is simply terrific food at a terrific price - the best dining deal in town, and right next to the multi-screen!
Supper Hours: Mon-Sat 5:30 - 9:00pm.


LAST RESORT GRILL
184 W. Clayton Street (706) 549-0810
Nouvelle Southern. Casual. Moderate. Parking available.
Exposed brick walls. Outdoor patio. Open cooking area. The work of local artists is featured on the brick walls. The menu here is eclectic: How about salmon and grits? Last Resort is a favorite of UGA faculty, which is generally a frugal bunch. Veggie quiche, wildrice pancakes, salmon/scallop pasta, cheese-stuffed chicken. Interesting, even provocative. Small bar room off the dining area.
Lunch and Dinner from 11:00am. No reservations.



RAFFERTY'S
Atlanta Highway, opposite Mall (706) 613-0045
Steaks and Ribs. Casual. Moderate. Easy parking.
A varied crowd will all find something to like at Rafferty's, which enjoys a good local following. They cook over wood fired flame. (The barbecue ribs are cooked over hickory) The salads are generous. The steaks and fish are properly prepared. Tuesday night is prime rib night. It gets crowded every evening after 6:00pm, but if you go at 5:55 you will probably walk right in.
Lunch and Dinner from 11:00am. No Reservations.



LOGAN'S ROADHOUSE
Atlanta Highway near Barnes and Noble (706) 227-9890
Steaks, Ribs, Chicken, Seafood. Very Casual. Inexpensive. Easy parking.
A steak house for the pick-up truck set. They sprinkle peanut shells on the floor and you are welcome to add to the clutter with your own bowl of free unshelled peanuts. They have had a good idea: On Monday and Tuesday, all day, they offer two complete meals for $12.99 (main course and 2 sides). Some of them are luncheon portions - but so what. My bride, a gourmet chef, says: "I can't serve this stuff at home for this price. And the sirloin was pretty good." I had the grilled salmon, which was 3 inches by 4, but adequate for me. Athens is a competitive market, and this idea is a clever stroke.
Lunch and Dinner from 11:00am. Reservations accepted.




We did not review, but also like:
Savannah Room, Jason's Deli, Schlotsky's.

We did not review, and have no plan to review:
Applebee's, The Grit, Longhorn, Red Lobster, Outback, Ryan's, Sonny's Barbecue, Walt Light's
Seafood, numerous Chinese and Mexican eateries, pizza joints, and other fast-food places.


There are more than 150 restaurants in the Athens Area.
For those not reviewed here, and those that will never be reviewed here,
try the "exhaustive list" provided by going

Can you have good restaurants in a small town? Click for my opinion.

Click to see my comments on restaurant WINE prices.