Sip and Savor These Great Places to Eat in Athens, AL
When you visit a restaurant in Athens, you will quickly feel like part of the family.
“Family style” isn’t just a type of restaurant service in Athens; it’s an apt descriptor of how customers are treated. When diners settle in at the table, they can savor steaming coffee roasted just down the street and dig into tried-and-true family recipes, all served by locals happy to have friends new and old gather around the table. Here’s a look at some of the outstanding places to eat in Athens and Limestone County.
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Family Recipes
Italian restaurant Terranova’s offers regional touches like crab cakes and fried green tomatoes on its menu alongside Old World offerings like chicken marsala, pasta portofino (bowtie pasta with bacon, mushrooms and scallions) and lasagna.
Owner Dan Oliver has a long history of working in restaurants (“I tell folks that I’ve been in the food business so long that I was a waiter at the Last Supper,” he says), so when he took the leap to open his own restaurant, he used his know-how to develop his own recipes.
In addition to the crowd favorites mentioned above, he says, some of his most popular entrees are the ribeye bistecca and fettuccine alfredo. His favorite dish? “Whatever is in front of me … seriously!”
In 2024, Terranova’s is moving to a new location in East Athens.
Drink Up
Diners can wash down homestyle food with local beverages both adult and nonalcoholic. Athens Alehouse & Cellar boasts a huge list of craft beers on draft (well over 100!) thanks to an innovative pour-your-own tap system. Revive Cafe serves coffee that’s roasted in the city. “We brew it strong,” boasts the breakfast-and-lunch spot’s website.
The cafe is actually an offshoot of Recentered, a nonprofit organization designed to assist young adults in crisis.
“About 10 years ago we started a nonprofit, and since then have opened up a couple of businesses to support the nonprofit. Locally roasted coffee was the first business we started, and after setting up at farmers markets in Athens for several years, we opened up Revive Cafe,” says Revive owner Briana Walter.
Why go to the effort of roasting their own coffee beans? “Just like a fresh vegetable out of a garden tastes better, we believe locally roasted beans do as well!” Walter says.
‘Cue the Meat
Named after the Athens home at 306 Lindsay Lane N. where the owners got their start smoking, 306 Barbecue has since expanded to a full-service restaurant and caterer serving chicken, ribs and pork, with four locations in Athens and the surrounding counties.
In neighboring Madison, the rustic, family-owned Old Greenbrier Restaurant has served catfish and barbecue for over 50 years, while LawLer’s Barbecue, owned by Athens’ Lawler family, has 13 locations in northern Alabama and Tennessee.
Something for Everyone
UG White Mercantile is a general store that’s been selling dry goods to the citizens of Limestone County for 106 years.
Today, it carries an eclectic selection of housewares (including cute mugs and sturdy Lodge cast iron pans for the kitchen); old-timey candies like taffy and Bazooka Bubble Gum; chocolate truffles in a wide range of flavors; and a house line of jellies, jams, hot sauces and relishes.
Other local great places to eat in Athens include a pair of restaurants named after family members. Ro’s Grille is a locally owned, family-friendly joint named after the owner’s daughter, Caroline Ro. Ramona J’s is named for owner Orlandous Johnson’s mom, Phyllis Ramona. Ro’s serves home-style cooking and counts both Walter and Johnson as fans; Walter says its burger is one of her favorites in town, and Johnson shouts out the eatery’s hushpuppies.
Athens is home to two Ramona J’s locations. “The vibe is intriguing and fun,” he says, “because none of our stuff is normal. It’s all bizarre.”
He points to the eatery’s barnyard pimp (a chicken sandwich) and the double Cajun Ranch burger (a massive, 14-ounce double patty doused in Cajun ranch sauce and served with a pair of gloves to mitigate the mess). “Our customer demographic is all ages,” Johnson says.
So whether diners are showing up with their whole family or becoming part of the extended restaurant family, there’s something for everyone in Athens.
Get to Know Athens and Limestone County
Want to learn more about living and working in Athens and Limestone County, AL? Check out the latest edition of Livability Athens-Limestone County, Alabama.