15 Best Restaurants in Central and North Georgia, Georgia

With its warm exposed brick walls and folk art decor, this local favorite specializes in Southern-inspired, from-scratch cooking. Everything, from the salad dressings to the bread, is made in-house. The menu offers a variety of salads, sandwiches, and "meat and three" mix and match entrées like fried catfish or meatloaf with your choice of veggies. Other specialties include shrimp and grits and grilled salmon with asparagus and sweet potato soufflé. The Moon Roof upstairs and Dark Side of the Moon Bar next door feature live music and late-night bar bites.

Named for the insect that ruined the cotton industry, this quirky little café on the Riverwalk offers some of the best desserts in Augusta, not to mention soups, sandwiches, and Southern specialties like fried green tomatoes. Step inside the former warehouse and you'll find a pastry case filled with at least 30 decadent desserts, all made on the premises. Wine and beer are also available. The vibe here is low-key and relaxed—perfect for lunch or a casual dinner.

This eatery has a comfortable, worn-at-the-elbows appeal, the perfect backdrop for munching on massive pizzas with names like the Hogzilla and Hawaii Five-Oh. Vegetarians will appreciate the Environmentally Correct pie with its all-veggie toppings. The menu boasts endless pasta combinations and also offers salads, sandwiches, and calzones.

With its retro neon sign, this charming “meat-and-three” café has been a fixture in downtown Clayton since 1931. Now completely renovated and decorated in an industrial-farmhouse style, the restaurant serves a new generation of patrons hearty homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches, and the very best of homestyle Southern cooking. Check out the daily specials board for the latest fresh veggies and seasonal offerings. The fried chicken, fried green tomatoes, and homemade desserts are crowd favorites. There's also a market space next door offering gourmet coffee, fresh baked goods, deli items, and grab-and-go meals.

Focused on local and seasonal cuisine, this popular Blue Ridge restaurant even harvests its own specialty produce, eggs, and honey. Chef-owner Danny Mellman and his wife, Michelle Moran, have created a sophisticated yet down-to-earth culinary destination housed in an airy cedar "cabin" downtown. The menu features soups, salads, and entrées like seared duck breast with mashed sweet potatoes, seared locally caught trout, and hand-cut New York strip. The lunch menu offers a variety of sandwiches like the Blue Ridge Hot Brown. Decadent desserts, craft beers, and carefully curated wines round out the menu. Farm-to-table dinners and cooking classes are regularly offered.

Head to Hofer's for authentic, stone-hearth, oven-baked breads and pastries, as well as specialties like Wiener schnitzel and bratwurst. On weekends May through mid-November, grab a table at the outdoor biergarten and enjoy live music along with your meal. Although there are several "tourist trap" German restaurants in Helen, this longtime local favorite is the real deal.

Popular with locals, this casual eatery in the heart of the downtown shopping district offers bar-and-grill classics like sandwiches, burgers, and steaks and such Southern specialties as fried pork chops and ribs. While the bar is a focal point, it's a family-friendly joint and there's often live music on the weekends.

Hand-cut steaks, fresh seafood, and seasonal vegetables are the focus at this casual restaurant set in a cheerful old house in Nacoochee Village, just outside town. Shrimp and grits, whole fried trout, and slow-cooked ribs are customer favorites. There's also a nice array of signature cocktails and a wine list featuring several local wines.

This refined but casual eatery evokes the atmosphere of a European café with its Mediterranean-inspired dishes that make creative use of local ingredients. Stuffed medjool dates, hummus with lamb, and slow-roasted beef hanger steak are a few favorites. The ever-changing vegetable plate is pretty spectacular, too. Wine and craft spirits are a focus at the bar, with flights available for those craving variety. Local craft beers from Creature Comforts and Terrapin also figure prominently.

With its checkered tablecloths and farmhouse decor, you’ll feel as if you've stepped back in time at this adorable café and bakery on Dahlonega’s charming town square. The pastry case is filled with cakes, cookies, muffins, and other sweet treats. There’s always soup on, and the sandwich platters offer Southern classics like egg salad, pimento cheese, and peach chicken salad. Breakfast is quite popular here, too. 

This authentic Cuban spot on the edge of downtown Blue Ridge is a lovely surprise. Here you can pick up delicious Cuban sandwiches with fresh-baked bread, empanadas, and other Cuban specialties. The star of the show is, of course, sweet and spongy rum cake which comes in a mini size perfect for snacking. Wash it down with a Cuban coffee. It's an order-at-the-counter operation with outdoor tables if you'd like to linger.

This lively pub just off the town square is known for its burgers and craft cocktails. The menu offers appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and a wide variety of certified Angus or grass-fed beef burgers with fun names like the Bearded Goat (topped with goat cheese and green tomato chow-chow or pickled relish) and the Rude Awakening (topped with an egg and hash browns). You can opt for grilled chicken or a veggie burger if you're not a red meat fan. The decor is simple and the atmosphere is spirited just like the name.

Local foodies flock here for chef Ken Manring's delicious smoked meats and burgers at this hip but homey order-at-the-counter restaurant. Housed in an old storefront in the Boulevard Historic District just outside downtown, there aren't many indoor tables, but there's plenty of space to spread out in the picnic area outside. While meat is a specialty, the grilled tofu sandwiches and the Tiger Salad topped with tofu and fresh fruit have a fan following. Check out the daily specials, which can range from barbecue tacos to grilled fish.