5 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.

A favorite of locals and tourists alike, the Last Resort is a popular spot for dinner and boozy weekend brunch. Brunch, offered on Saturday and Sunday, features entrées like crab cakes, eggs Benedict, and a hearty "Lumberjack Burrito." Dinner items focus on classic Southern cooking with a Southwestern and Mediterranean bent. Think horseradish crusted–salmon and pork tenderloin stuffed with charred poblano peppers. Exposed brick walls, lined with reminders of the building's history as a 1970s music club, create a cozy bistro feel. The restaurant does not accept reservations, but you can call ahead for priority seating. There's lovely outdoor seating as well. 

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.