190 Best Restaurants in Georgia, USA

This palm-shaded eatery is the sister restaurant to the original downtown location and hands down the best spot for vegetarian and vegan options in the city. There's also more than enough on the menu to keep a meat eater happy—consider the fried chicken tacos or the chicken-and-goat-cheese enchiladas. If you have your mind on a cocktail, gather 'round the bar for a Hot Derby with spicy ginger ale. There's ample parking and several big screens where you can watch the big game.

This richly decorated, renovated mansion houses one of the finest dining experiences outside of downtown with grand flourishes like antique furniture, a piano bar, and a chapel space upstairs surrounded by stained glass. White-tablecloth settings match the traditional menu of Italian favorites—the herbed risotto is recommended as a first course, followed by the tagliatelle vongole. The wine selection—kept in an ancient cellar reached by a narrow stone staircase—is a lesson in thoughtful curation. The lovely patio hosts live music most weekends.

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. 

In a neighborhood flush with craft beer options, Leon's introduced an inventive specialty cocktail menu (as well as its own long list of craft beers). The food menu is full of fun snacks to share while drinking, including fries served with an array of sauces. For an entrée, try the pan-roasted trout. The restaurant borders a popular patio on one side and is lined by a busy bocce court on the other.

With a flair for the unexpected, this bistro turns out a rotating seasonal menu with such updated Southern dishes as pork tenderloin with mashed root vegetable, chicken sausage, and prime beef tenderloin, as well as decadent small dishes for sharing. Liam's also serves a full cheese cart of various artisanal cheeses from Europe along with local selections. It's open kitchen, garden dining, and paintings by local artists create a cozy dining room.

Part shop and part café, this locally owned spot is a great place to grab a coffee, sandwich, or a big ol' slice of homemade red velvet cake or pecan pie. Check out the daily soup and sandwich specials for a variety of options.

Inspired by Jarrett Stieber’s pop-up, Eat Me, Speak Me at S.O.S. Tiki Bar in Decatur, the restaurant is named after his dog, a Great Pyrenees. Located beside the old Turner Field stadium that now belongs to Georgia State University, Little Bear boasts creative and themed menu items and unique cocktails. Stieber won the 2023 Young Chef Award from Michelin, and the restaurant achieved Bib Gourmand status. 

This British-style bakery sells everything from traditional meat pies to savory quiches to crusty bread and dessert pies, all of it baked fresh daily. The owners hail from Staffordshire and make remarkable and authentic meat pies in such varieties as steak and ale, chicken and thyme, and steak and kidney. Pick up an individual cottage pie or pasty to enjoy while watching the City Market hustle and bustle, or grab a full size savory pie to take home for supper.

Tucked in a strip mall in Savannah’s Sandfly neighborhood, this unassuming spot is an affordable and satisfying option for all-day breakfast and lunch. In addition to the juicy chicken and waffles, they also serve up an array of fluffy omelets and classic handhelds.

For fresh-caught seafood right off the boat, locals and tourists alike head to this dockside restaurant known for its local shrimp platters, oysters, crab legs, and the Captain Cal Platter that allows for a taste of it all. There are also steaks, burgers, and chicken Parmesan, as well as several items for the vegetarians. Indoor and outdoor dining is available with incredible waterfront views.

Four generations own and operate this charming, family-owned coastal eatery located on the banks of the bucolic Ogeechee River. Suitable for a lunchtime meal or a special occasion dinner, Love's serves up perfectly prepared regional dishes like Lowcountry boil, fried green tomatoes, and its famous bone-in catfish. With water views, casual ambience, and super-friendly service, it's a pleasure to while away a few hours over beers and oysters here.

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.

Local celebrities and ordinary folks line up for the country-fried steak and fried chicken here. In the Southern tradition, the servers will call you "honey" and pat your arm to assure you that everything's all right. It's a great way to experience Southern food and hospitality all at once.

The Southern-inflected menu here emphasizes locally sourced food. A highlight is the farm egg baked in celery cream with rustic bread; it's one of the best dishes in town. The rest of the menu is just as good, like the delicious grilled pork loin and seasonal vegetable plate.

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.

It's fun to come sit at the oversized bar and sample any number of the smaller plates on this happening Italian eatery's menu. The pastas are delicate and delicious, and the pizzas are thin, charred, and chewy. For a view of the kitchen, request a seat facing the wood-fire oven and watch the pizzaiolas (pizza guys) slide fresh pies in and out of the oven.

This eatery's clientele ranges from thirtysomethings celebrating a special occasion to well-heeled older residents who love the elegant atmosphere. The bread service includes honey butter, pistachio pesto, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar for your biscuits, flatbreads, rolls, and focaccia, all of which are artistically presented on contemporary dishes. A savory meal can produce a chemical need for chocolate, so the molten-lava cake with raspberry sauce and custard ice cream may be a requirement, especially paired with a Zinfandel port.

Everything's home-cooked at this half-century-old local institution, and it's all good—from the fried shrimp to the black-eyed peas. It opens early for breakfast and has a daily lunch and dinner buffet piled with Southern favorites.

For top-notch seafood, head to this restaurant in a dazzlingly refurbished warehouse space. You can slurp raw oysters on the half shell from the oyster bar or dive into the seafood gumbo, which has dark, complex gravy and is full of meaty hunks of crab. The restaurant has a lively atmosphere (there's a putting green out front) and can get a bit noisy in the middle of dinner.

Pacci has the look and taste of a high-end Italian eatery, but with a laid-back and welcoming atmosphere. Guests gather in the beautifully designed dining room or the open-air patio for signature cocktails like the Biarritz or the Negroni before moving on to some of the best charcuterie and crudites platters in the city. Breads, pastas, desserts, and pickled vegetables are all made in-house.

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. 

With two tiers of outdoor dining decks, Pier 16 makes the most of Tybee's island sunshine. Cuisine is slightly elevated above standard beachside fare, but still includes staples like fish or shrimp tacos, crab-stuffed mushrooms, and various oyster preparations. If you're feeling ambitious, the fried and steamed seafood tower includes the best of shrimp, scallops, oyster, calamari, and other menu items and feeds three to four people.

A prime location at the corner of Liberty and Bull streets, café-style outdoor dining, and a chic bar adorned with an industrial-style chandelier—Public Kitchen & Bar has it all. Despite the upscale atmosphere, the food is approachable and affordable with contemporary classics like shrimp and grits, and mussels steamed with chorizo and leeks. Not hungry? Don't be afraid to belly up to the bar for a finely crafted cocktail or a glass of wine.

Revolution” refers to their dedication to doughnuts made by people, not machines. Every hand-crafted doughnut is made with natural, organic ingredients, from the glaze to the filling. With each bite of these artisanal baked goods, you can taste the difference in craftsmanship and care. Hard work goes into every doughnut, as well as a breadth of creativity and uniqueness.