< Guide to Athens

Big college bar with pool tables that gets its name from the year UGA was chartered. Occasional DJs. Also serves food (fried apps, burgers, flatbreads, wings in a lot of flavors, wraps, tacos), which means it's open Sundays. Margarita towers, pitchers of domestics. Poker Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Wing Wednesdays.

College kids sweat it out on the dance floor to (mostly) ’90s jams. Occasional DJs. Buy a tallboy, shot or mixed drink for dancing fuel. Also: Zima to go with the theme.

A big bar for everyone, with two floors plus a rooftop tiki bar, pool and lots of TVs. Hundreds of drink options, 20 rotating beers, 55 whiskeys, 18 tequilas and over 200 bottled beers (including some nonalcoholic choices). Opens earlier than most.

Regional chain serves pizza with a wide variety of toppings, renowned wings, sandwiches, pasta, salads and soup. Good craft brews.

Small brewery with lots of offerings in the historic Boulevard neighborhood. Sixteen different taps, changing often, with sours, pilsners, wheat beers, ales, stouts, build-your-own hard seltzer and more, plus a big patio that hosts tons of events and food pop-ups.

Instagrammable, with lots of neon, disco balls and a light-up dance floor, ’90s music, karaoke. Choose from domestic and local standbys, or order a house specialty like the disco lemonade, jello shots or 1.5-gallon Moscow mule.

ZZ & Simone's sister business is a wine bar first and foremost, but has expanded its food options to heartier stuff like baked ziti and meatballs. Wine and aperitifs over beer and shots, plus bowls of olives, pretty desserts, fancy toasts, etc. Occasional throwback pop-ups of the Chinese-American restaurant that preceded it in the space.

Roomy bar beloved by Barstool Sports with TVs, pool tables, darts and foosball. Beer and mixed drinks across a wide range of taste and budget. Pool and beer-pong tournaments, plus cornhole and shuffleboard; boozy snow cones in the summer. Karaoke on Tuesdays.

Longtime Athens sports bar has several locations and a big menu including many vegetarian choices. Beer on tap and in bottles, including local brews. Each location has its own specials.

Cozy bar on the second story of a historic building, for students and townies with a nice view and a rooftop patio. Big drink selection: 300+ craft beers, 100+ scotches, a wide selection of whiskeys and wine from all over. Occasional vinyl nights where you can bring your own tunes.

Big, divey, multi-level student bar. Pool, beer pong, popcorn machines and more inside. Regular specials on already inexpensive drafts and wells. Open mic nights.

College bar encourages you to chug through Power Hour and party New Orleans-style all night. Pool upstairs. Cheap beer and champagne, nightly specials and liquor drinks, including hurricanes and fishbowls.

Less zen, more sake bombs that involve pounding on the table to make the shot fall into the drink. Skee-ball in the back, pitchers of specialty craft cocktails known as Buddha Juice, shots and beer. Lots of sports.

Boo-vay, not booves, as in the French for "you drink." European-style cafe with a lot of different beverages all through the day: coffee, tea, cool sodas, craft cocktails, wine, beer and aperitifs. PBR + a howdy for $8. Healthy snacks, some sandwiches (breakfast, lunch and dinner), plus alcoholic and booze-free snoballs. Popular with kids and grown folks alike.

Gastropub that welcomes "thirst seekers, hop gazers, palate pushers" and plays fast and loose with flavors like sriracha and blue cheese. Good beer selection, regular specials, street tacos, lots of fusion and a food truck that pops up at bars and breweries.

Yes, it's a movie theater, with a wide variety of indie flicks and classics, but you can also go hang out in the bar and drink movie-themed cocktails or good beer, wine and liquor. Coffee, tea, sodas, local baked goods and fresh-popped popcorn, plus an art gallery run by ATHICA.

Long-running college bar has big-screen TVs in a historic space with marble accents and chandeliers. Daily drink deals, plus the usual selection of beer, seltzers and trendy shots.

An event space and college bar, with a frozen drink machine, Creature Comforts beer for $3, more cocktails than usual, a disco ball, a game room with Skee-ball and a covered back patio.

College bar with a big "How Bout Them Dawgs" light-up sign for photo ops. Espresso martinis, Aperol spritzes, champagne and prosecco specials.

Rainbow-lit bubble wall bar and a light-up dance floor has a club vibe, with a VIP section. Spacious layout, pool, TV and laser lights. Full bar with all the shots and bombs you could ask for, plus boozy slushies and DJs playing thumping music.

Big, beautiful brewery with lots of indoor and outdoor seating. Popular year-round offerings include Tropicalia and Classic City Lager, but there are lots of seasonal and limited-edition beers and a new line of vodka seltzers. Purchase cans, bottles and merch on site to take home. Food trucks and pop-ups for eats.

Creature Comforts' spirits bar is accessible from Washington Street, next to the Rook & Pawn, despite its Hancock address. It serves spirits distilled onsite and current Creature beers and seltzers, and is available for rent plus open to the public Thursday through Saturday.

One of the largest bars in town, with a more grown-up, less college-heavy crowd than many bars around it. Pool, Skee-ball, Golden Tee, foosball, darts, a photo booth and football on TV. Huge whiskey selection, befitting its Irish branding, Guinness on tap. Coconut Pat's is a tiki bar located in the mezzanine.

This Athens favorite has been in business for decades doing classic Italian, from pizza and standard red-sauced pasta to eggplant florentine and grilled salmon. Each location has a slightly different menu, but all have vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free and gluten-free options; kids menu. Long wine list with many Italian reds and plenty of beers.

Restaurant/bar combo serves grilled cheese, fried stuff, salads and smash burgers, with an upstairs bar that also has darts and a pool table. Kids menu. Taco Tuesday. Kitchen closes at 11 p.m.; bar stays open late.

A college bar named for Athens’ famous non-working piece of Confederate memorabilia. TVs to watch sports and low prices ($2 Tuesdays). Occasional DJs. What you’d expect for drinks plus a cocktail named for UGA grad golfer Bubba Watson.

New line dancing and country bar in a big, big space. Don't know how to boot scoot? They'll teach you. Gameday specials.

Large regional chain Tex-Mex restaurant features murals and elaborate hanging lights, plus a big bar in the middle. You can find some gems among the standard burritos and taco salads: tableside guacamole, chile colorado, large selection of tequilas and margaritas in over a dozen flavors.

Refined and intelligent restaurant with a beauteous bar has an Italian focus to its food, with anitpasti, burrata, housemade pasta (can be gluten-free), risotto and more. Offerings change regularly. Nonalcoholic cocktails made with as much love as the boozy ones, plus nice wines.

Remains the gold standard for fine dining in Athens. The menu is Southern-ish but chef-driven and up to date, changing weekly depending on what’s in season. Wine list by James Beard nominee; unpretentious but smart cocktails; excellent after-dinner drinks. Look out for specials.

Five entrees, five desserts, five apps and so on. Seafood from Destin is a point of emphasis, but you can also get a ribeye or fried chicken. Jazz brunch on weekends. Five specialty cocktails from the bar.

Longtime Irish pub Flanagan’s and its downstairs sister bar get packed with students on late nights and weekends. Pool, daily specials on everything from cocktails to shots to Ultra Right Beer. Lots of whiskey, both on special and just regularly.

Cult film nights, cool movie posters, karaoke and fun drinks at this chill townie bar. Art wall changes out monthly. Also: boozy slushies, retro cocktails, half pours on beer, mocktails, local tea, popcorn. Rent the side room for your private event.

This cozy hangout for plant lovers offers a space to learn about and purchase botanicals. The bar serves beer, wine, coffee, soft drinks and things like canned oatmilk lattes. Lots of classes.

Controversy-courting downtown spot decked out in Civil War memorabilia. Southern-themed cocktails.

An Athens classic, open since 1989, that hasn't lost a step. Huge beer selection, general literary atmosphere (poetry nights!) and lots of cool things to look at. On the menu, you'll find smart takes on pub food with lots of vegetarian options (hot tofu as well as hot chicken, veggie burgers alongside the beef) plus actual greens and fresh ingredients. Soccer on the tv upstairs.

Small chain out of Atlanta does smashburgers with one patty or two (beef, turkey, beans and quinoa, or Impossible Burger), plus bar snacks, fried sides and boozy or virgin milkshakes. Nice upstairs outside seating.

Coffee drinks, nitro coffee, teas and juices all day, plus baked goods. Lots of draft and bottled/canned craft beers, plus wine, craft cocktails and mocktails (some made with coffee). Breakfast includes beignets, sandwiches and burritos. Grab-and-go sandwiches and cheese plates, Italian pop-ups. Loads of events and art with a coffeehouse by day, club by night vibe.

Family-friendly tavern is all things to all people, with lots of food (including a kajillion vegetarian and vegan options) as well as a major bar selection. Noodles, soups, chili, hot dogs, grain bowls, falafel. Great beers; also whiskeys, classic cocktails and juice for kids.

Wood paneling, thrift store art, funky lighting. Beer and wine, of course, but a focus on cocktails, with sodas made from scratch and good prices. Also: beer + shot combos, low-alcohol and no-alcohol cocktails, no TVs.

Country club-ish place does classic American food with a bit of a Southern accent, like meatloaf, steak sandwich, crab cakes and gumbo. A fair amount of fried stuff but salads, too. Big desserts. Nice patio. Earlybird specials.

Fancy rooftop bar with great views of downtown Athens and TVs for gameday, atop the Hyatt Place hotel. Also: some snacks (charcuterie, dips, wings) and some heartier eats (burgers, fried chicken strips, salad). Specialty cocktails, including some made with champagne and billed as Hybar Pops.

The Expat’s Krista Slater's wine store and tasting room. Come taste before you buy (half or full pours, cool stuff described in an accessible and smart way), and have a snack while you're at it (tinned seafood, nuts, cheese, charcuterie, toasts and Condor chocolates). Food pop-ups sometimes.

Crowd-pleasing restaurant mixes Southern and Southwestern cuisine; veggie and vegan choices, plus fish and seafood are highlights. Large dessert case. Plan ahead for lines at brunch. Well-stocked bar, with a variety of single malts, as well as aperitifs/digestifs and a long list of wines, many available in half bottles. Large outdoor dining area.

Grown folks' bar hosts music, trivia and frequent private events. Big patio with cornhole. A variety of bottled beers and rotating drafts that include seasonal brews. Wine and cocktails, too. Pop-up food offerings occasionally.

This all-purpose performance/events venue has three stages—two inside and one in a large beer garden—and does a variety of events. A good assortment of craft and local beer, as well as budget-friendly options. Wine and cocktails, too. Tiki Taco Tuesdays.

Sports bar and grill in the middle of Five Points serves burgers, tacos, bowls, fried things like deviled eggs and mushrooms, kids menu. Also, Southern-themed cocktails. Heated outside dining.

Something a little different, with nonalcoholic cocktails and coffee drinks that feature CBD/THC. Lots of plants inside and plenty of charging stations as well as other stuff like kava, kratom and mushroom products.

Hotel Indigo’s restaurant serves croissant sandwiches and omelets for breakfast, plus a full dinner, with steak, salmon, sandwiches, salads and even a kids menu. Nice cocktails.

Two-story bar in a historic building keeps long hours, plays a lot of pop country, has free pool upstairs, a great view of downtown and campus and TVs for sports. The usual array of brews behind the bar; house drinks tend to be sweet and beachy, plus low-priced bottles of wine. Dog friendly, trivia.

This kava bar serves a nonalcoholic beverage that's made to chill you out. Also has board games, video games and pool so you can hang out. It offers traditional kava (in several varieties), kava by the growler, herbal tea made from kava, boba and kava mixed into cocktails, plus the promise of no hangovers.

Eclectic decor in a dimly lit, divey interior popular with townies. Zapp's potato chips pair well with specialty drinks, including a whole selection of hot ones in cold weather, listed on handwritten signs. Cocktails, beer, wine, sangria and sake. Occasional DJs.

Escape the downtown scene for the oldest bar in the area, built in 1952. The atmosphere is warm and unfussy with pool, video games and karaoke. Cold domestic beer and liquor drinks.

Lots of toppings and specialty pies, plus pretzels made with the same dough, salads, subs, calzones and munchies; good beer selection. Vegan options.

This place always pleases, whether for date night or an upscale lunch. The menu is Spanish/Mediterranean-inspired, with lots of vegetables (try the "power lunch") and high-quality ingredients. Roasted chicken with za'atar, Portuguese custard tarts, pizzettes and a lot more. Great wine list and cocktails. Hosts occasional pop-ups from small operations.

This bar from Jerry and Krista Slater of The Expat features fancy cocktails, great wine and cold beer alongside a few snacks (chips, bologna sandwich, sardines) and occasional pop-ups offering pizza, hot dogs or patty melts. Chill DJs sometimes. 21 and up only.

Chill neighborhood bar in Normaltown with a great patio with firepits in the winter and a dimly lit interior with plenty of space. Craft and local beers and handcrafted cocktails, plus boiled peanuts for snackin'.

Czech food and beer from some of the folks behind Hi-Lo, opening up in the Atlas Building in 2025.

Old-school dive bar with a big painting of its late founder, Sky Hertwig, is like traveling back in time. Darts, pool and lots of live music. Plenty of beers on draft, with the usual suspects behind the bar.

This distillery inside the historic Henry Bishop house focuses on gin, rum and vodka. Cocktails and tours of the space, plus some light bites (grilled cheese, charcuterie). Tons of outdoor space under huge oak trees. Open mic nights, classes, nonalcoholic drinks, too.

A motorcycle bar, but not like in the movies. This is just a chill neighborhood spot for people who like to ride and/or fix bikes and enjoy an Aperol spritz. Non-riders welcome, too. Snacks, regular pop-ups/food trucks, ping pong and a nice patio. Sports on TV, fire pits outside in cold weather.

A cocktail bar intently focused on craft, mixing creativity with classics, and has the awards to prove it. Menu changes seasonally and includes nonalcoholic options. Deep list of good spirits, plus some judiciously chosen wines and beers. Occasional snacks or pop-ups.

Burgers, chicken sandwiches, flatbreads and tacos with movie-themed names. Mostly domestics on draft, imports and domestics in the bottle, wine and cocktails.

Huge bar with DJs, live music, gigantic TV for football games also serves a creative, fun Tex-Mex menu: elote street corn "ribs," excellent smoke-fried wings, tacos with fresh corn tortillas, and more. Brunch involves fried egg tacos and "brunchos" and is a bit quieter. Craft cocktails, palomas and margaritas on draft, and lots of specials.

Crepe-based restaurant by day (with savory and sweet options, plus non-pancake-based foods) turns into a busy bar by night with beer, wine and vodka-heavy cocktails.

Mostly a bar, with a nice wine list, spritzes, regular wine tastings and discounts for members of its wine club, but also a restaurant on some days. Weekend lunch and First Friday lunch pop-ups have a small menu with a burger, a couple of salads, a grilled cheese.

Downtown steakhouse also does crab cakes, chicken, shrimp scampi and other things that aren’t red meat as well as a la carte sides. Lunch includes a fried green tomato sandwich, grilled salmon BLT and she-crab soup. Port and cognac for after dinner.

James Beard Award-nominated little-bitty bar/restaurant with tons of personality and charm has a big covered patio with heaters in the winter. Menu is "Thai drinking food" but so much more than that, with big, complex flavors, a real love of veggies and a strong sense of fun. Cocktails change regularly but feature beautiful rums and unusual ingredients. Mocktails, too.

Bar with food, pool tables, dart boards, slot machines and big-screen TVs. Food includes burgers, wings, sandwiches, nachos and fries.

This dive bar “serving hangovers since 1991” features neon beer signs and friendly bartenders.

Nightclub/music venue off the beaten path, focusing on Latin music. Ladies get in free regularly. Big dance floor, flashing lights, heavy bass, sometimes a mechanical bull.

Bar/restaurant on top of the historic Georgia Theatre is open during and just before shows, with food from pop-up restaurants.

Board-game café with plenty of food: hot and cold sandwiches, pizza made with pita, salads, cheese plates, bowls of salty and sweet snacks, kids menu, coffees, nonalcoholic cocktails. Games for rent or purchase, and drinks soft and hard.

This bar in the basement of The Pine has a particularly great selection of whiskey, including Scotch, and access to its big sibling's food menu. Plenty of craft beer (not just local stuff) and specialty shots.

English pub with a bitty kitchen does legit British food: housemade crisps, bangers and mash, shepherd's pie, curries. Also, good burgers (lamb and beef). Soccer on the telly. U.K. beers, dry ciders, craft brews, wine, whiskey and cocktails.

Club-type scene, complete with DJ. Knock some shots off chopsticks and hit the dance floor. A neon menu offers over 20 types of sake bombs. Beer, too. Big TVs for sports.

Beach-themed college bar lets you take a shot off a surfboard or choose from buckets of alcohol, frozen drinks and all the refreshments you need. Darts.

Student-oriented bar has a lot of Georgia-themed decor, pool and a downstairs called The Grotto. Plenty of room to spread out. Beer pong tournaments and DJs.

Longtime hip oyster bar, with a great selection that changes frequently. Also fun takes on seafood and more: scallop fried rice, scallion pancake, lobster roll, grilled cheese. Beer, wine, absinthe, sake, serious cocktails and frozen Negronis. Hire its mobile unit to shuck at your party.

Party sushi bar with private karaoke rooms. Lots of rolls and sashimi as well as surf and turf, noodles, fried tofu and apps. Hot and cold sake, saketinis, wine, mostly domestic beer but a few Japanese brews.

Not really western-themed, despite the name, just a classic college bar with a covered outdoor patio that's often dog friendly. Ten beers on tap, well drinks and daily specials, plastic cups shaped like a bone. Beer pong and cornhole tournaments and the Dawgs on TV. Darts.

Eclectic bar with velvet paintings, Pee-Wee Herman dolls and satirical religious art. Large patio hidden from street view. Dance or play ping-pong. Try the house sangria or check out a drag show.

Located inside a historic former hotel with a menu of small and large plates, all with big flavors: sweet potatoes, chicken-fried tofu, duck fat tater tots, candied bacon, that kind of thing. Gluten-free stuff. Rotating draft beers in full or half pours, good wines by the glass (and bottle) and regularly changing craft cocktails with housemade ingredients.

Brewery in Watkinsville's Wire Park is dog- and family-friendly, with about 20 beers on tap, emphasizing IPAs. Plenty of events and a polished inside as well as outdoor seating. Feel free to BYO food, including from the numerous eateries right next door, but also food trucks sometimes.

A large, two-level bar with duckpin bowling lanes upstairs as well as other games. Domestic and import bottles and cans, tons of craft beer, wine and a good selection of bourbon, including some rare options. Grill and snack bar with burgers and dogs operates from 10 p.m. to close. Popcorn.

A rare Eastside bar, this no-frills watering hole has DJs sometimes, pool always. Ages 25 and up. A couple beers on draft and the usual domestics in bottle, wells behind the bar.

Wine bar with 24 selections on tap, served from an Enomatic in various sizes or buy a bottle. Regular tasting events. Biscuits on the first Saturday of the month; snackies to accompany wine.

Local brewer has a huge space, outside and inside, with live music, at which to taste craft beer. Dogs are welcome. IPA fiends are into Hopsecutioner, but you might also find a watermelon gose or the Wake-n-Bake coffee oatmeal imperial stout. Food trucks are sometimes present.

Athens’ finest and only strip club sometimes does a male revue. Full bar with prices for high rollers and budget drinkers alike.

Big menu of food and beer with lots of vegetarian choices: loaded mac and cheese, Southern fish and chips, tabbouleh salad, housemade pickles, a vegan Reuben, buffalo tofu taco, plus scores of unusual, well-described beers in the bottle and on tap. There's also wine and nice cocktails.

Latin bar encourages guests to dance, drink and have fun listening to merengue, bachata, salsa and more. Bottle service, neon lights.

Extremely Gen Z college bar promises copious amounts of Zyn as decor, a disco ball, Busch Apple, UFC on TV, Red Bull, dollar beers and lots of cartoon dogs. Head downstairs to find Underdawg, an EDM space with live DJs and blacklight art.

You don't have to be a member to come enjoy this cash-only bar, which is open to the public on Thursdays and Fridays (there's an ATM if you don't plan ahead). Dance floor, bottled and canned beer, wine and a full bar of liquor drinks.

Local coffee and light food until the early afternoon, bar by night. Six beers on draft and over 70 in bottles, including many microbrews.

Video games, board games and rock, paper, scissors tournaments, plus snacks. Sweet specialty drinks like a Yoohoo Mudslide, and shots flavored like Sour Patch Kids.

Craft and draft beer, specialty cocktails including Stiegl grapefruit soda mixed with vodka, TVs for sports. Dog friendly.