< Guide to Athens

Coffee for coffee obsessives, roasted in tiny batches and ideally prepared as pour-over but with more elaborate preparations than previously; hipster vibes with lots of plants at both locations. Also: tea, other drinks, bags of coffee, coffee accessories and light snacks. Coffees on offer change out frequently.

Excellent bagels boiled and baked in-house in a wide variety of flavors. You can also get them as a breakfast or lunch sandwich with lox, pastrami, egg and more. Cream soda? Yessir.

Fancy cooking store retails plenty of kitchen goods, but also does classes and serves refined breakfast and lunch. Charcuterie boards to go, housemade granola, coffee from 1000 Faces with housemade syrups, beautiful soups and well-presented, tasty sandwiches.

Prince Avenue, Epps Bridge Parkway, Highway 29, Jefferson Road (Oak Grove) and Atlanta Highway (under construction) locations are Dunkin' only.

Cute independent bakery does cupcakes, custom cakes, cookies, cake pops, gooey bars and box lunches with a sandwich, cheese straws or chips and a cupcake.

Longtime Athens favorite has a great patio popular with dogs and kids. Biscuits, French toast, continental breakfast, omelets, great sandwiches, quiche, soups, burgers (veggie and non), small but good selection of beer and wine. Baked goods galore, including for special order. Friday evening dinner service.

Birdies retails Rancho Gordo beans, amazing cheese, specialty meats and much more. It also has a coffee bar, Independent Baking Co. pastries and makes pretty, local produce-driven soup, salads and sandwiches, all of which change out frequently. Order online for pick-up or come in and linger at a table.

Small boba shop in a cute little house with the chimney painted to look like a tea, straw and all. Fewer flavors than some shops, but friendly staff and local baked goods. More parking in the back.

Bubble tea, of course, in a wide variety of flavors (almond milk for the lactose intolerant; milk teas, fruit teas, smoothies, cloud cream, matcha), but also fun snacks, dumplings, good soups, rice and poke bowls and more, all in an Instagrammable interior. Good vegetarian options.

This restaurant inside UGA’s Georgia Center does grab-and-go sandwiches and salads, hot breakfast (eggs, oatmeal, sandwiches) and a classic hot line that dishes up hamburger steak with mushroom gravy, buttered corn, pot roast and the like. Coffee all day.

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.

Potato donuts that rotate flavors seasonally, good coffee, big biscuits, breakfast burritos and tacos until 2 p.m., then a break and a switch to dinner with smashburgers, chicken and excellent fries and soft-serve. Drive-thru or walk-up. There's also a food truck for catering and pop-ups. Another Athens location, on the Greenway on Oconee Street, is in the works.

Family-run spot gives you free soup instead of chips and salsa and has a menu that ranges all over Latin America: quesabirria, bandeja paisa, lomo saltado, pupusas, sweet and savory empanadas, arepas. Delightful breakfast, kids meals and an array of coffee drinks.

Drive-thru/walk-up coffee chain.

Longtime Athens bakery offers cupcakes and cakes made to order, including for special occasions like weddings and birthdays. Popular flavors include lemon, tres leches, hummingbird, mocha, caramel, coconut and red velvet. Purchase only. No seating.

Donuts, tamales and an absolute rainbow of Mexican sweet breads (conchas that resemble jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween and much, much more), all well priced and nicely made.

Filipino food as well as classic American deli sandwiches, coffee, bubble tea (milk only), ice cream and light and colorful slices of cake. Pick up a pack of cracker nuts and some noodles while you're at it.

The Dale brothers' coffee shop is neat as a pin, with a simple menu (coffee, tea, Montane seltzer, Figment kombucha, chocolate milk) and a focus on sustainability. A few snacks include pastries and Condor Chocolate brownies.

Locally-based small-batch chocolate shop offers truffles, chocolate bars, coffee bars and more, plus drinking chocolate, coffee, gelato, ice cream sandwiches, toffee, etc. Vegan options. Downtown location has big windows to watch the chocolate elves at work, or you can book a tour.

Grab-and-go sandwiches (lots of vegan and vegetarian options), sides (kale pesto, mac and cheese, tuna salad), salads and soups, plus slices of cake from the baker who used to be at The Grit. Eat on the patio or take home. Custom-order cakes, too.

Atmospheric coffee chain inside a student apartment building is aesthetic. Lots of tea as well as coffee, steamed milk drinks and some sodas. No cash.

Bubble tea: milk, fruit or classic tea-based drinks.

Something for everyone: brunchy-lunchy hot food made to order until 2 p.m., with lots of veggies; stuff in the fridge and freezer any other time, and lots of weekly specials, ranging all over the world in influences. Holiday special orders. Walkers, bikers and bus riders get a 5% discount. Great with dietary restrictions.

Go love on cats while enjoying some snacks and beverages. This partnership with the Georgia-based animal rescue organization Circle of Friends Animal Society serves Pawfee, yogurt purrfait, cake pops and a few other treats.

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.

Swanky coffee chain in a new apartment building also offers a selection of gelatos and affogatos, cold brew by the growler, baked goods and prepackaged snacks. Elaborate drinks.

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.

New owners are still doing nice bagels, excellent house-smoked fish and sandwiches (either on bagels or on Luna bread) and made with meats sliced in front of you (capicola, roast beef, etc.). Also hummus, roasted veggies, sauerkraut and scrambled eggs. Kids meals.

Consistently delicious baked goods made by bread nerds with house-milled wheat. Also: delightful viennoiserie (the palmiers are particularly good), a few beautiful cookies, excellent sandwiches that show up around 11 a.m. in limited quantities (fillings change out seasonally). Coffee and hot chocolate, house-milled flour and grits. Products available at a few other places around town.

Coffee shop inside Hotel Abacus does grab-and-go snacks, coffee and a small menu of breakfast things made to order: sandwiches, burritos, waffles.

The local coffee roaster now extends quite a bit beyond Athens, but the beans are still roasted in town. Lots of specialty roasts benefit different causes. Hot and cold drinks, premium teas and locally baked goodies.

Jittery Joe’s coffee drinks, biscuits and breakfast plates in the a.m. in an airy, open space. Lunch features classic sandwiches, soups, salads and kids menu. Baked goods, too.

Watkinsville bakery does a wide variety of cakes and pies (order whole ones in advance), plus cookies, scones, cheese straws, cupcakes, quiches, pimento cheese, bread, muffins and more. Holiday menus. Will accommodate dietary needs. Always trying something new.

Fudge, caramel apples, ice cream and candies at this long-time chain.

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.

Dip in for the rice-flour donuts and Korean corndogs. Stay for Chef V's delicious Indonesian dishes that are unique to this location. Good boba, rolled ice cream, matcha drinks.

Darling independently owned coffee place does drip coffee, cold brew, lattes, tea, kombucha, mochas, bagels, pastries from Kiki’s Bakeshop, all with an emphasis on sustainability. Latte art and pop-ups.

Franchise does Vietnamese baguette sandwiches with pâté, pickled veggies, hot peppers, meats and seitan, plus versions of the same on croissants and hamburger rolls. Picturesque patisserie, top-notch bubble tea that tastes like more than sugar, a wide variety of snacks arranged on shelving for impulse buys. Encourages lingering.

Tiny craft roastery just off the main drag in downtown Watkinsville also serves up coffee and does live music.

Small, independent coffee shop makes caffeinated beverages (including trendy stuff) with local coffees, plus has a variety of treats and other snacks like scones (sweet and savory). Good smoothies and plenty of loose tea options.

Franchise bakery does cupcakes (mini and regular), cakes, cake pops, brownies, cookie sandwiches, ice cream and more. Pupcakes for dogs and custom orders.

Sweet little kiosk coffee company in the Southern Mill development on Oneta Street has a few tables and chairs outside. Cold brew, hot brew, cutie-pie specials, pour-overs, tea, shaken espresso.

Sushi place in Watkinsville has a large array of rolls, entrees, bento boxes, kids meals, poke, noodles, desserts. Sake and Japanese whisky at the bar as well as Japanese beers and other stuff. Gluten-free choices and a wide variety of boba drinks.

Asian-inflected bakery in a historic grocery does Eastern and Western baked goods, either custom order or from a selection each day. Impressive and elaborate cakes, croissants, cupcakes, mini pies, bar cookies, scones, mini quiches and more. Espresso and drip coffee. Gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options available.

Not a downhome Southern restaurant, despite its name. Instead, it's a sweet Venezuelan restaurant and coffee shop that also sells crocheted clogging-style dresses. Arepas, empanadas, sandwiches, sweet Cuban coffee, bowls of rice plus beans and protein. Awesome deck and greenspace for kids to play.