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UPDATED: Where to Eat While Sheltering in Place

 

Maybe you don’t want to go to the grocery store right now. Maybe you can’t cook. Maybe you’re worried about the folks in the service industry who make up a big chunk of our town and are going to be especially hard hit by social distancing as we attempt to flatten the curve of COVID-19 contagion. Here are some restaurants going out of their way to help. Throw ’em some bucks if you can and/or donate to the Giving Kitchen, which will provide resources to some workers. Cosmic Delivery and Bulldawg Food are still operating, as are national services like UberEats. Be aware that this list could change rapidly, and we’ll update as we can.

If local restaurants normally offer take-out or delivery, we’re not including that information here, not because we don’t love them, but because almost all restaurants in Athens offer one and/or the other. Ditto for restaurants discussing their increased sanitizing measures. We’re going to assume that they’re doing the right thing and sanitizing the heck of out of everything even more than usual. Nervous about any of this? You can always buy a gift certificate/gift card for a given restaurant and use it later, putting money in their pockets now. There are emergency funds all over Facebook that you should seriously consider contributing to. Our restaurants and bars are a huge part of what makes this town special, and the people who work there are hurting.

Another update: many of these places now have beer and wine for sale, too, so consider ordering some of that, as it’s a big part of where they make their money.

The state is technically allowing restaurant dining rooms to be open now on a limited basis, which is a terrible idea given what we know about viral load and air circulation. If there’s a local place that you love, I’d still advise you not to eat there in person but to continue doing take-out, if it’s offered.

Lots of places are taking their usual Fourth of July-ish vacation this week, so check hours ahead of time.

  • Agua Linda is doing curbside pick-up and selling its margarita mix in bottles that serve two.
  • Akademia is doing both food and beer for curbside pick-up.
  • Amici has drive-through curbside pick-up and family packs. Order online at https://amici-cafe.com/.
  • Athens Bagel Co. is letting you order from the sidewalk or online for curbside pick-up as well as delivery through Bulldawg Food and mimosa kits that include a bottle each of sparkling wine and OJ.
  • Athens Farmers Market is doing ordering through Collective Harvest, with drive-through pick-up and delivery AND is back open Saturdays at Bishop Park, with some new rules.
  • Barberito’s downtown is back open for weekday lunch, doing curbside pick-up through their app.
  • BBQ Shack is open for drive-thru.
  • Big City Bread is open 9 a.m.–2 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with pick-up and delivery from Bulldawg Food, Cosmic and others, from a limited menu.
  • The Blind Pig (all locations) is doing curbside pick-up. Order and pay on the website or via phone.
  • Brett’s is doing curbside pick-up.
  • The Butt Hutt is doing curbside pick-up.
  • Buvez has opened back up with a take-out window for coffee, tea, sandwiches, beer and wine, Bloody Mary mixes, sodas and snacks.
  • Cabin Creek BBQ, in Nicholson, now has a drive-through and is selling family meals.
  • Cafe Racer, in Crawford, has a new ordering system that requires you to plan ahead (it’s worth it).
  • Cecilia Villaveces Cakes is taking orders for 8-inch and 10-inch cakes with writing or flowers to deliver in the Athens area. Email ceciliavillavecescakes@yahoo.com or call 706-543-3308 24 hours ahead of time, Monday-Saturday 8 am to noon.
  • Chops and Hops is doing family-style meals for curbside pick-up and limited delivery (free within Watkinsville city limits; fee outside of that), plus wine and beer for the former. Menu on its website.
  • Classic City Chef is doing delivery of family meals. The menu is on its Facebook page.
  • Clocked is is open with take-out and delivery through Bulldawg Food and Cosmic.
  • Condor Chocolates is open noon to 5 p.m. for to-go orders; online ordering for cafe items (coffee, brownies, etc) will be live soon, but customers can also call in their orders to minimize contact. Visit condorchocolates.com for the online store to ship items elsewhere.
  • De Palma’s is doing curbside pick-up and delivery through Bulldawg Food, including at the downtown location.
  • Donderos’ Kitchen has dinner delivery, with a menu that changes daily. Call 706-354-8688 to order and pay and they will leave the food on your doorstep between 4 and 6 p.m. You can even put a cooler outside for them to put it in. It also has a walk-up window now.
  • Donna Chang’s is open for online ordering for pick-up every day, including its wondrous ice creams.
  • Dos Palmas is doing curbside pick-up 11 a.m.–8 p.m. from a limited menu (posted on its Facebook page) as well as delivery through Bulldawg Food.
  • El Barrio is doing curbside pick-up plus delivery through Cosmic.
  • Em’s Kitchen is doing curbside pick-up, including family meals, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays.
  • Caterer Epting Events is delivering family-style meals, either hot and ready to eat or packaged for later. Check out their website.
  • The Expat is offering fresh pasta meal kits with two sauce options, salad, focaccia, chocolate mousse and no-contact pick-up; yes, gluten-free is an option. There’s also now a weekly hot-food pick-up Tuesday through Saturday. Call 706-521-5041 or visit the website to order and find details.
  • Farm Cart is doing cartside pick-up.
  • Five & Ten is doing limited take-out Thursday through Saturday. Order on the website.
  • G Brand BBQ, in Lexington, is doing curbside pick-up.
  • George’s Lowcountry Table is doing take-out and has added delivery through Cosmic.
  • The Grill is closed for now.
  • Grindhouse is open Thursday through Sunday, noon to 9 p.m., with cook-your-own burger kits and libations.
  • The Grit is doing take-out and delivery, running 11 a.m.–8 p.m., with the full lunch/dinner menu and desserts; you can still order cakes, cupcakes and cookies, and you can add beer or wine to your meal.
  • Groove Burgers is doing curbside pick-up and delivery. Order online at https://grooveburgers.com/.
  • Gyro Wrap is permanently closed.
  • Half-Shepherd has suspended lunch service, but the market is still open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. Email halfshep@gmail.com or call 706-850-2955 to find out what’s in stock or to place a grocery order for curbside pick-up.
  • Heirloom is back open with takeout/curbside service for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m. and for brunch Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Order online at heirloomathens.com or by phone at 706 354-7901.
  • Hendershot’s is doing to-go orders through its big garage door so you don’t have to go inside.
  • Hi-Lo is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., with take-out breakfast (8 –11 a.m.), lunch and dinner.
  • home.made is on pause.
  • Ideal Bagel is closed for the time being.
  • Independent Baking Co. is only allowing two people in the bakery at a time (wait outside if you see two people inside) and doing curbside pick-up (but not to your car because it doesn’t have parking) if you call in an order. It’s also selling stone-ground house-milled whole wheat and whole rye flour and offering free sourdough starter.
  • Inoko is closed for the moment.
  • International Grill and Bar is offering free delivery within a 5-mile radius ($5 fee for every additional 5 miles) and hiring displaced service industry workers to help. It’s also doing curbside pick-up from 4–8 p.m. daily, with 10 percent of proceeds doing to feeding families disrupted due to COVID-19. It’s giving away 10 meals per day to those families. Yes, you can do buffet take-out by weight, and you can now order and pay online.
  • Journey Juice is doing curbside pick-up if you call ahead or delivery with a minimum of five juices; leave a cooler on your porch for the latter. Call 706-850-0707, email amy@journeyjuice.com or order online.
  • Kelly’s in Five Points now has a pick-up window.
  • The Krimson Kafe, in Watkinsville, is back open for take-out with call-in orders only, Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Limited menu on Facebook.
  • La Fiesta is doing curbside pick-up 11 a.m.–8 p.m.
  • Last Resort Grill is back open for curbside pick-up as of June 3, running Wednesday through Saturday from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The menu is on the website, and you call to order. 
  • Lil’ Ice Cream Dude’s Cool World is accepting online and phone orders and doing delivery through Cosmic and other services.
  • Lindsey’s Culinary Market is doing take-out and delivery, but you have to be home for the latter (you should be anyway), plus some groceries.
  • Little City Diner, in Winterville, is open for lunch, 10 a.m.–3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Call 706-742-7590 to order.
  • Little Italy now has curbside pick-up as well as delivery through Bulldawg Food. Just call ahead to order and they’ll bring it out to you when you get there.
  • Loco’s is getting back to its roots and doing general store pick-up or delivery of items including frozen meat and seafood, tortillas, milk, fruits and vegetables, paper goods and desserts. Details about minimums, etc., are available on Facebook.
  • LRG Provisions has started doing a meat-and-three menu that changes weekly for curbside pick-up Tuesday through Thursday. Call 706-850-2020 between 2 and 7:30 p.m. to order.
  • Maepole is doing online orders only, including curbside pick-up or delivery through third-party services from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
  • Mama Jewel’s is happy to take payment by phone at 706-850-9797 and will meet you in the parking lot with your to-go meal. It’s also making a casserole and donating it to someone in need for every casserole you buy.
  • Mama’s Boy is back open, with take-out (both locations, including no-contact curbside) and delivery Wednesday through Sunday 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for the original location and Wednesday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the Falls location, in Oconee County. You can get family meals that serve four to six folks as well as the regular stuff, including chocolate cake for breakfast.
  • Mannaweenta is still doing take-out.
  • Martino’s, in Watkinsville, is doing curbside pick-up and delivery through Cosmic.
  • Marti’s at Midday is doing curbside pick-up and has added Cosmic as a delivery service. As usual, it has frozen meals and is willing to deliver them to you or your loved ones. Email catering@martisatmidday.com for details.
  • Mifflin House has curbside pick-up and delivery through Cosmic and Bulldawg Food. Call 706-850-6806, 706-714-4434 or 786-804-7722.
  • The National is offering takeout dinner Thursday through Saturday, from 5 to 8 p.m., (plus Wednesday from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., focusing on a different cuisine each week), including beer, wine and bottled cocktails. Order ahead of time on its website, set your pick-up time, don’t forget to tip generously (funds go to a staff relief fund), then hang out outside, 6 feet away from others, and they’ll bring it out to you. Menu changes weekly. You can bring your own bag. If you’re more comfortable staying in your car, let them know and they can bring your food to you there.
  • Nedza’s is delivering donuts and ice cream. Fill out the Google form.
  • Off the Vine is doing order pick-up again. Check Facebook for details and deadlines.
  • Opa Robby’s is open for curbside or no-contact pick-up, with online ordering. Order by Wednesday at 11 p.m. for pick-up Friday 3–7 p.m. or Saturday noon to 4 p.m.
  • Osteria Athena is back open for curbside pick-up. Call two hours before you want to pick up and pay over the phone.
  • The Picnic Basket is doing pick-up from the drive-through window from a limited menu. Preorder is required by calling 706-705-1292 or emailing info@picnicbasketmealmarket.com.
  • The Pine is setting up a market with family-size meals, sides and groceries (milk, eggs, produce, ground beef, chicken, toilet paper, hand soap. Email thepinemarket1235@gmail.com for details; orders run from Sunday to Wednesday at noon, with pick-up on Friday from 11 a.m. while you stay in your car.
  • The Place is open again, for curbside pick-up.
  • The Plate Sale is still doing its pop-up through Hendershot’s , with breakfast (biscuits!), lunch and dinner. You can check out the menu and order online here.
  • The Pub on Main is doing curbside pick-up from a limited menu 4–8 p.m.
  • Pulaski Heights BBQ is doing curbside pick-up and groceries to go with a minimum $25 order. Check its Facebook page for details. New hours are noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
  • Punta Cana is doing curbside pick-up.
  • Rashe’s Cuisine is still doing meal prep and catering.
  • The Rook & Pawn is temporarily closed (normally open with pickup coffee, nonalcoholic drinks, food and games from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Order online for contactless pick-up).
  • The Royal Peasant is now doing take-out from a limited menu; you can order online at http://www.royalpeasant.com/.
  • Saucehouse is opening back up with new safety measures, with curbside pickup and delivery Thursdays to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
  • Seabear is back open for curbside pick-up with online ordering, 4:30–8 p.m.
  • Shokitini is doing big discounts for service industry folks with proof of employment from noon to 8 p.m.
  • Sips is open 6:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m.–4 p.m. weekends. Order and pay online, then pick up at the window.
  • Siri Thai has curbside pick-up and delivery.
  • Square One Fish Co. has signed up with Bulldawg Food and is doing curbside pick-up.
  • Sr. Sol is delivering orders to the west side of Athens and doing curbside pick-up; orders over $20 get free chips and salsa
  • Starland is open for take-out and delivery.
  • Suncatcher Cafe, in Watkinsville, is doing curbside pick-up if you call ahead to 706-424-8281.
  • Sweetie Pie by Savie is doing curbside pick-up. Order online or by phone.
  • Taco Stand on Milledge is closed until June 22.
  • Taqueria del Sol is taking orders by phone (706-353-3890) for pick-up at the bar for lunch Monday through Friday 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. and Saturday noon to 3 p.m. and dinner Tuesday through Saturday 4:30–8 p.m.
  • Taqueria La Parilla is doing curbside pick-up through its app (text LAPA to #3373 to download) as well as delivery through Bulldawg Food and other services.
  • Taste of India has added curbside pick-up if you call 706-559-0000 but also has delivery through Cosmic Delivery as usual.
  • Ted’s Most Best has switched to carry-out only.
  • Thai E3 Cuisine, downtown, is permanently closed.
  • Tlaloc now has delivery, including pupusas, and a drive-thru. Call 706-613-9301 or 706-549-5533.
  • The Traveling Hobo, in Watkinsville, is doing curbside pick-up daily from 11 a.m.–2:30 p.m. for lunch and 4–8 p.m. for dinner.
  • UGA’s Meat Science Technology Center is still running its Friday meat sale, with curbside pick-up. Price lists and details are posted on Facebook.
  • Uncle Ernie’s is doing curbside pick-up if you call 706-850-8990.
  • Viva Argentine is open for curbside pick-up Tuesday through Friday from 4:30–7:30 p.m., including cupcakes. Order online or via phone.
  • White Tiger will let you pick up at its outside window or bring your food to your car. Its current hours are Tuesday to Sunday noon to 8 p.m., with the regular menu, not the brunch one.
  • The World Famous is open Tuesday through Sunday for take-out and delivery. Call 706-543-4002 to order.

We’re still updating this post at least once a week.

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