Hi, folks! Even though it’ll be hot for at least two more months, the school year has started up, and that means “summer” is over. As usual, plenty of things changed on the restaurant scene.
White Tiger Deluxe, a second, swankier location of the original in Boulevard, is open in a candy-colored fantasia of an interior in Watkinsville, with a full bar that serves real fun drinks and slices of pie, in addition to the usual banana pudding. It keeps expanding its hours, and has weekend brunch as well as lunch and dinner. Kikè’s Kitchen, an adorable birreria in a gas station in Hull, near La Michoacana, opened and is happy to serve you birria tacos, ramen, pizzas and more. The Alley is open in Homewood Hills, in the space that was most recently Homewood Social. Its owners plan to bring back bowling, but for now it’s a bar with live music and trivia.
Surcheros opened at 700 Baxter St., in the same building as Newk’s and Slutty Vegan (which opened in May). It’s a franchise that focuses on healthy, fast Mexican food, with a kids menu. Choco Pronto, coffee from the folks behind Condor Chocolates, will be joining it in September. (In the meantime, you can catch it at the Athens Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.) Sellers Eatery is open in Watkinsville on Barnett Shoals Road with sandwiches and salads for lunch, plus breakfast starting at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and 7:30 a.m. Saturday. The Jittery Joe’s Roaster Tasting Room moved from Barber Street to Fritz Mar Lane, near Kindercore Records. King of Pops is back in Athens at a bunch of events after some time away.
Dooley’s Bar and Grill is open in the former location of Einstein’s Bagels downtown, on Broad Street, doing lunch and dinner that includes fancy grilled cheese and smash burgers. It also has a full bar upstairs, darts and pool. The Athens location of Pizza Factory is open on Alps Road, in the same strip as Golden Dragon, and the eastside Marco’s Pizza is open next to Dunkin’ Donuts, in the Aldi parking lot. Crumbl Cookies is open in Beechwood. La Montaña Mexican Grill opened on Lexington Road, in the former Fatz Cafe.
Java Joy, the formerly mobile-only coffee provider run by Extra Special People and staffed by Joyristas (people with disabilities), has opened a brick-and-mortar training center at the Piedmont Oconee Health Campus that does coffee and snacks weekdays for breakfast and lunch. Heirloom Cafe hired Dave Sturgis—a veteran of Fifth Group Restaurants, Food Studio, Muss & Turner’s and Farm 255—as its new chef. Maepole started franchising. Nedza’s and Cafe on Lumpkin launched a new ice cream project, Valley’s Creamery, helmed by the former but based at the latter, serving scoops Friday and Saturday evenings for the time being, including at least one dairy-free option.
Oak House Distillery, on Macon Highway near the Oconee County Mama’s Boy, plans to open in September with housemade gin, vodka and rum available in a tasting room, and ample outdoor space. Comer Coffee Co. has been popping up in the teeny OK Coffee space next to Wuxtry on College Avenue downtown, and is working on a more permanent presence there. The Chop House, a chain steakhouse out of Tennessee, is opening in the former location of Bone Island Grillhouse in Oconee County soon. Clean Eatz, a health-focused franchise, is opening in the same area, near the movie theater.
Gyro Wrap is reopening this month on College Avenue—HOORAY! Mochinut, a Korean rice-flour-based donut franchise, is working on a space on Barnett Shoals Road, near Barberitos. Bon de Paris, doing banh mi, baked goodies and bubble tea, is doing the same across the shopping center, next to the Crab Hut. Paris Banh Mi, another Vietnamese sandwich and bubble tea franchise, is going in on Clayton Street downtown. Ponko Chicken, doing Japanese-style chicken tenders, is close to opening on Baxter Street, next to the high-rise dorms, and across the street Roll It Up Ice Cream and Mushroom Head (a combo ice cream, pizza and shawarma restaurant) is doing the same. Yes, that’s the same Roll It Up that used to have a location on Alps Road. Puma Yu’s, an upscale cocktail bar and southeast Asian restaurant, may open this month off Chase Street on Oneta.
Still under construction are Athens Bagel Co., the Prince Avenue Dunkin’ (after a fire in the drive-through), Poquito’s in the building previously known as Go Bar and Cafe Racer’s Athens location, in the parking lot of what Polias Management is now calling West Broad Market, by Athens Health and Fitness and Franny’s Farmacy. The latter also has a food truck operating occasionally.
RIP to: Lickin’ Chicken, on Oconee Street; Scoville Hot Chicken, downtown; both locations of Butcher and Vine (Oconee and Five Points); Opa Robby’s market (it’s still taking elderberry and coconut bomb orders for delivery every two weeks to Athens through its website). Dinner Party, in Five Points, closed for the summer but has been mum on any reopening. Half-Shepherd, the wonderful cheese shop that had been in Normaltown, closed its doors temporarily before moving to a new, as-yet-unannounced location.
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