Mom & Pop Restaurants

by Mary K. Greene | photos by Caroline Comley

Athens is not only known for its bars, clubs, and shops, but also for its unique restaurant industry. You can find pretty much any type of food to satisfy your hunger with, ranging from on-the-go style places such as The Taco Stand to finer, sit-down restaurants such as The Last Resort Grill. However, the only way to truly experience the uniqueness of this great city is to visit places you'll find only here. I set out to find the best "Mom and Pop" style restaurants around town that will fill your stomach without emptying your wallet.

Many people around Athens, particularly students on the University meal plan, grow tired of pizza and cheesesteaks and find themselves craving that one-of-a-kind, old-fashioned southern cuisine they enjoy at home. Aunt Bea's Country Buffet has just that, providing the comforts of home in a local setting. This restaurant offers customers a different buffet selection each day, with always a minimum of six meats such as baked ham, sliced turkey, fried or grilled chicken, or Country Fried Steak. The buffet also includes at least 14 vegetables like green beans, yellow corn, squash casserole, creamy macaroni and cheese, fried cabbage, or mashed potatoes. Not to mention the breads, salads, desserts such as pecan pie or peach cobbler and as many refills of sweet tea that you can handle. The all-you-can-eat buffet is $8.50.

For just over a year now, Aunt Bea's has been owned by Billy Griffin and operated by Barbara Lavender. Aunt Bea's is one of the few "Mom and Pop" style restaurants located so close to Athens. The restaurant is actually named after the character "Aunt Bea" from "The Andy Griffith Show" and reruns of the show are always played on two of the three televisions. It has everything you'd expect from a home-style place including friendly service and a rich southern feel to the décor. Aunt Bea's is located at 155 Whit Davis Road near the Wal-Mart.

Another great spot around Athens that continues to receive more praise with each passing year is Five and Ten, located at 1653 South Lumpkin Street. This trendy, one-of-a-kind place brings a little piece of the city to old-fashioned Athens. Five and Ten is owned and operated by its head chef, Hugh Acheson, who was named one of the nation's Best New Chefs by Food and Wine magazine in July 2002. For surprisingly reasonable prices, ranging anywhere from $5 to $34, you can get dishes such as the "Lowcountry Style Frogmore Stew" which is fresh Georgia shrimp, fingerling potatoes, leek, fresh corn and andouille sausage or the "Oysters Rockefeller" which consists of five spicy baked oysters with Leek, spinach and applesmoked bacon. They also offer a Sunday brunch with a wide selection of delicious breakfast dishes and desserts such as the "Warm Apple Charlotte" which is served with rum raisin ice cream and caramel sauce. For those over 21, the restaurant also features a full bar with a long list of drinks including numerous white and red wines. The personal atmosphere, dim lighting and trendy décor create a perfect spot for a date or a small group of friends. Open for only four and a half years, Five and Ten is quickly becoming a local favorite. Owner and Head Chef simply states that "[Five and Ten] is a small restaurant that thinks big." Reservations are recommended and the phone number is (706)546-7300.

The third independently owned restaurant around Athens requires a little bit of driving. Located about 20 miles outside of Athens off of GA Highway 11 is the Blue Willow Inn, a home-style restaurant situated in a plantation mansion originally built in 1917 by John Phillips Upshaw, Jr. He built the house for his wife Bertha and daughter Nell who lived in the house until their deaths. During its earlier years, the mansion attracted many distinguished guests including Margaret Mitchell, author of "Gone with the Wind." From 1952 to 1990, the mansion was used for cultural, civic and social activities in the community including weddings, school proms and birthdays, as well as church services, and can frequently be seen in the popular late 1980s television show "In the Heat of the Night." In 1990, the property was sold to Louis and Billie Van Dyke who, overcoming many financial obstacles, turned the mansion into their dream Ð The Blue Willow Inn Restaurant. Since its opening on Thanksgiving Day in 1991, The Blue Willow Inn has been praised as the "Best in the South" by Southern Living magazine from 1996-2002, ranked as one of USA Today's "Top Ten Restaurants Worth the Drive" for 2003 as well as being placed in Gourmet Magazine's "Top 100" in 2003. Prices of the buffet vary daily, but the average price is about $14 per person. Frequent customers claim that for what you get, the price is well worth it. The restaurant has gained respect for possibly having the best southern buffet in the south. Guests who visit the Blue Willow Inn are in for a true southern experience. Upon entering The Grand Hall, with its elegant crystal chandeliers, guests are escorted to one of the several dining rooms, each with its own unique theme. One of the dining rooms located at the far left of the mansion is the "The Lewis Grizzard Room." Named after the popular columnist whose legendary column appeared nationwide declaring that "every dish was authentic and delicious," the room is decorated with many University of Georgia memorabilia to commemorate Grizzard's love of the Georgia Bulldogs.

After being seated, guests are then able to pile their plates high with any array of four to five meats such as fried chicken or chicken and dumplings, nine to ten vegetables including macaroni and cheese, collard greens or fried green tomatoes prepared southern style, soups, salad fixings and homemade biscuits, muffins and cornbread. Not to mention the delicious selection of pies, cobblers, cakes and puddings. "It's like going to Grandma's house every Sunday for lunch," states long-time loyal customer Shirley Edgerly "except you don't have to clean up." The Blue Willow Inn is perfect for date nights, holiday celebrations, or for anyone looking to experience a piece of the Old South. Reservations are recommended. The phone number is (770) 464-2131.

There are plenty of restaurants in and around Athens which offer similar cuisines at similar prices. But only after visiting restaurants which are unique to a certain area, do customers come away with more than a full stomach, but also a greater appreciation towards "Mom and Pop" style restaurants.