ATHENS, Ala. – From burgers to pasta to fire and ice wings, Athens Main Street (AMS) encourages the community to visit our 10 restaurants during the 10-day Alabama Restaurant Week celebration held August 14-23, 2020, throughout the state.
A restaurant is defined as a place where people pay to sit and eat meals that are cooked and served on the premises. People from all ages and backgrounds make their way to downtown Athens to savor some of the best food in the country.
“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of our restaurants have been critically impacted during the past few months,” said Athens Main Street Executive Director Tere Richardson. “We hope during Alabama Restaurant Week visitors and local residents will come out to support our strong lineup of restaurants,” stated Richardson.
Along with dining at these restaurants, you can also support these local small businesses by purchasing gift certificates and being an advocate for them on social media.
Throughout Alabama Restaurant Week, AMS will highlight each of our restaurants. For example, Dub’s Burgers is named after ‘Dub’ Greenhaw, who opened the restaurant in 1961. Since opening, generations of families ate their famous burgers located at 402 South Jefferson Street. The restaurant was also featured in American musician, singer, songwriter and Athens native Brittany Howard’s music video Stay High with Terry Crews.
After grabbing a burger, we highly recommend visiting Kreme Delite. The ice cream stand sits at the corner of West Washington and South Marion streets. Built-in 1951, a city favorite was the upside-down banana split served in a cup. The iconic neon-light could be seen several blocks away attracting people of all ages.
As we continue exploring our restaurants, it is time to talk about pizza. Village Pizza, located at 222 West Market Street, is known for its specialty pizza named after its employees. ‘The Laci’ features jalapeño-mango sauce, blue cheese crumbles, banana peppers, and red onions. The pizzeria is also known for its fire and ice wings.
Mozza Pizza & Sports Bar, located at 202 South Jefferson Street, also has several specialty pizzas including the ‘Philly Cheese Steak’ which is topped with steak, bell peppers, onions, mushrooms in a creamy alfredo sauce and mozzarella, cheddar, and provolone cheese.
If you need a bite for lunch, Wildwood Deli, located at 113 East Market Street, might be a good choice with their deli options. The southern burger includes fresh ground beef topped with homemade pimento cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, red onion, and mayo. The burger is served on Texas toast with a bag of chips. Wildwood Deli also has several supper nights which they announce on their Facebook page.
Another lunch favorite, The Sweetest Thing Tea Room located at 216 West Market Street. AMS recommends the champagne chicken served with yams, pasta salad, cornbread salad, and a slice of caramel cake. The tea room also does catering orders throughout the community.
If you need a place to grab a coffee and read a book, Square Clock Coffee, located at 121 South Marion Street, serves O’Henry’s coffee, roasted in Birmingham, and shipped locally to downtown Athens. The coffee shop also has baked goods, sandwiches and salads, and smoothies.
Washington Street Diner, located at 100 East Washington Street, is owned by Friendship church. Friendship’s mission for the Diner is to provide the community with a place to enjoy a made-to-order Southern breakfast and great fellowship with neighbors while providing food service training to the short-term employees. The diner serves a delicious country breakfast with a pancake. The Diner also houses all the food donations for The Full Tummy Project, a community ministry that addresses childhood hunger on a local level by providing bags of food for at-risk students in local school systems to take home over the weekend.
The top two popular ethnic cuisines in the United States are Mexican and Italian. Downtown Athens also has you covered in those areas. Lucia’s Mexican Restaurant, located at 208 West Market Street, provides an inviting restaurant experience, offering authentic Mexican casual cuisine using fresh ingredients. Our favorite dish is the Chimichangas with a side of queso.
Described as a casual Italian dining experience, Terranova’s Athens, located at 105 South Jefferson Street, promises an elegant but welcoming place to dine with your family. They encourage you to settle down in the comfortable surroundings and enjoy the savory specially made dishes while taking in the Italian antiques, artifacts, and spunky memorabilia.
LIST OF RESTAURANTS IN THE DOWNTOWN ATHENS DISTRICT
- Dub’s Burgers
- Kreme Delite
- Lucia’s
- Mozza Pizza & Sports Bar
- Square Clock Coffee
- Sweetest Things Tea Room
- Terranova’s
- Village Pizza
- Washington Street Diner
- Wildwood Deli
MAKE THE MOST OUT OF ALABAMA RESTAURANT WEEK IN DOWNTOWN ATHENS
- AMS encourages the use of The Square Arts & Entertainment District to visit several restaurants and shops. The district, which opened in June, allows patrons who purchase alcohol from one of the licensed sellers on The Square to take the beverage outside the seller’s building and walk around with it, provided they stay within the district.
- AMS also worked with the Athens Mayor Ronnie Marks & the city council to make outdoor dining available downtown. Back in July, AMS received $10,000 ($7,000 from the Mayor’s special events fund and $3,000 from the city’s general fund) and has purchased new iron barriers to replace the temporary barriers that designate outdoor dining space on The Square. These will be installed by September 1, 2020.
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