No offense to Chili’s and Applebee’s, but sometimes you just want to eat dinner at a local restaurant and try some new and unique food. It’s true that Augusta, GA has its fair share of chain restaurants, but there is also a diverse selection of local restaurants at which to whet your appetite. Whether you’re a new resident just moved to town, or a visitor in town for the Master’s Tournament, below you'll find a list of most of the great local restaurants in the CSRA. This weekend, why not branch out, find your new favorite dish, and show our local restaurants support with your patronage? (Honestly, there are just too many mouthwateringly delicious establishments in this city, that you might have a hard time deciding which to try first!)
Iconic Augusta Restaurants
These restaurants are staples in Augusta, GA and are likely some of the first places you’ll hear about when you ask a local 'where do you like to eat?'.”
Rhinehart's Oyster Bar – The self-proclaimed "Beyond Casual" Oyster Bar, is very much that. Picnic tables, baskets of seafood, and you can write on the walls. When you’re in Augusta, it’s just where you go. They have two locations, one on Washington Road and one in Evans.
French Market Grill - A little taste of Nah’leans in Augusta. A broad menu of Cajun & Creole fare is served in a casual setting with an enclosed patio. The original location is in Surrey Center.
Cotton Patch - The food is pretty standard and the restaurant is tiny, but what the Cotton Patch has going for it is the history behind its location. In Augusta’s Downtown Historic District, the former cotton storage building is located across the street from the Augusta Cotton Exchange building. They also feature live jazz music many weekends throughout the year and have a list of creative cocktails.
The Boll Weevil - Once an old cotton warehouse from the 1870’s, this Café and Sweetery is located steps from the downtown Augusta Riverwalk. The sandwiches are good, but let’s be honest, the reason why most people go is for the selection of 30 homemade desserts.
Nicest Augusta Restaurants
Edgar's Grille – Elegant dining where you can feel good about spending money. They offer new American cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. Fun fact: this restaurant was started by the man who founded Good Will- Edgar Helms. On their website the restaurant states that a portion of every dollar you spend goes toward education programs, including support for Helms College.
Oliviana – For fancy Italian (no, Olive Garden does not count as fancy Italian), this is a delicious restaurant to try. Serving Italian style pizzas along with pastas, seafoods, and a unique cocktail selection, Oliviana’s boasts an “elevated, yet casual dining experience.”
Frog Hollow Tavern – An upscale restaurant featuring creative yet delicious takes on steaks, duck, pork shoulder etc. Their dinner menu features a substantial amount of local and regionally grown seasonal quality ingredients. We recommend reservations.
The Partridge Inn, P.I. Bar and Grill – This gorgeous two-story home built in 1816 belonged to George Walton, the governor of Georgia and one of the state's three signers of the Declaration of Independence. Today, it’s the Curio hotel by Hilton, featuring a restaurant with a huge veranda on the main level. In addition to a gourmet dinner menu, P.I. serves breakfast. When it’s not closed for a private event or because of weather, this venue also features one of the few public rooftop decks in Augusta.
Manuel’s Bread Café - Alright, this French Bistro is technically in North Augusta, just across the river in Hammond’s Ferry, but the food is divine. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and many of the seasonal menu items are created from organic produce grown from the Blue Clay Farm, literally one block away. Be sure to make a reservation around the holidays.
Calvert’s Restaurant– Elegant fare in Surrey Center, Calvert’s has been serving Augusta for 40 years.
Date Night in Augusta
Tako Sushi – The perfect merriment of Southwest and Asian. Don’t let the name scare you away, the options at Tako Sushi are the best of both worlds. You can get Sushi rolls, or you can get tacos. Cheese dip, or eggrolls. And we have it on good authority that the 8-hour smoked pork burrito is mouthwateringly delicious. Eat at either of their two locations; Surrey Center or in Evans.
Craft and Vine – Downtown on Broad St., Craft and Vine has a very unique interior with delectable cuisine. Hand-crafted cocktails, an elegant wine selection, and gourmet small plates. Wood-fired salted pretzel bites with pimiento cheese fondue? Don’t mind if I do.
Cucina 503 - Fresh Italian fare. Touting the freshest ingredients combined with classical and modern cooking techniques. Located on Fury’s Ferry Road.
Sole - A unique grill, tapas, and sushi bar, Sole has its fare share of unique “mm mm good” menu items. Loaded mashed potato egg rolls and friend Martini Olives, just to name a few. It’s rare to find ample outside restaurant seating in Downtown Augusta, but Sole has a large courtyard patio to the side. On weekend evenings, you can also enjoy a game of cornhole under the stars.
Quick Weeknight Meal
Diablos Burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos- you know the drill. This is Augusta’s local-ish Southwest Burrito joint.
Giuseppe’s - Family owned and operated since 1993, this Italian trattoria serves pizza, Italian pastas, subs, and more. They also have a week-day all-you-can-eat pizza buffet which is convenient for a quick lunch stop.
Brunch in Augusta
The Bee’s Knees – Located Downtown, there’s often a wait for brunch, but their great food hits the spot. They use local, seasonal, & sustainable ingredients as often as they can. If you like craft beer and wine, the Bee's Knees is connected to a growler bar called
Hive, a 78-tap full restaurant. In addition to a rotating craft beer selection, it also has wine, sake, and sodas on tap.
Fuse – A local restaurant downtown on Broad St. that serves creative culinary masterpieces, including delicious brunch options. They carry a vast craft beer selection and have unique desserts like vanilla lavender ice cream and Cinnamon-infused-whiskey whipping cream!
Finch & Fifth - Meat and Cheese trays on the weekend and a creative brunch selection on Sunday.
Sunrise Grill - A simple diner with a focus on providing great tasting breakfast at a reasonable cost.
Other Great Local Augusta Restaurants
Southbound Smokehouse – Located in Midtown, between Forest Hills and the Medical District, you can smell the pleasant aromas of smoked pork from down the street. There are too many tasty items on the menu to list here, so you’ll just have to go see for yourself. This BBQ joint is open 7 days per week.
Farmhaus Burger – Augusta’s local burger joint, featuring a custom grind of beef from local farmers, Boozy "Milk"Shakes, and a full bar. Now with two locations; downtown and the Flowing Wells Rd. exit off I-20.
Whiskey Bar Kitchen – Yes, they have a lengthy list of Whiskeys to try, but the food is also delicious. Authentic Japanese cuisine, craft burgers, salads, and Buffalo Chicken Dip as an appetizer. Yum!
The Pizza Joint – Local to Augusta and famous for their large beer selection and karaoke nights. The pizza isn’t as good as somewhere like Mellow Mushroom, but it’s great for when you’re feeling local.
Augsburg Haus – Touting authentic, made from scratch German food and located in Evans, GA. The owner actually grew up in Augsburg, Germany.
Sconyers Bar-B-Que Head on down to South Augusta for tasty beef and pork pit-cooked the old-fashioned way over oak and hickory coals for twenty-four hours. Serving the CSRA for over 60 years, Sconyers has also been voted Best BBQ in Augusta many years in a row. They are only open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
Rae’s Coastal Café – This quaint Caribbean restaurant is tucked away off Walton Way in between houses and apartments. When you walk inside, the décor makes you feel like you’re in a local Jimmy Buffet’s Margaretville, but the jerk-seasoned food is rather delicious. In the summer, enjoy a margarita on their small back deck overlooking a babbling creek.
Know of any other great local restaurants? Feel free to send them to us and we’ll add them to this list!
First Choice Home Builders is a local homebuilder in the Columbia County, Fort Gordon, and Greater Augusta, GA area specializing in high-quality homes with high-end finishes. First Choice builds custom, semi-custom, and build-on-your-lot homes. Many of our clients build homes with the specific intention to rent them out during Masters week. Currently, we are building homes in the Riverwood Plantation, Stallings Ridge, Whispering Pines, and Rhodes Farm Master Planned Communities. To see the list of current inventory, click here. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Houzz to see current projects.
