Just a few miles out of Athens you'll find Pleasant Hill Vineyards at the opportunity to feel your…read moreblood pressure go down as you catch up with friends while watching the sun set over the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I'll never be mistaken for a wine connoisseur and those who are will surely turn up their noses, but we found the bottle of Cab Sauv Reserve up to the moment. We went with "one each" of the three specials on a early spring Friday night: Shrimp Cakes, Caprese Salad, and Roasted Brussels Sprouts. The shrimp cakes were sneaky good with the small things making the difference - the lettuce and spring onions they lay upon were fresh and crisp, the spicy aioli was smooth and not overpowering. The caprese worked for the time of year. Too early for truly great tomatoes but the ample basil drizzle and good fresh mozzarella can take you a long way. And wow what a generous portion of brussels sprouts and not burned or crispy as these often become. The walnuts definitely worked with the sweet bacon, something my dining companion said would not always be the case for her. And while one can assume prices are lower here in rural southeastern Ohio, they truly were at $14, $9, and $12 respectively. The upper deck had diners taking in the view, but it was by no means crowded. The lower areas, some covered, some uncovered had plenty of folks too. Those areas are good for parties (we did a big birthday for my mother there) and for cooler temps in the summer when the high deck attached to the kitchen and indoor dining area gets pretty toasty even with the umbrellas and sun shades.

Perched above a sweeping valley, this winery has views so good they should charge extra for the…read moresunsets. From the patio, you can sip wine while watching the sun clock out for the day in spectacular fashion--trees below, golden sky above, and you in the middle wondering why you don't live here. The wines range from dry to semi-sweet, so whether you like your vino crisp and serious or a little flirty and fun, you'll find a favorite. The staff know their stuff but never make you feel like you need a sommelier certificate to hang with them. We ordered a charcuterie board that was basically a work of art--cheeses, meats, and fruit all perfectly Instagrammable. The pizza looked so good that we almost committed to a second dinner. Everything about this place says, "Stay awhile." It's cozy, relaxed, and just fancy enough to make you feel sophisticated without needing to remember which fork to use. Between the friendly vibes, delicious food, and sunset views straight out of a postcard, this winery delivers the perfect mix of class and comfort--with just enough wine to make you think you've discovered paradise.

My Mr and I was looking for a vineyard near our cabin and stumbled on this place via Yelp. The…read morereviews were so good that we had to check them out. We got there a little after 1:00 pm and they were super busy. The inside was small but there were plenty of seating outside. We didn't mind going out there despite the 30 degree weather. The view of the farm and vineyard was gorgeous to look at even with the snow. Before we went in, we greeted the sheep's in the front entrance. You can't miss the small barn. We stood in line and while we were waiting, we filled out the sheets and picked our 4 tastings. They range from dry, semi sweet and sweet. They also serve slushies and mulled wine. We ordered: Flight of 4 $10.00: -Dry Red- 2022 Free Run Norton -Dry Red- 2023 Marquette -2 Dry White-2023 Seyval Blanc -Dry Red-2022 Norton -Dry Red-Oaked Norton -Dry Red-2023 Alexander -Semi Dry Rose- 2023 Grower's Blush Appetizer: -Classic Charcuterie for two For food, they do have paninis and charcuterie trays. If you order, they give you a buzzer. When it goes off, you pick up your meal outside/food truck. Our favorites were the Alexander red and Seyval Blanc. So good that were purchased bottles to take home and had two glasses of Alexander after we finished our flight. I talked to the owners and they are very friendly and take pride in their wines & their farm. I highly recommend you pay them a visit. We had such a great experience and will definitely come back when in the hocking hills area. Make sure to check their hours because they are only open certain times and days of the week.

My lady and I were staying at a place nearby Hocking Hills and decided to look for a local winery…read morewhen we found this one not even five miles away. It looked very scenic and laid back too so we had to check it out. Glad we did because we really enjoyed it. Excellent wine, very relaxed atmosphere, and tremendous service. We stopped by on a Saturday afternoon after some hiking. We just wanted a couple wine flights and maybe a charcuterie board since we saw they offer those. It was pretty busy already and we got there right after they opened for the day. Still, it wasn't super cold out, and we found comfortable seating on a porch outside. We started with two flights and a classic charcuterie board. Here are the wines we tried: -Dry Red- 2022 Free Run Norton -Dry Red- 2023 Marquette -Dry White-2023 Seyval Blanc -Dry Red-2022 Norton -Dry Red-Oaked Norton -Dry Red-2023 Alexander -Semi Dry Rose- 2023 Grower's Blush We enjoyed pretty much all the wines, especially the Alexander and the Seyval Blanc. Note that when ordering food, you order at the bar, then they hand you a pager, and you get your food at a food truck nearby when your pager goes off. Our charcuterie board was done pretty quickly and everything was tasty. So much so that we took our time to savor it along with a couple more glasses of wine. They do offer s nice range of wines too, from dry to sweet to all points in between. They also do seasonal wines like mulled wines in winter and wine slushies. Like a certain wine? You can buy a bottle and they offer 10% off if you buy six or more bottles. This is a great little winery and lots to offer. I can tell they're a big hit with locals and travelers alike with how busy they got quickly after opening up. Say hi to the sheep when you get there too!

I stopped here on a Friday, late afternoon and they were packed inside and outside at the beer…read moregarden. There were 2 bartenders taking care of the drinks and all the food orders for both areas. Not sure how they did it but they kept up! I had the beer flight and they have a large menu of beers, wine and mead to choose from. They don't have a large menu but the pretzels looked great and I, as well as many others, ordered the pizza. The pizza is enough for one person. It's probably a 12"x 5" flatbread, mine had the cup pepperoni and hot honey on it. The dough had a good amount of chew with the crust having a good crunch. Definitely a local favorite.

On our first evening in town we stopped by hoping to grab a beer and some dinner. We arrived around…read more7pm but were told they were only serving appetizers so we decided to head elsewhere. A few days later we returned in the afternoon to give it another try. We sampled a few beers before settling on the Pickle Beer and the Fruited Gose. The Pickle Beer was definitely unique, if you're a pickle lover it's worth trying at least once! For food we ordered the chili cheese dog and the pickle pizza. Both were good although the food took a while to come out. I'd come back to explore more of their beer selection but I'd probably skip the food next time.

Okay Ladies and Gentlemen well actually everyone I just left an outstanding business in…read moreAthens,Ohio. West End Distillery was fantastic. Gina and OJ were very knowledgeable they explained every spirit to our satisfaction and to our taste buds delights. We enjoyed the ladies conversation and our new friends input. I may even be able to bike the trail next summer with this Wonderful place as my end destination.

We were headed here after our stop at their sister site West End Cider. Lou from the Cidery…read morerecommended this place. Said they had an upcoming tour at 130 PM. We arrived and the woman asked if we were part of the tour. She said there is room. But then said it's with an existing group of 12 people. I said oh nah we aren't interested. Thought it was randoms etc; We sampled 6 different whiskeys. Up to 6 if you can't obtain all. I had all that was almost available. The bourbon, Rye and Lime cello was my favorites. The owner does a good job and explained how they started and what they were using and were going to use. Asked if he sold his barrels after use. He said no because he will use at the cidery and vice versa. He was very nice and looked a lot like Kurt Surter, the creator of Sons of Anarchy. The bourbon is $75 a bottle. Think it's because it's 6 years old. I was in hope they had the 6 year old apple brandy but they didn't. Wanted to try it out. This place is very eas to miss. Remember there is a large parking lot next door that helps.

The cider on draft was good and really cheap, the live music and vibes of this restaurant were fun…read moreand casual. There is an extremely limited food selection as they only make pizzas and they are small and kind of expensive. However, they often have a food truck as another option. Fun for a casual dinner and night out when visiting an OU student

I absolutely love Jackie O's! We have a tap room in Columbus, but I love going to the original!…read moreEverybody is so friendly and it's such a great place to get an amazing beer! So many good choices, and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating!

Jackie O's Public House is great for a casual beer in exposed brick dark high tops kinda hang…read more Jackie O's beer is a stout pillar of the Athens brewing scene. But I write today to praise the Public House for its private party hosting. We just celebrated a big birthday for my wife with 40+ friends. Jackie O's uptown is central, everyone knows it, and it has history for so many of us. In my case going back to the 80s when it was still O'Hooley's and I'd meet my Dad there Friday afternoons after school when he and his colleagues would kick off the end of the work week. It still plays that role for many in this college town. But back to the private party. Chelsea was a pleasure to work with, entertaining all my questions about combinations from the catering menu, deciding on open bar with cocktails, without, just beer and wine, ticket system etc. All are options depending on your crowd and your budget. We went full open bar and mercifully our friends took it easy on us in the 6-8pm timeslot we reserved the whole place for. We went with a combo of meats, cheeses, fruit, veggies that you can get at a per person rate minimum 20. We then also go some of each of the five pizza options. We had leftovers but not a bad thing. For dessert, we had the option to bring in our own cake, but instead tried their chocolate and snickerdoodle parfaits that went down very well. It isn't something you do every month or every year. But it really worked for us for a big birthday and we've attended a number of great work networking receptions there as well. And finally, as many know, Art Oestrike the owner of Jackie O's is a leader in investing in community and sustainability, delivering a creative and quality product and experience whether that is in the three Athens locations or Jackie O's on Fourth in Columbus. A business and team worth supporting.

Went to Jackie O's tonight with a couple of friends for the first time. I ordered the Appalachian…read more It was fine, but nothing to write home about. We got cheese curds to start. One friend ordered a Caesar salad with chicken and got a fruity vinaigrette instead. Another friend ordered a burger and they forgot the bacon. A third friend asked for his burger well-done, but it came out medium, also with no bacon. When he asked the server if it looked well-done, she said she didn't know what well-done looks like. He asked if she could get a new one so he wouldn't get sick, and she said she'd check with the kitchen. No apology. It took 25 minutes for the new burger to come out, and by then we had been there for over an hour and a half. When she finally brought it out, she asked if he wanted a box to take it home. Still no bacon on the burger. Also, no apology again. Overall, not a great experience. Will not be back.

Great selection of beers. Good service. Family and dog friendly. Reminds me of the pubs in England!read more

This was our second time stopping in here and nothing had changed. We were so happy to spend a day…read morehiking with the dogs and then to be able to stop in for some amazing beer flights and grilled-to-order hot dogs. My husband and I each got a flight of beers to try and a classic hotdog with onion and peppers added, though I opted for mustard as an additional topping and he opted for sauerkraut. We got each of our pups a plain hotdog and the man at the food truck was so sweet and pre-cut them into pieces for us to feed them. We can't wait to come back a third time, they are just so good! Staff is always super friendly as well. The bathrooms are clean and have really fun chalkboard walls to leave funny messages or cute memories. I wholly recommend stopping in here for a well-deserved drink after being outside all day.

Chris was a wonderful bartender. Quick service, super nice, let us request a million songs. I would…read moredefinitely recommend this place and its great as a college bar. People hate expecting it to be a dive bar but in reality these college kids work their butts off. 9/10!

Great service, had a burger and a veggie burger both were amazing. Great spot for a grub and nice…read moreatmosphere I do recommend.