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    Ideal Bagel

    4.3 (172 reviews)
    Open 6:30 am - 2:00 pm

    Ideal Bagel Photos

    IDEAL BAGEL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Salt bagel breakfast sandwich
    Lindsey B.

    Small bagel shop on the south side of town. Parking is extremely limited so you may need to loop around a couple of times before finding a spot. We came here on a Sunday morning and the line was already out the door. Their menu of specialty bagels have both breakfast and lunch sandwiches. There's not a list of their bagel types or cream cheese types for public viewing but once you get to the front to order, you can see a list there. I asked for my bagel toasted and it came out barely cooked. The jalapeño garlic cream cheese was definitely a must for a breakfast sandwich.

    Menu
    Phil F.

    When I lived in Athens this was my go to place for bagels and breakfast. Fresh bagels, great Shmears, tasty eggs, friendly and patient staff, food prepared fresh and quickly What a great vibe.

    Cadillac
    Anna J.

    In Athens for the weekend and I was looking for some breakfast and this was only a mile from our AirBnB so I popped in!! I decided to walk there because that lot is tiny so do beware the parking situation! Popped in around 10:30 and I had to wait in line for about 5-10 minutes nothing crazy. I ordered an iced coffee and a Cadillac on their cheese of the day bagel. The coffee was delicious and strong. The bagel took another 5-10 minutes to be ready to go. It was so good! Cheesy, delicious and everything needed. It was the perfect BEC at a great price. Overall 10/10! Plenty of seating inside and outside as well but would anticipate a wait for tables.

    Brad K.

    They just make a great bagel here I got the lox with garlic cream cheese and the works on it ( capers tomato and pickled onions ) the staff is friendly and efficient. The lines can be huge so get there early. Either way if you go you will not be disappointed !

    Hannah V.

    By far the best bagel place in Athens. The everything and pumpernickel everything bagels taste like they could be made in Brooklyn. We've also tried and like the garlic bagel for savory sandwiches, and cinnamon raisin with a sweet cream cheese. Bacon, egg and cheese is my favorite, but the lox and salmon are also really tasty. The service is fast, even on the weekends when there's a long line, and you can usually find a seat even when it's super busy. Good prices too! Parking lot is small, so you may have to park in a nearby neighborhood and walk a few blocks up to the shop, but it's definitely worth it.

    Cadillac

    Bagels were dry and was just overall flavorless. When I think about bagel sandwiches I imagine a stuffed sandwich with flavor and egg yolk. Unfortunately, it was just kind of plain and worse than McDonalds. Probably wouldn't come back but could be a fluke. Store is cute. Workers are very kind and efficient. It could just be me.

    Yum!
    Allison M.

    Love love loved this little local shop. Looks like it could have once been a car garage but I'm into that. Adds to the aesthetic. Upon entering Sunday morn there was a bit of a line but they moved us along quickly. The inside space seemed pretty legit to sit. Lots of people enjoying their food slowly but a ton getting take away. I got a coffee and a bagel with cream cheese and egg (weird but don't knock it till your try it). The coffee is local and was delicious. They also have iced coffee which looked awesome but being on the brink weather wise (my cutoff for iced coffee is unofficially around 60 degrees) I was happy to pocket that info. The bagels are generously sized and fresh. So many flavors. I panicked and got the cheese of the day. I'm sure you probably can't go wrong. The veggie smear was a bit too carrot heavy for me but it had good flavor. Next time I'd try just a bagel with something like espresso or berry. Yum. Super friendly staff. Great prices. What's not to adore?

    Seasame bagel
    Riya P.

    This is a cute bagel place in Athens!! Unfortunately at the time they were out of sesame bagels, but I decided to go ahead with an everything bagel. I didn't get any fillings this time as I'd heard so much about how tasty their smears were. I got the sun dried tomato smear and just like everyone said, it was delicious! However the bagels are kind of thin, like they're meant for fillings. Well priced for the portions we get. The ingredients are super fresh and our orders came out super quickly! Will be coming again!! -no indoor seating during COVID

    Lox bagel
    Laney P.

    Delicious, fresh bagels with really great, low prices! Great coffee too :) We will definitely be back next time we're in Athens!

    Cadillac (half pictures)

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    1 year ago

    Delicious. Great bagels. Loved the pimento cheese cream cheese - little bit of spice.

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    2 years ago

    Amazing bagels and bagel sandwiches! A must stop when in Athens. The best is the Elvis!

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    2 years ago

    The bagels weren't as big as i was hoping but still good taste and would go back again

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    Page 1 of 5

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    Mama's Boy

    Mama's Boy

    4.3
    (1k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Mama's Boy was always one of my favorite restaurants when I lived in Athens, so I had to stop by…read morewhile I was back in town this weekend. It had been a couple of years since my last visit, and while they've switched to counter service now, the service was still fast and friendly. The biscuits are just as good as I remembered--soft, thick, and fluffy. I always get a side of apple butter with mine, but the raspberry jam is also worth trying. The food was every bit as delicious as I remembered. It's a restaurant that's definitely worth checking out if you're in the area!

    There is not much parking, we parked at the nearby walking trail. The staff was very friendly and…read morewelcoming. When you arrive, you order at the counter before you are seated. They got a table ready for a party of 6 pretty quickly which was great! They have two dining areas inside and outside seating available. I ordered the peach french toast with potatoes, another person ordered the cinnamon roll to start and the a biscuit with gravy. My husband ordered the pulled pork bowl on grits and a side of fried chicken . The kids had french toast with fruit. My potatoes I can tell were from a bag and not fresh cut potatoes. They were tiny and probably what you can purchase at the grocery store, so they were crunch and hard to eat. The french toast didn't have the best taste, and the peaches seemed canned. Presentation was nice but I wouldn't order that again. My husband did not enjoy his pulled pork bowl either, he said it lacked a bit of flavor. The cinnamon roll was a little hard like it had been sitting for a bit. Now for the good, the fried chicken was some of the best chicken I had tasted so whatever is being done there keep it up! The biscuits with the jam available on the table were amazing! The kids enjoyed their kids meal as well. If in Athens again we would definitely get the chicken and biscuit but skip the other items we previously ordered.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Benedict eggs with salad for brunch
    Benedict eggs with salad for brunch
    Biscuits and gravy, cinnamon roll, yogurt parfait, peach French toast

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    Biscuits and gravy, cinnamon roll, yogurt parfait, peach French toast
    The Flying Biscuit Cafe

    The Flying Biscuit Cafe

    4.4
    (48 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    Visited 7/11/26 Epps Bridge & 7/14/26 Normalton (Prince Ave) locations were both really good to eat…read moreat. We had a family breakfast and this morning ate at the Normaltown Prince Ave location across from the Piedmont Hospital. We shared the waffle breakfast. With an extra two eggs over medium (my favorite) and the potatoes. The grits are really good, but better with syrup. Booth locations have really great staff people and really colorful walls and atmospheres. Shoutout to 809-Gabriel who helped us in 7/11/26 was excellent, very friendly and easy to talk with like Gabriel. We'll both be back again. Good food and fair prices.

    Pleasant casual place to have breakfast or brunch with friends -outdoor during the lovely spring…read moreweather. Food : large menu to meet most favorite morning appetites. We like the eggs Benedict, the tacos, the fruit side, and the omelettes. The grits are good, too. Bacon is done nicely crisp but not overdone. Coffee and tea are served promptly and cups kept filled Service: pleasant and efficient servers Facility ; Clean, cheerful, has coveted outdoor tables as well as indoor tables. The outdoor area is next to a busy parking area but it isn't annoying. Tables indoors are spaced nicely-and can be moved to accommodate groups of 12 or so. Location :conveniently located in a strip mall area close to a main road ; plenty of parking

    Photos
    Epps Bridge (in Trader Joe's parking lot)
    Epps Bridge (in Trader Joe's parking lot)
    The Flying Biscuit Cafe
    All the amazing sides

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    All the amazing sides
    The Flying Biscuit Cafe

    The Flying Biscuit Cafe

    3.8
    (89 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Normaltown & Epps Bridge locations were both really good to eat at. We had a family breakfast and…read morethis morning ate at the Normaltown Prince Ave location across from the Piedmont Hospital. We shared the waffle breakfast. With an extra two eggs over medium (my favorite) and the potatoes. The grits are really good, but better with syrup. Booth locations have really great staff people and really colorful walls and atmospheres. Shoutout to 809-Gabriel who helped us in 7/11/26 was excellent. 1037-Natalia was nice but a bit of an attitude and not as friendly and easy to talk with like Gabriel. We'll both be back again. Gods food and fair prices.

    NOTE TO SELF: DO NOT PICK FLYING BISCUIT! They do NOT have gluten free anything. Last visit, 9…read moremonths ago, I chose to eat gluten. I do that sometimes when I just can't decide but I pay for it for about a week. I don't try to do that anymore. lol I did notice many similarities so the sweet gluten must be what is good there. I consider all that processed sugar and the gluten filled garbage GMO flours to be horrible for our bodies. That happens as you learn how these foods actually affect your body and DIS-EASE! Now, I am weeding out the restaurants I will no longer eat at. If you don't care about the wellbeing of your customer's health, then you only care about $$$! I will no longer be eating at establishments that don't use quality ingredients and will focus more on Mom & Pop Locally owned places that do! These businesses need to do better so we aren't constantly sick and medicated beings! They have brainwashed us to eating garbage that other countries do not allow! The ONLY positive thing I can say is the hostess was on point! She was constantly working, bouncing around, handling things, completely pleasant with a smile on her face. She is the reason for 2* and not 1. She was the only 1! I'm only giving a description of her so she is recognized because I do not know her name. Cute dark skinned woman with her hair pulled back with a head band/wrap. She deserves a raise and employee of the month! Everyone else seemed pissy or too concerned with whatever gossip they had to chat about. Waitress literally said, "They just consider it gluten friendly by taking the bread off". Not even grits or potatoes are listed as "GF". Manager came out to explain why grits weren't GF. Idk why they try to appear "healthy". They offer alternatives to pork, but that's about it. Manager said the grits company doesn't claim to be GF so therefore they don't. Well, if the company isn't claiming it, they are most likely using the cheapest of the cheap GMO'd corn! Obviously, just my opinion, but I'm so tired of these restaurants charging so much for garbage food. Waitress is extremely pleasant! lol That is sarcasm for anyone not tracking. Brought the hubs unsweet tea when he ordered sweet! Lol Asked if we were ready to order 3x in less than 5 min while our heads were still down staring at the menus. Then, when we were ready, she was taking money for a guy at the bar, serving another table a beverage, and serving another table their food, while 3 other employees stood around a cleaning station chatting. An elderly gentleman and his caregiver came in but the hostess was outside for some reason. He sat himself at a dirty table. They ignored him until he started waving his arm at staff. I saw the interaction prior. 1 employee saw what he had done and told the others but they ignored the dirty table and the people until he got agitated. Then, they moved him to the table behind him, that they did clean while he was sitting there waiting to be acknowledged. We needed a quick bite in between Dr appts. I wish we had driven a bit further rather than coming here. I'm not hopeful for the cheese grits with turkey bacon I selected because nothing else was appealing and wouldn't destroy my stomach. Guess I'll deal with inflammation today from the gmo corn. The hubs got an egg and cheese biscuit. She didn't ask him how he wanted his eggs cooked or what kind of cheese. It's a mystery what he will get lol. Yes! I am writing this while sitting here! lol It's been 10+ minutes since the old man moved tables and the table he sat at is STILL dirty with dishes. Waitress just came to inform us, after waiting 20 minutes already, that they put pork bacon in my grits so it's going to be a few more minutes. I'm confused??? Why is my husband's food not being brought out? That means his is sitting back there waiting on my GRITS! Come on! 5 more minutes and the results???? Absolutely the most disgusting thing I've ever seen brought out. Check out the picture! lol what on earth is that even? Tasted like generic cheese soup dumped on top of a tiny bowl of semi good grits with half a slice of bacon cut up in it. They called that "Loaded" grits. Lol It was disgusting and those grits are NOT creamy or dreamy! They are so cheap they don't even get the GF tag. lol The hubs biscuit was horribly dry, so little egg you couldn't see it, and the "moon dusted" potatoes tasted like yesterday's home fries, with no dusting or even salt. Quite literally the worst food and service I have seen in a long time! Watched 2 servers NOT sit a family with a girl on crutches, waiting for the hostess to finish dealing with a to-go order. It was like no one helps anyone in there and the customer is last on the priority list!

    Photos
    The bar
    The bar
    Biscuits n sage chicken sausage gravy with scrambled eggs, home fries (didn't have magic dust and tasted old)
    Biscuits n sage chicken sausage gravy with scrambled eggs, home fries (didn't have magic dust and tasted old)
    The Flying Biscuit Cafe

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    Ideal Bagel - breakfast_brunch - Updated August 2026

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