Last Resort Grill in downtown Athens is my favorite restaurant in Athens. I have visited several times and always had a delicious and positive experience. I love their art decor and ambiance. This time I was happy to see they have expanded their restaurant with a modern and pleasant garden sitting area. The Last Resort menu always gives a hint of gourmet Mexican food fusion; I highly enjoy the attention to detail they put in all their dishes. It is the little details that count. Additionally, their servers are always courteous. The main entree does seem to take some time to come out, but I have always gotten an appetizer and drinks ahead of time and had a lovely time. Every time I have been here, it was off school time, so I have not experienced the high tempo and long wait time others complained about. There is garage parking nearby and street parking immediately outside the restaurant. Bring quarters for the parking meter. read more

This place is great. The service was fast, courteous, & helpful. We sat outside in their patio area which has plenty of comfortable seating and even has a bar. I had the brunch pasta which was fantastic. It had shrimp, salmon, white sauce, lil tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. For dessert we had the raspberry chocolate cheesecake. Let me tell you that it was mouth watering. This place is famous so you have to get here early to get a good seat on Sundays. read more

Last Resort Grill - Menu - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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The BEST restaurant in Athens. Service, ambiance, food this restaurant hits it all! We started out with a salad in their homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing (SO good), and salmon bisque. We love to get the soup of the day each time--today salmon bisque. It was very flavorful and something a little different compared to a lot of their other soups. We've ordered chicken praline as our entree for the past year and there's a reason for that. It's so good that the servers have made jokes about us licking our plates before... I mean chicken stuffed with cheeses topped with a walnut-hazel drizzle served over grits it's a sweet and savory paradise and best dish that could ever be ordered at any restaurant. It's a similar story with desert. You cannot come to last resort without trying a cake!! After trying every cheesecake and layered cake they have, we've settled on a few favorites. Tonight we got the white chocolate cheesecake--a consistent top 3 in our last resort cake rankings. I'm conclusion this place is worth the hour wait!! The service is always amazing and makes for the perfect date night spot! read more

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Fantastic dining experience in Athens, "home of the back to back National Champion University of Georgia Bulldawgz. The service, ambiance, and most importantly the quality of food was amazing. We sat on the patio which was a lively experience. Waiter was prompt to get our drink order and let us know the specials . I ordered the blackened salmon grits. The salmon was perfectly seasoned and cooked. Very moist and each bite was a flavor explosion. My side was a salad. read more

When in town several times each year, we always visit Last Resort. The food and service here is always excellent in my opinion. The atmosphere is great. This trip I was disappointed in the new pay system that adds hidden fees to your bill. There is an extra 3.5% house service fee PLUS an additional "check out" fee. It felt deceptive. While not a large amount of money, I would rather see the cost transparent on the menu prices instead of hidden until I get my bill. read more

Sitting at the bar, great service and enjoyed the talk Horseradish encrusted salmon over kale and sweet potatoe mashed, YUM Anyone reading this review, you should be in the car right now heading over read more

Last Resort Grill - Horseradish encrusted salmon - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

It's been four year since I returned. First time when I took my girl as a student and now as an alumni. I ordered the hanger steak, crab cakes, and salmon with grits. They were all very good. Wished the steak was a big larger than what we were presented. Parking is $1.50 a hour and there is a mandatory 3.5% house service fee added outside of a tip. Wayne was our server and while it was busy when we ate here we received great customer services! Don't think we come back was in town to check out the record store next door. read more

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Very nice outdoor and indoor atmosphere! This place is seen as the upscale, 'place where you take your parents' restaurant in Athens, the home of UGA. The menu looks great! Lots of options that looked awesome, but I was very underwhelmed with my pasta choice - the struggleville which is a classic carbonara but with peas and shrimp added. It was bland and a waste of carbs. My salad was drenched in dressing. The crusted trout was good, their swordfish special was also very tasty. read more

Last Resort Grill - Adobo Salmon - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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Visited for brunch on a weekend trip into Athens. As non-meat eaters, we were happy with our options - menu was interesting and the food we ordered did not disappoint! Our waitress was helpful and friendly. If we're in town again, we'll be back to try something new! read more

We arrived here on a Wednesday evening around 6ish and were seated right away. Our server was outstanding. He informed us of the specials and gave us time to decide on drinks. The drinks were tasty and worth what we paid. We also had fried green tomatoes for an appetizer. Our meals were excellent. We had a pasta with shrimp which they split for us in the kitchen which is always a nice touch. We also had soup that came with it ( southwest corn chowder) which was incredibly delicious. And lastly we had the pork belly. That also was very good. Finished off with a Jittery Joe's coffee and I must say that our dining experience could. It have been any better. 5 star for sure!! read more

Last Resort Grill - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Stupid place! Arrived at 5pm to find a table, let us stand aside and wait until my friends arrive. I waited for 20min, then that mean lady said all table is full!!! We need to wait another hour to get seated. S***t First come, no serve! read more

Last Resort Grill is an Athens, GA staple and a favorite for many. They also just started a brunch menu (that in my opinion is even better than their dinner menu). The ambiance is great with dim lighting, tabletop candles, and decorative tables, but if it is crowded (which it was the day before valentines day...obviously) you may have trouble hearing the person/people across from you. We had stellar service. Even being tucked away in a nook near the back they were quick to take our orders, get food and drinks out, offer refills, and clear the table after each course. As far as the food, it was good...not sure if it was quite worth the price but everything came out good. The drinks were amazing and had quite the presentation. I got the spicy pineapple margarita and a paloma margarita which were both yummy. My boyfriend got a few of the bourbon bee drinks, but was definitely shocked when this bourbon drink came out in a martini glass, however that did not stop him from ordering more! We started with 2 appetizers. The crispy pork belly was absolutely phenomenal, the meat was sitting on crispy buttered bread and soaked broth filled with lots of flavor. We also had the crab cakes that were nice and crunchy on the inside but the crab meat was extremely ground up, and we usually prefer having the chunks of meat inside. This night, they were also offering a starter salad and bread with any entree so we got that and were able to choose between 5 different dressings. We went with blue cheese and a bacon vinaigrette, which were both great. We both enjoyed our entrees, but agreed they were not spectacular. I got the new struggleville pasta which was some type of shrimp pasta and it was good, but slightly bland. He got the beef short rib and said that it was good, but tasted like rib in the crock pot with salted green beans and mashed potatoes. No one was disappointed but the entrees didn't stand out too much. We ended the night with a bang and got the mocha toffee cheesecake which was exceptional.We almost bought a to go one for later that night. We will 100% be back for the cheesecake. read more

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The potato pancakes are amazing--creamy, crunchy, tangy, and rich. The maple tofu is a very respectable vegan entree. They make a good steak, too. Their homemade pasta is outstanding. The decor is really cozy, but it gets extremely loud with the noise bouncing off the exposed brick. If it's nice out, you're better off sitting outside where it isn't cacaphonous. They don't take reservations, so get there early on the weekends. read more

Last Resort Grill - Potato pancakes - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Most overrated restaurant in Athens! It's all about being a place to go in Athens vs being a good restaurant or value. People wait in line to eat overpriced, very average food. Ambiance is okay unless you want to eat in a covid tent outside. There are at least a dozen better places in Athens and maybe more. read more

This is likely the restaurant with the best tasting food in Athens, GA, but you will wait in line, pay $$$ for it, and may be slightly uncomfortable the whole time. Indoor dining is cramped with very old chairs. Outdoors is nice if the weather is agreeable. The large staff provides friendly and efficient service. The fish specials have been sublimely delicious on two separate occasions. The veggie stack is unique and tasty. read more

We have eaten here multiple times when we have visited Athens & had great meals each time!

The food is good but the price is way over the line. I could feel the noses stuck up in the air from the other customers and staff as this is where Athen's snobs go to eat. read more

Very good dinner location on a business trip. Dessert was incredible, including an Oreo cheesecake.

Incredible food, service, and ambiance. Definitely recommended! Everything on the menu is great, they are misnamed for sure!

I was in Athens for a night so I asked a friend who graduated from UGA where to go. Without hesitation, he said Last Resort. I didn't know what kind of food they had on the menu when I showed up. Even at 5pm (right when they were opening) there was a line out the door. That was a good sign. The food was terrific. Starting with the appetizers (we ordered fried green tomatoes and pork belly), through the entrees, and finally with dessert, everything was on point. My wife ordered the pork tenderloin because the server recommended it. I ordered some kind of steak with roasted corn (the corn cobs were smaller than I thought they would be), but the flavor was spot-on. My son also liked his beef short ribs. For dessert, we got a piece of cheese cake that was delicious. If you're in Athens, maybe The Last Resort should be your first resort! read more

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From our drinks in the outdoor garden while we waited for a table, to the delicious dinner which our friendly server helped us choose, we loved Last Resort Grill. The stuffed potato pancake was outrageous, especially the tomato jam and our entrees were also very good. Unfortunately we had to leave early and weren't able to try any of the wonderful looking desserts...next time for sure! read more

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I visit Athens once a year and LRG has been a go to for 20+ years and I've told many people how it's my fav restaurant of anywhere I've ever been but this week? I walked out without even sitting down. The host we gave our name to was rude and never made eye contact with us and acted bothered that there were so many people in line to get on the list. Then we make our way to the bar and encountered a female bartender that also seemed mad at the world. I ordered an espresso martini only to be barked at "regular?!" I said "I'm sorry I don't know what you mean, what's the option other than regular?" To which she barked again "black" - still don't know what she meant but maybe don't assume that every customer is a regular that comes in and knows the options. Again, I felt as if we were bothering to them for being there. I get it, you are in the weeds. It was a very crowded Tuesday night but the 4 of us decided to walk out because we just didn't feel like anyone wanted us to actually be there. LRG has been sliding downwards the last 4-5 years but this was so disappointing. Maybe a good class on the importance of soft skills and customer service because it's apparent that is what is lacking. read more

Excellent service. A lovely tall pour glass of port. Enjoyed a delicious cup of the red pepper soup of the day and a small plate of crispy pork belly. Very enjoyable way to celebrate graduation from UGA. read more

Had to re-write this one as Yelp would not let me post two reviews back-to-back. This was from Friday evening 8-25-23. Trip to Athens for a wedding we uncovered this neighborhood gem next to our hotel. They do not take reservations, so get there early. We arrived at 5 due to time constraints. We were the first ones in and out. We asked Eric to stack our courses so we could get through quickly, and he got us out in 30 minutes. We ordered the friend green tomoatoes, and they were very tasty, as was the diping sauce. We both got a house salad, and the dressing was very flavorful and a tasty salad. For our entrees, I ordered the short rib with mashed potato and green beans and fried onion on top, and she ordered the salmon and grits. My dish was perfect and tasted great. Her salmon was a bit overcooked but tasty. We had to skip dessert but are going back for brunch in the morning before heading back to Atlanta. The service here was awesome, first rate. Watching them work the floor was a thing of beauty helping each other and not missing a beat. Water on the table is always a plus for me. Looking forward to brunch. read more

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For 20 years, Last Resort has been one of our favorite restaurants, especially for special times/celebrations. Now, not sure we'll go back. We went for brunch and asked for a table for four. The host asked if we would be willing to sit in the porch and warned us that we'd be in the sun. Sure enough, it was very bright and very hot. We sat for a few minutes and then gave in--we just would not be able to manage it. I went back and apologized and asked about an inside table. He said it would be 20-30 minutes, but we couldn't wait that long. We tried again, but just made the decision to leave. He smiled at us and said "Okay, have a good day." Here's the thing--my dad was in the restaurant business, so I know what good customer service looks like. He did absolutely nothing to try to help us. He could have suggested we sit at the bar. We could see a table for 4 near us in another section of the restaurant. He made no effort at all to keep us there or to serve us in any way. I know LR is an Athens institution and I guess they won't miss our business, and that is exactly what he communicated to us. read more

Lunch in Athens! Superb. Carolina Crab cakes were the bomb. Cooked to perfection, lightly breaded and a solid amount of crab. Side salad was fresh and crisp with a bacon vinaigrette dressing and some corn kernels on the plate to add a little color and flavor mix. Sat outside (kinda) as they opened the doors to the street walk. Great way to enjoy a great meal. read more

Last Resort Grill - Carolina Crab Cakes - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

Great restaurant in the midst of bars and dives (which I also like). The food is really good and the pasta is fresh. For starters I'd recommend the crab cake, very delicious and not a lot of filler. And the fried green tomatoes, they have a great crunch. As stated above, anything pasta is great because the pasta is fresh and Al dente to the bite. The shirt was super tender and flavorful. The scallops were also cooked well and tasted great. They have a large selection of wine as well. Definitely recommend read more

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We came here for my mom's birthday dinner. We really enjoyed the food along with the great service. Our server was very attentive and even went the extra mile to make us drinks that weren't on the menu. We really enjoyed the Shrimp Quesadilla appetizer, order another one after the first. The meals were all delicious. read more

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I'm going to classify this review into 3 steps: 1. Vibe and Ambience - It's got a semi casual vibe and honestly it's a great place to be at for any meal of the day. 2. Food - The Rockville was the best of the two that we had there. The pasta had a good balance of the different meat flavors and the sharpness of the cheese and creaminess of the sauce gave it a good edge. The Shrimp and grits were okay. Not the best, but it was definitely way above average. One thing I was not ecstatic about was that the number of shrimp pieces were very less. A suggestion to the business would be to add a few more pieces. Because when I reached 50% of the meal, I finished my shrimp and the hero of the dish was just not there anymore. For a shrimp and grits lover, this dish does not disappoint. The mimosas had a good flavor but I found the alcohol a bit less. Dessert - The chocolate chip cheese cake is to die for. It felt more homemade and you could tell that there was a lot of love with which the cheesecake was made This was definitely the highlight of the meal. Cost - For the quality of food we had, I think it was a bit overpriced. read more

Last Resort Grill - Rockville - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

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Such a lovely dining experience. We were treated like royalty. The outdoor seating has a lovely ambiance. I ordered the Echo Martini (Not on the menu anymore but you can still order it - and you should!) and the Salmon and Grits with a side salad. It was quite possibly my favorite dining experience in Athens. If you can spend a few extra dollars, splurge on a night here! So lovely! read more

Last Resort Grill - Echo Martini - Southern Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I didn't expect this place to be any good when I saw the menu, I was pleasantly surprised after getting my food. I had the turkey burger with Macon, it was moist and delicious. He cocktail I had was light and refreshing. The cake selection was really good, but the lack of side options is killer. They didn't have fries! read more

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Have always heard of this place while living in Athens but haven't had the chance to try it until now. The staff is super friendly, and the inside has really cool paintings you can buy. The seating is a bit cramped inside. It often felt like I was looking over the shoulders of another table which was a bit awkward. The food was pretty good. Entrees are a bit pricey, but they come with a salad and bread to keep you comfortably full. I got the 6 hour pig and my friend got the short rib. Both were pretty good, but it was nothing mind blowing. My absolute favorite part of this meal was actually the cake. Desserts change everyday depending on what they make which is cool. We got the red and black cake which is a red velvet and espresso chocolate layer cake. It was almost life changing to eat! The cake was super moist and the flavors were immaculate. There was a thick layer of ganache on the outside which wasn't very appetizing, but besides that, it was easily one of the best cakes I've ever had. read more

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This is some of the best food in athens but the elitism is suffocating. If you aren't 40+ in a peter millar pullover they don't give you the time of day. We waited 3.5 hours to sit and as soon as we do we get subpar service- plates taken with food still on them, extremely rushed. New ownership needs to take a hard look in the mirror and learn how to treat customers. The drinks were also served in plastic cups which is a reach for a nicer restaurant. This place is getting away with murder. read more

Highly recommended to me by a colleague when I was in town on business Let me say the scallops was one of the best dishes I've ever had! It had a light crust and the taste was as smooth as butter. It was served over some delicious and creamy grits and the sauce had just the right amount of spice. I sat at the bar and chatted it up with two women who were loyal regulars. One ordered her all time favorite the salmon and grits. I'm looking forward to going back the next time I'm in town. read more

Our downtown restaurant for special occasions. Menu is solid with a lot of southern inspiration. My favorite is the pecan chicken!

Our favorite restaurant in Athens! The food is always fabulous! The staff is great. The outdoor patio is so inviting with great people-watching and fun atmosphere. read more

Came here while in Athens on business and the restaurant accommodated our party of 9. We called about 15 minutes before we arrived and they told us they'd prepare the table for us. We arrived and were able to walk right in. I read the reviews about the quesadillas and still decided to try them. They weren't bad but they probably should be described as flatbread instead of quesadillas. Also it's seems a little bit more ingredients can be added in my opinion. I ordered the scallops and they were good. Very filling. Overall, nice restaurant. read more

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This place is pretty solid but there are a couple of reasons why it wasn't 5 stars. First of all, getting seated at this restaurant is kind of a hassle, because it's pretty much always busy. There's a really long line to get seated. Even though we made a reservation, but still had to wait a pretty long time. There was no host at the front and we had to ask another employee to seat us after waiting. We ordered 2 drinks, the Georgia Peach and the Lemon Drop. Both drinks were really sweet, yet pretty strong. The Lemon Drop kind of tastes like Sprite with sugar around the rim. The Georgia Peach was better in my opinion. The Last Resort is one of the nicer restaurants in Athens, along with The Place, Sea Bear, and 5&10 to name a few. Lunch is a pretty reasonable price (entrees around $10), but dinner tends to run around $20 an entree. Portions are kind of small also. We ordered the Hanger steak and the Salmon & Grits. Both were really good! The Hanger Steak had great flavor as well as the mashed potatoes. It was a little on the tougher side, but I think that's the cut in general. The sauce in the Salmon & Grits was very savory and flavorful. The grits and salmon were lacking a little in flavor but together as a whole, the dish was pretty good. I just wish there was more of the sauce over it! It was overall a very good, solid dish that I enjoyed but I did feel like something was missing. For Athens, I think this is a great restaurant and I would recommend both of the dishes we ordered. The Georgia Peach is also a great drink option. I've also tried the New Rockville Pasta (lunch menu) and the Horseradish Crusted Salmon before. Both were pretty good as well, if I remember correctly. The interior here is also pretty nice on the patio area. There are string lights adorning the ceiling. Great for date night :) read more

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This is one of my favorite restaurants in Athens! Such a treat. During our recent trip there, we decided to make this our dinner spot of choice. We came in just around 5:15. They open at 5. We wanted to get there early to avoid a wait which i always suggest because it can get crowded! We sat in one of their outdoor greenhouses! They are so cute. They have little heaters and blankets inside to keep you cozy on cold evenings too. Our waiter was great. Very attentive and friendly. We started with some drinks. I got the pomegranate margarita. My husband got a glass of wine. For food, we got our favorite dishes - the last resort praline chicken and the chicken in parchment. Entrees come with bread and a salad! For the salad, I highly recommend the vidalia bacon dressing! Our food came out quickly and was spectacular as always. We got some slices of cake to go. Don't pass up the cake from Cecilia's! We got the salted caramel and the espresso martini. Both are fabulous. The salted caramel is a more dense cake. The espresso martini is a moister cake. So good! We love last resort! It's a must if your a first timer to Athens! read more

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Great spot in the heart of downtown Athens with great ambience both indoors and outdoors for dining. Indoor and outdoor bar available too. Staff is very friendly and attentive. Food was high-quality and came out with good temperature. The crabcakes are nice and crispy on the outside and moist inside. They offer a large selection of alcoholic beverages. Restaurant is very clean. read more

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