It would be impossible to list all the best food in Augusta in such a short space, but this article highlights the breadth of amazing dining that is to be found in The Garden City. If you want to find more recommendations for the listed categories, I’ll include links to more in-depth articles.
- Hibachi = Kinki Sushi
- Authentic Mexican Food =Taqueria El Patron
- Traditional Southern Buffet = Chef’s House
- French Cafe = Manuel’s Bread Cafe
- Sushi = Sole Augusta
- Chinese Takeout = China Restaurant
- Cake = The Boll Weevil Cafe & Sweetery
- Indian Food = Curry Hut
- New Southern & American Food = Frog & the Hen
- Burger Joint / Pub = Whiskey Bar Kitchen
- Burger Joint / Pub 2 = World of Beer
- BBQ = Fielding Bros BBQ Shack
- Korean Cuisine = Happy House Korean Restaurant
- Brunch and Breakfast = The Brunch House
- Food Truck = The Crazy Empanada
Hibachi = Kinki Sushi
Kinki Sushi is perhaps the best Hibachi spot in the Augusta-area, given its low prices, generous portion sizes, and consistently great hibachi over the years.
The quality of ingredients, straightforward menu, and low prices have kept me as a repeat customer for 8+ years. I have always gone to Kinki Sushi for the hibachi and teriyaki bowls, as I usually have enough left over for my next meal.
Additionally, if you do want to have the sushi, there are 50+ sushi roll options here. But if you are interested in more sushi options in the area, I encourage you to checkout this article I wrote on the best sushi offerings in the Augusta area.
Pro Tip: Call ahead, as Kinki Sushi‘s hours have not always matched what is listed on the website. Also, make sure to get extra yum-yum and teriyaki sauces.
More hibachi recommendations can be found here on our site.
Authentic Mexican Food =Taqueria El Patron
Started back in 2012, Taqueria El Patron will always be the original spot for authentic Mexican cuisine in Augusta, Georgia. Having been a regular here for 8+ years, the things that keep me coming back (at least monthly) are the high quality of the food, combined with excellent customer service and unbeatably-low prices.
And word has spread. Several years ago, Taqueria El Patron expanded to the adjacent area to acquire more space for dining booths and tables.
For $6.00, you can have two tacos and your tortilla chips, with their three signature sauces – salsa verde, red sauce, and chipotle-hot sauce. All the items, from the corn flour tortillas to the asada, are made in-house with fresh ingredients.
Pro Tip: Try the two-taco special first before branching out to other menu items. Also, they do not serve alcohol here, but do have the most spacious tables and booths for indoor seating.
More information on our website here regarding the four authentic Mexican food spots in Augusta.
Traditional Southern Buffet = Chef’s House
Family-owned and operated, Chef’s House is located in a converted pink home off Walton Way near the medical district. This local gem is only open for lunch during the hours of 11:00 AM through 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
Main dish highlights include baked or fried chicken, slow cooked roast beef, BBQ chicken, pork chops, spaghetti, tilapia, and salmon. The sides include macaroni & cheese, green beans, rice, lima beans, and roasted potatoes.
Price: $15 for the buffet.
Menu Not Online: Buffet items change daily. Below are the main dishes for the week.
| Monday | Roast Beef, Baked Chicken, Tilapia, Casserole |
| Tuesday | Roast Beef, Baked Chicken, Tilapia, Soup |
| Wednesday | Fried Chicken, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Tilapia |
| Thursday | Braised Pork Chop, BBQ Chicken, Honey Glazed Salmon |
| Friday | BBQ Brisket, Fried Chicken |
Pro Tip: The above main dishes and sides rotate daily, so I’ve included a table below, but I do recommend verifying beforehand by calling (706) 733-8622.
Other recommendations on Southern food spots here.
French Cafe = Manuel’s Bread Cafe
Manuel’s Bread Café, while technically located across the river in North Augusta, earns its spot on this list because of both its food and atmosphere. This quaint French café serves brunch classics, as well as French-inspired dishes. Menu highlights include créme brulée French toast and the goat cheese scramble, served on a slice of artisan bread.
Manuel’s sits in the heart of Hammond’s Ferry, one of the area’s most vibrant riverfront communities. Many who dine at Manuel’s take a walk around the neighborhood after their meal to admire the houses, green spaces, and, of course, the Savannah river.
Sushi = Sole Augusta
Located off Broad Street between 10th and 11th, Sole is a local favorite. And for good reason. In addition to the excellent sushi offerings, Sole restaurant has covered outdoor seating in the heart of downtown. Even in the hot Augusta summers, the atmosphere is well worth it.
Sole’s sushi rolls are half-off two days out of the week. Exclusively for dine-in customers on Monday and Wednesday. To be more precise, if you go on Monday Sole offers sixteen types of sushi rolls for $5.50 each. And on Wednesdays, they offer the BOGO for those same sixteen rolls.
Because sushi places tend to be pricier than other dining options, along with smaller portion sizes, I’m usually hesitant. However, Sole‘s specials address this and keep me coming back.
Pro Tip: Get there right at 5:00 PM if you plan to go Monday or Wednesday. Also, the seaweed salad is worth a try.
Chinese Takeout = China Restaurant
Of the 50+ times I have ordered here, I can only recount one time where I had any issue with the order; the food is consistently stellar. Prior to the pandemic, there was a buffet and plenty of indoor seating options too. If you have to stop in at the Richmond County Tag Office, you may want to pop in for the large sesame chicken with white rice next door at China Restaurant.
Cake = The Boll Weevil Cafe & Sweetery
The Boll Weevil Cafe & Sweetery has some of the best cake in the greater Augusta area. And as a sandwich, salad, and soup spot, it is ideal for lunches or dinners with quick access to the Riverwalk. If you are interested in other lunch recommendations, check out these other posts on 5 Delightful Lunch Spots and 11 Exciting Restaurants in Evans
The cake slices are enough for two, so keep that in mind when making your selection. You cannot go wrong with the Banana Chocolate Chip, Red Velvet, or Coffee Toffee. I’ve been enjoying those three choices for years on special occasions and will continue to do so.
Dessert Menu Here: Options Include: 7th Heaven, Strawberry, Perfect Chocolate, Coffee Toffee, Canary Lemon, Banana Choc. Chip, Tropical Dream, Red Velver, Hummingbird, and Carrot Cake.
Also, here’s a list of other dessert spots in Augusta worth checking out!
Indian Food = Curry Hut
Hands-down my favorite style of Butter Chicken and Naan bread in the area (the sweeter, less acidic side). Curry Hut offers a broad range of Indian food from across Southern and Northern India, both according to their website and when I asked their front desk.
At one point, this location was the delightful Thai restaurant known as Thai Jong. In recent years, it was either rebranded or bought out and transformed into the even more delightful Indian spot Curry Hut. It rapidly became a favorite among both local Augustans and out-of-towners alike.
You won’t be disappointed with the 15 Vegetarian plates or Indo-China specialties either.
Pro Tip: Augusta legend has it that the building is a repurposed Taco Bell from the 1980s or 90s. Or at least that’s my speculation. Also, ask them about their Lunch Buffet – it went away during the pandemic and hasn’t returned yet. I’m hoping if enough people ask about it, they’ll bring it back! You’d be doing me a huge favor. Seriously.
New Southern & American Food = Frog & the Hen
Owned and operated by the same folks who brought us Frog Hollow Tavern in 2010, Frog & the Hen is the more laid-back cousin to one of Augusta’s best fine-dining spots. As part of their farm-to-table approach, the owners only serve naturally raised chicken at Frog & the Hen. And it makes a big difference in the quality of the food, too.
Maybe start off with the Hen’s cheddar biscuits and fried mac & cheese bites before moving to on to a quarter chicken plate or seared Atlantic salmon.
Pro Tip: Check out their market menu here, as you can buy local honey, jams, and jellies, as well as to-go food orders.
Burger Joint / Pub = Whiskey Bar Kitchen
With 12 burgers to choose from, Whiskey Bar has long been a go-to burger spot in the heart of Augusta’s downtown. There’s also a few taco and hibachi bowl options.
Pro Tip: Get their Sweet Potato Fries with Coconut Cream Sauce
Prices: $12.95 for a Burger or Other Large Plate
Burger Joint / Pub 2 = World of Beer
In addition to amazing beef burgers, World of Beer has the best plant-based burger and German pretzel in Augusta. Also, they offer several bottomless drink options. Only $14 buys your choice of bottomless mimosas, beermosas or Bloody Mary’s. The beermosa is a white wheat beer with orange juice and the Bloody Mary is made with New Amsterdam Original Vodka and Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix.
The variety of drink options beyond just bottomless combined with reasonably priced brunch and bar food make World of Beer a popular place to watch sporting events on the weekends. Come in the afternoon and stay into the evening for the perfect “Sunday Funday!”
BBQ = Fielding Bros BBQ Shack
Alonzo and Milton Fielding opened this BBQ restaurant for business in 2019. Located off Laney Walker Boulevard, Fielding Bros BBQ Shack is right in Downtown Augusta near the Medical District. You can find a lunch special for $5.95 (3 wings and 1 side) or Large Pulled Pork BBQ Plate Cost: $12.50
If you’d like other recommendations for local BBQ, I encourage you to checkout this article on the 11 Best BBQ Spots in Augusta.
Website for Fielding Bros BBQ Shack
Location Here
Korean Cuisine = Happy House Korean Restaurant
Happy House Korean Restaurant is located off Deans Bridge Rd. and offers a lot of options that cannot be found elsewhere in Augusta! Included on their menu is huge variety of delicious Korean BBQ, Hot Pot, Noodle Dishes, and Soups.
Brunch and Breakfast = The Brunch House
The Brunch House is a newer restaurant in downtown Augusta that recently made Yelp’s Top 100 US Restaurants 2022. The article describes the Brunch House’s menu as, “All-homemade comfort food with a Southern flair, including shrimp and grits or chicken and waffles. A bevy of burgers, sandwiches, and pasta bowls round out the lunch offerings.”
Even if you don’t really like brunch food, The Brunch House is guaranteed to have something you like, with the patty melt, chicken alfredo bowl and Brunch House chopped salad serving as strong alternatives to traditional brunch fare.
Fun Fact: The location was formerly a restaurant called The Whistle Stop Cafe.
More recommendations on brunch spots can be found here in our Ultimate Brunch Guide to Augusta.
Food Truck = The Crazy Empanada
Truly a hidden gem, The Crazy Empanada was previously located off Riverwatch Parkway in Martinez. However, as of this article’s writing, they are currently just operating out of their food truck with (hopefully) plans for a new permanent location. But for now, they will just be available on a pop-up basis. If you message them on their page on Facebook, they are quick at responding (I got a response in 5 minutes on a Saturday morning).
The Crazy Empanada‘s menu is straightforward and incredibly delicious. They offer four selections of empanadas and tacos, with additional choices for a side of Mexican Corn or a Cuban Sandwich entree. There are also four drink selections.
| Empanadas | Chicken / Beef / Chorizo / Spinach & Mushroom | $4.00 |
| Tacos | Chicken / Beef / Chorizo / Spinach & Mushroom | $4.00 |
| Sandwich | Cuban Sandwich | $7.00 |
| Side | Mexican Corn | $4.00 |
| Drinks | Horchata Horchata w/ Cafe Jamaica Passion Fruit | $2.00 $3.00 $2.00 $2.00 |
Check out their Facebook Page to find the Food Truck Location
