Don’t judge a book by its cover is often my mantra when choosing restaurants.  We’ve discovered some really awesome places to dine over the years keeping that thought in mind.  Last Resort Grill in Athens is one of those small gems you would never expect such large things from!

Not to long ago my girl friend Tammie (Talking with Tami) was given the opportunity to test drive a truck for Chevrolet and they suggested a day trip to Athens as part of the literary.  Tammie picked me up along the way and off we went for a lovely girls afternoon!  The Last Resort Grill with its southwestern take on southern comfort food was just one of the local restaurant options Chevy had suggested in their list of things to check out in Athens and after reading some of the reviews we decided this was definitely the place for a late lunch!

We arrived just after the lunch crowd was beginning to leave for the day.  From men in suits to college kids with backpacks this looked to be THE place to dine!  When we walked in we were greeted with a cooler of fresh-baked desserts and I was ready to be bad and just skip lunch; eating dessert instead!

Tammie and I were seated immediately and our fabulous waitress shared all of her favorites on the menu.  Choosing what to eat was really hard.  Thankfully our waitress was patient as we poured over the menu for quite a while.

Once we finally decided what to have for lunch, we checked out the restaurant a little.  Originally the building Last Resort Grill calls home was an iconic Athens music club from back before I was even born!  The eclectic decor maintains a lively and vibrant ambience  and is a tribute to the history of the building.  The walls are decorated with art from local artists; pieces you can actually purchase if you desire.

Once our lunch arrived we quit sightseeing and couldn’t wait to eat!  Tammie and I shared a bowl of scrumptious black bean soup topped with cilantro cream and pico de gallo.

My Fried Green Tomato sandwich was a fabulous upgrade to a traditional BLT.  My tomatoes were beer-battered & dusted with cornmeal, then pan-fried, topped with crispy bacon, grilled onions and Vidalia bacon dressing.  The salad that accompanied it was simple and refreshing, topped with house made dressing.

Tammie enjoyed a meatloaf patty melt with bacon cooked in the meatloaf, topped with caramelized onions and Monterey jack cheese.

Although we were so full, we had to have a bite of dessert.  Of course I chose the red and black cake… what Bulldog fan wouldn’t?

Our cake was so moist and delicious; I promise you I have never had a restaurant cake so rich and delicious!

The Last Resort Grill prides itself on its commitment to the community by using local growers, farmers and other businesses that make Athens home as much as possible.  That is an initiative I can support!

If you visit Last Resort Grill, prepare to wait, especially at lunch and on the weekends.  They don’t take reservations as far as I know, but I assure you the wait is totally worth it!

Last Resort Grill

174-184 W Clayton St.

Athens, GA 30601

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