When visiting Athens, whether it’s to tour OHIO as a prospective student or to retrace your own collegiate path, often times a quick lunch stop is needed. And you’re in luck. Athens has many great lunch choices. Uptown (please make note of this – Athens has an uptown, not a downtown and locals will be quick to correct you) is full of local eateries and a few national chains, too. Since 2020, many restaurants have altered their usual operating hours and in the summer so places may close for vacation. Advice: have a back-up place picked out. The places highlighted here should be open for lunch daily by 11 a.m. and provide quick service – meaning you can be in and out in 30 to 40 minutes max. There are more places than those listed her to have lunch. This post focuses on quick service places.
Uptown Quick Lunch Spots
Bagel Street Deli – 27 S. Court Street. Located on Court Street, Bagel Street is a favorite of students and townies not only for lunch, but for all day. The menu is full of uniquely designed bagel sandwiches with fun names like the MacGyger (hard boiled egg slices, bacon, choice of cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and mayo), Tom’s Turkey (turkey, choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, and mayo), and Kimmie Gibbler (cream cheese, cheddar, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and sprouts). Seating available inside with a few spots outside, too.
Big Mamma’s Burritos – 10 S. Court Street, this is the original Big Mama’s! You may find Big Mama’s near other college campuses today, but this growing chain was founded in Athens in 2005, so we still consider it to be a local place. On Court Street, this is a popular spot when open for lunch and also for late night eats. If burritos aren’t your thing, don’t worry. They also make bowls, salads, and nachos.
Brenen’s Coffee Cafe – 38 S. Court Street. Owned and operated by two Ohio University graduates, Brenen’s is a counter service spot right on Court Street. They serve coffee drinks, house made baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, and a wide selection of deli sandwiches perfect for a quick lunch. You’ll find a large dining area inside as well as some outdoor dining spots seasonally. Brenen’s also sells a unique meal plan for students who may be looking for something to supplement their on-campus dining or for a student living in an apartment or house.
Fluff Bakery – 8 N. Court Street. A great stop if looking for vegan or gluten free options with the added bonus of satisfying your sweet tooth after a quick meal. Breakfast menu is served open to close along with smoothies, wraps, salads, and Thai inspired bowls.
Ginger Asian Kitchen – 28 S. Court Street. Think Asian Chipotle when planning a visit to Ginger. You move through a line at the counter picking between ingredients such as rice or noodles, different vegetables, a protein, toppings, and sauces. This makes it a good option for a quick lunch. Ginger also has sushi if you are comfortable eating raw fish in an Ohio college town.
Goodfella’s Pizza – 6 W. Union Street and 33 N. Court Street. A favorite late night stop after visiting Court Street (ahem, the bars), Goodfella’s offers thick crust, square cut pizza. They typically have pepperoni and cheese available with an occasional specialty pie such as Buffalo Chicken. Cheap and fast. The W. Union Street spot is open for lunch, while the Court Street location usually doesn’t open until 8 p.m. You can grab your slices to go and enjoy them on the College Green people watching.
O’Betty’s Red Hot – 15 W. State Street. A hot dog spot unlike most others with a wide variety of toppings, fries a number of ways, and grilled cheese for those who aren’t into hot dogs. O’Betty’s is located on West State Street near Tony’s Tavern and just around the corner from J Bar at the corner of Court and W. State Streets.
Chains – Chipotle and Pita Pit.
You can also grab a quick bite in West 82, the food court concept in OHIO’s Baker University Center. This is likely where your tour and visit appointments will commence so if you are truly pushed for time and want something really fast without venturing Uptown there is always this option. West 82 offers a large salad bar, a grill, a deli, brick oven pizza, and made to order Southwest/Mexican options.
Let us know where you dined in the comments below! Looking for someplace nicer to have dinner? Read our post Athens Fine Dining.
