Mama's Boy or Daddy's Girl

Anytime I have a friend come visit me in Athens, there’s always one restaurant that has a spot on my list of go-to restaurants: Mama’s Boy. This classic Southern eatery serves breakfast all day, as well as more traditional lunch items, such as a pimento cheeseburger. They are famous for their biscuits, which definitely deserve the attention it receives. Their biscuits are out-of-this-world good. You have to try them to believe just how yummy they are. Other favorites are their massive cinnamon rolls that are the size of your head, literally.

Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Roll

The last time I went to Mama’s Boy was with my close friend, Betsy. We were able to sit in their newly renovated porch area and enjoy our favorite Mama’s Boy meal: the veggie egg scrambler, cheese grits, and their famous biscuits. This combination is amazing. I make scrambled eggs at home a lot, but I have never had eggs as good as the ones at Mama’s Boy… How do they do it?? If you’ve ever been to Mama’s Boy before, you know what I mean. And if you haven’t had the chance to visit, I hope your mouth is watering enough to motivate you to go in the near future.

Veggie Scrambler with cheese grits and biscuit

As far as social media goes, Mama’s Boy does as well as their food tastes. Mama’s Boy has menu specials that change very often, including their flavor of the week for Pancake Tuesday, or regular daily specials, such as their Sunday Brunch specials. With all of the changing menu items and need to get the word out to their customers, Mama’s Boy successfully uses Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to keep the public updated on their daily culinary creations. In addition to alerting their customers of their menu specials, Mama’s Boy uses social media well by posting engaging photos, posting their traditional menu, and having online reviews. With all the hype about Mama’s Boy amazing food, social media is a great way for customers to stay in touch with their favorite breakfast/brunch restaurant.

Twitter post publicizing the flavor for Pancake Tuesday

            Next time you’re in the Athens area, make sure to stop by Mama’s Boy to enjoy this one-of-a-kind culinary gem!

Cali N Tito's

Cali N Tito’s is a classic Athens favorite, known for it’s fun atmosphere, great food and Cuban flair. Located on Lumpkin Street in a “shack” style building, Cali N Tito’s offers indoor as well as outdoor seating with a unique and fun environment. While you wait for your food, kids can run around and play and parents can watch the night’s game on the TV’s. My favorite thing to order is the fish taco. Two flour tortillas filled with tilapia, vegetables, and topped with a spicy chipotle sauce, the fish tacos are a favorite for many. When you go, however, remember that it is BYOB and they only accept cash and check.

Fish Tacos

Cali N Tito’s does not have a huge presence online or on social media. I could not find a website for Cali N Tito’s but they are featured on many restaurant guide websites, such as yelp.com. Yelp allowed me to see their menu, location, hours, pictures, and read reviews. The only social media platform I found Cali N Tito’s on was Facebook. Their Facebook page features pictures of their food, menu, hours and location, and reviews. They do not have a presence on any other social media platforms, however.

Cali N Tito’s is a gem in Athens that you should definitely check out!

Classic City Bread

           One of my favorite spots to eat in Athens is the popular restaurant, Big City Bread. Known for their great brunch, fun patio, and interesting menu specials, it’s no question why Big City claims popularity. Located right off downtown in a small building with front patio seating, Big City offers a variety of unique entrees. My favorite thing to order is the Tahini Salad. With artichoke hearts, chickpeas, and an out-of-this-world Lemon-Tahini dressing, this salad always is a winner when I visit. One of my favorite things I’ve ordered off the specials menu was a vegetable sauté with a poached egg. Great flavor, unique presentation, and definitely has me coming back wanting more.

Vegetable saute and poached egg

            Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Big City also specializes in Sunday Brunch. French toast, biscuits, eggs, and quiche, they have all of your classic brunch favorites.

            Big City Bread has a really great website that holds all of their menus, details on their bakery and catering, and a link to their Facebook page. Their Facebook page has posts of daily specials, so they are able to continually update their customers of any additions. This social media site allows customers to see great pictures of the food offered at Big City Bread, read customer reviews, and see news articles that Big City is featured in.

A popular favorite: tomato soup

            Big City Bread definitely works hard at making sure their website and Facebook page are kept up-to-date. This effort definitely pays off because every time I’ve been, there has been a large crowd. I know that many people, especially college students, heavily rely on social media to see how a restaurant is, or see what the food pictures look like. Big City does a great job covering this and catering to their audience!

Agua. Linda.

This past Saturday in Athens was a rather dreary one. First because of the rain, and then second because of the score when the clock hit 0:00 in Sanford Stadium. As the Bulldog nation tried to forget what had just happened between the hedges, dinnertime rolled around. On a game day weekend when thousands of people descend on one city, finding a place to eat is often a difficult task. I knew of one place, though, that delivers quick service and excellent food that would hopefully come to the rescue on our dark Saturday night: Agua Linda. Definitely a favorite among the Athens crowd, Agua Linda always serves up yummy Mexican dishes with friendly and fast staff. My parents and brother were in town for the game, so I was excited to share it with them.

One of my favorite things about Agua Linda is their salsa cart. They bring each table a trio of salsas, rolled in on a special cart. I love the uniqueness of this delivery, even if it seems simple. It just makes their quality stand out.

I was really craving tacos that night, so I ordered their grilled chicken tacos. Filled with guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, and chicken, these soft-shell corn tacos were fabulous. It was my first time ordering tacos at Agua Linda, but I know I will definitely be ordering them again next time I go back.

In regards to social media, Agua Linda does not have a super strong presence. They have a Facebook account, but the only posts are from a few months back. This inconsistency will not benefit them if they are trying to attract customers via social media outlets. Instagram and Twitter were did not have any account for Agua Linda. They do have a great website, though, with nice pictures, a video, menu, and location directions. Even though websites are a great way to allow customers to see the restaurant menu ahead of time, having a stronger presence on social media outlets would develop their business even further and give them a wider audience reach.

Even though Agua Linda needs a little improvement on social, they definitely have mastered the food category. Agua Linda will always be a great spot to escape to for some good Mexican favorites.  

Something to Taq About

Taqueria del Sol is a classic Athens restaurant that draws crowds everyday. College students and locals alike love gathering at the popular restaurant because of the fun atmosphere and delicious food. Taqueria del Sol is located on Prince Avenue, right off of downtown. They feature indoor seating, as well as an outdoor covered patio.

Outdoor patio seating on Prince Avenue

The menu at Taqueria is fairly small, but the flavors are abundant. Taqueria puts their fun spin on even the staples. They offer a salsa trio, homemade guacamole, and cheese dip that some customers come solely to order. Famous for their tacos of course, Taqueria has six different taco offerings. Other menu items include enchiladas, sides, and soups & chilis. My personal favorite taco is “The Memphis.” This taco is filled with chopped smoked pork with a spicy jalapeno coleslaw and tequila BBQ sauce. The tacos are fairly small in size, so I suggest ordering two. You can even mix-and-match the tacos to satisfy your craving. And of course, Taqueria is famous for their margaritas. Definitely a great accompaniment to any taco.

Yummy homemade guacamole

Taqueria del Sol also features weekly lunch and dinner specials. Each week they have a different featured taco, blue plate, chef’s special, and seafood special. The special taco for this week is the “Sloppy Jose” and my usual favorite special is the seafood. This week the seafood special is “Salmon with Maque Choux.” Taqueria definitely offers creative, delicious, and intriguing menu items that keep customers coming back every week. Taqueria makes great use of their online website and social media channels to broadcast their weekly specials, regular menu, and locations. Their online website makes it easy for customers to find their particular location and the weekly specials menu that corresponds to their specific restaurant. Facebook and Twitter serve as their two primary social media outlets. These platforms serve as great ways for Taqueria to let their customers know about their special offerings, events, or just tempt them with pictures of their food. I know that always works for me, at least. Nowadays, tacos have become a trend and conversation starter. Especially with the saying “Taco Tuesday,” Taqueria is able to leverage this trend and incorporate the hashtag #TacoTuesday into their Facebook and Twitter posts.

#TacoTuesday

Next time you’re in Athens, or even near their other locations in Atlanta or Tennessee, you should definitely do yourself a favor and live the experience of Taqueria del Sol. 

A Tidal Wave of Flavors

            This past week was one of my roommates’ birthdays, so of course that meant a celebratory dinner was necessary. My roommate loves Asian food, as well as Mexican food, so I suggested the new restaurant in downtown Athens, Taqueria Tsunami. I’ve always heard it’s a popular restaurant, so I was excited to check it out.

Aloha Taco

            They’re famous for their tacos, and I could definitely tell that from looking at their menu. They have great flavor combinations, such as the Aloha Taco with grilled teriyaki chicken, pineapple pico de gallo and spicy mayo. I personally did not order that taco, but some of my friends did and they were in love. I will definitely be ordering it next time I go!

Promotion on social media outlets

            Taqueria Tsunami is a really hip restaurant, targeting the young college student audience, so their presence online and on social media outlets is very important. Their website is really sleek and modern, with great pictures and access to their menu and locations. They also have a presence on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These social media accounts feature specials and deals, such as their “Kids Eat Free” days. All of their posts include hashtags and pictures, which catch the audience’s eye and encourage audience engagement. Taqueria Tsunami is doing a great job of knowing who their target audience is, and using social media channels to successfully reach them.

My Midday Treat

Curry Chicken Salad with pita chips, fruit, and
apricot mayo

My next stop on my Athens restaurant train was to my all time favorite lunch spot: Marti’s at Midday. Situated in an adorable white cottage on Prince Avenue, Marti’s at Midday is the ideal lunch spot for the girls. With it’s large front porch and bright sunroom seating indoors, Marti’s offers a picturesque environment. Every time my mom comes to visit me in Athens, we always go to Marti’s to enjoy their yummy food. Famous for their chicken salad and pimento cheese, Marti’s has homemade salads and sandwiches to satisfy any midday craving. My favorite thing to order is “The Amy.” It’s a curry chicken salad sandwich on yummy grainy bread, and it comes with their amazing homemade pita chips and a side of fruit. I also always order a side of their apricot mayo to dip my pita chips in. From my first visit to Marti’s, I discovered their apricot mayo. It’s not anything like mayo, though. It’s more of like an apricot jam. It is always a staple for my Marti’s visits. And to finish off your yummy Marti’s sandwiches and salads are the largest cookies you will ever see. They are definitely worth every bite.

Another great thing about Marti’s is their catering service. This is a great way for Marti’s to advertise to people at events that might not have known about Marti’s beforehand. Marti’s has a cute website that showcases their menu, story, press, and recipes. Marti’s also has a presence on social media, such as Facebook and Instagram. They post attractive pictures on their Instagram account, which also posts to their Facebook profile. These posts are informative, yet they also have an appealing quality that attracts “foodies” because they include pictures of their food, as well as pictures of their customers and events. On their social media posts, Marti’s includes many hashtags, which is a great way to attract followers and promote their business. Aside from creating delicious food, Marti’s has mastered the art of social media as well.

            Marti’s definitely ranks #1 on my list, so if you haven’t visited yet, I highly suggest you do!