If you’re searching for restaurants in Griffin GA because you’re relocating or you’ve lived here a while and feel stuck in the same three-restaurant rotation, this is for you. Griffin’s food scene has quietly grown into something worth paying attention to, and a lot of people haven’t caught up yet. There are some genuinely great local spots here that don’t get nearly enough credit, and there’s enough variety that you’ll never have a good excuse to drive to Atlanta just to find something decent to eat.

This is a locals-first guide. I’m not going to spend much time on the chains. You already know what a Chick-fil-A tastes like. What I want to tell you about are the places you’d only know about if someone who actually lives here told you.

The Short List: Where to Start

If you’re new to Griffin and want a quick starting point, here’s where I’d send you first:

• Best breakfast: Murphys Restaurant
• Best local brewery/dinner: Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen
• Best street tacos: El Saborcito (Weekly Specials & Taco Tuesdays)
• Best pizza: Slices Pizzeria
• Best burger: Smash Burger Bar (get the sauce on the side)
• Best coffee: Black Smoke Coffee
• Best Mexican: Catarina’s Mexican Restaurant (get the Cowboy Special)

Breakfast in Griffin: Start the Day Right

Murphys Restaurant

508 W Taylor St.

If you only go to one breakfast spot in Griffin, make it Murphys. The menu blends classic American breakfast with some Mexican-influenced options, and they do both well. Have you heard about a toasted biscuit?  You need to try it!  The breakfast tacos are legitimately good, the biscuits and gravy are exactly what you want them to be, and the 2-egg breakfast plate is simple, filling, and priced right.

The service is great and the food comes out the way it should. It closes at 2 PM, so don’t drag your feet getting there. This is also where I host my Friday morning men’s breakfast every week, which should tell you something about the kind of place it is. It’s the kind of spot that becomes a weekly habit without you even realizing it.

Editor’s Pick, Dekota’s Order: Breakfast tacos.  You can’t go wrong.

Corner Cafe

101 N Hill St.

Griffin’s Corner Cafe is one of those places that covers more ground than you’d expect. Erica Diaz runs it and does a great job. The food and service are reliably good every time. The menu is broader than a typical breakfast spot: they do breakfast, burgers, lasagna, and enough in between that you’ll find something regardless of what you’re in the mood for. Everything I’ve had there has been delicious.  For breakfast you have to get the french toast.

Gritz Family Restaurant

105 S Hill St.

A solid alternative if Murphys isn’t for you or you want to try something different. Gritz has a wide breakfast and lunch menu and has been a staple in Griffin for a reason. The pancakes are worth calling out specifically. They’re huge, the kind of size that makes you reconsider whether you actually needed that side of bacon. I’d start there when you go.

Best Local Restaurants in Griffin GA

Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen

129 S 6th St.

This is my favorite place in Griffin right now, and it’s not particularly close. My wife Rebecca and I are here at least once a week. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming, the drink selection is solid, and the food is genuinely good. Not just “good for a brewery” good, actually good.

Rebecca gets the pork belly rice bowl with collard greens every single time. I’m usually on the buffalo chicken sandwich. Both are the kind of menu items you keep coming back to because you haven’t found a reason to order anything else yet.

If you want a built-in reason to get out of the house on a Tuesday, they host trivia nights through Brightside Entertainment. Clifford Warner (aka “Mr. Brightside”) does a great job running it. Trivia is open to anyone who walks in, just make sure you get your team registered before it starts. Free parking, no-stress vibe, good food. There’s really not a reason not to go.

Yelp currently ranks Piedmont Brewery as the #1 restaurant in Griffin, and on this one, I think the algorithm got it right.

Editor’s Pick: Buffalo chicken sandwich (Dekota) and pork belly rice bowl with collard greens (Rebecca). Tuesday trivia night is worth putting on the calendar.

Smash Burger Bar

130 W Solomon St.

Relatively new to the downtown Griffin scene and worth checking out. I’ve been once and came away impressed. The burger was solid and the onion rings were genuinely great. One tip: ask for the smashburger sauce on the side instead of having them put it on the burger. You’ll have more control over it and enjoy it more. The seating and atmosphere make it an easy spot to settle into, which is part of why I’ll go here before a longer drive to something more familiar.

Slices Pizzeria

136 W Solomon St.

A Griffin staple. The seating can be limited, so go with that expectation. The buffalo chicken pizza is the move, though the meat lovers holds its own just fine. They also do hot wings, and they’re worth ordering. It’s a solid neighborhood pizza spot that doesn’t try to be more than what it is, which is usually a sign that what it is is pretty good.

Editor’s Pick: Buffalo chicken pizza or meat lovers. Grab an order of wings while you’re at it.

Lunch Spots in Griffin

Bank Street Cafe

122 S. Hill St.

A solid lunch option with an American menu that covers more ground than a typical cafe. Rebecca is a regular and swears by the salads. Good food, relaxed atmosphere, the kind of place that works whether you’re grabbing a quick lunch solo or sitting down with someone.

Mill Towne Gourmet

116 N. Hill St.

Sandwich and deli spot on N Hill St. Rebecca’s order is the Reuben with the Garlic Herb Fries, which is usually a pretty good benchmark for whether a deli knows what it’s doing. Worth adding to the lunch rotation if you work or spend time in that part of downtown.

Mexican and Latin Restaurants in Griffin GA

El Saborcito

414 E Solomon St.

This is a gem and not enough people know about it. The street tacos are fantastic. Genuinely, legitimately fantastic. The soups are good too. Seating can be limited, so be prepared for that, but the food is totally worth it.

They run weekly specials, and Tuesday is the street taco special day. That’s also when my wife and I tend to go, mostly because it’s become a pre-trivia tradition: street tacos at El Saborcito, then walk it off at Tuesday trivia at Piedmont Brewery. If you’re looking for an easy Tuesday night plan, that’s a pretty solid template.

Editor’s Pick: The street tacos.  Steak and Chorizo.

Catarina’s Mexican Restaurant

650 N. Expressway

If you want Mexican food in Griffin and you want to support a locally owned place, Catarina’s is where you go. The food is good, the prices are fair, and every time I’ve been in there the place is spotless and the staff is genuinely friendly. That combination is rarer than it should be.

Rebecca and I both get the Cowboy Special with fajita vegetables added. That’s the order. Don’t overthink it.

Editor’s Pick: The Cowboy Special, add fajita vegetables.

More Mexican Options in Griffin

Griffin punches above its weight in this category. La Parrilla on W Taylor St is a popular chain option. La Casita on Experiment St, El Catrin on W McIntosh Rd, and El Toro Loco (surprisingly great hot wings here) on Ethridge Mill Rd are all worth knowing about. Taco Rico on W Taylor St is a family-run spot with a drive-through if you’re in a hurry.

Coffee in Griffin

Hall Coffee Co.

1541 N Expressway

Family-run and easy to miss if you don’t know it’s there, tucked into the Walmart shopping center on the Expressway. That location might not scream “great coffee shop” but don’t let it fool you. Worth knowing about, especially if you’re already on that side of town.

Black Smoke Coffee

2914 Macon Rd.

If you need a coffee shop that’s actually a coffee shop, Black Smoke Coffee is the answer. Good coffee, comfortable atmosphere, the kind of place you can actually spend time in. This is where I’d send someone who asks where to get a decent cup of coffee in Griffin.

Kiosko Venezia Cafe

315 W Solomon St, Suite 110 (Mill & Market Building)

This one is brand new and I haven’t been yet, but I’m going this week. It’s a Latin coffee shop concept in the Mill & Market building on Solomon Street, which is shaping up to be a genuinely interesting little block in downtown Griffin. I’ve heard good things and the concept is different enough from anything else in town that it’s worth checking out. I’ll have more to say about this one soon.

Other Coffee Worth Knowing

Caribou Coffee, Dunkin’, and two Starbucks locations are all in town if you’re a chain coffee person. Tropical Smoothie Cafe on Highway 16 West covers you for smoothies and healthier options.  Safehouse Coffee Roasters on S Hill St. is also an option for your coffee bean needs.

Desserts in Griffin

Kizzy’s Kakes

215 S 6th St.

Local bakery doing custom cakes and baked goods. Well-regarded in the community and a go-to for anyone who needs a cake worth showing up with.

Angels Ice Cream

128 W Solomon St.

Local ice cream shop on Solomon Street. If you’re already downtown grabbing dinner, this is an easy and obvious next stop.

Other Dessert Options

Smallcakes Cupcakery & Creamery on N Expressway is your move for cupcakes and ice cream. Corner Cafe on N Hill St also has a solid cake selection that most people don’t realize is there until someone tells them, so save room if you’re headed that way. Griffin also has two Dairy Queen locations if you need a Blizzard and don’t want to think too hard about it.

Hangouts and Bars in Griffin

If you’ve already read the dining section, you know Piedmont Brewery belongs here too. Here’s what else the hangout and bar scene has to offer.

The Tipsy Daisy

132 S Hill St, Griffin, GA | 21+ Only

If Griffin has a personality bar, this is it. Small, charming, and packed with good vibes in the middle of downtown. The drink menu is solid and the happy hour runs daily from 5 to 7 PM, which is reason enough to show up on a weeknight. The weekly lineup keeps things interesting: Music Trivia on Wednesdays, Line Dancing on Thursdays, and Live Music on Fridays and Saturdays. They also host and sponsor bar crawls around town on a regular basis. Worth knowing about if you’re trying to actually meet people in Griffin rather than just grab a drink.

Southern Social by Firemaker Brewing

122 W Bank St

Full bar and kitchen in a space that’s built more for gathering than for a quiet dinner.  Where Southern Social wins is the atmosphere and the extras. They have golf simulators, which makes it a solid pick for a group looking to make a night of it rather than just grab dinner.

The Garden Beer Garden & Venue

314 E Solomon St

Outdoor bar with beer, wine, spirits, and light bar food. They do live music, trivia nights, and regular events, which gives it a different energy than most spots in town. Food options are limited, so eat before you go or treat it as a drinks-and-hang situation. It’s a good place, the kind of outdoor venue Griffin needed.

Pour Decisions

136 S Hill St

Taking over the former Smokin Margaritas location on S Hill St. Their ribbon cutting is May 1st, so by the time you’re reading this they should be open. Worth checking out as a new addition to the downtown bar scene.

Nic McKay’s Irish Pub

133 S Hill St

A hometown pub in downtown Griffin built around the idea that everyone who walks in gets treated like family. Live sports, live music, food, and yes, plenty of Guinness. Soft opening is May 1st starting at 3 PM, same day Pour Decisions is doing their ribbon cutting just down the street. If you’re out that Friday afternoon it’s shaping up to be a great night to explore the downtown bar scene.

Seafood and Other Spots Worth Mentioning

Griffin has a few seafood options that tend to fly under the radar. Yasin’s Homestyle Seafood in Spalding Village Shopping Center (1424 N Expy) and Southside Seafood on Meriwether St both have their followings. Rivers Run Catfish is another one that comes up in local conversations.

For Mediterranean, Angelos (102 N Hill St) has good reviews and covers Greek and Italian ground. Margo’s Mediterranean Cuisine on W Taylor St is another option in that category.

What About the Chains?

Look, the restaurants in Griffin GA include the full chain lineup. McDonald’s (three locations), Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, LongHorn Steakhouse, Applebee’s, Moe’s, Taco Bell, Whataburger, Caribou Coffee, and a Panda Express coming soon. If you need them, they’re all here. But you didn’t move to Griffin to eat at Applebee’s. Use this list instead.

Nothing Bundt Cakes is also reportedly on the way, which is worth noting for anyone with a cake situation to handle.

Final Food for Thought

Griffin’s food scene is growing, and the most interesting part of that growth is coming from local, independent spots, not the chains filling in along the Expressway. The restaurants in Griffin GA worth talking about are the ones run by people who actually live here and care whether you come back.

If you’re relocating to Griffin and trying to figure out where to plug in, start with Piedmont Brewery on a Tuesday night. Get there in time for trivia, meet some people, and you’ll leave with a better sense of the town than any real estate guide can give you.

Have a spot I missed? Drop it in the comments. I’m always looking for a reason to try somewhere new.

FAQ’s: Resturants in Griffin

Dekota Oechsle

With a decade of experience in commercial construction and a degree in construction management, I bring a unique perspective to my work as a REALTOR® and real estate investor. Specializing in residential, land, and investment properties, I am dedicated to helping my clients navigate the complexities of the real estate market.

What drives me is more than just transactions; it’s the relationships I build along the way. I believe in serving my clients with integrity and providing detailed, clear communication to ensure they feel confident every step of the way. My passion for real estate, combined with my extensive knowledge of construction, allows me to offer insights that are both practical and strategic.

I am committed to creating a positive experience for my clients, whether they are first-time homebuyers or seasoned investors. Together, we can turn your real estate goals into reality.

I’m here to assist you with your real estate needs; you can reach me at

678-215-8230 or via email at [email protected].