The World Famous

I don’t get it.
I stopped in for a chicken and waffle sandwich and pork buns at the recommendation of a friend, and was sorely disappointed.
The chicken tasted like it came out of a freezer bag of chicken tenders, and the waffle was soggy. They were out of pork buns, so I ordered the poutine instead. The fries were alright, but the cheese curds were no good and the gravy tasted like a powder mix.
I might come back to try a cocktail, but never again for dinner.

If you are looking for the best hot wings look no further world-​famous got the best wings in Georgia

Went back with some friends after drinking, had the schwarma and a bit of my friend’s pork buns. The pork buns are basically just Asian-​ish tacos with a thick bun instead of a thin shell, and they’re good. A little spicy (it has chili mayo AND sriracha), but ya’ll already know how I feel about the hipster attachment to smothering things in hot sauce.
Here’s the best part: THAT SCHWARMA! For real, it’s delicious and will probably be the only thing I order there if I return. The schwarma is a mix of beef and lamb, but they don’t specify where it’s from or where it’s made. I’m pretty sure the meat is bought frozen and reheated in house, but I’d love to be wrong on that. A little pricey for $ 10 as well — that’s a $ 7 sandwich if I’ve ever seen one, it’s just meat, lettuce, some dressing, and a pita.
Eh, I guess I’m still not into this place. I kinda wish I was though — the staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, and there’s plenty of folks there at all times of the day/​night.

This is a really great bar with great cocktails. Their food is also pretty good, and it’s a great place for a late-​night, drunk snack.

I’ve been a HUGE fan of Bain Mattox’s music for years now and was pleasantly surprised that he has opened up a restaurant in the college town of Athens serving up great bar food.
Definitely come here for the chicken n’ waffles sandwich.
The steamed pork buns were really messy to eat. Not sure why they put sauce on the outside of the buns instead of inside — sure, it may look art-​sy, but is a pain to eat.
The french fries and onion rings were spot on.
Only miss on the menu was a cocktail of PBR and Orange Juice — not so good.

The World Famous is a great Athens establishment where you can find craft cocktails served in mason jars, authentic tasting (though not looking) pork buns, a good variety of cheap to fancy beer, and a casual, yet trendy atmosphere.
Though this place tends to lean on the hip side, it is not overwhelmingly «hipster» — so bring your co-​workers, close friends, or even that guy you know with the handlebar mustache. If heading there on the weekend, I would recommend going on the early side if you’re hoping to get a seat at the bar or a table by the stage (where bands perform on occasion).
Oh, and make sure you check to see if the free pinball machine is working — that thing is a blast… especially when you’re a few Flash Gordons (gin with lime and Cheerwine) deep.

Awesome food in a complete dive of a place. Had the pork steam buns and a catfish poboy special they had. The onion rings are out of this world, so light and delicious!

This place is what makes Athens the food haven it is. Excellent cocktails and some of the best bar food I’ve ever had.
I came here after a friend recommended I try the Chicken & Waffle Club. And man was it delicious. The fluffy, crispy waffle serves as the bread holding together a perfectly fried & juicy piece of dark meat chicken. The chicken breast is drizzled with the complimentary combination of sweet, maple butter sauce and homemade hot sauce. It’s topped with thick bacon, lettuce and tomato. The sandwich is served with fries.
It has a great atmosphere too. It’s laid back with a kind of casual, artsy ambience. There’s a couple vintage pinball machines and some quirky pieces and folk art on the wall. The paintings are done by local artists and I believe are rotational. There’s also work by R. A. Miller, which might add to my personal bias of loving the interior.
A little pricey, but overall a great place. I’ll be back

I have my usual favorites in Athens, but recently saw this featured on a TV show, so gave it a shot. I had the Chicken & Waffle Club — which was ok the way it was served, but was screaming for more «sweet». They don’t have syrup, so I got a side of honey and that did the trick! On the day we were there the special was pork nachos — WOW! I didn’t think I would like, but my friend got it and I couldn’t stop sneaking bites off her plate! It’s a small place, but good. Will def check it out again next time in town.

I was turned on to this place my by boyfriend and his sister, and absolutely love it!!! Sooo yummy

This is a cool joint, so much so that I think there’s some protectiveness I sensed from its patrons. They’re glad for the intimacy of it, and indeed it’s a small place. The food is seriously good, though I mostly just recall the fries. Their mixed drinks are carefully made with fresh squeezed stuff, and the prices are quite decent. Their selection of beer is delicious and adequate (probably five or six on tap and many more in cans and bottles). Also you can carry on a conversation here, which is not to say they don’t play music (good selection actually), but that it doesn’t impede a bit of unstrained dialectic.

Absolutely love this place. The food is fantastic and unique. And the cocktails are really great.
Came for dinner tonight but have been a few times before. I always have to get the pork buns — seriously heaven on a perfectly steamed bun. Nicely spicy. Tried the chicken and waffle club tonight — not my favorite but it was good. I’ve also really enjoyed the pretzel bites, wings, and tho schwarma.
As far as cocktails go, I’m a whiskey fan and they have a ton of great options. Can’t go wrong. They also have a few with gin if that’s your thing. The beer selection is also usually unique and mostly cans (which are all the rage now).
Go early to avoid a crowd for dinner and happy hour drinks. Or if you feel like getting dance-​y, go on a weekend night when the have a DJ (or karaōke). Both are fun.
Plus, food is served until 2am. Definitely the best quality you can get DT that late.

We stopped into 5 bar and found out they do not open for lunch but told us about famous. It was exactly what they said it would be and more. Hole in the wall, in a clean we found a hidden jackpot kinda way. Lunch was delicious. Staff was super chill and friendly. Since we had to go back to work we didnt have any cocktails but I hope to make it back to try a few.

Great find! Thanks Unilocalers for the hints. The drinks — craft drinks with a reasonable price tag. Fresh squeezed juice in most, makes for a tasty beverage. The hand cut fries were crispy and prices well.

I had a chicken and waffle club sandwich! Do I really need to say anymore than that as to why The World Famous gets Five Stars?
The World Famous is over on the «townie» side of downtown Athens, a place where I was never hip and cool enough to hang out back in the day when I lived in Athens. Fast forward almost a decade (wow!): I’m still not a hipster, but hanging out in the fratastic places I used to frequent just feels really age inappropriate nowadays.
I went for lunch at The World Famous while I was back in my beloved Athens this weekend, and seriously this place did not disappoint. It’s a small, cozy, low key restaurant where you just want to come and stay for awhile. I love good bar food, and this place goes way above and beyond good bar food. I had the chicken and waffle club sandwich. It’s basically like having brunch! The bread of the club sandwich is two ginormous waffles, and the chicken and bacon are doused in maple syrup and hot sauce. UH-​MAZE-​ING. This was the first ever meal I found worthy of posting on Instagram (BTW who would have guessed there are over 100,000 #chickenandwaffles on there?!).
With great service and great food, The World Famous definitely made my «must see, must drink, and must eat» list for when I come back to Athens.

I agree with Ian P — it has some of the best bar food! It’s not a confused restaurant that happens to sell a lot of alcohol — it genuinely sells delicious and surprsingly diverse little morsels to munch on while enjoying a beer, glass of wine, or cocktail in a jar. Of course. It’s that kind of place. I love it.
They also have board games and a stage. Most nights it is quiet, which means you can actually have a conversation.
Make sure you try the pork buns and the pretzel bites!

I just a wrote review I gave a place 3 stars instead of 4 because «in the grand scheme of all restaurants». If I were to keep with that same mantra on this review this place would probably be 3 stars because it’s just bar food when it comes right down to it. HOWEVER, it’s the best damn bar food I’ve ever had so I’m throwing out a 5-​starrer.
The chicken & waffle sandwich is absolutely incredible with that mix of syrup, hot sauce, fried chicken AND a waffle… my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I tried the eggroll which was really good too but we came back the next day for quick bite and got the pork steam buns which was just out of this world… TASTY pork, the best mix of freshness and crispyness, hits. the. spot.
Enjoy for a drunken night out or just a quick stop, you won’t be disappointed!

We ate here this past Saturday after the first home game. There was very little wait to put an order in, and the food came out pretty quickly. And it was DAMN TASTY. Granted, we had been tailgating and been to the game, so we were pretty hungry, but the pork buns, corn dogs, waffle/​chicken sandwich and fries were all scarffed down to great fanfare.
And the Greyhound is still really good.

Comfort is the word that comes to mind when I think of the World Famous.
The space.
The staff.
The food.
The drinks.
The music.
The World Famous has given us yet another reason to love Athens, Ga.

This new locale seems to embody the trinity of Athenian fundamentals: quality music, alcohol, and food. The space is divided into two areas, which can be separated at will. Half is an intimate musical venue and half is a well-​stocked and varied bar.
There are many drink options. Beers, both domestic and craft, and wines are aplenty. Coffee and teas are also available. The earl grey soda sounds intriguing, but I’ll have to try it next time. There will definitely be a next time.
The food menu is a small but decent offering of meat and vegetarian options. I recommend the crispy tofu lettuce wraps.
The energy here is spectacular. The local art anchors the venue in no place but Athens, where it belongs. Hopefully, it’s here for good.