Weaver DS

Five stars on G.P.
Dexter Weaver, the legend himself, greeted me at 20 till closing with a friendly «all I have left is catfish, crowder peas and greens. Is that ok for you?» When I said «sure!» He replied with «Automatic».
For those of us that r.e.m.ember buying most of R.E.M.‘s albums as they were first released, this is somewhat of a hajj, akin to visiting the St. Mary’s episcopal church steeple (btw, reconstruction started on that earlier this year on the 35^th anniversary of r.e.m.‘s first concert there). But I don’t want this to be the nerdy band fan’s review. Dexter Weaver has an exceptional thing going in Weaver D’s and the congenial service along with clearly fresh and delicious foods underscores a well deserved and hard earned reputation.
One can have any beverage they wish, provided it’s from the 5 gallon container on the counter. It contained pink lemonade today — maybe it’s that every day.
The décor, expectedly, includes images of the band (after all, they named their most highly acclaimed studio album after Dexter’s exclamation «Automatic!»), along with reviews from newspapers near and far.
I came for the pork chops — but the catfish didn’t disappoint.
Let the pictures and videos do the talking.
Automatic!

Been to Athens multiple times, this was our second time here. You order your meat/​entrée with the cook and move down to the cashier for you sides. Very efficient and nice people.
The first time my man got an «Automatic» for the people. Very memorable. I got the country fried steak, which I normally do not like… It was great. My got the chicken, awesome.
On this second trip we friends in time for the annual concert at the 40 Watt. I got the smothered (with gravy) chicken with greens and mach and cheese. Again I usually do not dig on dark meat but again it was awesome. My got the chicken again with green beans and potatoes, he loved it.
We will definitely be back the next time we come back to Athens.

I’m a recovering food slut, and every now and then I have a relapse!
THE SCENE
I drove out to Athens to have lunch with my oldest son. We were enjoying some delicious Shrimp & Grits at Chops & Hops when he reminded me of Weaver D’s. You see, he went to school here @ UGA and several times we made plans to go to Weaver D’s for lunch, but something always got in the way. Mostly it was because they didn’t seem to keep to the scheduled hours they posted. Often they would be closed during hours they were supposed to be open and for a while they appeared to be closed for business permanently.
Already bulging with a full belly, I walked into Weaver D’s with the intention of getting something to take home for dinner. I decided on three chicken wings with a side of macaroni & cheese and dressing with gravy. The gentlemen owner was very nice and had a melodious tone to his voice. I didn’t ask if he was a singer, but I am certain he has vocal skills just from his tone. He was very proper and polite and didn’t hesitate when I asked if I could take a picture with him. It’s just my thing, I like taking pics with owners of places like this, particularly when I don’t think I will ever have opportunity to come back. Who knows, he may be featured on ‘Diners, Drive-in’s & Dives’ someday.
The exterior is an eye catching lime green sure to cause an accident if you focus on it too hard while driving!
THE FOOD
The interior is simple and almost feels like a backroom break area. All kinds of memorabilia and pics dress the walls along with several happy college students getting their grub on. Prior to leaving, I sampled a taste of each of my food items while they was still hot and fresh and would rate them as follows:
* FRIED CHICKEN WINGS — 3 stars
Not bad, but I could taste the grease (which probably means they need to change or better filter their cooking oil).
* MACARONI & CHEESE — 1 star
Not very cheese, more like noodles with a light cheese sauce.
* DRESSING w/​gravy — 4 stars
This was really very good. I wouldn’t mind ordering a pan of this next Thanksgiving. I LOVE the fact they put celery in their dressing and also that it was moist and not dry. Very well seasoned.
* SWEET TEA — 3 stars
The tea tasted a little watery and wasn’t very sweet. Big props that they use crushed ice here.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s the kind of place you want to do well. Nice folks just trying to make their dreams come true. However, I wish the food was better tasting, especially taking into consideration the price. My meal with an extra side of macaroni & cheese for my son (whom also didn’t like it) totaled just over $ 13. Geeez Louise! I would have been happier with a KFC meal at half the price. 2.75 stars rounded to 3.

«Automatic for the People!!» Classic Soul Food in Athens GA. Don’t get me started on his fried Chicken! Weaver was our cook at the ATO house back in 1989. Not sure many of us had had chitlins or ox tails n gravy before that :) Weaver D is soul food and it is delicious! if you go to school at UGA — YOU HAVE TO GO TRY IT!!!

Wow! I had been to Athens once before, before the R.E.M. album. so when I decided to visit again, I had to eat here. My expectations were high but my experience was even higher! even though the side dish choices were limited due to the late afternoon visit, the chicken — THE CHICKEN — was the best I have ever had (no hyperbole)! The breading is the key — I don’t know how they made it, but it’s worth a trip to Athens just to eat it.

Homestyle heaven. Greeted with a warm hello and smile every time, AUTOMATIC!
I’ve never had something as heavening as Weaver D’s fried chicken, extra leg for dollar and a quarter. And make sure. No really! Make sure that you get the apple cobbler. You NEED to have some.
And if you don’t know, this Athens, GA gem was made famous when R.E.M. titled one of their albums «Automatic For The People» which is the motto Weaver D’s is founded on. Be there, be happy, and come on back down!

First time here and hopefully not my last when I visit Athens again. Small place, but with a big southern heart. Food was very good and I felt welcomed as I walked in. Got the chicken and gravey special. Lots of food.

How many times have I been in Athens and said I should try Weaver Ds? Way too many and now i could kick myself. The fried chicken was great with 2 really good side and a drink. Only drawback was tomorrow is banana pudding day. We will definitely be back on next trip to Athens.

awesome service!

Came here again several months ago and was severely disappointed in my meal. We got there when they opened, and many, if not most, of the menu items were still being cooked and weren’t going to be ready for a while. Of course, I found this out AFTER we had already ordered and paid. We would’ve either gone somewhere else or gone to do something else for an hour and come back had they let us know. The food that we did get (fried chicken, fried pork chop, dressing, green beans… and that was the extent of the options available at that time) weren’t all that great. My fried pork chop was cold, dry, and soggy. All in all, a pretty disappointing let-​down of a visit, which is a shame given how head over heels I was about this place on my first visit.

Well let me say first that Weaver Ds ‘s is truly «For The People». Went 3 times now with my kid and the fried chicken IS ALWAYS crispy and hot. Thanks for serving the Athens Community for so many years.

Weaver D’s, I just don’t get it. What is all the hoop-​la about. For years I wanted to go to Weaver D’s because I’d heard so much about the place. I could never get there because the hours of operation are so funky and never allowed me to go. Well, my daughter and I finally made it and I will say the place has an ambiance aobut it but why? Is it because Weaver D and the hours of operation are so mysterious, so elusive. The food was absolutely mediocre. I can cook better than all of the cooks with one arm tied behind my back. And the prices ! What a rip-​off. Smh ! I won’t even talk about what I had because I’ve forgotten already !

As I approach my return to the beloved «Ath» for a football game there are several landmarks that I anticipate visiting. There are of course the Arches, North Campus, Sanford Stadium. I can’t forget the bars where I spent so many nights as a young man reveling with friends. I also very much enjoy driving to the top of the parking deck and taking in a birds eye view of the town below. Off to the eastern side of town, past the railroad tracks is a humble, one story structure that looks more like a small house than it does a restaurant. That place is called Weaver D’s and is arguably the most important landmark in Athens.
There are so many reasons that exist «on the plate» to love Weaver D’s. And yet there are more reasons to love Weaver D’s for what is «off the plate.»
What do I mean by «off the plate?»
I mean the atmosphere. The smells. The greeting. Heck, the gravel parking lot. If that parking lot were paved perfect, it would not be the same. You follow? Most importantly, what exists off the plate is the culture. The family. The community. The history. All of these forces come together at Weaver D’s to form an experience that is so much more than the fantastic sweet tea or world famous fried chicken. Take your time over there and observe a lesson in Southern culinary history. If you open your heart and let yourself experience the magic of this timeless institution, you will have a spiritual catharsis.

Wow…14 years later… I finally tried Weaver D’s.
Maybe I wasn’t being adventuress enough, or maybe I didn’t notice their unassuming location, or maybe I didn’t understand where 1 of my favorite 90’s albums namesake came from… but finally… I’ve tried Weaver D’s.
We decided to change up our game day routine this year and try a different restaurant. So, we got there a little bit later in the afternoon (~2pm) and already kind of had in mind what to order.
I went with the Fried Chicken (white meat), mac n’ cheese, and the squash souflee. The meal also included a cornbread muffin and a drink for about $ 9.50. There’s also a $ 0.25 upcharge if you pay with a credit card — FYI. Dexter Weaver was running the register himself and it was pretty slow inside. Probably because it was game day and also it was kind of in between lunch and dinner.
From there, you walk a few short steps towards the kitchen (which is all open — as in you can see the stove top) and another employee will serve you up your food. The chicken must have been cooked right on the spot, but the sides were scooped out of some rather large tin foil-​esque platters. I actually asked for the broccoli souflee, but she must not have understood or something and she gave me the squash souflee. No matter, I’m sure they were similar.
So…this is Southern Soul Food, so don’t come here if you’re health conscious. There will be heaps of salt, butter, and cheese on most anything you eat there so just be warned. As other reviewers commented, if you get there late, then the sides really aren’t very fresh. They’re warm, but certainly not hot. So, if you do decide to check this place out, be sure to go before 12 noon in order to truly enjoy what they’re making.
The fried chicken was flavorful and 1 of the 2 pieces had a fair amount of meat on it. The 2^nd piece was about half the size and didn’t have much meat on it. It was flavored well and tasted fresher than the sides. Again, I’m the kind of person that really prefers HOT food, so the sides were a bit on the disappointing side. The mac n’ cheese was pretty decent, but not the best I’ve had by any means. The mac is made with… you guessed it macaroni. It reminded me of a friend’s homemade mac n’ cheese. Now, I did enjoy the squash souflee. It was creamy, buttery, cheesy, with just a smattering of squash in there. All in all a good choice for a side.
The bathroom is in sad shape. No where to dry your hands and you literally have to walk between the kitchen and where the register is to get there. I felt like I was walking through someone’s house.
I did briefly talk with Mr. Weaver and he didn’t come across as brash and when I put a couple of bucks in the tip jar, he said, «Automatic». That in itself bumped this up to 4 stars from 3.
I may not go back anytime soon (as I really only make it up to Athens about once a year now), but I’m glad I finally made it through the doors :)

I loved this place back in the day but it has progressively gotten worse. I gave it two more tries before I decided to write this review. The fried chicken is always good and that’s about it. I’ve had way better southern food from my hometown in central GA and other places. The vegetables taste more store bought than anything. The service is not great. They would not take our Groupon deal because Mr. Weaver wasn’t there??? Overall I was very dissatisfied and not just once but the last three times over the past year.

I for the life of me can not figure out the appeal of this restaurant – not very sanitary, and the food was very, very average. I guess having an REM connection elevates it in peoples’ eyes. I was far from impressed.

Good people and good food. A bit expensive for what it is but I haven’t been disappointed after 5 visits.

I really enjoyed my visit to Weaver D’s. Dexter seems like a character and I’d definitely go back.
The fried chicken was very decent, but I’d avoid the baked. The sides were REALLY good — I had the broccoli rice casserole and the fresh corn. His restaurant will always have a place in my heart because they had yellow cake with chocolate frosting the day I went. My favorite kind fo cake and you can never find it. Everyone always has fancy-​schmancy cakes.
The cornbread wasn’t my kind of cornbread. I’d much rather get the cornbread at Five Star Day.

Weaver DELICIOUS. Holy crap. This food was so good that I took a picture. And now I’ve developed a pavlovian response to the picture. And now I’m sad that I can’t get more Weaver D’s until I make another trip to Athens someday. *sigh*
Perfection is their dark meat fried chicken. I had the sweet potato soufflé (sweet and creamy and dessert-​like) and collard greens (well done, not slimy and overcooked, and probably the healthiest thing there). I tasted The Boy’s mac & cheese, which was also very good. But I think the thing that really threw it all over the edge was the über-​buttery biscuit thrown on top of all the other goodies. Oh my, that biscuit. I think I’m swooning as I write this. I made myself an Arnold Palmer with their jugs of lemonade and sweet tea to wash it down. Mmm…
It was a bit of a wait, but certainly nothing intolerable. It was, after all, game day at lunchtime. They were slammed, but I still got to sit down and eat in 15 – 20 minutes. That’s not bad, considering.
I suppose it’s a good thing I don’t live in Athens, because I would very quickly gain 50 pounds on Weaver D’s Fine Foods alone.

After four years in Athens, I decided I had to try Weaver D’s at least once before I left. With all the years of anticipation, perhaps I should’ve been on alert for a bit of a letdown, but I ended up disappointed with the Weaver D’s experience.
Waited in line for awhile, then waited even longer for the food. The interior was cramped and poorly laid out for the long lines that formed at the lunch rush. Service was okay, but nothing special (note: you have to wait in line for the food yourself after you order). I get that this is part of the restaurant’s ambiance, but it’s hard to get enough room for people to sit down to eat, stand in line, and get up to get refills, etc. under the current setup.
The best adjective to describe the food was bland. I got a meatloaf special with a few sides and lemonade and really nothing was anywhere above average. The meatloaf was oddly bland and the sides of mac and cheese and fried okra were just okay; I’ve had better at other places. I did appreciate the random slice of watermelon, but it was sadly just like the rest of the food: average. Lemonade tasted like lemon-​flavored kool-​aid; Chick-​Fil-​A has better.
I seriously tried to find things to like about Weaver D’s, but it ended up being one of the more disappointing culinary excursions that I had in Athens.