Fine Dining with a Local Flair

B.C. Davenports
301 Georgia Avenue (just across the 13th Street Bridge in North Augusta)
(803) 278-4462
Built a year before North Augusta was established, the historic B.C. Davenport home welcomes diners into its warm surroundings for delicious lunches and relaxing dinners, featuring such menu items as chicken pot pie with a crust that literally melts in your mouth, chicken strips or maybe filet mignon. Round out your meal with our now famous "Back Porch Salad," and you will know why hundreds of people cross the bridge into North Augusta in anticipation of dining at B.C. Davenports.

Beamie's at the River
865 Reynolds St.
(706) 724-6593
For a true taste of Augusta, Beamie's is not be missed. Between Broad Street and the river, it is a favorite with the locals who work downtown. The menu has fish, shrimp and oysters in many combinations, plus chicken and steak for those who like their food landlocked. The lunch menu is mostly sandwiches and salads with a seafood element but dinner is more extensive and includes items not on the lunch menu, like broiled salmon. All of the food is excellent, and the shrimp gumbo is definitely worth the trip. Lunch prices are moderate, falling mostly in the $5 to $7 range. Dinner is more expensive, between $10 and $14 an entree, but it's well worth it for this little slice of Augusta.

French Market Grille
425 Highland Ave.
(706) 737-4865
368 Fury's Ferry Road, Martinez,
(706) 855-5111
Want a great meal in a great atmosphere, and want to find it every time? Then French Market is the place to go! You can start off with a Cajun Martini and a pile of crawfish, or perhaps some red beans and rice with a cold beer -- there are plenty of types to choose from! The entrees are equally delicious. Choose from blackened steaks, fresh seafood, the best po-boys going and our personal favorite -- the crab chop, a big, flat crab cake that defines delicious. And you must save room for dessert ... bread pudding, peach melba, lemon pie and, of course, peanut butter pie.

Hot Foods by Calvin
2027 Broad St.
(706) 738-5666
If you're looking for some good Southern cooking, then Hot Foods by Calvin is the place to be. The décor's not fancy, the service isn't terribly fast, and if you aren't looking for it, you might drive right past it. But down-home cooking doesn't get any better than this. Hot Foods by Calvin has the best collard greens in town -- and we don't mean those nasty canned collard greens you find in supermarkets. We're talking fresh-from-the-field greens, seasoned just right. The smoked turkey and dressing dinner and the fried chicken dinner are highly recommended. Come find out why Hot Foods by Calvin has been called one of Augusta's best in various polls of Augustans.

Kurama Japanese Seafood and Steak House-Sushi Bar
2834 Washington Road
(706) 737-4015
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 5-10:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday: 4:30-11:30 p.m.; Sunday, closes at 10:30 p.m.
Skip the dinner and a movie routine by rolling both into one. Kurama specializes in Japanese food prepared for you, right before your eyes. Several groups of people are seated around a grill and table called a "Teppanyaki table," where the chef comes to you to prepare your meal. The chef dices, slices, cooks and serves your food, all the while engaging in small talk, telling jokes and in general providing an entertaining evening along with your filling meal. You can order a main meal of steak, chicken, seafood and vegetables. The meals include soup, salad, rice, vegetables and a plethora of wonderful dipping sauces. Chances are, you will be filled long before your main selection ever hits the grill, so come with a hearty appetite. Visit Kurama if you're looking to be entertained and don't mind sharing a meal with several strangers. Unless you arrive with a large party, chances are great that other patrons will be seated around the table with you. This is not the place to go to be left alone or to discuss top-secret business deals.

La Maison on Telfair
404 Telfair Street
(706) 722-4805
If it's fine dining you want, La Maison is your choice. From a gracious southern revival home, La Maison not only dishes up some fine food but combines it with excellent service, which includes a personable staff and a greeting by the chef for every diner and guest. An extensive wine list, exotic specials such as game and seafood, the freshest oysters in town and a wide range of choices from the bar are among the other qualities that make La Maison a four-star restaurant. Among La Maison's specialties are fresh-herb marinated Colorado rack of lamb, Dover sole, buffalo, ostrich, pheasant, quail and venison, as well as top choice Midwestern steaks.

Luigi's Restaurant
590 Broad Street
(706) 722-4056
The Ballas Family has been serving its customers for more than 40 years at 504 Broad St. Such celebrities as Elvis, Jackie Gleason and Ben Crenshaw have been known to frequent Luigi's Restaurant, especially during the Masters® Golf Tournament. Moderately priced entrees include Italian, Greek and Mediterranean dishes. The atmosphere, service and food are well worth the occasional wait. Dim lights, intimate booths and music filling the room from the jukebox provide for a romantic lunch or dinner. If you are planning a business meeting, an elegant anniversary dinner or even a casual lunch with friends, then Luigi's is definitely the place to check out.

Rhinehart's Oyster Bar
3051 Washington Road
(706) 860-2337
"Beyond casual" is the advertised atmosphere here. And the slogan's accentuated by the low overhead -- a la cement-block walls and cement floors. But what must be the biggest ice-making machine in town and people standing two to three deep at the bar waiting to eat while they sip on cold beer are proof that the Rhinehart's seafood offerings are big hits with Augustans. Nightly seafood and beer specials are two of the bigger attractions here. Steamed shrimp at $2 a dozen is the special fare on Mondays and packs the house. Or, you can try the bargains the rest of the week -- crab legs on Tuesdays, oysters on the half shell on Wednesdays, breaded shrimp on Thursdays and spicy chicken wings on Sundays. That's right, chicken wings. We almost forgot to mention that Rhinehart's doesn't just serve up seafood -- the hamburgers are some of the biggest in town, and the "Frank's special" is something you won't find on any other local menu. It's a butterfly chicken breast with onions and mushrooms, all grilled in butter and served atop a bed of lettuce.

Sconyers Bar-B-Que
2250 Sconyers Way
(706) 790-5411
10 a.m to 10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday.
If you're hankering for a taste of real southern barbecue, then Sconyers Bar-B-Que Restaurant is the place to eat. There's only one catch:It's only open three days a week. The remainder of the time locals are forced to pass by the silent darkened establishment with longing in our hearts and hash and rice on our minds. But let us assure you, it's well worth the wait. Thursday arrives and our faithful patronage is rewarded when the Sconyers doors open. Once you're seated, you're presented a pitcher of sweet tea ( after all,this is the South and one shouldn't have to ask for what's natural) and a basket of fresh, melt-in-your -mouth bread. Sconyers Bar-B-Que serves some of the finest southern barbecue we've ever tasted. Its menu features world famous barbecue ribs and, for the health conscious, 96% fat free T-loin and turkey. All plates and platters include hash and rice with cole slaw or potato salad. (Nudge, nudge: Go for the potato salad, it's wonderful.) The servings are incredibly generous, so be sure to have a place in your refrigerator for the leftovers. A relaxing atmosphere is accompanied by a dizzying array of pudgy, porcelain pigs to accent the unique southern charm of this establishment.

T's Restaurant
3416 Old Savannah Road (Highway 56)
(706) 798-4145
It's known for a killer salad bar, but it's the fishy offerings that have put this establishment atop Augusta Magazine's best seafood list. Our personal favorite is the stuffed crab, but golden fried shrimp and big fries are among the T's staples, as is catfish. And, oh, yes, don't forget the hushpuppies -- they're not your typical round variety, but large cylinders that must be among the biggest in town. If seafood's not your preference this visit, be mindful that folks leave T's and talk at lengths about its fried chicken, too. Click here for a map.

T-Bonz Steakhouse of Augusta
2856 Washington Road
(706) 737-8325
1654 Gordon Highway
(706) 796-1875
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. (Friday and Saturday closes at 11 p.m.) Sunday noon-10 p.m.
T-Bonz seems to be the continuous winner of the "best steak in Augusta," according to Augusta Magazine. The inside plays upon the "western outdoors-y" theme that most steakhouses have. But T-Bonz doesn't go overboard in such a way as to make you feel you should have worn spurs and a six-shooter. The specialty of the place is steak in a variety of cuts and sizes, from a 9-ounce fillet to a whopping, 22-ounce T-bone. T-Bonz offers seafood and chicken entrees, too, or try a combo dinner of beef, seafood or chicken. Burgers, sandwiches, soups, wings and a variety of appetizers round out the remainder of the menu. Have room for dessert? T-Bonz offers that as well. T-bonz is a favorite with the locals and if yougo during the evenings, especially on a weekend, expect a crowd and await for a table.

TreyBon
520 Reynolds Street (between Broad Street and the river)
(706) 724-0632
YeeeeeeeHawwwwww! Barbecue with an attitude, folks! Barbecue sauces to please every palate (that's fancy for whatever you like). Featuring ribs, rice and hashes, flavored with cajun spices and as a consideration for the faint at heart, a milder version is available. Cole slaw and hush puppies fit for a king and a favorite appetizer ... fried dill pickles. Those are dill pickle spears dipped in a beer batter, deep-fried to a golden brown and served with a brown, cajun honey-mustard that will make you sweat. Nothing fancy, folks -- there are plastic tablecloths and somewhat rickety chairs, but the food makes the visit more than worthwhile. For a real Southern treat, try the place with the faux French name -- TreyBon!