Grits Cafe

Ho-​Hum breakfast. We were expecting something more. The reputation must be historic. It looks like a good local, but certainly not worth a special trip.

My fiancée and I traveled down to Grits this past Friday, the food was amazing. I had the fried quail and she had the special (tuna and shrimp). The best part of the meal though was the desserts, the bread pudding is amazing. We will be back for sure, hopefully it will not take is as long to get back.

The highest quality restaurant in Forsyth, hands down. The food is very good thought the atmosphere is its best quality. Very cozy feel to it. In hindsight I don’t think I ordered well, but certainly will not stop me from going back to try new things. Looks like a great place to have a drink at their full service bar as well.

It’s a great place to have dinner with a group or with your spouse. Southern elegance!

What a lovely spot! Right in historic Forsyth, we found this on the way down to savannah. Everything is made from scratch– not only the pickles, but the vinegar used to make the pickles! We had the girts martini, the spring rolls, and the ahi tuna. The presentation was beautiful, the food delicious and creative. And the service was perfect!

What a wonderful place. Just off I-​75, o the square in Forsyth, GA is Grits Café, a place you’d expect to find, perhaps, in Buckhead. The owner, Chef Wayne is perfectly delightful and the food is even better. If you’re Inn the area, don’t miss it!

The food is delicious. We had the grits martini (grits, shrimp, bacon, shiitake) and a sweet onion tart. The grits martini ($ 9 for about 6oz), served in a martini glass, was creamy and flavorful. The onion tart ($ 11, about 3″ diam) consisted of caramelized onions inside a flaky, pastry crust.
What to drink? Being from the north, I tried their sweet tea. The waitress suggested I get it half and half so I won’t be overwhelmed by the sweetness. It was just right.
The place is beautifully decorated with warm colours, rich wood, and swaths of curtains gently blowing in the breeze. We visited the café in the late afternoon so it wasn’t really busy. Our waitress was attentive and my glass was never empty. It was perfect for a fancy, relaxing afternoon treat.

On our way back from Florida 3 years ago we discovered this restaurant and have been there again this year!
Perfect and fancy, stop. Great Wine list and delicious food in a unique ambiance.
Needless to say try the grits! Perfect for a date or a celebration too!

Wow amazing. Best food within 50 miles.

This place was WONDERFUL! Food and service were both excellent. We stopped here on a road trip after passing all the fast food joints on the exit and following the signs to the historic district. It sits on the Forsyth Square in a very picturesque location. We had the grits fritters, the fried green tomatoes Napoleon and the grits martini. Perfect to share!

This is a hidden jem in the middle of a small Ga town. If you are in the area for lunch try a burger. Dinner is great. I ordered crab stuffed trout. Heaping scoop of crab. Really fantastic. My friend ordered the beef rib. OMG!!! Shut the front door! If we had more room we would have gotten another plate. A bit expensive but well worth it. Highly recommend this place.

Fantastic! Stopped in on our way to Atlanta. I got the BLT that was made with fried green tomatoes and my husband got the club. Right off the highway, very easy to get to if you want a quick stop to eat lunch with great service.

$$$! This place is confused! I was shocked by the prices and the selection. I guess if your a southern bell and looking to be fancy this is the place. If your hungry go else where, this is a ladies Sunday brunch type place. I can’t say I would ever go back just do to over priced food and limited menus.

My husband found this gem on Unilocal on our way back to Florida. The atmosphere is clean, elegant and modern. The presentation of the restaurant and the way they plate food was on point!
I ordered their delicious hamburger with homemade Boursin cheese. It was cooked perfect (pink in the middle)
My mother in law order the daily special «runaway» mushroom bisque and burger in a wrap. The soup was creamy and the Gorgonzola croutons complimented the mushrooms.
My husband ordered the chicken panini a with a Ceasar salad. It looked delicious. He said it was good and the dressing was nice.

I’ve noticed that since I’m more active on Unilocal,I’m note apt to try new places. We were on our way back from Florida to Nashville & decided to get a bit to eat before hitting Atlanta. I popped open Unilocal to see what was around north of us on I-​75. I then saw Grits Café. I connected to the name, then saw it has a 5 star average rating from 51 reviews?! Must be good! We popped in the address & made our way there.
I’ve never been on Forsyth, Ga, but it’s a cute little town. The café is located on the city square, literally across the street from the Monroe County court house. We parked on the street and made our way it. It was 1:40 pm on a Saturday, I didn’t think to check about hours, but we saw in the window that lunch was from 11am-​2pm. I don’t like to go to restaurants before the close. I popped my head in and asked the hostess if it was too late for lunch. She said «oh no, how many?» and sat us at a window table.
The café has some tables out on a covered patio, along with space inside, including a bar area and private room for parties. The inside is decorated like a café you’d find in Charleston or Savannah. From what I gather from the other Unilocal reviews, there was a fire a couple years ago and they had to remodel the whole place. Wood floors, wooden tables, exposed wooden brick walls and pops of color give it an upscale feel without trying too hard.
I skimmed over the menu and saw the GC Caesar salad and decided on that. Last minute I changed to the chicken panini because it came with a Caesar salad. My boyfriend ordered the burger with bacon and provolone cheese and fries.
Our server was very friendly and welcoming, and they places wasn’t that busy at all. My guess is the locals knew it closed at 2pm! It didn’t take but ten minutes or so for us to get our meal. I really enjoyed the Caesar salad. Some places will douse the salad with too much dressing, but not Grits Café. The salad came with 3 large, fresh croûton type pieces of bread that were great. I wished I’d had a couple more. The chicken panini was good. It tasted fresh and I liked the seasoning on the chicken.
I was able to taste the burger and fries. Both of which were very good. I liked the seasoning on the burger. It has a smokey flavor, like it was grilled over an open flame. Phillip had asked for it medium, but the burger came out well, which was a little disappointing. I actually liked the taste and flavor of the burger over the panini. The prices are reflective of the atmosphere. I really enjoyed the place and would come back and order that burger medium again and hope it was medium when it came to the table. I’d also order one of their cocktails if I wasn’t driving back to Nashville!

Grits Café is obviously very popular because I could only get a reservation at 8:45 for 15 FEB. Even at that late hour we were excited to make the 45 minute drive — the menu looked promising. The drive wasn’t too bad and upon entering we were impressed with the structure and ambiance of the café.
Having said that, here are some negatives. Although we had a reservation we had to wait 15 – 20 minutes to be seated. It took about 8 of those minutes trying to get a beer from the bar (which was out of the only one I wanted). Once seated, we were handed menus that were minus the entrees for which we were willing to drive 45 minutes (duck confit, lobster thermador). If I knew of anther place to go we would have left. On the website I saw the Valentine’s special menu, which again, wasn’t the menu we received at our table. So, to sum it up, I didn’t see anywhere on the website that the regular menu would not be served and the special menu wasn’t the same as the one at the café. Major disappointments.
What we ended up ordering was really delicious, even though the spring rolls were extremely greasy, and the duck pieces in the duck prosciutto were about one square inch with a rim of fat, and there were only three pieces of it.
My last complaint may be the worst one. Our check came in at $ 114+ but when the merchant copy came it said $ 156+. Having been a waiter and matre d’ I always ensure the accuracy of the check, and I’m glad I did this time. When I confronted our server she didn’t even hesitate to give the explanation, which, to me, suggested she was aware of the switch and was ready to explain it away if I caught it. That, of course, is pure speculation on my part, but that was the impression I got.
UPDATE:I sent an email, similar to the one above, to the owner, whose reply was that they were busy on Valentine’s and would I return sometime; no offer or incentive to give them another try was included. As I stated earlier, having been a Maitre d’ at two famous restaurants, I know that the custom is to offer a dissatisfied customer some sort of incentive to give the establishment another chance — the owners of Grits apparently don’t care what customers think or if they return.

Our first time here was before the fire that demolished the original Grits Café. It was for our one year anniversary. Last night we ventured back again, first time since it’s reopening the food and service (Gerald) was incredible as it was the first time. We will venture back again and again and again.

A must stop if you’re in the area or passing through. Lovely ambiance, incredible food. Two thumbs up!

Wow I cannot believe a place exists like this in South Ga. I’m from Atlanta and this ranks with some of the places you would find in the Virginia Highlands and Inman Park. Food is amazing! The menu changes following the seasons. They use local farms for meat and produce. Great service, awesome wine list, and their desserts are to DIE for!!!
Their specials are always top notch! Their scallops are my favorite, along with the blackened salmon. The Tuna App is delicious! Comes w/​this tasty tangy relish.
Fried Green tomatoes, grit fritters, arugula salad you pretty much cannot go wrong with anything you get here.

Fantastic little spot outside ATL. Forsyth is super lucky to have spot like this. My colleague had the grass fed burger with fresh hand cut fries and never stopped to say anything.
I see house infused vodkas on the shelf (it’s lunch time and I’ve still got a ways to drive, so…) but they look good.
This is a spot I have bookmarked here and intend to stop at again next month when passing by this way. Please stop in and enjoy some very good food.