These Macon restaurants are hidden gems that define our food scene. Have you tried them?
The Macon restaurant scene is packed with great restaurants, from institutions like the Rookery to new budding restaurants like Kinjo and Miramar. With the variety of choices, restaurants get overlooked despite having some of the best food in Macon. Many are hidden in alleys and shopping centers, but others are hiding in plain sight. Here is a look at 11 Macon restaurant hidden gems.
3 Countries
Location: 195 Spring St.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
3 Countries serves Cuban, Mexican and American cuisine. It can be easy to overlook on your drive into Macon but the food is not to be ignored; 3 Countries offer up great Cuban sandwiches and arguably the best tamales in Middle Georgia. It is located just southwest of the Riverside and Spring Street intersection.
Cox Cafe
Location: 694 Lower Poplar St.
Hours: Monday-Friday 6 a.m. - 2 p.m.
A local institution that sits just south of Central City Park, Cox Cafe can be hard to find for first-time visitors. The home-cooked meal features some of the best Southern soul food in town, including thin-fried pieces of cornbread called hoecakes and fried chicken. Cox changes its menu daily.
El Carnaval
Location: 4009 Pio Nono Ave.
Hours: Monday-Sunday 9 a.m. - 9 p.m.
El Carnaval is a Latin food store that also happens to serve some of the best tacos in Middle Georgia. There is also a variety of other options including tortas and quesadillas. It might look like an unassuming market to the untrained eye but, to locals, it is one of the city’s best kept secrets. To find it, head south on Pio Nono almost to where it passes under I-75.
Fish Port 2
Location: 2795 Montpelier Ave.
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 a.m. - 7 p.m.
It is all about the locally famous dock sauce when you go to the Fish Port 2, which has a tartar sauce-like consistency and some secret ingredients that give this orange sauce a bit of a kick. Pro-tip: just put it on everything. The fish and fries combo, as well as the super dock sandwich, are the go-to meals here. You can find it several blocks west of Pio Nono, in Unionville.
J&F Caribbean Delight
Location: 1686 N. Atwood Drive
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 8 p.m.
J&F’s specializes in authentic Jamaican cuisine. The oxtail is a standout dish with a side of plantains and rice and peas. The jerk chicken is spicy and will get you sweating a bit. You’ll find the restaurant in west Macon, north of Eisenhower.
Johnny V’s
Location: 5854 Columbus Road
Hours: Monday-Saturday 5 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Breakfast and lunch are the specialties at Johnny V’s. Breakfast is available until noon, but lunch is available from open to close. The red hot dogs are reminiscent of the well known Nu-Way. It is hard to go wrong with anything on the menu, from pancakes to burgers. On Columbus Road, west of Middle Georgia State’s Macon campus.
Louvenia’s
Location: 5033 Brookhaven Road
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 12 p.m.- 8 p.m.
What started as a well-known food truck has since transformed into a brand. This is a pickup only location that serves up crab boil dishes as well items like fried lobster tails. The power couple of Jason and Michelle Walker still run the food truck and the Crabcake Hut at the Macon Farmers Market.
Papouli’s
Location: 121 Tom Hill Sr Boulevard
Hours: Monday-Sunday 11 a.m.- 9 p.m.
The gyros are the main attraction at this Mediterranean cafe hidden in plain sight in a line of shops with Starbucks and Baskin-Robbins. Locals and tourists should not overlook this restaurant and its delicious lamb gyros and baklava.
Pho Saigon
Location: 3076 Riverside Drive
Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Big bowls of noodle soup await customers in this restaurant situated in a shopping outlet behind Longhorn Steakhouse that also features Fresh Air BBQ. . Pho Saigon also serves Vietnamese small plates and bubble tea in addition to various kinds of Pho.
Tzango
Location: 336 2nd St.
Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.; Saturday 5-9 p.m.; Monday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Tzango isn’t tucked away in an alley or in a remote location in Middle Georgia, but it is still an often-overlooked restaurant. Tzango specializes in two things that separate them from many other places in town: authentic food and authentic people. Owners Mario and Karina Barragan make the experience with great hospitality. The Latin restaurant is located next door to Fatty’s Pizza in downtown Macon.
Tokyo Alley
Location: 574 Mulberry St Lane
Hours: Monday-Thursday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Friday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., 5-9 p.m.; Saturday 5-9 p.m.
Sitting in an alley in downtown Macon with other local favorites like Ninja and Downtown Grill, Tokyo Alley serves as an intimate getaway for the night. The lemon chicken and cold noodle salad are some of the standouts on the menu.
This story was originally published April 29, 2021 at 9:05 AM.