Have a short lunch break and want a quick bite? These Macon restaurants have you covered
Looking for lunch, but don’t have a ton of time on your hands? Here are seven local restaurants that can get you in and out fast with a good meal.
The Bear’s Den
Location: 1191 Oglethorpe Street
Hours: Dine-in: Monday-Friday 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Takeout shop: 10:30 a.m.- 6 p.m.
The Bear’s Den is the epitome of a Southern meat and three. The menu rotates each day, so diners can plan around which days offer their favorites, but there isn’t a bad thing on the menu. Fried chicken, the signature dish at The Bear’s Den, is served every day. There’s a separate entrance for those grabbing to-go orders.
Piedmont Brewery and Kitchen
Location: 450 3rd Street
Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Efficiency and speed at lunch time is one of the biggest advantages to grabbing lunch at Piedmont. It is easy to get a good meal and be back at work in a short amount of time. Check Piedmont’s Facebook and Instagram for their daily specials as always a good option for lunch. If you prefer to try something from the regular menu then the chicken tenders tossed in buffalo sauce is a budget-friendly option.
Chico & Chang
Location: 3850 Riverside Drive
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
This is one of the most underrated restaurants in Macon. Chico & Chang offers a fusion of Tex-Mex and Korean. The bulgogi beef pasta is a great lunch option as it is filling and under $10. Bibimbap bowl with your choice of bulgogi, chicken, spicy chicken, spicy pork, tofu or veggies is also one of their specialties. It is also hard to go wrong with one of their quesadillas. Ask for the kimchi for some added flavor.
Dawson’s Kitchen
Location: 3360 Brookdale Avenue
Hours: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Much like the Bear’s Den, Dawson’s Kitchen is a meat and three with a rotating menu. One of the things that helps Dawson’s stand out at the lunch hour is their assortment of desserts. Grab a slice of pie or a cup of cobbler or pudding to go with one of their home-cooked meals like the salmon croquettes or the hamburger steak.
Joe D’s
Location: 2329 Ingleside Avenue
Hours: Monday-Friday 11 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.
There are a lot of great lunch options at Joe D’s, from a salad or a sandwich to something a little heavier like a scrambled dog or brisket, when it’s available. Joe D’s chili is the star of the menu and is great as a side, meal or on top of their taco salad. Also locals swear by the signature cold plate that includes lettuce, tomato, cheese, pickle, fruit, deviled egg with a choice of various things like chicken salad or potato salad.
Fatty’s Pizza
Location: 344 2nd Street and 120 Tom Hill Sr Boulevard STE 103
Hours: Varies by location
Fatty’s is a staple of the lunch scene downtown as diners can grab a couple slices of pepperoni and a drink for under $6. Fatty’s is also great for office lunches when you need to feed a lot of people for a meeting or work party. Just make sure you call ahead to place larger orders. They have plenty of specialty pizzas to choose from like the carnivore (all meat) or big kahuna (Hawaiian style).
Per Diem Market
Location: 455 Poplar Street
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. Sunday 12 - 6 p.m.
Per Diem isn’t a full service restaurant but the grab-and-go options here make it a great place to stop in to get a quick lunch if you’re in a hurry. Per Diem offers a variety of options like a container of chicken salad or spicy pimento cheese as well as already made salads and sandwiches like Cuban sliders or a Cobb salad. The options change around pretty regularly but there is typically something for everyone.