Cafe Racer — Restaurant in Athens-Clarke County Unified Government

I have spent a fairly large amount of time and money at the Crawford location and food truck over the years, and I have been counting down the days until the Athens location opened. It has truly exceeded my expectations in every way, and I have made several trips since the opening. Normally, you expect there to be some miscues and bumps in a restaurant's early days, but from day one, the food has been excellent, the staff has been incredibly friendly and kind, and the service has been quicker than even hoped.

The food is genuinely the best breakfast/brunch in all of Athens. The donut flavors are diverse and extravagant, and in a way that shows you the skill of the staff, as texture and flavor are always excellent across the board. The burritos are massive and 100% the best breakfast burrito I have ever had- flavorful, creative, and very satisfying. The biscuits are a classic in the very best way. I personally believe that everyone should enjoy a Cafe Racer Bad Becky in their lifetime- not to mention the My Pleasure biscuit, which is the best chicken I have ever had on a biscuit.

I also did not think it possible to get better coffee at a restaurant than a local coffee shop, but their coffee set up and knowledge goes above and beyond. I have ordered the same iced Americano a few times, and each time it has been incredibly consistent and balanced and the espresso has been absolute perfection.

The atmosphere itself is a treat, as it is unlike anywhere else I have been to in Athens. There is a double lane drive thru for on the go, but I am a big fan of the walk up window. The outside seating is really nice, and I genuinely enjoy the sense of community I experienced while eating there. There aren't many places where I get the opportunity to chat with the people around me as I wait for my food, but Cafe Racer is different. Other customers were so friendly, and strangers even offered to share a table with me. It was really refreshing to dine while also having the experience of meeting people in my community. While that is of course not required by customers, I really think the good and inviting energy of the staff has helped create this environment for customers.

However many positive things I can say about the food and the building itself, it all pales in comparison to the staff at Cafe Racer. I have never been somewhere where it is so apparent that each person there genuinely enjoys their job. It is really nice to see an establishment where you can tell that the staff takes care of one another and respects one another. From the staff member on an iPad in the drive thru to managerial staff, each person I interacted with was incredibly kind, knowledgable, and seemed to genuinely care about the customer in front of them. All of this while maintaining efficiency is difficult, but somehow, they've managed to do it.

I have eaten at a lot of restaurants in my last decade in Athens, and Cafe Racer genuinely has the best balance of quality, taste, and experience I have had in a really, really long time. There is not a single place they cut corners, and it shows. I have eaten here several times, and they can count on me as a...

This place is not good at all. The coffee tastes like burnt folgers that's been sitting out. I'm a coffee aficionado. I make my own espresso, and buy coffees outside of the house all the time. I am graceful with coffees, but I couldn't even finish this. You have to pay for every pump of syrup, each drink doesn't even come with a base amount of pumps like 2 pumps for a 20 oz, etc. So if you say you want a caramel mocha, be sure you tell them the amount of pumps (probably extra if you actually want to taste it) you want in the whole drink or you're getting burnt coffee with no flavor. It's weirdly strong with a cheap taste that isn't even quality espresso. I wouldn't even say the food is mid. The donuts have weird texture (yes I've had potato donuts, check out Hello Hilo in Gainesville if you want a good one) and the flavors are weirdly artificial and gross. Whatever the orange donut is tastes like what my dog food smells like. No, that isn't an exaggeration or dramatization. The biscuit is undercooked and lacked bacon, the eggs are clearly from a carton and not fresh. My wife and friend said the little piggy burrito was alright but the pulled pork on it tastes like one of those pre-made jack Daniel's kits you can get at like Walmart. $45 later, if you can't tell, I'm severely disappointed I chose to eat breakfast here. We won't make that mistake again. Oh, but the building looks...

My best friend and I dropped in and had a really great experience here! She has a lot of allergies, and it can sometimes be hard to accommodate. She's been unable to have doughnuts at most places. Thankfully, the ladies working the day we dropped in were more than welcoming and extremely helpful as we tried to determine what my friend could have. She ended up able to have a doughnut, and really enjoyed it.

For my part, I was curious about the doughnuts with potato flakes, and I got the apple filled one. My goodness, it was heavenly! You know the sentimental taste of the apple pies at McDonald's? Picture that taste of pure, sweet, buttery, cinnamon-y nostalgia, only wrapped inside a cloud of tasty doughnut. It was brilliant. I'd eat it every day, twice a day, if that wouldn't be awful for my health!

We ordered, then sat in the sun on the little patio area. There's plenty of parking, especially if you're okay walking a little. There's a good bit of outdoor seating, but I didn't see indoor seating, so be aware. There is also a drive thru option if you're in a hurry.

Definitely give this place a try! It...