The SO and I came by on a quiet Tuesday evening right at opening time (5:30pm sharp!). We were delighted to discover that the evening's special was fried chicken dinner (yum). By 5:40pm there was already a small line at the door of folks waiting to be seated, and by 6:20pm the restaurant was sold out of the special of the day (talk about going like hotcakes). The SO and I munched on chicken liver, pickled veggies, and a selection of cheeses while we guessed at the name of the chicken we were about to eat. The food was spot on (fresh cherry tomatos that taste like tomatos? WOW), fresh and colorful, and of course tasty. The chicken liver mousse was creamy, with just a hint of tartness in the brandy jelly that topped it. The mash potatoes that came with the fried chicken was some of the smoothest I've ever had.
Farm 255 follows the same farm to table beliefs as Farm Burger in Atlanta, supporting local farms, and serving only fresh and local veggies and meats. There's something so comforting about knowing where the meat on your plate came from, and that the veggies you are eating came from a local farm with a cute name. From chatting with some locals it sounds like this restaurant stays pretty busy, and it's got plenty of repeat visit appeal with the regularly changing menu (always a new surprise).
The drink of the day was a Farm Pimm's Cup - if you see it on the menu, definitely get it. It was refreshing and delicious.
The Farm Burger is the BEST burger we have ever had anywhere, period. And consistent over the years.
Some other items hit or miss but homemade olives also always fab.
Not great for picky kids if you don't happen to hit a pasta night and they don't want/eat burgers.
I prefer Heirloom for farm-to-table creativity but have enjoyed many an interesting option here, especially convenient for late-night pre-music grub or desserts.
For the first two or three years of its existence I would give Farm 255 a try once a year or so. Â I loved the locally sourced concept, but the execution always seemed to fall short. Â But ever since Whitney Otawka took the helm the restaurant has been more than a concept, it has been a great place to eat. Â Last night I had their Tuesday night fried chicken. Â It started with a wonderful roasted butternut soup. Â The chicken was nicely fried and wonderfully accompanied by sauteed greens, mashed potatoes, and an onion gravy. Â I did not care for their biscuit, finding it a little dry. Â Desert was a warm brownie baked in a ramekin (more like a chocolate cake pudding than a traditional brownie) and topped with house made vanilla ice cream. Â We started off with house made pickles that were very well done (carrots, bread and butter pickles, and pepper). Â The bar is exceptional. Â My wife didn't offer me a bite of her trout, but she says it was nicely done. Â On a previous visit I ordered the butcher board for the table. Â It is exceptional and if it is your first visit to Farm I would highly recommend ordering it.
Review Source:My wife and I had dinner with a member of the staff here last night. Â You can take this review with a grain of salt as we were VIPs but I wouldn't leave this review if I couldn't stand by it. Â I do think full disclosure is important though as I wouldn't feel right otherwise. Â
I ordered my usual drink, a sidecar. Â They have a beautiful bar with a very serious mixologist on hand and he made me a really good example of this drink. Â They have a really beautiful wine list including lots of 1/2 bottle and by the glass choices.
We started with the butcher board.  Pâté de campagne, chicken liver mousse, roasted bone marrow, housemade pickles, cracklin hush puppies, bacon fat popcorn, deviled egg and toasted bread.  The hush puppies are tremendous, maybe the best I have ever had.  I also loved the chicken liver mousse.  It was served in a little jar topped with a cranberry gelee that perfectly complemented the delicious mousse.  It was all really good. Â
Tuesday nights they offer a 3 course fried chicken dinner. Â It started with a really wonderful salad with fried brussels sprouts in a mustard vinaigrette. Â The roasted sprouts married beautifully with the dressing. Â This is a great salad. Â The fried chicken was a huge plate of food. Â A 1/2 breast, thigh, some garlicky and delicious turnip greens, cumin laced sweet potato puree, a perfect biscuit and a ramekin of gravy. Â The chicken was moist and crispy and not at all greasy. Â This is a really good dish, everything on this plate was excellent. Â The last course was a nicely executed banana pudding served in a small mason jar. Â Not too sweet and not too much thank you. Â All for $28, what a terrific deal! Â We finished it off with a really good cup of locally roasted coffee in a press. Â
They source local and the food quality is evident. Â It's a great space, the menu is beautiful, the staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable. Â This is a really thoughtful restaurant and I look forward to returning soon.
The farm to table movement is going strong in the South Eastern part of the country, and Farm 255 does an excellent job of bringing fresh and local to the lucky citizens of Athens. As my husband did in his review, I will disclose that we were guests of a good friend who manages the restaurant, so yes, we got exceptional service. The food here is the real star, however, and you'll be getting the same vittles that I had, although the menu changes regularly, so your options may be different.
The space that houses Farm 255 is an atmospheric old warehouse, and it's beautiful, with concrete floors and decor kept intentionally spare. I was surprised at how warm and cozy the place is, as the room is quite vast with very high ceilings. It also didn't get too loud in here, which was another surprise. It's a lovely and comfortable restaurant, and I'd have been happy eating at the beautiful bar, one side of which overlooks the open kitchen.
My adult beverage of choice lately is the Old Fashioned, and the bartender makes an exceptional one here. Bourbon seems to be the spirit of the moment, and they offer some nice choices. There is a brief list of specialty drinks on the back of the menu, and they all looked interesting too, so make sure you take a look. They also offer wines by the glass, and both half and full bottles, and the choices are interesting and creative. For food we started with the charcuterie board, which was exceptional, with house cured meats, pates and cured/pickled veggies. I could make a meal of this alone. My dining companions both went with the fried chicken dinner special, but I only had room for soup and salad after the meat fest, so tried the winter citrus salad and butternut squash soup. The salad was perfectly balanced, with satsuma, blood oranges, fennel and arugula. Great salads are hard to find, and they do it up right here. The butternut squash soup was a velvety puree with chorizo and diced apple, topped with a spicy drizzle of chile oil that did much to heighten the flavors of the other ingredients. Perfection. Often with farm to table restaurants I find carefully sourced but bland food that I feel like I could make better at home...not so here. Everything I tried was exceptional; not only great quality, carefully sourced food prepared with skill and heart, but truly delicious. If you're visiting Athens and staying at The Hilton Garden Inn on Washington St., the restaurant is a nice walk, less than a mile. What are you waiting for? Go!
(Golly, hope they're still cool by the time I write this).  LOVE(d) the Farm!!  First place I ever had the iconic southern (or country?) dish of Shrimp & Grits, during one of their similarly-praise-worthy live music summer nights.  I'm  now hooked on the meal, and I've yet to find a place in my new home with anything close to their great, locally-sourced grub, an excellent bar selection, a lively rotation of local and better-known musical talent, and a staff that's smart but just low-key enough to smile at you first.
Review Source:This restaurant exceeded my expectations. The ambiance and employees established a friendly and welcoming expire cue from the get go. Â The wine list was perfect to compliment the menu. We started with a cheese platter, that started our dining experience and set the stage for an excellent meal. Â I highly recommend the Georgia peach pie, it was to die for! Â You have to visit this restaurant in Athens, Georgia. Â It is expensive, but perfect for any occasion.
Review Source:Only stayed for a drink and a few live songs but Farm 255 made a great impression on me. I was sad that we came too late and couldn't eat after reading how they get all of their food from local farms/etc. The place was decorated nicely, clean and the bartender was attentive. I hope we're in Athens again soon because I definitely want to eat here :)
Review Source:This restaurant is really out of the ordinary, when you get in... you know already that the food you will get will be special.
I love the open feeling and the view of the stainless steel kitchen with the chefs in action. It was like watching Top Chef live... ha ha :)
I went to this place with my "food buddy" Kaitlin... I think she was trying to show me that Athens as college town is more than beer and burgers and she did it.
The menu is print every day, it definitely changes according to the fresh produce they get that week so I don't think you will find all the plates the Yelpers suggested in their reviews.
I have to say that when I read the carte at the beginning I felt "Lost in the Space", I did not know what to get... lots of the ingredients I did not even heard about it. We order two appetizers that were very simple but good.
For my entree I ordered a vegetarian plate where the main component was "farro", a kind of grain (like a cousin of the rice and barley) mixed with peppers, broccoli stired in a delicious mix of ssauces. The flavours were amazing. My friend ordered a pan-fried mahi-mahi over a compote of vegetables and a great sauce too.
The prices are in the high side but it is worthy if you want to try something new and you want to taste new flavours. The service is super friendly and willing to explain the plates (they show their passion for the healthy and good food).
So... if you are bore of the Last Resort, give this restaurant a try.
Farm 225 is a quintessential farm to table restaurant. The menu was small, but every item had a mouthwatering description, and everyone at my table loved what they ordered. I got the NC Trout, which came with new potatoes, beets, a lemon and green strawberry relish. I've never been a huge fan of beets, but they might have been my favorite part of this dish. Then again, the green strawberry relish was incredible too - it definitely made me pucker but paired with the mild trout it was delicious.
Review Source:Do you like knowing your animals were happy before you eat them? If so, you can plan your vacation meals around farm to table type restaurants. In this vein, we chose Farm 255 and absolutely loved it! Great food, friendly and knowledgeable server, and prime location for strolling around before or afterwards. We started with  a creamy potato leek soup and raw oysters (both specials that day) and then moved onto the main courses. We got the bone-in pork loin, grilled (to juicy and tender perfection) and served over cornbread puree and baby mustard greens. Best pork (chop, loin, etc.) we've had in a restaurant in a long time. We also got the grassfed burger, which has a sauce of chicken liver mousse and roasted shallot aioli, cheese, and thick potato chips that appeared to have been homemade. The sauce of the burger might throw you off, but I found the earthiness of the chicken liver mousse to be quite complementary, giving the burger a bit of a blue cheese quality rather than a liver-y one. The burger itself is thick cut and overflowing with juice (depending upon how cooked you want it; but for a gourmet burger, if you can stand it, do try medium rare to get the full flavor and impact of ground beef that is welcomingly devoid of pink slime).
Also, the Blenheim ginger ale they serve is not widely available, and it is spicy and delicious. It is not soda, not at all. After a sip, I think I had a revelation. A quarter of the way through, I became a Blenheim crackhead and am still trying to get my personal life in order.
The flourless chocolate cake was good but not divine, but we were distracted quite a bit by the rich coffee served with heroin milk. Yes, that's right, more drugs. The creamy milk was out of this world. Well, more accurately, within a cow really recently, leading us to believe that it's appeal might be the taste of udder. There's a pun coming, but I'll stop before it gets here.
If this place were in NY, it would be so crowded that I would never go.
Great decor, and delicious local ingredients. My pork was very very rare, almost bleeding, but was reassured that it was intentional and safe. Since it was from a local farm and raised right, I ate most of it. Food was great and so were the drinks
The absolute best restaurant in Athens! Â Everything about this place was top notch - the service, the food, the atmosphere. Â It felt like a special dining experience.
The butcher block was fantastic - the pickled vegetables, homemade sausage, and pork rinds out of this world. Â The potato salad to die for. Â The burger and fries was delicious. Â On top of that, good quality micro brew beers on tap.
My colleague and I wished we went here every night! Â Half price bottles of wine on Wednesdays!
Not impressed. Â We had a reservation for new years eve where the menu was set. Â This is the only time I have ever been here so my opinion is a bit biased, but nothing on the menu was worth the price. Â We had a table of ten so everything on the menu was ordered and shared...and not a single thing was worth the $30 per plate price (just for the a-la-carte main course not including sides and libations)...my tummy was still growling after dinner....it's too bad bc I was very excited to try the "farm to fork" concept...but everybody was very disappointed...and after a hefty $80 check per couple, we ended up at 5 guys stuffing our starving faces with cheeseburgers.
Review Source:First off, this place is gorgeous. The interior, exterior, everything!
I've only been here once, and it was kindof a nightmare. We had a reservation, had to wait 15 minutes to be seated, the AC wasn't on (this was in July), and our food took literally 2 hours. I'm totally willing to excuse most of that because sometimes restaurants have bad days, I totally get it. But this is is worst part: my food was not that good. It wasn't bad... just not memorable. At all.
We got an awesome cheese/meat plate thing for an appetizer and that was delicious! Their wine selection was really good, and our waitress was very attentive. I'm not sure I would go here again... there are way too many other restaurants in Athens.
This place was recommended by a bartender at City Bar - THANKS!
The ambiance and service were fantastic - unpretentious & warm, friendly but not in-your-face.
We started with the cheese trio - delicious.
I had the butcher's block, normally an appetizer for 2 featuring house-cured meats and accompanying condiments, served on a hunk of wood, as an entree. The server said I was bad ass. What more could you want in a meal? Unbelievable smokey, salty, super-yummy meats, apparently, which is what I got. Very fresh and unique flavours.
My husband had the shrimp and grits with an amazing sauce.
Drinks were also A-one.
Farm 255 is exactly my platonic vision of a "farm fresh" concept restaurant. I only wish I lived a little closer so I could become a regular.
Stopped in for brunch on our way out of town. Beautiful space, great concept, and good food. Â The Farm Breakfast was a combo of pulled pork, collards, grits, home fries, and perfectly cooked eggs. Â A little too salty, though.
Service was pretty weird. Â After being seated it was clear to me that the servers weren't really interested in picking up our table - finally someone (who was clearly still hungover from festivities the night before) came to take our order. Â Then he referred to us as "homie", etc., which I'd sort of expect at a bar but we just paid $40 for brunch, dude. Â I guess I'm just over the hipster vibe when I want to take a restaurant seriously.
I went here twice in the past month, for the first time ever. This restaurant is a breath of fresh air (if I may use that cliche). They have the freshest and most innovative items on the menu, that I have seen in a long time. I love that the menu is seasonal and that they also keep it simple.
The only reason I didn't rate 5 stars is because I think the food was a little saltier than it should have been. Otherwise, this place is delicious!
Note to parents: They were able to accomodate my 17 month old daughter with a high chair. They do not have a kid's menu but there are plenty of things that kids can eat. My daughter ate from our plates but also enjoyed their cheese plate and a crostini dish.
OK- if you happen to visit Athens OR live near by you should most definitely check this wonderful restaurant out. The whole experience was a pleasure.
The cuisine is extremely fresh- sustainablelocal farmer supported.
The menu is NOT extensive but it is creative and offers a fair variety of options for average to adventurous gastronomes.
Upon leaving I happened to read the magazine/newspaper reviews. I recalled the on I had previously read in the Travel & Leisure magazine from August 2009- where this restaurant was featured. After dining here I know why.
We started w the local cheese plate & the restaurant's cured olives- all wonderful- particularly the aged Gouda & smoked pecans.
I had the Polenta & Mushroom dish: creamy, decadent, Grand Padano cheese. Truly amazing for $7 (a small bowl but one could not reasonably consume more). My friend wholly enjoyed the "Harvest Plate of the day" which was Root Vegetable Shepard's Pie. Slow roasted root veggies covered in a sweet potato mash & served w a misto salad. Excellent.
We enjoyed a sauvengion blanc & a pino noir. We sat at the bar- the bar tender could have been more attentive but - no matter.
The interior is SOHO loft open space. Exposed brick & low lighting. The acoustics were surprisingly good considering the high ceilings & open space. The kitchen is open as well which I always marvel @. Especially in this case as the chef & his staff were efficient, executing the dinners w/o fan fair or an obviously hurried manner ( a real admirable style in a commercial kitchen). Bravo!!
Street parking- a bit tough. Dining outside in the warmer months & occasional live music- always a plus.
I was expecting more from Farm 255. Â Sister restaurant to the fantastic Farm Burger in Decatur, I thought I would see more of the same hand-crafted attention to detail here. Â But I didn't. Â Combined with a comparatively high price-point, I left the place thinking I would not need to visit again. Â Which is a shame, because it's a nice restaurant: the atmosphere is great, and staff was friendly. Â
Maybe ordering the ribeye was my mistake. Â Perhaps I should have stuck with the Shrimp-n-Grits, or maybe I should have done the vegetarian thing. Â (I hear the vegetarian crowd makes up a big piece of Farm 255's regular following. Â Perhaps it's worth visiting again to see if the veggie-route is the way to go.) Â
But still, at their price-point, I expected something more. Â And I did not find it.
It looked like I would be making a road trip to Athens, Georgia. Home of devoted football fans, a rich musical history, & a burgeoning food scene. This was the type of field trip I dug, one that I could sink my teeth into.
A place I was eager to visit  is called Farm 255, a locally sustainable restaurant which changes their menu daily depending on the morning's harvest. Farm 255's main supplier happens to be their very own Full Moon Farms. "Farm to Table" cooking is a quite the trend these days and pasture raised, hormone & antibiotic free animals & organically grown vegetables set the bar high for true to earth flavors. As an avid enthusiast of George Frangos & Jason Mann's Atlanta based Farm Burger, I was anxious to see how Farm 255 compared to its "sister".
I arrived in Athens on a Friday afternoon, making sure to schedule my trip on an away game weekend. I figured I would make my entire weekend environmentally friendly & booked a room at the Hotel Indigo. Once settled I contacted my colleagues & a 9:30 pm dinner reservation was made. The plan was to meet at the restaurant which was conveniently located a few blocks from my hotel.
Upon arriving I was greeted by a very cordial hostess. My group had already arrived the hostess informed me as she lead me towards a table. Farm 255 has an open concept floor plan. Large rustic tables lend a farmhouse feel while the open kitchen allows chef & diner to interact with each other. A comfortable & casual vibe emanates through out the space. The dining area is flanked by a large bar. Countless bottles of wine lay in a wine rack beckoning me to caress their necks & read their labels. Before I could get a good look at the extensive wine & beer list, I happen to glance at the cocktail menu. Seasonal drinks & homemade infusions caught my eye & whet my appetite. They serve the kind of drinks your grandfather would order, old school cocktails that are infused with modern day ingredients. Being a Maker's Mark Bourbon girl, I ordered a Pistachio Manhattan.Smooth was the only way to describe it.
We  ordered a  "taste" for the table, the Charcuterie board. The butcher board was a feast in itself. Loaded with pork sausage, a succulent & crispy pork belly, chicken liver mousse, spicy pastrami, hard boiled eggs, sauerkraut, pickles, local apples, & hearty grilled bread. It was highly satisfying. The pork belly was enormously delicious & braised to perfection. The chicken liver mousse had a rustic texture and rich flavors. Each additional component of the dish  was there to specifically heighten every flavorful bite.  There are not many times I say this, but the entire butcher board was perfection.
Left in somewhat of a food stupor after that. We each gave great thought to what we would order & decided on the following-
Grilled Chicken served with locally grown pink eyed peas, cannellini beans, guanciale (an un- smoked bacon prepared from hog jowls), and shoestring potatoes.
The grilled chicken was quite juicy and nice. The guanciale & vegetables lent flavor to the dish elevating it from being merely "a grilled chicken entree".
Shrimp & Grits topped with a farm fresh poached egg.
I have never been a fan of grits. I never quite understood the concept of eating food that one must completely disguise in order to eat. Until recently when a restaurant owner placed Shrimp & Grits before me, made me eat them & forever changed my perception of "the grit". Â I have been ordering this dish ever since in an effort to learn the regional differences & make up for lost time. Farm 255's version was sublime. Â The shrimp were large with a hint of spice. The grits were creamy & rich, while the perfectly poached egg on top sent me reeling. While the others shared tastes of their meals I acted like a greedy child keeping mine entirely to myself. It was that good.
    Â
Harvest Plate- Fried Green Tomatoes, Polenta with fresh corn, a potato & Swiss chard gratin, & pimento cheese with toast points.
Again the freshness of each vegetable made this dish sing. The sweet corn made the polenta  like none other I had tasted while the tangy cheddar gave the pimento cheese a kick. These two were the stand outs of this dish.
The Burger- Grass fed beef, Tillamook cheddar, rosemary aioli, & basil fries.
This is what a real hamburger tastes like. Moist, juicy, thick & like beef. I began to feel guilty for not sharing any of my meal once I tasted the rosemary aioli & basil fries. They were incredible & I ended up eating more than my fair share. The aioli managed to get spread on just about everything.
Once finished, we went out to the crowded courtyard to enjoy the live music offered nightly. The atmosphere outside was hip & vibrant.
Aside from the amazing food, what struck me most was how Farm 255 embraced their community, from the locally raised meat & produce to the music & art featured. Then the obvious hit me. They are more than just eco-friendly, Farm 255 is friendly.
That I dig!
We brought a large party here for a graduation celebration, but it turned out to be a true celebration of food and drink too. Â The service was impeccable the entire evening, and that's not easy for a group of 12+. Â The atmosphere is casual and welcoming, and we had a great time watching the food preparations in the open kitchen which we could easily see from where we were seated.
We started with some of the specialty cocktails and a charcuterie board, boiled peanuts, and homemade pickles. Â All were devoured in seconds to many oohs and ahhs. Â When the main courses arrived, everyone was again very pleased with their choices, and there was a lot of sharing going on. Â Many folks had the harvest plate - a selection of farm-fresh seasonal vegetable dishes (in this case a potato & swiss chard gratin, grilled asparagus, and a salad), while I tried the shrimp and grits. Â They were incredible, but I also managed to sneak a bite of the hamburger (local sustainable beef topped with housemade corned beef) and fries too. Sooo good. Â Despite being stuffed to the gills, we couldn't leave without sampling the desserts and coffee too. Â The table voted my strawberry "buckle" the favorite, followed closely by the chocolate mousse cake and the special blueberry tart. Â The food was so good, we had to send a six pack of PBR back to the kitchen (just tell your waiter you want to do this if you feel so inclined. Â It seemed like a good way to say thanks).
They also seemed to be setting up for some live music out on the patio as we were leaving around 11pm, which would have been really fun too. Â
I highly recommend this. Â Not only is eating here a way to support the community and your health, it's delicious!
You should see my mangled hand. Actually, you shouldn't. It resembles a dog's plaything, a twisted gnarl of flesh. What happened? Let's just say if you accidentally drop a Susan B. Anthony silver dollar your grandmother gave you into the garbage disposal LET IT SLIDE. I finally feel well enough to hop back on the keyboard, though every downstroke feels like a sprung mousetrap. How I suffer...
Just prior the accident, I found myself in Athens, home of the B-52s, R.E.M., and a group of felons known as the Georgia Bulldogs (I KID!) Athens is also home to a host of esteemed eateries, one of which, Farm 255, a group of friends suggested - though they warned, "The food can be inconsistent."
"Like my bowels," I quipped. While there was laughter, there was also a shared look of sober recognition.
Farm 255 flaunts an expansive floor plan with a kitchen in plain sight, abundant wine sleeping in their racks, and rustic wooden tables. The concept is that all of the ingredients are locally sourced; so rather than dine on meat from who knows where, the cows, chickens and hogs are slaughtered near Michael Stipe's shack. They make a point of telling you this, which led my mind to imagine the movie "Babe", only with a downer ending.
Our server, friendly though a bit scatterbrained, announced the special: Petite Filet with Sweet Potato Fries and Sauteed Parsnips. Usually the only petite objects I covet are Asian men. Nonetheless I was intrigued in spite of its steep price of twenty-four dollars. I assumed the freshness would bowl me over.
The steak that arrived would hardly wow a hobo. A filet, while petite, still implies a certain thickness. My cut had roughly the breadth of Calista Flockhart. "Oh well," I thought as I took a first bite. I ordered medium rare, but this puppy had reached medium leather. I sent it back, something I hate doing, but the price compelled me to. When you pay that much for something you DEMAND satisfaction (unless you use Comcast in which you're out of luck).
After a lengthy wait the second steak arrived; and I must say it was a far more generous cut cooked to the right temp. Juicy, well-seasoned, I enjoyed steak two, yet still found it less than stellar. The Parsnips and Mashed Potatoes (I substituted because I am a diva) were tasty though not game changers.
My friends experienced similar hit and miss moments. So my advice is to stick with the vegetables and be leery of the local meats. Perhaps anonymous meat from afar tastes better. I expect to return and have a better experience. Sometimes the first time goes awry (just ask my tenth grade guidance counselor, LOL). Farm 255 shows such promise. May your next meal there provide more than petite pleasures.
We ended up at Farm 255 on my boyfriend's birthday and had a very positive experience. The meal began with a bowl of polenta that was slow-cooked with brodo (parmesan rind), broth, and mushrooms. It was decadent, almost like dessert.  For my entree, I ordered the beef cheek lasagna with sautéed kale - but not without some hesitation...
"This beef cheek... which cheek are we talking about?" I asked our waiter, named Noah.
"The one on the face," he replied. "Its a very lean, muscular meat."
"So the dish isn't greasy?"
"No, not at all."
"And this is good beef, right? Like no weird antibiotics or corn diet?"
"Oh no. Trust me, I helped raise this cow. It was completely grass-fed and as healthy as cows come."
"Seriously? You work on the farm too?"
"Yeah, of course. I mostly help raise the animals, but I'm about to start working with the vegetables too."
First of all, that's cool as hell. And secondly, the lasagna was excellent. Not greasy at all, the beef cheek nearly melted in my mouth, and the kale was cooked perfectly. My boyfriend ordered the mussels served in a big bowl with spanish chorizo, cannellini beans, and other good stuff. Â He loved it, which says a lot because he's a hard critic when it comes to mussels. We drank good beer, brown ales to be precise. Noah was helpful and patient with each choice that we made.
When my boyfriend excused himself to the restroom, I told Noah about it being his birthday. "Oh, I'll take care of him," Noah assured me. As soon as our dinner plates were cleared, out came a lemon tart sitting in a very light chocolate sauce. Perfect way to conclude a rich, but wonderful meal. Â
Lastly, I was surprised to see how little the  meal cost when the bill arrived. We'd never be able to eat like this in Atlanta for under $80. Very reasonable for the quality, taste, and environment, and even more so for having waitstaff who are so connected with the food, down to the very farm it was raised on. 5 whole stars! Thanks to Farm 255 and to Noah for making our birthday evening very special.
I was visiting some friends in Athens and they brought us to Farm 255 because my wife and I like REAL fresh food that doesn't com from a can/bag/box. We Loved it! The Service was great, the food was excellent, the atmosphere was good and the price was pretty good. Four of us ate two appetizers, four entrees, oak aged beer, three cocktails, and two desserts for about $112. I had the burger, the meat was VERY flavorful, and my fries were fresh. A friend of mine got the meat platter with house made cured meats and brats and stuff which was listed as an appetizer, but more than enough food to please a very hungry carnivore. We also got the Veggie plate, very good as well.
Now keep in mind if you are looking to stuff your face endlessly, you might consider one of Athens' fine Waffle Houses, but if you are looking for a proper amount of flavorful "green" food, or if knowing where your food comes from intrigues you, the Farm 255 is a good place to try.
This is my first ever yelp rating downgrade. Â Usually businesses earn more stars from me upon repeat visits, but sadly Farm 255 is no longer deserving of the glowing 5 star review I wrote just over a year ago.
The food is still delicious, but the selection and quantity have decreased while the prices have gone sky high. Â I once again selected the harvest plate as my entree, but this time it only came with three veggies instead of the five from my last visit and was not filling. Â Additionally, they've cut out their bread service, and when we asked for some, we got some rustically sliced sourdough with a slab of cold butter instead of the delicious olive oil they used to offer. Â What a disappointment.
That's fine, I thought, let's get dessert! Â And once again, the dessert was delicious, but just a tiny sliver. Â Next time, I'll just head over to the Last Resort to get a real piece of cake for the same price.
The restaurant was also COMPLETELY empty when we arrived around 6:30, and no more than two other parties entered during our time there. Â What was an attractive ambiance when the place was filled was eery and creepy when empty.
Additionally, our server was very odd. Â I don't want to delve into insults, but let's just say his creepy demeanor matched the creepily empty restaurant.
The food is still good and the wine list still reasonable, but what a let-down from how spectacular it was just a year ago.
Warning: I really dig this whole scene so I may be biased.
It was just good all around: the story, the food, the vibe, the people, etc. Â They even laughed at my stupid jokes!
Small, but excellent, wine list.
Make sure you try the marcona almonds that they doctor up with something - amazing.
Hands down one of the best places to eat in Athens and there are a lot of great places!
Almost all food is locally grown/raised and prices are very reasonable.
The new lunch cart is amazingly tasty and cheap!
In short if you appreciate good food, beer, and wine, farm to table, great atmosphere, and incredibly fair prices then check out Farm 255!
Delicious food prepared simply and cooked well. The menu changes constantly, not only based on the season but the daily harvest, so what you see on the online menu may not be available when you go there.
I had their poutine fries and although an adapted version of the original, it was still delicious. The fries are fried to perfection, seasoned well with salt and topped off with pork gravy and cheddar cheese that's bruleed before serving.
It's an open kitchen so you know exactly how your food's being cooked. No double dipping or open, unsanitary practices here.
The staff is knowledgeable in the origin of the foods and how they're prepared on top of being friendly.
Although this place has a reputation of being expensive in Athens, compared to Atlanta prices, it's affordable and reasonably priced. The food is well portioned and isn't skimpy like another reviewer suggested. How much damn food do you need to eat?
In my mind, they toot a big horn, but come up short. Mind you, I am the kind of person who loves TV nights in with yummy home cooked meals and wrapping up in a comfy blanket on the couch during dinner.
The plates were big and the food was small. The price was high and the reward was low. The atmosphere was inviting but then again, so is a nice coffee shop. If your aim is time with friends, avoid the high price and unsatisfying meal and just hang at ERC or Walkers.
Don't nail me to the cross just yet. I'm just an odd person, I think, for not liking this place. Most people love it.
So in my final personal opinion, the atmosphere and the food was not worth the time and price.
I first fell in love with the Farm after my friend told me about it's organic, sustainable yumminess. The decor is warm and inviting, and they always play great music, whether it's a live band or some funky tunes flowing from the stereo. The lighted outside patio is a great place to enjoy a meal, have a drink, and chat with friends. They undoubtedly have the best restroom I've ever been to in a restaurant, mostly because they use Dr. Bonner's Peppermint Castile Soap. Yes, please!
The bartenders were very friendly, and my friends and I often came to the Farm to enjoy a good drink. Shank (although I don't think he works there anymore) always poured a divine beverage with a smile, and was especially helpful with coming up with a new concoction for us to try.
The food is delicious, and I've never had a meal there I didn't like from start to finish. I love the Farm..I only wish they would donate me one of those fly hoodies!
Finally made it-I have been a fan of Five & Ten for a while and when this place opened, it went on my list of new places to try. Ok, no longer new, but...
It is nice to go somewhere for wonderful food in comfortable clothes and bad hair without worrying that you are being snubbed by someone at another table. In any case, one of the chefs was wearing a trucker hat with a price tag hanging off of it, a la Minnie Pearl, so I could have walked in wearing a mumu and flip flops and been fine.
It is also completely refreshing to have a really decent glass of house wine for $6 (take that $18 glass with two sips of wine in it, TROIS).
The major draw for me was the use of local healthy pasture meats and house cured charcuterie. The brasaola was delicious. My husband thought his burger was one of the best he has had, I loved his fries a bit more.
The shrimp in my dish were so fresh and perfectly cooked that the texture was like lobster.
The food is comparable, but Five & Ten wins for quirky charm and the cozy "sun" room (and the tie painting). If I want to eat after a day of hiking, I would hit Farm 255 again in a heartbeat.
PS. They didn't have small plates on the Sunday night we were there...
A great spot for dates, your folks, or a nice celebratory get together. Â During nice weather live bands regularly play outside, sometimes there is also music inside. Â Expect the place to be packed when there is outdoor music! Â The interior is beautiful and the food is fresh and delicious with a great wine selection. Â They do their best to use local produce. Â Desert is always amazing here, too. If the crepes are on the menu, be sure to try them! Â
As a vegetarian we can always find something. Â The menu changes weekly, from what I can tell, so the amount of veg fare changes with every visit. Â
Venue is readily accessible for wheelchairs, I might add.
Restrooms are clean, roomy and well stocked.
Others have reviewed the food at length, so I'll let you read what they had to say. Â This is not the place for a bargain meal, but there are other options for that in Athens. Â Instead, come down for a dinner worth remembering, or to match a fine wine with one of their delightful cheese plates.
Simply said, one of the best burgers I've ever eaten.
I used to go here on Tuesday nights for the live jazz and half-priced wine. Belly up at the bar and chat up the friendly staff or grab a seat on the patio and enjoy the tunes. Make sure you order a side of grits (when available) to go with your burger. Yes, it will be way too much food but they're worth it. I'd recommend a specific salad but since the menu changes regularly I'll just say to have a salad, any salad, and you won't be disappointed.
The decor is warm and upscale but not pretentious like big city restaurants. The open kitchen is inviting and entertaining. And though this is definitely not a sports bar the staff is more than willing to turn on the large projection screen so that you can follow your favorite team.
"We'll have one of everything," we told our server. Thus began a meal that was, in the words of Barney Stinson, legendary.
We'd arrived at Farm 255 an hour after it opened for the night. Every time we come here, the menu is different; it changes daily based on what's been harvested at the farm that morning. What we didn't expect was that on Sunday night, Farm 255 serves "Sunday Night Small Plates".
So I did a bit of arithmetic. 13 dishes, most around $4-5. It would be expensive, but as a treat for my wife's birthday -- and as a feat we'd likely never get another chance at -- we decided to put ourselves in the good hands of Farm 255's kitchen and try one of everything.
DEVILED EGGS: Smoked paprika, fleur de sel [ 3 ]
Impossibly creamy, topped with fresh dill. For $3, we got three halves. As with nearly everything else, it was a very good value.
SPICY NUTS [ 4 ]
Around one cup of walnut pieces, roasted with spices. The least impressive of the night's dishes, and still tasty. I didn't finish them all mainly because my wife is allergic and I'd rather kiss her.
PINK-EYE PEA HUMMUS: lavash [ 4 ]
Warm flatbread fingers, sturdy and crisp, to dip into a hummus not accented by but made primarily of pink-eye peas. The hummus had a light grassy flavor, but I thought a bit of salt would bring the flavor out of its shell.
MARINATED OLIVES: mint & orange [ 3 ]
Hands down, THE best value at Farm 255. For three bucks, you get about a cup of mixed olives glistening in their marinade of olive oil, mint, and orange zest. Every bite sings. I miss this dish terribly when it isn't available.
FRITES: rosemary aioli [ 4 ]
I've never understood why anyone would combine french fries with mayonnaise. Now that I've tried their upscale cousin, I sort of understand. By the time we got to the bottom of it, steaming had undone the work of the fryer. Â
GAZPACHO: Full Moon cucumbers & green tomatoes, Marcona almonds [ 6 ]
A large bowl brimming with freshly minced zingy veggies, enough for two to share. We did. But we were distracted by...
FULL MOON SQUASH & ZUCCHINI SALAD: almonds, olive oil [ 5 ]
That's the recipe, folks. Tender squash and zucchini, harvested at its peak, then julienned before it had time to register shock. I was lucky to get a few forkfuls from my wife, and grateful for every bite. This dish succeeded because it was so fresh.
GRILLED CORN: Boo & Becky's grilled corn, cumin, smoked butter [ 3 ]
I can't eat corn, so my wife got this all to herself. She enjoyed the corn with indecent enthusiasm. I like that in a wife. I got to taste the smoked butter, which was also served with bread, and I kid you not: I looked around to see if something was on fire.
TOMATO PLATE: local tomatoes, fleur de sel, olive oil, balsamico [ 4 ]
The menu sells this dish short. "Balsamico" was a smoky reduction of an already cask-reduced vinegar; I'd sip it on its own. The tomato slices were 1/2" slabs, 5" across. I began to understand why some tomatoes are referred to as "beefsteak".
WATERMELON SALAD: Boo & Becky's tomatoes, chevre, basil [ 7 ]
I have never in my life tasted watermelon so inexpressibly sweet. Paired with plump slices of tomato, and given a creamy umami kick by the chevre, I absolutely could not get enough. This was the best dish I've ever had at Farm 255, and that's really saying something.
CAST IRON RACLETTE: cornichons, toast [ 9 ]
"Raclette" is French for "searing hot metal meets innocent cheese, legs get all wobbly, and fingertip burns become a pleasure to risk". It's like cheese fondue in the sense that the watermelon salad was like a Chick-fil-A fruit cup. The cornichons (French for "jailbait pickles"), were savory and crunchy.
POACHED DARIEN SHRIMP: fried green tomato, carrot vinaigrette [ 7 ]
I left most of this dish to my sweetie the omnivore, but I'd gladly have eaten this with more fried green tomato in place of the shrimp.
PULLED PORK: Full Moon pork, cornbread, Full Moon smoked cherry tomatoes [ 8 ]
By this point, I was happy to let my sweetie do the gustatory heavy lifting. I did help her with the smoked cherry tomatoes, roasted almost to the point of bursting, which they finally did in my mouth -- oh my.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES:
The chef was so honored by our epic four-hour feat that he sent us top-notch prosciutto, which never even appeared on the menu. So I suspended my vegetarianism of nearly 20 years to try it, and told the chef so. It didn't so much melt in my mouth as dissipate like a salty morning fog. I don't regret the choice, but I'd rather have another watermelon salad any day.
THE PRICE:
Our bill was a little under $80, and we tipped $20 for the excellent service that made our experience so wonderful. So, in the end, we enjoyed a culinary orgy of pleasures for less than we'd have spent on a day at Disney. if you've got a hundy stick burning a hole in your pocket, or you want to do this yourself, just go.
Go to Farm 255 on a Sunday night and order one of everything.
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