On our way home from Dickey Farms in Musella, my family stopped in Forsyth for lunch. Grits Cafe was the highlight of the trip for me. We just moved to Atlanta and I mentioned three times to my wife on the drive home how we needed to come back to Forsyth just to come back to Grits Cafe.
The menu was fabulous, the food even better, and there was not a bit of pretension in the restaurant. We were traveling with my folks and our two little ones and not a single person, staff or another patron, gave us any looks other than pleasant. Our kids are well behaved, but they are still kids. I am guessing the evening crowd is a bit different, but still not pretentious.
If this restaurant were located in Atlanta, people would have trouble getting in. I cannot wait to go back.
I'll start by saying we really enjoy food, good food. With that comes higher prices and I don't mind paying them.
I had the lamb chops and the fiancé had the shrimp and grits.  I can cook better lamb chops than that. The shrimp and grits were okay, not nasty but certainly nothing spectacular definitely not special enough to deserve that price. The worst of it was my fiance ordered two bourbon and cokes, and asked for well liquor. I guess well to them is makers mark and their makers mark is $15 a glass. Price of his two well drinks was more than my lamb plate. It was also really loud. Decor was nice though and our server was professional enough. Maybe I would give two stars If prices were more reflective of the quality of the food, bc it was OKAY-but that's all.
It was a great experience, the food was great and the presentation was wonderful. Â A great wine was suggested and our server was top notch. Â A great place for a relaxing meal for two. Â Not noisy and just the right amount of lighting.
If you are anywhere around this restaurant you NEED to stop by and eat here.
YIPPEEEEEEE!!!!!!! Â Grits has risen from the dead. It's reopened in the same location with almost the same menu and many of the same staff. The floor plan is different but the atmosphere - old brick, original art, wood floors - remains the same. Opening night reservations sold out in 24 hours. The place was packed and even though there were numerous opening night glitches nobody cared. A delicious duck flatbread pizza appetizer was an excellent addition. Another addition, though probably not to be standard, was a marriage proposal. A young man and woman were seated in the main dining room and he got down on one knee and proposed. She accepted and the crowd cheered. All you previous reviewers - come on back but be aware they now recommend reservations.
Review Source:Spent the night in Forsyth and uncovered a treasure - Grits Cafe could hold its own in any major city. Â The atmosphere was amazing - street side on the town square or beautiful inside dining. Â Perfect table spacing allowed for quiet conversation without a dead feel.
While the service was above average what truly sets this restaurant apart was the menu and preparation - the steak & shrimp and vegetarian pasta were both amazing. Â Price range of entrees $18-$35 but well worth it and a very strong wine and martini list
Also - Gluten Free diners - very sensitive to Celiac needs and server mentioned all in the restaurant are trained. Features a Gluten Free menu
Would be worth a drive to enjoy this amazing establishment!
This was probably the best find on my recent trip to the South. Â The food was unbelievable! Â Everything from the appetizers, to the salads, the entrees and desserts was memorably delicious. Â The staff was very friendly and helpful. Â It is decorated with quaint Southern charm. Â I will go back again and this time, linger. Â It is worth the drive!
Review Source:The food here is spectacular. Â The chef is wonderful, and he buys local products to support the community. Â If you are a vegetarian, be sure to ask for the vegetarian plate. Â It isn't on the menu, but it's wonderful. Â I highly recommend the portabello mushroom stuffed with Boursin. Â It will make you swoon.
Review Source:My wife and I drove up for lunch a couple of weeks ago after our realtor recommended it and wow, it was really great! Â Right on the Forsyth square, it is typical of some of the well-kept buildings that are so popular in the south. Â The staff was extremely friendly and our waitress was very helpful in providing us her personal favorites. Â I had the BLFGT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Fried Green Tomato) and my wife customized an Imagination Burger with pepper jack and fried onions. Â My sandwich was to die for! Â Just as I had imaged, the tartness of the tomato really stood out as I devoured it. Â Unfortunately, my wife's fried onions which came on her burger were slightly burnt so she removed them and pressed on. Â I didn't really think the price was outrageous as some of the other reviewers have mentioned; I figure that if I can have a nice meal with a beautiful table setting and get out for under $20, that's not a bad deal. Â My only recommendation would be that they replace those cheap little ketchup and mustard packets with real squirt bottles, my wife had a huge pile of empty ketchup packets in front of her plate between smothering the burger and the fries.
Review Source:You cannot beat the Grits Cafe. My husband and I eat there regularly and love love love it! The service is perfect and the food is heavenly. We have friends and family members who come visit us just so they can go to Grits and have Wayne's onion soup. When the spicy peanut soup is offered don't hesitate.....mmmmm
Review Source:Stopped in here by chance (thanks yelpers). This little gem off I-75 was as good as anything you will find in Savannah. We had some wedge salads, fried green tomatoes with shrimp, the grits martini as well as the shrimp and grits. Everything was expertly prepared and tasty. You will not regret stopping in here. This ain't the Cracker Barrel so be prepared for a slightly pricey meal. All that to say you won't mind paying for the quality that Grits Cafe serves up.
Review Source:Okay let me just say flat out the food is DE LISH. Â I can't give this place 5 stars because their prices are SKY HIGH (for what you get).
$8.95 for a small martini size serving of shrimp n grits in Atlanta would be pushing it but in Forsyth? Â really. Â I have to say this though, the shrimp in grits martini, with mushrooms, and a mushroom cream sauce were above and beyond the best grits I've ever had. Â There may have only been 5 bites but they were 5 of the most enjoyable bites ever.
Food is really wonderful, service is nice, the atmosphere is really cute too. Â If I am every in Forsyth and looking for food I have no doubt I will be making a stop at Grits Cafe for some Yummy food!
Grits is great! While that grammar may seem awkward to many, and perhaps normal to others, the restaurant certainly isn't... Six of us dined there recently and it was worth the drive, time, and money. Two friends had the lamb, one had the "pork porterhouse," and three of us had the shrimp and salmon over grits. The pork dish and the shrimp/salmon were the two "blue plate specials" of the evening and $21.95. The place isn't foo-foo so servings were ample and the sauces splendid. We also tried the three different types of grits appetizers and they were good too. I had heard about this place for years, from a variety of people, and finally got to try it. It's easy to find across from the courthouse in Forsyth and really a great place to eat. By all means give it a try!
Review Source:After a long hellish week at a nameless army base, I returned to Macon feeling humiliated, exhausted and grossly inadequate. Â Feelings like this can only be relieved by "treating myself". Â Hello Grits Cafe!
Totally cute little place on the square in Forsyth ,Ga. Â It looked small from the outside, but they seem to have several little rooms tucked in back. Â Superb service, with knowledgeable staff. Â Love this. Â
Me and my classmate had a brief wait, then moved on to stuff ourselves with a blue goose martini (lovely blue cheese stuffed olives, btw), fried green tomato appetizers, duck with gnocchi and fall veggie ragout, and a bottle of pinot noir. Â This for 143.00. Â Huge "treat" on this student budget....but worth it.
The fried green tomatoes came with three perfectly grilled and seasoned shrimp and were still crunchy. Â I hate when the tomatoes are all mushy, making the batter gross and congealed. Â Not here. Â They were in a weird sauce that I wasn't crazy about...sorta like a fancy McDonalds "special sauce" or homemade 1000 island. Â I was also thrown off by the large cuts of celery and pickle in the sauce...but it was still yummy overall. Â Salads were just okay. Â Spring mix with a sweet vidalia dressing, some cran-raisins and pecans. Â My friends caesar looked a little more interesting. Â The salads came out with some cheese biscuits that were totally lackluster...I've had yummier at Red Lobster, but I digress. Â On to the duck. Â Yum yum yum. Â It was a little more on the medium side than I personally like, but otherwise nicely cooked and there was a peppery hint to the skin that was an unexpected surprise and contrast. Â Those gnocchi...hmm. Â My friend and I agreed that they would be better described as homemade tater tots. Â Definitely weird. Â The vegetable ragout was a chunky mix of sweet potatoes, parsnips and maybe carrots? Â I can't remember, but it was forgettable, and in too much sauce. Â
All in all, Grits Cafe is a great little place for a yummy dinner...albeit a sorta pricey one.
OMG! it doesn't get any better than this place. seriously. my death row meal is going to be the grits martini (not your average grits), ceaser salad, praline chicken (with goat cheese potato croquette), followed by cookies and cream dessert. this place is truly a hidden gem and dare i say the best restaurant south of atlanta. i've driven from atlanta down to this place more times than i can remember and it has been worth it every time. this place is special b/c it has the perfect combination of intimate atmosphere, attentive service, and amazing food.
in my experience, most nicer/fine dining places can be pretentious, but this place is not. i've been here wearing a dress and heels AND wearing jeans and a t-shirt and have had equally perfect service and food every time.
when my bf and i go here, an app, 2 entrees, dessert, and usually 4 drinks total usually run $130 w/o tip. Â if you EVER find yourself hungry on I75 headed to or from FL, its worth the detour. oh and the bar makes a mean pomegranate martini.
The Grits Cafe is by far the best restaurant to eat at in Forsyth. Â The atmosphere is quaint and relaxing, while the food is top-notch. Â The lunch menu is a great deal for such great quality. Â The dinner menu is absolutely wonderful too. Â
I recommend the Grits Cafe to anyone who is looking for a delicious lunch or a romantic evening.
Grits Cafe is located in The Square in Forsyth, Georgia, approximately 60 miles south of Atlanta, directly off the I-75. We try to dine at The Grit Cafe whenever we go to visit with my Dad in Macon, Georgia. The town of Forsyth was established in the late 1800's when a classic red brick court house was built, serving as the nucleus of a quaint town square. Today it is home to 5,000 residents, many of whom work in the area, or commute to nearby Macon or Atlanta. Grits Café inhabits one of the original store fronts on the square, and opened its doors on June 18, 1999. Grits Café's menu focus is traditional southern food, not exactly like Mom used to make, adding creativity and flair by fusing old and new ideas. Many appetizers and entrees spotlight local produce, seafood and cheeses, with a touch of Cajun, Southwest and Asian influence thrown in to keep things interesting. The flavors are trendy and unique, and closely rival the artistic detail paid to the presentation of each plate. My favorite appetizer is the Southwest Spring Rolls stuffed with black beans, roasted corn and mild pepper jack cheese, served with chili dipping sauce. My favorite entrée at Grit Café is the Oven Fired Duck Breast With blue cheese crusted sweet potato wedges, and a cabernet reduction.
Review Source:Damn. My wife and I were driving from Atlanta to Savannah, it got to be dinner time, and we checked Yelp to find a place. Good thing. Grits was just great. We split three appetizers (lamb ribs, spring rolls, and grits), and they were all excellent. The ingredients were fresh, the display top notch, the location perfect. The food is fancy, the presentation exquisite, but the service and the site unfussy. I'd drive there from Atlanta for dinner.
Review Source:Okay..I was skeptical. I had read the reviews and seen the mouth-watering photos of the Grits Cafe's selections..but the location kept throwing me off!
I finally made it to Grits Cafe last night and now I'm really angry at myself for waiting so long! IT WAS DIVINE!!!!!!
My companion and I each started out with an appetizer. I ordered the Grits Martini which is a martini glass filled with cheese grits and topped with a mushroom cream sauce, bacon, and shrimp. As a life-long grit-eater, I find it pretty difficult for someone to get the cooking and seasoning down. Grits Cafe, however, cooked them perfectly. I've had shrimp and grits before at other restaurants and have never really been impressed. I've never had the ingredients come together the way that they should (flavor-wise). When I dove into my Grits Martini last night, I was in heaven! Not only did they cook the grits wonderfully, but they also found the perfect blend of flavors that brought the dish together...it was excellent!! Â My companion ordered the southwest spring rolls and they were delicious also.
They brought our salads next and they were great. We had the house salads which were greens tossed with a vinegarette and topped with pecans and cranberries...it was a perfect flavor combination!
For our entrees, my companion ordered the barbecue-rubbed pork tenderloin which was served with a 5-cheese mac n' cheese, and fried green tomatoes. I tasted the tenderloin and the mac n' cheese and whoa! They were excellent!! (I don't eat tomatoes)
I ordered the herb-crusted filet of beef tenderloin..it is pricey but worth EVERY penny! The filet was cooked perfectly and served with horseraddish-potato puffs and green beans...out of this world! The filet was topped with melted house-made boursin cheese and sat on top of a brown mushroom sauce...it was melt-in-your-mouth-perfection!!! I couldn't have been happier!!
For dessert we ordered the creme brulee which was superb!
Each dish was beautifully presented and the service was excellent. If you haven't been to Grits, go NOW! Trust me, it's worth the drive!!!
who would've guessed such a delicacy in po-dunk freakin south jawja. this white linen diner....i thought it was a breakfast place at first (grits...cafe....who knew). so we ate there tonight. she had the seared tuna and i the shrimp and grits, and dadgummit, it was purty darn gud! the waitress was attentive without being overwhelming, and they quickly accomodated my girls allergy to nuts by removing all of them from their respective dishes. it is a tad pricey, but one can splurge every now and then right? even in forsyth, GA.
Review Source:First, a disclaimer: I do not make a habit of exploring downtown Forsyth or the surrounding communities. And Forsyth, GA is not in the County OF Forsyth.
It was Poppa P's birthday, and we wanted to take him some place special. You know, someplace other than a Picadilly or Waffle House. And since the elder Mr. and Mrs. P don't really like to go places they haven't been before, Grits was it. Seriously y'all, there's not much between exits 218 - 187 on I-75 in the way of fancy.
So Grits it was. Previously approved by the 'rents, and sufficiently bistro-y enough for an Entitled Decatur Brat like yours truly.
We arrived at 6:30p on a Saturday; they were slightly busy, but not packed. They wouldn't take a reservation unless you were a party of 5 or more which worried me at first, but then I remembered: we're in Forsyth.
The menu was amazing. EVERY entree looked tempting and tasty ... but when faced with the Blue Plate special and a bonus special, well, I couldn't resist. We started off with the fried green tomatoes as Katherine D. recommended, and they were perfect: even Momma P. raved.
Salads come with entrees and I have to say, it was the least impressive part of the meal. The vidalla onion dressing was great, but it was basically lettuce, pecans and cran-raisins. Good, but only mediocre.
Poppa P and Momma P both got the hanger steak which was the special: herb-crusted, served on a bed of creamy horsradish sauce with green beans on the side. Momma P ordered hers well and Poppa P ate every last bite, so i didn't taste. They raved and enjoyed, so I'm sure it was delish. (PS - Momma P wants you to know that a "hanger steak" is just a fancy term for a "skirt steak".)
Husband (aka Hipster Douchebag) had the Ahi Tuna ... which looked great too. The side was a seaweed salad and a rice roll; I think the waitress said the seaweed salad was a "bonus" that the chef was trying out. He ate every bite.
I had the Blue Plate special - Bacon-wrapped Sea Scallops over cheesy grits with a side of green beans. It was heavenly. The scallops were perfectly done and the grits were so cheesy, each forkful had cheese strings hanging off of it. I didn't share.
I would have loved to sample the wine selections, but Momma P does not approve of drinking. I decided on some Pelligrino - seriously, I didn't want to lose my ITP cred.
And how could you leave without sampling a dessert? I was surprised they didn't have some kind of fancy 'naner puddin' .. but we picked "Cookies and cream" described as a "fresh-baked cookie with vanilla ice cream (please allow 5-8 min as it is baked fresh!)"
Sure, or it was a cookie-dough in a 6-inch cruet quickly baked in the oven.
Doesn't matter, it was amazing. Hot, gooey cookie (and I mean HOT) and melty vanilla ice cream. Yum.
Wow - we were highly impressed with everything; from the presentation of the food, the service and a creative menu, Grits could seriously be ITP with no problem.
Only Four Stars because it's in Forysth, GA ... but Five Stars if you actually live down there! And Kudos to the staff - I can imagine there are a lot of crochety old people who eat there, and they were all sweet as sugar.
This place is truly wonderful. Located about an hour south of Atlanta, on the square in the dot-on-the-map town of Forsyth, Georgia, Grits Cafe is, as their website aptly puts it, "one of the best kept secrets in Georgia." Most of you ITPers will never set foot or tire inside the city limits of Forsyth (unless you're passing through on your way to Florida), but if, on some summer evening, you're craving great food and small-town charm, then head on down to Grits. Sure, it's a little further off the beaten path than, say, The Farm at Serenbe. But, I've found, it's totally worth the drive.
Chef-owner Wayne Wetendorf has dreamed up some truly amazing dishes and has found delicious ways to exploit the restaurant's signature item: yup, you guessed it, stone-ground GRITS. The asiago-grits croutons which can be found in the Caesar salad are delectable--crispy and golden on the outside, rich and creamy on the inside--and  the Grits Fritters (served with a Tomato Basil Cream Sauce) are like little pieces of heaven. Although the menu consists of quintessentially southern food, most of the plates feature Cajun, Asian or Southwestern notes. Additionally, many of the cafe's dishes make use of fresh, local produce, seafood and cheese. And, they are all presented with artistic flair. The Fried Green Tomato Napoleon, described on the menu as "layered with a spicy remoulade sauce and served with jumbo shrimp," is held together with an aromatic sprig of rosemary and is particularly beautiful. Trust me, you need to order this dish.
Each day, the standard menu is enhanced with the "Runaway" and the "Blue Plate." I am a firm believer in ordering whatever the chef or server recommends so I almost always go with the Blue Plate. I've only been disappointed one time, when my my risotto with green pea puree was a bit thick. I can only assume it was an off-night.
The service at Grits is stellar and the drink menu is extensive. Which is good because the restaurant itself is so cute--no cell phones please--that you'll want to linger over every course. Don't forget to check out the bathroom.
If you find yourself down this way, make time to check out Grits. You'll be glad you did.
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