Which Athens restaurants are missed the most? Here's what you said

From fancy steak dinners to hangover tacos, memories of Athens restaurants past can sometimes remain just as vivid and meaningful as a concert or sporting event we attended and are often synonymous with specific eras of the city's history.

To find out which local restaurants are missed the most, we recently took to social media to pose the question. Though responses varied from across the decades, these are the names of the ten spots that kept coming up.

More: 10 long-standing Athens restaurants that'll spark your nostalgia.

Harry Bissett’s New Orleans Cafe & Oyster Bar (279 E Broad St.): Long before fish and grits became a trend, Bissett's served them up to scores of devoted customers along with crab cakes, jambalaya and po boys. Athens lost this jewel in 2010.

Steverino’s Pizza & Sub Shop (1583 S. Lumpkin St.): Opened in 1974, the five points eatery was perhaps just as well-known for its delicious steak and cheese sub as it was for pizza. Steverino's moved to Duluth in 2008 and is now closed.

Gyro Wrap (175 E. Broad St.): Usually found in mall food courts, the Mediterranean quick-serve was such a hit in Athens that our location was allowed to keep its name when the company became Great Wraps. Open for 40 years, it closed in 2020.

Five Star Day Cafe (229 E. Broad St.): When Five Star announced its closure in 2013 after 15 years in operation, Athens lost one of its consistently unique sources of comfort food. Their tomato soup and spicy meatloaf really stuck to your bones.

Bluebird Cafe (493 E. Clayton St.): From 1975 to 2008, the downtown vegetarian staple offered an affordably-priced menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner options that included crepes, tofu, beans and rice, and the best veggie melt sandwich in town.

More: What's the recipe for Black-owned restaurant success in Athens?

Zim’s Bagel Bakery (196 Alps Rd.): Everyone knows that great bagel shops in Athens aren't easy to come by, and Zim's had everything from breakfast bagels and omlettes to an eclectic array of sandwiches. Zim's closed its doors in 2009.

Mexicali Grille (2139 W. Broad St.): Known for their logo featuring a mustachioed bulldog wearing a sombrero, Mexicali's cheese dip was legendary. There were three Athens locations by the mid-1990s, but all had closed by 2011.

Davinci’s Pizza-In-A-Pan (1065 Baxter St.): With its dimly-lit atmosphere and gigantic deep-dish slices, eating at Davinci's felt like a trip to another time and place. The authentic Italian eatery closed in the mid-2000s.

Charlie Williams Pinecrest Lodge (Whitehall Rd.): Far off the beaten path and down a dirt road, the much-beloved Pinecrest Lodge's buffet served catfish, barbecue and vegetables to families and UGA students from 1929 to 2004.

The Peddler (351 Broad St.): A higher-priced steak house that would bring cuts of meat to the table and let you choose which one you wanted. The Peddler was open in the 1970s and 1980s and closed sometime in the 1990s.

Honorable mentions: Allen's Hamburgers, Guthrie's, Ike & Jane's, Manuel’s, The Mean Bean, Rocky's Pizzeria, Shrimp Boat, Sons of Italy, The Spaghetti Store and Taco Stand (Broad St.).

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Athens restaurants we miss the most: 10 answers from our readers