Five & Ten, Athens

Five & Ten is a nationally recognized restaurant, recently winning restaurant of the year by the Atlanta Journal & Constitution. Chef Hugh Acheson has won numerous awards and was recently nominated for a James Beard award for Best Chef in the Southeast. Put the two together for catering??? Can that be done? No frozen quiches or spanikopita or tacky carving station? My friend's wedding was the most amazing catered event that I have ever attended... The Botanical Gardens was the beautiful backdrop for perfectly cooked lamb with a delicious herb sauce. We had grilled asparagus with curls of parmesan cheese, spoons of velvety tuna tartare, baked oysters bienville with shrimp and bacon and shot glasses filled with potato leek soup with a savory whipped cream. There were deliciously sweet roasted beets with goat cheese and arugula, lightly dressed with a citrus vinaigrette and, when I commented that even the butter seemed better, I was told that Chef Acheson uses a special, imported butter that is sweeter and creamier than regular butter. The staff was amazing: knowledgeable and professional. The bartender spoke comfortably about the wines offered and made perfect suggestions for pairing. The chef was charismatic, friendly and appreciative of the showers of compliments that he received. I felt spoiled as a guest and I know that the wedding will be remembered, in part because of the fabulous meal. Cheers to the Five & Ten!

I have never written a review for a restaurant, but I need to tell the world about our experience at the Five and Ten. If I could give it 10 stars I would! A very welcoming atmosphere awaits you at the Five and Ten that is Athens all over. To begin, the decor is very soothing but casual. You can wear jeans or dress up a little and fit right in. The service was impeccable, never over bearing or snooty, but very knowledgeable at the same time. The food...out of this world! We dined on cheese selections of brie and blue cheese with accompaniments to start...the roasted grapes on the tray are so gooood! The brie was like butter and it turned my husband from a brie hater to a brie lover. We also had tuna tartare that had grapefruit with it...sounds strange but this chef knows what he is doing...so if anything seems odd, just eat it anyway and you will be pleasantly surprised. The Frogmore Stew was akin to a Low Country Boil with very fresh ingredients and a tomato/leek broth that was to die for. The Pork Chop with greens and sweet potatoes was perfectly cooked and those tasty roasted grapes made an encore appearance on the plate. I thought my mom had the best greens in the world, sorry mom, the Five and Ten beats yours! For the finally we both ordered dessert...my husband never orders dessert, but we had to see what else was awaiting us from this chef! Huckleberry crisp with bourbon caramel and an apple tart with rosemary ice cream topped us off...we were a bit overstuffed but it was worth it. Everything was pure heaven on a plate. The wine selection was great and affordable, but if you were really celebrating, they have $100+ bottles as well. The menu on the website may not be up to date because the menu is seasonal, and he uses locally grown produce so the menu is always changing....all this makes it more interesting & real! GO EAT AT THE FIVE AND TEN PEOPLE!

The ambiance is wonderful..Exposed brick and ceilings give it a loft feeling yet still elegant. The Five and Ten is softly lit and filled with sounds of laughter of close friends and families. This is the perfect place for entertaining out-of-town friends or to celebrate a special occassion. The cuisine is wonderful! Beware...you'll want to try what everyone else has as well!

The food was okay, but it cost too much.

The Five and Ten is the best eating in Athens or Atlanta for that matter.