Restaurants/Food

Consumer Stories

Local restaurant remains closed after extensive fire damage

If you’re craving a burrito bowl from Diablo’s Southwest Grill, you can visit any CSRA location – except the original one at 3668 Wheeler Road, Suite 4 in Augusta. That restaurant has been closed since last month due to a kitchen fire. Rob Ashe, President of AdMax Advertising, which handles Diablo’s advertising, said it will probably remain closed for several months. “I haven’t been inside it, but it must be extensive damage,” Ashe said. “It will be closed longer than we would like.” This isn’t the first time its owners

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Consumer Stories

Downtown pizza business moving down the street

The downtown Mellow Mushroom is moving this summer, but don’t worry – it’s not going to go far. According to Katie Cason, media strategist with M3 Agency in Augusta, owners Shawn and Katy Ledford plan to move their pizza business about a block and across the street, from 1167 Broad St. to 1102 Broad St., the former home of 1102 Downtown Bar & Grill. Cason said the estimated time frame is mid-June, but the official grand opening date will be announced soon. Mellow Mushroom serves a variety of menu options,

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Fat Man’s Café

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

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Consumer Stories

New seafood restaurant opens in Augusta

To celebrate its grand opening on Friday, Rockin’ Crab Seafood & Bar offered a 50 percent discount on all food and alcohol. So many people showed up that day, that the line extended into the parking lot, according to General Manager, Maranda Stokes. The new restaurant is located in front of Kroger and next to Chicken Salad Chick at 2807 Washington Road in Augusta. Rockin’ Crab, which is a franchise, serves a variety of dishes, including crab, shrimp, fish, and chicken wings, as well as seafood boils. “People have complimented

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Consumer Stories

McAlister’s Deli opens new Augusta location

Covid was particularly hard on the restaurant industry. To stay afloat, many were forced to innovate, and that was certainly the case with McAlister’s Deli, according to Kristen Stancill. Stancill, Vice President of DMAC, LLC, the local franchisee, was in Augusta Friday for the grand opening of a new McAlister’s location at 3602 Exchange Lane off Walton Way Extension. “We rolled out a new app right before Covid hit,” she said. “We invested a lot in the technology part of the company.” The app allows customers to place orders for

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Consumer Stories

Restaurateurs launch new Mexican restaurant concept in Evans

For many years, Abimael Lagunes dreamed of opening his own restaurant that serves authentic Mexican dishes. Last month, that dream came true when he and his business partner, Roller Velasquez, launched Senor Mezcal Mexican Kitchen & Cantina. Located at 4534 Washington Road, Suite 9 about a block past the Evans Walmart, Senor Mezcal offers a variety of Mexican favorites, including tacos and burritos. But diners can also find unique dishes that are popular in Mexico, such as costa shrimp tacos and al pastor, which refers to grilled, shaved pork. “We

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Consumer Stories

Local restaurateur to launch experimental dining concept

Ramiro Galvan owns a local Mexican restaurant, but he’s about to launch a new, experimental dining concept in Augusta. Galvan, owner of Taqueria El Rey in Martinez and Grovetown, hopes to open The Munchies Lab located at 1022 Walton Way, Suite A next to Diablo’s Southwest Grill next month. The new eatery will feature an eclectic menu that includes sushi, hot dogs, and even provocatively-shaped waffles (see the lower right corner of the menu). He got that idea from a restaurant in California. “There are a lot of people who

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Willie Jewell’s

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

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Consumer Stories

New Olive Garden coming to Aiken

If you’re tired of driving from Aiken to Augusta to satisfy your craving for Olive Garden’s breadsticks, you won’t have to do that much longer. The popular Italian restaurant plans to open a new location in the former Golden Corral Buffet & Grill in front of the Aiken Mall. The city of Aiken plans to redevelop the building located at 2265 Whiskey Road in the next nine months, according to Meybohm Commercial Properties. This restaurant will be the second Olive Garden location in the CSRA. The other one is at

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Consumer Stories

Business Lunch Review: Mi Rancho on Furys Ferry

Editor’s Note: Wes Hennings never met a meal he walked away from and is an opinionated eater! Each Thursday he shares the results of a business lunch he’s had with a colleague as a way to advise our business community on the good, bad, and tasty across the CSRA. He doesn’t let ABD or the restaurant know where he is going and his opinions are his own. He grades the restaurants he visits on a 1-5 scale with “5” being outstanding. We call this our “Real Business Lunch Review”. Food

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