Chris was a wonderful bartender. Quick service, super nice, let us request a million songs. I would definitely recommend this place and its great as a college bar. People hate expecting it to be a dive bar but in reality these college kids work their butts off. 9/10! read more

Great service, had a burger and a veggie burger both were amazing. Great spot for a grub and nice atmosphere I do recommend.

One of the best places to eat on Court street. The food is so cheap it's hard to believe it's so good! We eat here every time we visit and haven't been disappointed yet!! read more

Stephen's - Ahi tuna only $7.50!!! Delicious! - American Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Honestly Stephen's lunch slapped!! Their veggie burger was surprisingly so good! They were super accommodating for my large party. Everyone enjoyed their food and the service. Great spot for a lil Sunday lunch... or to hit up at night for even more fun! read more

Stephen's - Veggie burger - American Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Worst meal I've ever had in Athens. I asked for the Turkey Club without cheese. The server was very nice and took my order. When I received the food, the server apologized, but was told the orders came "as is." Service was very good, it's a shame the food isn't up to par. I was also surprised that a bar doesn't serve anything on tap. Do yourself a favor and choose one of the many other places Athens has to offer. read more

Waited over 40 minutes to get a drink and got skipped in line 6 consecutive times by the two brunette bartenders. This place blows cooooocccckkkk. Honestly that blonde bartender zach was the best. He helped de-escalate the situation. read more

Love this bar when school is not in session! Alice was our server and she was excellent and extremely helpful with menu and drinks advice. Feels like a true local bar with relaxed atmosphere and great vibe. read more

We had chosen the venue, based on recommendation of online reviews & even though it was a bar, the fact that the food was served on real dishes, rather than a plastic basket, seemed like a good sign. When we walked in at 5:30 on a Saturday evening it was fairly busy but there were booths available, so we sat down. However, we were the the only people in there over the age of 29 & certainly the only ones with gray hair, so I felt certain that our choice was a mistake. However a friendly young man, PJ, quickly came over to give us menus & take our drink orders. We were starved so decided to try 3 appetizers-meatballs, potstickers & pretzels. The pretzels & beer cheese was good but the meatballs & potstickers were to die for! We would never have imagined that an obvious college bar would have such amazing food. And shortly after we arrived, there were several other middle aged people/couples that filtered in to eat & drink, so we didn't feel out of place for too long. The food not only tasted great but the staff brought it promptly & it was hot. In addition to not expecting the food to be top notch in a college bar, we also didn't expect the service to be so well organized & professional. PJ provided the exact right amount of service, we weren't pestered by the staff asking repeatedly whether there was anything else was needed, which always makes me feel like they are trying to rush you out so they can seat someone else but we also weren't left waiting for our next drink with empty glasses. Thank you to the owners/PJ/chef/ staff for providing us such an enjoyable evening! read more

I find that Stephens often falls short for being on the more expensive side of Athens dining. However, I could eat their broiled salmon EVERY day of the week. Highly recommend for fish dish lovers. read more

Stephen's - Salmon Caesar - American Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Totally going back! What a fabulous experience we had at Stephen's. Downside is no reservations so we waited at the bar for a booth (darn, twist our arms). The ambiance is fabulous. Quiet and with the right mood lighting. Great bartendars, great staff. We got our Saturday night table in no time. By the time we got to our table, I could not pick what I wanted in record time like I normally do. I actually struggled. I settled on the crusted haddock with risotto and vegetables. He selected a mediterranean pasta with spinach. TONS of bread with dipping oil came our way. We were so satisified with our meals we actually passed on dessert. Best part? The price was crazy inexpensive. Just unbelievable. The prices were crazy reasonable and the meal was to die for...you MUST go to Stephen's in Athens when you visit OU. I can see why it does well. read more

Great drinks. Great people. Busy even on a Monday! Great service. Great food. Great chicken sandwich. Zack and Jake had great service. Definitely recommend coming here. They play country on busier nights in the basement , but they still had great music upstairs! Best Bar in Athens!! read more

The best experience I had at Stephen's was when I dined here during their Monday night rib special. I was shocked at how tender the ribs were. I wish I'd taken advantage of it more when I was a student. Now, the late-night scene here sucks. I'm now of legal drinking age and when I came to Stephens during homecoming, the bouncer was incredibly rude and refused to let me in. Meanwhile, I had an easier time getting in when I wasn't quite of age. I'm petty and I haven't let that go. It's really deterred me from coming back to Stephen's, especially after the kitchen closes. read more

This food was so good. You would never expect this type of food after experiencing the bar scene here. Honestly the best pasta in Athens. read more

Stephen's - a plate of spaghetti and a glass of juice - American Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Pleasant takeout dinner for 4 ! We tried the salmon salad , chicken Wings and 2 orders of the chicken cutlet with fettuccine Alfredo . All were prepared and seasoned well ! read more

Athens is one of those tiny little places that surprises you expect might just have gross college bar food and a diner here and there - but I am thrilled to say I am wrong. Stephens is one of the more "finer dining" choices - but reasonably priced compared to fine dining in big cities. The bartender (I usually sit at the bar) was friendly, informative, gave great suggestions on the menu, and the owner was around, too - very friendly and appreciative of all the customers that walked through the door. Professional with a caring touch. One thing that I enjoyed about this place - despite the food being fresh, local and interesting choices on the menu - was the portion size. The portion sizes were perfect. It really bugs me when places bring a humongous plate of pasta, half of it goes to waste. The portion sizes were modest - but perfect. I was full and cleaned my plate - no waste like that tells me they are doing smart business on several levels. If you're in Athens and you're looking for a quaint place with candles, linen tablecloths and excellent food - check this place out for sure. read more

Stephen's used to be notoriously overpriced and mediocre before changing their menu from wannabe fine dining to more casual fare. I'd been reassured that following the change, the food and experience at Stephen's was a lot better. Last night, I finally tried Stephen's for the first time. My friend and I started our meal with two pomegranate martinis. They were okay. I ordered the chicken marsala (12.50) and my friend had the chicken and brie pasta (13.00). I was very impressed with the flavor of the marsala sauce. The chicken cutlet was juicy and moist. My friend's dish was also really good. The creamy brie sauce was a nice change from heavier alfredo sauces. The asparagus and prosciutto were nice additions. Our portions were huge and we both took at least half of our meals home. Bread came after our entrees arrived, but I didn't really mind since the seasoned olive oil it was served with was delicious. Service in general was just okay, but that's pretty typical of Athens. We went to dinner at 6, and I'm not sure I would have wanted to go much later, as this becomes a rather rowdy bar at sundown. It was starting to get a little loud right around the time we finished our meals. All in all, I had a really nice dinner here and I look forward to coming back. I think Stephen's was wise to recognize that if they couldn't do fine dining well, it's better to scale back and simplify. read more

We visit Athens, Ohio once a year. Our last visit to Stephen's in '08 was great. We eagerly anticipated our '09 visit. What a disappointment! I had the Grilled Salmon with pesto sauce and broccoli risotto. The salmon AND the pesto sauce had no flavor. The risotto was cold. I don't mean slightly cool. It tasted like it just came out of deep refrigeration. It also had NO flavor. My companion had the Yellow Fin Tuna with rice. The tuna was overcooked and the rice was, well, just plain white rice. I gave Stephen's one star for our waitress. She was friendly and attentive. About the atmosphere....the previous location around the corner was great! It was large yet cozy. The decor was unique! The floors in the new location are slanted! The decor is......boring. There are Henry Matisse prints on the walls....that's about it folks. I think it wouldn't bother me so much if the food made up for! read more

I wish I could give half stars. Ate here to carb load for our Warrior Dash. The place is little and eclectic. It has a neat vibe. We started with house salads and they were good. We got a basket of bread. The bread tasted like sour dough bread. It was just alright. I got the green linguini and was able to add some grilled chicken ($3 extra). My pasta was good not great but good. I would say solid. Pasta was cooked and the chicken was tender. The asparagus could have been a little more cooked as it was a little hard and tge pasta could have been a little more salted. The bestie got the veggie burger and fries. She thought is was good. She made note that the fries were salty, very salty (she does not mind that though as she loves salt). :) all in all the food was solid and so was the service. read more

Stephen's - Veggie burger and fries - American Near Me - Athens, Ohio

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Our favorite spot in Athens for dinner! Definitely underrated. So happy to have stumbled upon this little gem. Always an excellent meal. Everything on their menu is delicious. Prices during happy hour and their daily specials can't be beat. Low key, relaxed, perfect service, always. Very highly recommend! read more

Stephen's - American Near Me - Athens, Ohio

Somewhere between a *** & ****. Given the situation, I'll opt up even if my comments are a bit negative. Not a great bar nor bartender. Missing many top shelfs. Got my very simple gin w/ splash & twist wrong. Twice. Probably a great college bar tho, so factor that in. Was with a large group, which always effects service & food. Server worked her tail off but got a little dicey toward the end of the meal, and as a group, we tend to be friendly, courteous, good tippers. She alone handled 17 of us so kudos to her. Good, not great appetizers. Nothing stood out, good or bad. Salmon was slightly over temp but could a result of the group thing. Well seasoned & presented. Sides were very good. Perhaps not as creative as I'd prefer but well done. read more

You aren't doing yourself a favor by going here. If you manage to get served at the bar, and that's a major IF, they're going to overcharge you unless you know almost all of the workers. As far as food, if you feel like paying ten dollars for a frozen burger then this is your spot. The biggest issue here is the bar. The drinks are overpriced and the bartenders will skip you over unless they know you. They stock up on the cheap stuff - food and booze, and overcharge you big time. It's a joke. I'll probably never be back here, considering Courtside is across the street. read more

I ordered fish & chips and sat there for an hour and a half. After I had asked about it multiple times then they told me the kitchens closed. Ya boy is hungry & mad af. If I could make a zero star review I would. This. heada$$ery drove me to drink and killed my sober streak, AA here I come you can have this chip back. The literal definition of dog water. read more

This is no longer the Stephens that the previous reviewers were talking about. Things have changed. Apparently, in an attempt to make the place more student friendly (why? I saw plenty of students there before) they tried to make the place less fancy. Let's face it, there's a lacking of nice places to go out for a nice dinner in Athens anyway, so I'm not sure the logic here. They held onto a few gems on the menu (WEDDING SOUP) but have mostly changed everything to rather pedestrian choices that you could find done for much less money at somewhere like Ruby Tuesday. The food is still pricy, the proportions are erratic and the food is just ok now. The worst part of the change is the decor. They've added plywood booths that are too small to fit into unless you're not 1 pound overweight. The construction is flimsy, has plywood texture and looks like it's straight out of a backroads diner. They cut holes in the plywood (didn't sand them) and tried to spice them up with multi-colored lights. You can see all the electrical elements and construction through the holes. It's just really unattractive in there when you look around at all the mismatched artwork and fabric hung on stretchers again the ceiling. I can only hope that Stephen opens yet another restaurant in Athens that's a little more classy and offers good italian food again. I used to din at the old Stephens for lunch at work and dinner frequently, but now I struggle to find much of a reason to go there. read more

I have been here twice and it has been very good. First time was moms weekend, so very crowded! We squeezed in at the bar after my daughters friends were done and they gave us their seats, we both ordered entrees, they were very generous so we both only had half. Returned in the summer and we were only ones there beside 2 other people, still sat at bar and got great service. We were smart and ordered a salad and the chicken Marsala to share, was plenty for both of us and very good. Will return. More expensive than most Athens restaurants, but very good and you can always split entrees if you get an appetizer or salad first. read more

http://www.stephens66.com/home.html Had dinner there last night, four people fit very well in booth, large accommodating table. Not a fancy place, however, very nice campus casual restaurant. We had spaghetti with meat ball which was a very large portion with a home-made meatball about the size of a 4 regular meat balls. Chicken and brie past was very good and again portion size was great for price. I had a small Caesar with anchovies which was delish, an a chicken club which was good but could have had a little more flavor (bacon must have been pre-cooked so it really didn't add to the flavor of the sandwich, hint to chef, if you are going to serve a sandwich with lettuce on side for this item, put a small full blade of lettuce not a bunch of chopped lettuce in a pile because it falls out of sandwich while you are trying to eat it. I would also like to mention the fries, while I have never raved about French fries, the fries were home made, light crisp and not greasy, these will compliment any meal that I buy here...get them with what ever you order!! Wine and beer selections were good. I will be a repeat customer here, staff was extremely accommodating for our party. Four people out the door for 68$ not including tip. read more

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Eat here! All the way in Athens Ohio, there is still great food to be found.

Great atmosphere but the service was out of this world. Courtney Moser in particular. Puts the customer first, great work ethic, punctual in her work. Overall I would rate this establishment a 10/10! read more

Cost of the food wasn't bad. The atmosphere wasn't bad. The service wasn't bad. Beer was a good price, liquor based drinks are a little steep but good quality. Some dishes are pretty bland and some (sausage dishes especially) have a good taste and are on par with like restaurants. The fact they accept credit cards but will not split a group into more than three checks is ridiculous. What I mean is, they will not split a check up for a large group unless you are all above the age of 40 like the table behind us. Will dine there again but never with more than three people due to their flexible for special customers policies. read more

I'm from Columbus originally. I've had great food at other places, but this was exceptional. I had a filet that was so tender that I "did" cut it with a butter knife. My wife enjoys pasta, so she had the Alfredo with a Chicken breast. She still hasn't stopped talking about it. For Dessert, we enjoyed the Chocolate Mousse. Truly decadent. Save the gas money. Stay in town. Athens, Ohio has the best little unknown restaurant in this half of the country. FYI--I like to road trip for good food, so I was shocked to find this right in my own backyard. read more

This has to be my favorite restaurant in athens. Always have had great food and service.

I've tried Stephens several times over the past couple months. With the caveat that Athens Ohio is not a Mecca for fine food, Stephens offers good quality. The best item on the menu is the side house salad with several choices of homemade dressings. Always fresh romaine lettuce with onion and tomato. There are pasta specials on Monday and Tuesday, but if you go with a traditional spagetti and meatballs, the kitchen is very light on the sauce. The ribs are ok. Very sweet sauce. Like old style spare ribs. The ribeye is good. All and all a simple, but diverse menu that offers consistent quality. That's about the best you can expect from an Athens, Ohio restaurant. read more

Very good food and drink, generous portions, enough o share or take home.

I've eaten both versions of Stephen's throughout the years. The new menu is simple from burgers and fries to fish tacos or pasta. The burgers are very good. It is clean, food arrives quickly, staff has always been friendly. It's not the restaurant you may remember from years ago, but it is still worth a visit. It's a more relaxed atmosphere. Prices are very reasonable. Very short wait times. read more