Friends Grille and Bar

I met up with some friends for brunch and I ordered the chicken salad while the others mostly ordered breakfast items. When I tasted my chicken salad, I really did not like the texture of it. It was very creamy and just seemed like it had a lot of mayo with the chicken. Another person who ordered it in my group felt the same way. Thankfully my waiter allowed me to change my order, which ended up being some scrambled eggs and grits. I really enjoyed that. Next time that's what I'll order during brunch. Our server was very helpful and friendly, which was a plus.

One of the if not the best steak in town as far as ribeye goes. They have a different selection of bourbon to make old-fashioned with. Great atmosphere and great service

Since trying other restaurants in this restaurant group brand and enjoying it, we decided to give Friends a try and were very pleased! We ordered the pan roasted salmon (not pictured) and the ribs which were both very good! The crumbles on the salmon were tasty and I was told the ribs were excellent. The bread and the honey butter was also a hit. Our server was pleasant. Would recommend!

We had lunch with a party of four. All of the dishes were excellent. Unfortunately, the service was dissapointing. Very hard to get drink refills, order desserts, etc. When we finally did get desserts ordered, they didn’t come until - after 20 minutes - we went inside to find the waiter to ask for them. When he brought the desserts, we asked for the check. Another 20 minutes went by, and no check. Had to go inside again to get it. This was my first time at this restaurant. If I were to judge it by service alone, I wouldn’t go back. Recommended: black eyed pea cakes; fettuccini; carrot side; peanut butter pie.

Super cozy atmosphere and amazing food at a fantastic price point. Been here a few times both to take photos for the local visitors bureau and as a regular patron numerous times on my trips to Valdosta. Always friendly service, the drinks are great, and the food is great. I always opt for the large ribeye which is consistently delicious. Wish we had more restaurants like this back home in Jacksonville!

First visit, very impressed with outside and inside decor. Loved the open kitchen, made you feel empowered as you saw them jump into action as your food order was dropped. Super customer service and our selection of the house burgers was simply delicious. Not sure what they put on the fries but some of the best I have eaten. Bravo.

Went to Friends for brunch. The chicken and waffles had no flavor, my husband ordered xtra bacon and it came under cooked. Waitress saw we didn’t eat hardly any of our food when we asked for the check and didn’t want to go boxes. But didn’t ask if there was anything wrong. I did say something about the chicken not having flavor as she was taking the plate. Not expecting a free meal but some acknowledgment that we just paid for a meal we didn’t like nor eat would have been nice. Use to be one of my favorite places. 😞

I went to Friends several nights ago and it was incredible. We got the pimento cheese appetizer, the filet and the chicken thighs. The homemade chips that came with the appetizer were crisp and a little spicy which added to the flavor of the whole bite. I ordered my steak medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. Extremely tender and the sauce was great. My boyfriend had the chicken thighs which were tender as well and had a great flavor. The wait staff was nice and attentive. We will always come back to Friends!

We stopped for brunch. My group was seated right away and the staff were very kind. I ordered the French toast casserole and added fried chicken. The casserole was not very sweet and tasted bland. My friends also ordered the quiche and eggs Benedict. The food did not taste good enough for what it is worth. The mimosa was delicious. We got a pitcher for $36. And the restaurant was beautiful but I don't think I would come back to eat here.

Good food, great service, and what you need it to be atmosphere. The dining room can be more formal or you can drop it down a notch with outside, heated seating. The bar has plenty of tables and comfy bar stools. The food is always consistent and good. A little something for everyone. The lunch menu caters to lighter fare and the dinner menu amps it up with more hearty selections. You can't go wrong at Friends!

Delicious dinner and desert. Excellent service. Sophisticated but relaxed atmosphere.

The brunch is so good! We order the shrimp n grits, fried chicken, chicken sandwich, and hash brown casserole. It took about 20-30 minutes to get our food. I brought a cake to celebrate my bday and they offered to keep it in their freezer while we ate. Our server brought us extra plates for the cake. We went on a Saturday morning so it wasn't very busy.

The only difference in this place and a run down Waffle House, is the decor (which is weird and confusing) and the ability to order overpriced drinks, that use lower shelf spirits.. the food was less than appetizing and thrown together with no presentation or forethought.. it's pretentious and beyond loud.. save yourself the money and hit up a ihop.. at least there you don't expect more than you get..

The ambiance of this place is really nice. The food was okay. The spicy shrimp was kind of spicy. The margarita flatbread didn't have much sauce or cheese on it so I was kind of disappointed. The best thing was the butter pecan cheesecake. I'd come back just to chill drink and eat dessert!

We arrived & were told the wait time was 20 to 25 minutes for a meal. The four of us had 1 drink each at the bar & we were seated by 6:35 pm. The waitress ( friendly young lady) took our appetizer order, which came within a reasonable time. Our order for meals was taken around 7pm to 7:15pm. Around 8:23 pm still not having been served, we observed other patrons who came after us getting a meal service. To be clear, nothing we ordered should take 1 hour or longer for preparation. We requested a conversation with a manager & she told us she would check to see what time our food order went to the kitchen. By this time around 8 :30 pm it had been 2 hours since we arrived. We promptly left as a few people in our party felt aggrieved. Hopefully your establishment will reduce wait times for patrons in the future.

There aren't a lot of places in Valdosta that offer brunch and this is one of them. They do lunch & dinner as well. I've come so many times and have never been disappointed. The atmosphere is great, they offer indoor and outdoor seating. The spinach artichoke dip for an appetizer is AMAZING. The hash browns are great I would just recommend getting the queso on the side. They have regular mimosas and "friends" strawberry infused vodka mimosas. They are delicious as well as many other cocktails to choose from.

Today was a return visit in my hometown. When I arrived there were people waiting as always but the hostess was so friendly and allowed me to seat myself in the bar area. The bar staff was EXTREMELY FRIENDLY and ready to serve me despite how busy they were. By the time I left they felt like Friends. (Good title for the restaurant) I ordered the peach Bellini and was also offered a sample of their red sangria. The Bellini I was so tasty and so was the sangria sample. Hayden is great with the customers and the drinks! There is no need the order multiple as she is not at all thrifty with her pours. :) The food today however was not what I'm use to. I did make it an effort to order things I have never tried and I must say i was not impressed. The black eyesed pea cakes were almost flavorless. I asked for queso cheese on the side and this brought them to life. I think it would have been even better if it was queso blanco. The Al Pastor Pork Hash was also unremarkable. Not bad but a little ... grainy. The meat was tender but not well seasoned. The atmosphere was great like always. You can go here alone and leave feeling like you just spent the day with friends.

The service has been fantastic every time I have been, and there have been quite a few visits. I haven't found a favorite meal yet because I have thoroughly enjoyed all the food I have tried. Brunch and the Friends Mimosas seem to be my family's favorites.

We have been going to Friend's for many years and have enjoyed most of our experience there. However, our last two visits (July 3rd and July 26th) were horrible. Both times we were seated in the back under the VERY dirty air filter and beside the stained and raveling burlap panels. There was no silverware to be found, it took nearly an hour to get our food - which was cold by the time it made it to our table, and there was some mix-up with the card we used to start a tab at the bar while we waited for our table. Chances are good that we won't be back.

While the staff at this restaurant is friendly and the decor is cool, it is clear that there are significant issues with cleanliness that need to be addressed. The dining area and surfaces appear to be dusty and in need of a deep clean, which detracts from the overall dining experience. The fried chicken is undeniably delicious, but it is essential to note that the quality depends on whether the grease is clean or not. Unfortunately, the sides that accompany the chicken are somewhat hit or miss, and it can be challenging to find something to complement the main course. In South Georgia, fresh vegetables can be challenging to come by, but it is disheartening that there are no options such as cauliflower, broccoli, or roasted onions or peppers. Additionally, the pre-made waffles are a disappointment. While it may be convenient, it is unacceptable to serve pre-made waffles in a restaurant, particularly at the prices charged here. The chicken salad also leaves something to be desired, as the abundance of fruit seems somewhat out of place. In conclusion, while the restaurant is okay, there is a clear need for improvement, particularly in terms of cleanliness, menu updates, and side dish options. With some effort in these areas, this establishment could elevate the dining experience and be worth the prices charged.

Food used to be amazing but now it's mediocre in terms of flavor profile. The goat cheese appetizer is delicious though! With that said, it's a good option for a small town with limited restaurants. The ambiance is nice

This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in the Valdosta area. The menu is always changing to add something new, which I like. The service is usually wonderful even when they are busy. I love the atmosphere. The bartenders are fantastic and always impress!

This is one of our favorite restaurants in town. Perfect atmosphere for a quick lunch with a friend or a business dinner. The food is consistently amazing, and ever changing with the season. The staff is very welcoming and full of suggestions if needed.

The menu here is nicely varied, and the drinks are delicious. Love that I can also get vegetarian options here, as well!

The ambiance was great, the server was nice and attentive, and the food tasted pretty good!

Turned from a restaurant into a loud bar and the kitchen couldn't keep up. Rare filet arrived well done. The food has been very good at other times. Get the bread pudding! Avoid Fri and Sat bar night. The painted concrete floor really makes the atmosphere very loud. For these prices, they should be able to work on the acoustics

BRUNCH - disappointmentX4 We all had looked forward to having Brunch on Sunday - and ordered some of our past favorites, ie BREAKFAST STANDARD and EGGS BENNY. Unfortunately - ALL of our orders were served w/o what was advertised on menu as being served with SWEET POTATO BISCUITS. We were NOT informed prior by waitress nor server of them being out & giving substitute - TIL AFTER PLATES WERE SERVED and I inquired:( Terribly disappointed X 4 . And when one of your guests at table who's from the ATLANTA area states "Waffle House would have been better" - ahhh OOPS :(

Our server was amazing. The hosts were caring and attentive. The manager on the other hand... customer service training should be mandatory for him and the way he conducts himself as well as postures himself with his staff. This was my second time returning to Friends. My friend flew out for her birthday and I had a more pleasant experience the first time. While eating the shrimp and grits, I bit into my pepper and shrimp filled spoon to be met with the disgusting taste of mold and upon spitting out my food all over was met with the visual horror of mold on my pepper. The manager shooed the server away as if we couldn't see him. He also offered us no real resolution except a comped dessert. When pushed we were told we could get the discount of the server at 25% for a moldy meal. That's absurd. He was very dismissive. Very irritated that he even have to converse with us or deal with this and let us know after internal review everything was ok ( of course! ). The food was subpar as best and then you added the seasoning of mold? Was it for flare?

What a fantastic surprise on our way to Florida! We decided to stop for dinner in Valdosta and a quick search on Yelp led us to Friends Grille & Bar. We pulled in after 7:00 pm and found the shopping area to be dark but Friends was hopping. They had an hour wait for a table, but we were lucky enough to score a couple seats at the bar. The bar tender was super friendly and super attentive even though they were slammed. My husband got the Azalea Negroni which he said was delicious, and I had a glass of wine. Since we were in a hurry we skipped appetizers and just ordered our entrees. I had the Cheese Tortellini that was topped with braised duck, diced apples, and pecans. Oh my goodness it was delicious! The slightly spicy brown butter sauce was balanced by the sweetness of the apples. So good. My husband had the Kale Caesar salad with chicken - not your average chicken Caesar by any means. The crunchy croutons and sweet grapes were nice additions. What really surprised us (besides the delicious food and great service) was the cost of the meal - very reasonable! We might have to make another pit stop in Valdosta on our way home!

Friends Grille and Bar is a pleasant and relaxing spot to spice up one's day with their spouse or loved ones. The waitress was amiable, and the food was delicious.

We were seated immediately at arrival. Our server was great. However, we had to wait over an hour for our food. When we spoke to the manager Jordan, he was very dismissive and spoke with an attitude. Didn't apologize, nor did he go check to see what the problem was. Once we received the food a whole hour and 30 minutes later, he walked by the table a few times and never said anything else to us. As we were leaving, another lady was complaining that she and her group had been waiting for 2 hours. The food was good, but the manager's attitude was horrible. Hospitality keeps customers Jordan!!!!

Loved this place! We had great service and wonderful drinks! Our food was delicious...cheeseburger was amazing and my flatbread was so yummy! We will definitely come again!!

Best brunch in town! Do not forget to order the sweet potato biscuits They are absolutely delicious! The bartenders are all so friendly too and know how ti make a spicy Bloody Mary!

Great! On par with Cameroon Mitchell in Columbus Ohio. Wait, it was better! If you have doubts don't! Go to friends!

Great food always no matter what you get! But the only thing I will say is they need to change the ventilation system because it's smoking and you smell like food when you leave.

We found this restaurant by accident. On the valdosta website they had a link for a burger place with the same name. What a lucky mistake!! Food was so good we went back for the brunch the next day. The burger was huge and perfect. The chocolate mascarpone pot was so creamy. And the egg Benedict on sweet potato biscuit was slap your mama good. The club sandwich was loaded with bacon and the aioli had just enough mustard.

Fantastic! it was delicious! The slightly spicy brown butter sauce was balanced by the sweetness of the apples. So good. My Wife had the Kale Caesar salad with chicken - not your average chicken Caesar by any means. The crunchy croutons and sweet grapes were nice additions. What really surprised and very reasonable!

Food was good. It was hard to find though and the space was small. Beautiful inside, nice for pictures. I would go back but maybe for lunch instead of dinner. Way to crowed.

Good food! Service was a bit back up and where we sat I smelled like fried food. Overall the 3rd time I have been there and i will still go back!

We are visiting Valdosta from Iowa where we are surrounded by prime meat. We have visited this establishment twice now and have had some of the best cuts of beef we have ever had... and that is saying a lot!!! Staff is very personable and have enjoyed our visits there. Highly recommend.

I look up this place on google and thought it would of been great with all the good reviews they had but I was pretty much disappointed. The food was bland and over priced. I'm from Chicago so I know good food when I taste it and this just wasn't it.I really had high hopes for this place. I do not recommend it for people who are first time visitors to the Valdosta area.

The food quality was poor, our ribeye was full of gristle, burnt on the exterior and raw on the interior. We were there for ever waiting for our meal, then it was cold. Terrible service and lousy atmosphere.

yes yes yes yes yes great love always nice love the ambiance 10/10 recommend go quick!

WOW!!! We came to Valdosta for a car show and met the Mayor, Scott Matheson while at the car show. We asked him where to eat, this was one of his recommendations. We were SO impressed! My husband had the burger with onion rings. It was to die for! I had the Kale Cesar salad and shrimp scampi with grits as a side. We were VERY impressed! The service was great and the food.... I can not get over the food! I wish we had one of these back home in FL!

If you are in a rush do not come here, we waited 55 mins for 2 meals and there were hardly any people inside. The strawberry cocktail was very good, the pork medallions were flavorful and tender. Good quality food but terrible service.

Everytime I'm in Valdosta, I try to stop in for some food at Friends. Stopped in on a Friday night with a group of 4. They told us we could be immediately sat outside but it was a little chilly so we opted for the indoor seating (30 min wait). We ordered the New Fashioned (Makers Mark, peach bitters, fresh orange, honey and splash of soda $8) and The Taytini (strawberry vodka, lemon juice, sugar, fresh strawberries $7) as we waited to be seated. I personally enjoyed the New Fashioned but felt they could have added more bourbon. After being seated we ordered bread service ($7) and the charcuterie board (special of the night). The bread service was a disappointment because they took it away and never offered to refill. The charcuterie board was amazing. Larger than we expected it to be. Star of the show, as always, were the Pittsburg Style Steaks. We ordered the 8 oz. Filet of Beef ($29) and also the 18 oz. All Natural Ribeye ($35). Im drooling just thinking about it right now. I was not a fan of the special side of the day (sauted squash and zucchini) my side came with mostly leeks and the veggies were nowhere to be found. My friends ordered tge carrots which I thought were tasty. Next time I think I'll go for the potatos. We were way too full at the end of the meal but opted to take some bourbon bread pudding home and ordered some after dinner drinks.

The food is very good. It does get a bit smoky in there with the kitchen being so nearby. It's a nice fun place to dine on the weekends.

The atmosphere of this breakfast/brunch restaurant is more dress up in terms of the local population. When you walk in on a weekend, a Saturday or Sunday you will find most guests dressed up. I figured that out the first time lol. The food here is definitely traditional Southern breakfast style. You have fluffy pancakes, eggs (your choice), french toast, bacon, sausage and rich, creamy grits. The food that we ordered were the sweet potato biscuits which come with honey on the side. These were delicious to start! Then we ordered the Breakfast Standard, with scrambled eggs, creamy grits, sliced tomato and sweet potato biscuit (no bacon because they only had the pork option) We substituted a fresh fruit instead. Everything tasted fresh for sure... You could tell they made meals to order! We also opted for the Cinnamon Roll Waffle it was delicious Now the service here was pretty good, our waiter was regularly checking on us to make sure we had everything we needed. Also, came with a fresh pot of coffee to leave at the table when our cups were low. All in all, the service was great, the wait to get a table can be pretty long if you have more than four people. My only fault is they should have more options then only pork as a meat side. Go check them for yourself!!

One of the best restaurants in town. We're new to the area & was recommenced to visit this place. It has a small menu & all of the items looked good. We tried the spinach dip & it was so good with the naan bread. Very good flavors. I got the Cuban Panini and the chips that came with it were the best I ever had. They're house made. I also like how the restaurant does straws by request, I'm a tree hugger so that's a big deal for me. The volume of the restaurant is great for having a conversation. The music is played softly & I didn't see any TVs so you don't have to talk loudly to be heard. It's a great place to take friends visiting from out of town.

Forgot to finish this review so going off of memory. Everything was great! Service was good and the food was even better. We went for Saturday brunch so there's a separate menu and they also have certain brunch specials. My friends and I try to come here together when we're all in town at the same time. I try to get something different each time and this time I had the grilled cheese. Talk about yum?! That was one of the best grilled cheeses I've ever had and for the perfect price! The pesto and side of tomato "soup" were perfect additions. Friends will always have a place in my heart and I can't wait for the next time to be back.

Went for dinner on a Friday night. The wait time was less than expected which was a plus. The staff was very friendly and did a nice job. We found the food to be a bit odd...for example, the chicken thigh was coated in saltines served on pimento cheese and topped with pickles. It seemed intriguing but it was just too many flavors going on. The trout was cooked in a Thai type chili sauce...again sounded interesting but my wife's comment was the flavors just didn't go together. The goat cheese appetizer was also just a bit strange...4 goat cheese balls served in a bowl of tomato sauce...it was just different than expected. Also, the cocktails we had were off...the Manhattan was almost pink with the large volume of cherry juice that was added and was simply too sweet. Lastly, the time to receive our food was almost an hour. The feeling we all had was they were just trying too hard on the food and didn't quite hit the Mark.

Good food. It's Southern with an eclectic twist. I had the Argentinian Red Shrimp with bay scallops on a bed of Lima beans and tomatoes with a side of Roasted beets and carrots with kimchi infused goat cheese. My partner had the steak filet. Oh, this is served Pittsburgh style I.e. rare, which is how I like my steak but not everyone does. We had the chai infused crème brûlée which was not to my liking. I understand that their ice cream is fabulous but not available when we were there. It does take a while to get your food so plan for a minimum of two to three hours. I will have to return to try other things and maybe they will have ice cream then.

It's just okay. Food was okay. Service was a little slow, especially considering the time of day we went

In my opinion, Friends is the best restaurant in Valdosta. I have been to Friends many times and can honestly say I have never had ordered something that wasn't delicious. Shown below is a summary of my favorite items on the menu. LUNCH The Burger ($10): This is my go-to dish at Friends. The burger is topped with pimento cheese & bacon and is incredible. Buttermilk Fried Chicken ($12): The chicken is served with a tasty sauce comprised of hot sauce & honey. The succotash on the side pairs very well with the chicken. DINNER Soft Goat Cheese & Parmesan ($8): My favorite appetizer here. 18 oz Ribeye ($33): I don't even need to describe this just get it. Pan Roasted Pork Tenderloin ($16): yes Roasted Carrots ($5): Covered in feta cheese. Even if you don't like carrots you will love this dish.

Went for the first time and had a good time. I wasn't impressed with the dinner menu items and had a hard time choosing a dish. I ended up ordering the burger because I couldn't see how some of the ingredients on their menu went together and didn't want to risk spending $20 and hating my meal. The burger was thick, flavorful and hella juicy even though I ordered it medium well. My husband ordered the Korean short ribs after being informed they were out of the lamb, which was disappointing. They were flavorful, but not sure that they were $25 a plate good.. seemed a bit much considering those don't have a lot of meat on them and you still only get the 1 side. We got the peanut butter pie which was good, but also for $7 I felt the portion was pretty small. The atmosphere is nice, service is friendly and we did go during dinner so it did take a little longer to get our food. Over all it was ok, pricey and nothing to write home about, but somewhere decent for a night out.

Had brunch here on a Sunday morning. The sweet potato biscuits were really good and the peach french toast special was the best thing we ordered. Other menu items, breakfast omelet and chicken and waffles were "ok" Service was "ok". I've heard really good things about this place but for me it was just "ok". Would visit again for dinner.

I went here for the first time for brunch, and I was pleasantly surprised! It has a lovely aesthetic inside and a nice outside seating area. I loved that you can see the chefs cook while you're seated. The staff was amicable and kind. I will definitely return soon!