Cali N Tito’s

We’ve been here several times and it is always good! It is a cool little spot with a twist… although you’re inside, it is setup like an outdoor courtyard/​street setting. The food is great, it is very clean and we’ll keep coming back!!!

I went here dressed as Jesus Christ after last year’s Christmas pageant. However, the waiter treated me irreverently so I’ll never break bread here again. Loved the fish taco though.

This place is an institution in Athens. If you like anything off the beaten path this is your place. The 5 Points location doesn’t take cash so hit the gas station on your way.

Cash or check only. Kitschy décor is fun & cute for kids. Service is fast. Beef empanada was good. Maduros were alright, not too sweet. Salad looked fresh. Lots of veg on the fried fish taco.

Awesome place for quick lunch if you are craving some Cuban food! Prices are pocket friendly, we always end up there for lab lunches.
Only downside is that the UGA campus location does not take credit cards… gotta have cash or check!

If only I had found this place sooner. Well at least I found this gem and my meal of choice, the fish burrito. Everything inside this monster meal is fantastic. At first I didnt think the sweet plantains were neccesary. I was wrong. The combination of sweet and savory is yummy. The guava empanadas are a must for dessert. My only complaint… they are always out of the limeade and I want it so badly.

Every time I come here and try something new I am never disappointed! Love, love, love their fish burrito! And there sandwiches AMAZING! Whatever you choose from the menu, you will not be disappointed. And that sauce, omg, I will figure out what they have in that sauce one day!!! If you know the recipe to the sauce let me know!!!

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Athens, hands down. I love both the location on Lumpkin and in east side. It’s reasonably priced and the food is absolutely delicious and pretty authentic in my opinion. I would definitely recommend it!

The Cuban sandwich is awesome! We love taking out of towners here to try their awesome food! We’ve had such good experiences every time we went. The design and décor is so fitting for the type of restaurant that it gives it such an awesome character! It’s kid friendly and my son loves the food as well. We love going there, and it’s such a laid back atmosphere.

I was in Athens for a day and a friend suggested Cali N Titos for lunch… I am so glad I listened! The tacos were unbelievable and so much food for so little money. The atmosphere is fun and casual; definitely a must go if you are in Athens!

Been coming for years and the food and atmosphere are awesome. Best way for me to describe the food is probably Cuban Tex-​Mex and it has been great everytime I’ve been. They have added tvs recently which is just another bonus. The reason. Deduct one star is because it is byob and if you do bring your own beer you have to pay an additional $ 2 fee. Sometimes byob is a gift but sometimes I just want to be able to sit down and order a drink from the restaurant.

I’ve been here so many times in the 1.5 years of being a UGA student, and it’s only now that I remember to write a review. This was the first place I ever ate out at in Athens, if you don’t count the Ohouse dining hall, and I still come back here.
I’m always craving this place, it seems, and it’s located quite close to campus. It’s quite possible to walk from campus if you’re holed up in your dorm. Don’t think that I haven’t thought about it during my freshman year being in the Hill community dorms. It’s literally down the road.
My friend suggested the Melanesa? Not sure how it’s spelled, but it’s a breaded steak sandwich. It was so good. So full of flavor and the steak wasn’t dry or chewy. Lot’s of fresh greens and ahh, I’m hungry all over.
I always return to the fish burrito, however. I just like fish, burritos, and fried plantains. And this little buddy has all three! It sounds weird, I know, but somehow all those flavors just fit so well together, though I do ask that they don’t add the tobasco.
Since I mentioned the fried plantains in my burrito, they’re also great on their own as a side dish. I’ve gotten those a couple of times alongside my burrito. Don’t judge me, I don’t have a problem.
I’ve also had the guava… something. It’s like a little fried guava turn over almost with some cheese and its so good, though the guava was a little too sweet and too much.
Sad thing is they only accept cash, though I did have them deliver once through bulldawg food and the only way to pay is through credit card… so there’s that.
The food sometimes is slow to arrive even when there isn’t many customer’s so that’s the only down side. I’ve never had a problem here besides wait time. Their aesthetic is that hole-​in-​the-​wall shack feel and it sure feels like that. which somehow makes the food feel more authentic.
Cali n Tito’s can get super busy and sometimes the little tiny U of a parking lot won’t suffice. The food will probably take even longer to get out, but in the end it’s all well worth it.

went to Cali’s for the upteenth time this week on a warm December day and had my goto #10: grilled chicken, grilled rice/​beans/​onions/​tomato. I added green and the Super hot red sauce. Had a side of yuca frita. iced tea with lime slices to drink. All was xcllent
D

Cali N Tito’s definitely holds its special place in every UGA students’ hearts. Cheap, delicious, and so close to campus. What more could you ask for? Before you walk in, make sure you say hello to the pretty parrot.
The restaurant as a whole is colorfully and randomly decorated. You’ll find everything from country flags to canned lights to wagons all somehow strung on the ceiling one way or another.
This place is notably known for its amazing fish tacos: crispy tilapia fish, diced tomatoes, red cabbage, red onions, cilantro, all drizzled in their special sauce and wrapped in a soft tortilla. If you’re not in the mood for fish, I would suggest the Cubano sandwiches. I prefer the steak, but they also have chicken and vegetarian options! If you want to take it a step farther, there is the «Cubano special» which contains ham and egg in the sandwich.
Cali N Tito’s also have lunch specials! Choose the fish tacos or the Cubano sanwich with a side and drink for all under $ 10! What a snag. For the drink, I would recommend the limeade, but I will say it’s a hit or miss. For water, the water fountains will be found above the colorful tanks.
If you want something stronger, you could also bring in $ 2 and BYOB (bring your own beer).
After you’ve completed your meal, you can help the waiters lives a bit easier and throw away your trash around the bins that are around the restaurant.
Warning: this place only takes cash! But if you forget, there’s an ATM machine in the adjacent gas station.
My recommendations:
[Food]
— Fish tacos
— Cubano sandwiches (steak or vegetarian)
[Drinks]
— Limeade
— Café con leche
— Any of their smoothies

My brother has been at uga for a while now, and we just tried this place out. The location is close to his old dorm room, so the location is pretty convenient for uga students. We just packed his belongings because it was the start of his winter break. And I got hungry!
Oh, and we had just spent two hours at botanical gardens, so we were really hungry. Cali n tito’s had the most reviews with a high rating, so we decided to give it a try.
The restaurant itself is pretty chill. Dont expect anything fancy unless you think picnic tables are fancy. Haha.
The line was pretty long when we went, but it didnt take too long to get to the front of the line. Remember that this place only takes cash or checks. They dont take cards, so they suggest that you get cash from the atm at the gas station next door.
While waiting in line, we took a look at the menu so that we would know what to order when we got to the cash register. We got chips and guac/​salsa dip, Cubano especial, Arroz chauffa (sp?). Both steak. You have the option to get steak, pork, chicken, or chorizo, I believe. The food was delicious. The Cubano especial was very mayo-​ey, if you know what I mean. The Arroz chauffa (fried rice) was served with fried plantains which were really good as well. The portions are pretty big, enough to share.
I would definitely come back to try their burritos, because they looked really good! They dont serve beer, but you can BYOB (there is a $ 2 service charge). All in all, I would love to be back when I come back to athens!
Note:
They have a cute parrot in a cage outside!
Their soap in the bathroom is in a Sriracha bottle ;)
Theyre looking for more servers!

Cali and Tito’s has been a great place to eat for years, dating back to when it was on Tallassee Rd back in the 90s.
Although not traditional, their steak cubano is an amazing sandwich with a nice kick. I have a hard time not ordering this every time. The yucca fries this last time were kind of weak.
The empanadas are fine and won’t thrill you but are pretty good.
S. enjoyed her pork and rice plate.
The only issue that keeps me from going there regularly is the cash only deal.
The poor parrot.

Another score in Athens. I might love this town. The Unilocal love here isn’t misplaced. Went with my original food tribe today and we got down and ate like piglets. This place is quirky and delicious and lots of fun with outdoor seating and lots of yummy options.
I’m mildly obsessed with yuca frita and this portion was generous, fried up perfectly, nicely salted and so yummy. El Sandwich Criollo… omg. So heavenly! They use amazing bread here and I was in love with the tender, well seasoned pork. This sandwich is to die for. Empanadas were equally delish, for me the chicken wins over the beef, but the filling to pastry ratio is wonderful; no extra doughiness, and no greasy fingers either. My sib had a delicious Cuban, only complaint was that it was a wee bit heavy on the mayo, if that is even a legit complaint! Being a pig, I also got the flan… hello smooth textured creamy deliciousness! My niece wanted churros but the line had gotten ridiculous by the time she spoke up. Guess another trip will be forthcoming.
Believe the hype. This place is so yummy. And totally affordable. We three left stuffed for around 30 bucks and had leftovers to boot!

Now that I’m working on my last kid getting through college, was here today checking out the campus and my son loves the steak cuban here. This is is a great spot near the Frat houses and a cash only spot suited for students. No booze but byob…
Great tables outside to site on can get hot in the summer but good all around. The choices here are cuban, american latin twist with empanadas and sandwiches that are inexpensive but farm to table fresh meats and veggies. Great atmosphere, and a dive kind of college place that takes me back in time.
My son loves the steak cubana– not a press/​cuban– but a great overall sub type of beast. Plantains — fried are quite good and a good cold coke top it off. We come here often and enjoy the food before we hit our other favorite places in Athens when in town for a game or just over for the day. Highly recommend you check this place out.

What a fun little spot! And note: CASH ONLY.
There is limited parking, so search for street parking if the small parking lot is full.
The line was literally out the door on a Saturday afternoon around 1:30/2PM. The line took exactly 30 minutes, but we were mildly entertained puppy watching and examining the unique piñata décor.
I ordered a fish taco, a chorizo taco, and a side of sweet fried plantains. I chose to get water, which you can serve yourself via the yellow keg and pipe… Which was very off putting to me.
The tacos were awesome! Wish there was a bit more fish but I downed those tacos without pause. I was starving and ready for some food. My favorite part of the meal had to be the sweet fried plantains. It came with a twist on thousand island sauce, but I felt the plantains sat well enough on their own. They were hot and sweet and slightly crisp on the thin fried outer layer. Definitely worth a try!
Note: BYOB, as they do not serve alcohol on the premises, but there will be a small additional charge for your alcohol, be warned.
Cali N Tito’s is a cute little spot for a simple lunch on a beautiful day.

Plantains in a fish burrito? Stroke of genius or???
I’ve been to Cali N Tito’s only a handful of times, primarily sinking my teeth into some of their delicious veggie or fish tacos. Always missing out on the infamous tostones everyone raves about.
Finally, though, we stopped in and got a chorizo quesadilla, Tito’s fish burrito, and a side of tostones. You never fail to please, Cali N Tito’s! Some of the best Latin food I’ll probably have the pleasure of trying. Given though, I don’t eat a hell of a lot of Latin food, but lately, seems I have.
The fish burrito was everything I’d expect in the fish tacos but with that added sweetness of the plantains give it a step above the average burrito. Though, the texture of them added a ‘squishy-​ness’, that I wasn’t fond of, they aren’t actually that noticeable unless you’re actively inspecting your meal. Anyways, best fish burrito ever. The light spiciness of the sauce plus added sauce on the side for dipping.
The tostones… alone, rather salty, not overly greasy, but with a nice crisp texture. The sauce gives them that added subtle flavor they’re seeking. Definitely, can’t go wrong with these. Just make sure to use the sauce they come with and not your spicy burrito sauce which kinda nukes any and all flavor. Just not as complimentary, obviously, but if you like it with a dash of spice. Go for it!
The chorizo quesadilla, while only having a few bites, left us a little underwhelmed. I mean, it’s a quesadilla, but it’s standard. I have had fabulous quesadillas in the past, but it was being sized up by my burrito, so bad match up. Overall, good stuff though.
In a nutshell, if you’re in the Athens’ area and looking for Latin food, Cali N Tito’s is a definite go to. Reasonably priced, good atmosphere, and delicious food. Just bring cash as they are only cash or check. If you happen to come unprepared, hop over to the BP next door. There’s an ATM by the door.