The only thing I knew about Covington before traveling there was limited. It was purely based on the little I knew about The Vampire Diaries. The fact that it was filmed there, though, I didn’t know until the week before. I was watching a video about conventions, and learned about both the filming and the Epic Cons that had been hosted. What an introduction!

Waffle House

Yes. I know, I know. But I loooove Waffle House. I am the kind of person to have breakfast as often as I can, even when I travel. Or breakfast foods.

I went to a Waffle House in Covington right beside a Zaxby’s and an IHOP. The place was actually a bit busy, so I sat at the counter. Staff was quick and accommodating. Food is Waffle House quality, you get it the same as any other place.

No issues with anything, really.

Zaxby’s

I know what you’re thinking. “Another chain”? I had not heard of Zaxby’s before I got to Covington. If I did hear about it, I had forgotten.

Drive through, had some difficulty understanding the voice in the box. Luckily wasn’t too bad. Quickly got my food, ate in the parking lot, and left.

Tava’s Diner

Now, here, we finally have a local place to Covington. Tava’s Diner is a rudimentary American food eatery. It looks like you have to get your food yourself, but they do have waitresses. Just seat yourself.

The food here is extremely affordable. I had an eight dollar lunch and was fully satisfied with my meal. Corn dog and fries, which were cooked well and tasted homemade. I assume they are.

The atmosphere here is very interesting. It seems like a place where locals gather, as everybody seemed to know everybody. It also feels like a house that was transformed into an eatery. I drove past it twice trying to find the entrance. The entrance is a regular driveway up into a small parking lot.

I also accidentally left my vest there, but luckily they held it for me until I came back.

It doesn’t seem like they change out the salt and pepper very often, though. My salt shaker was entirely solid…

Still, great meal.

Mystic Grill

This was the place that I promised I’d get pictures of. Evidently, several scenes in The Vampire Diaries were filmed/set here. My sister just started rewatching it, so she was jealous.

It’s a pretty place! The decor is nice, and the seating isn’t uncomfortable. The view into the bar is odd, but also lets you see the TV.

Incidentally, I wasn’t the one to suggest this place. One of my coworkers did, and I mentioned I was going to go there anyway. We made a day of it!

The menu was semi-standard American fare. The food did have its quirks, of course. I got a blackberry grilled cheese, which I had literally never considered before seeing it. Once I saw the entry, I knew I had to try it.

It was really good! I would recommend it if you like either grilled cheese or blackberries. Still, the blackberries took up a lot of the taste, and overwhelmed the rest of the sandwich. Fries were an interesting curl shape.

It took us a few moments to consider dessert, but I needed the sugar for work.

The tart was delicious. Clearly made fresh, and very sweet. It reminded me of fried ice cream, the way it was constructed.

And the bathrooms were clean! That’s a big plus.

As far as prices go… well, there are worse places. And I enjoyed the food, which is what matters most (to me). You might want to check before going, though.

IHOP

Yep.

Look, I said it before and I’ll say it again. I like breakfast. The last few days of my trip, I didn’t feel like going through the effort. It was too emotionally and mentally demanding to find a new place. Sue me.

They have a new cold brew available, and I quite liked it. But, it is very syrupy, and not exactly something I’d regularly drink. The waitress kept it topped up, which did make up for its… quirkiness.

I got an “undecided breakfast,” or something similarly named. French toast and pancakes. The French toast was really good! The pancakes were pancakes. Eggs poached, not bad. Bacon done well enough.

When I went a second time, I merely had coffee, milk, and blueberry pancakes. Of the two meals here, I think I liked the blueberry pancakes more…

Conclusion

Covington, GA is a nice place! The scenery is pretty, the people seem friendly, and there are a few places to check out. ATL isn’t excessively far, and there are a lot of options for meals.

Yes, I would recommend it.