Great food doesn't have to be expensive when you're dining in Augusta;  you just need to know when to go.

Check out the lunch menu at French Market Grille West in Martinez, and you can dine well for about half the price of a nighttime visit.
Lunch Buddy Donna and I visited on a recent Saturday and for right at $20 (including tip) we were able to entertain our taste buds with some top-notch Cajun favorites.

 I had  a  bowl of red beans  flecked with chunks of sausage and served over white rice. It was hearty and filling. Donna dined on broiled catfish with a lemon garlic wine sauce. The fish was perfect and flaky, but Donna found the wine sauce a bit overpowering.

Lunch entrees are a good deal. They come with fresh-baked french bread and butter, a mixed green salad and a drink.

The server was knowledgeable and helpful, and almost kept up on refilling our drinks, which was pretty good considering how much tea we were consuming on a sweltering day.

The Martinez French Market is unpretentious, cozy and comfortable. It's a great place to take the family or to treat friends when you want to show off what Augusta has to offer.

The lunch line
What: French Market Grille West
Where: 360 Furys Ferry Road, Martinez
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Saturday;  dinner 3-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 3-11 p.m. Friday-Saturday
The food: 3.5
The value: 2.5
Service: 3
Cleanliness: 3
Ambience: 3.5
Health inspection score: 91 (Jan. 21)
Learn more: (706) 855-5111, frenchmarketwest.com