30 editor picks across United States.
30 soul food restaurants worth the trip across United States, editor-ranked. All cuisines in United States.
Sean Brock's Husk in Charleston opened on Queen Street in 2010 and rebuilt Southern fine dining around heritage Anson Mills grains, Sea Island peas.
OrderThe skillet cornbread with bacon-fat butter, plus whatever the wood grill is running tonight.
TipBook on huskcharleston.com. The bar serves the full menu walk-up from 17:00 onward, no reservations needed.
Husk in Charleston opened in 2010 under Sean Brock and rebuilt Southern fine dining on heritage grains and hyper-local produce. Located in Downtown.
OrderThe cast-iron cornbread, plus whatever the wood grill is running.
TipBook on the website. Bar seats walk-in at 17:00 and serve the full menu.
Mashama Bailey's Grey runs from a restored 1938 Greyhound bus terminal on MLK, a Port City Southern menu rooted in West African and Lowcountry technique.
OrderWhatever is running in the dining room that night; the bar serves a tighter Diner Bar menu walk-up.
TipBook via Resy for the formal Dining Room. The Diner Bar takes walk-ups along the bar and runs a la carte until close.
Mashama Bailey and John O. Morisano's flagship in a 1938 Greyhound bus terminal. Bailey: 2019 James Beard Best Chef Southeast, 2022 Outstanding Chef winner.
Niki's West on Finley Avenue West Birmingham has run the canonical meat-and-three since 1957, with a cafeteria steam table by the Alabama Farmers Market.
OrderFried catfish, Turnip greens, Cornbread
Eagle's Restaurant on 16th Street North in Smithfield is the Black-owned soul-food anchor since 1951, with Friday catfish and weekday meat-and-three plates.
OrderSmothered pork chop, Fried catfish, Greens and cornbread
Stella's Southern Brasserie runs French-influenced Southern from a Rocky Slope Road storefront: shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes, bourbon-pecan tart.
OrderShrimp and grits, Fried green tomatoes, Bourbon-pecan tart
Elvie's holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its Mississippi French menu: Gulf oysters, duck fat frites, and duck confit cassoulet in a marble-bar dining room.
OrderGulf oysters and duck fat frites at the marble bar, or the redfish meuniere at dinner
TipWalk-in breakfast is the city's best-value Michelin meal; arrive before 09:30 for a table.
Elvie's holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand for its Mississippi French menu of Gulf oysters, bouillabaisse, duck confit cassoulet, and house-baked pastries.
OrderRedfish meuniere at dinner, or oysters with duck fat frites at the marble bar
TipMorning pastries and coffee are a Michelin-calibre deal; Elvie's is as good at 08:30 as at 20:00.
Edward Lee's 610 Magnolia in Louisville runs a weekly tasting menu out of an Old Louisville Victorian, the chef's Southern-Korean flagship since 2003.
OrderWhatever the night's tasting menu opens with, then a bourbon pairing flight from the cellar.
TipBook on OpenTable for parties of six or fewer. Wednesday and Thursday seats open up first.
L'Opossum in Oregon Hill is David Shannon's quirky French-Southern fine-dining room. James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic semifinalist (2016) and Southern.
The fourth Husk opened on Oglethorpe in January 2018, running the heritage-grain Lowcountry programme Sean Brock built at the original Charleston room.
OrderWhatever the wood grill is running tonight, paired with a glass of small-producer Southern wine.
TipReserve via Resy. The bar serves the full menu walk-in 17:00 onwards. Brunch runs Saturday and Sunday 10:00-14:00.
Brandon Carter's Common Thread on East 37th, a Bon Appetit Best New Restaurant 2022 and a 2025 James Beard Best Chef Southeast semifinalist. Victorian house.
OrderThe chef's tasting; menu rotates with the market.
TipReserve on Resy. Tasting and a la carte both run; check the menu page before booking.
Paschal's in Atlanta has served soul food since 1947, when brothers Robert and James Paschal opened on Hunter Street. Located in Downtown. Priced at $$.
OrderFried chicken plate with collard greens, mac and cheese, candied yams.
TipThe current Castleberry Hill location since 2002 expanded with a banquet space; the original Hunter Street site is preserved at Clark Atlanta.
Busy Bee Cafe in Atlanta opened 1947 on MLK Drive and won the James Beard America's Classics Award in 2022 for its decades of soul food service near the AUC.
OrderFried chicken with two sides; the oxtails on lunch special when available.
TipCash and card. Lunch and early dinner only Tuesday to Sunday; line forms before noon weekends.
Olamaie in Austin is Michael Fojtasek's Michelin-starred Southern dining room in a converted house near downtown, named for three generations of women.
OrderThe off-menu biscuits with whipped honey butter, requested as soon as you sit down.
TipThe four-course prix fixe is built with chef de cuisine Amanda Turner; vegetarian path is available on request.
Olamaie in Austin is Michael Fojtasek's Michelin-starred Southern dining room in a converted house near downtown, with a four-course prix fixe of modern.
OrderThe off-menu buttermilk biscuits with whipped honey butter, asked for at the start of the meal.
TipThe four-course tasting accommodates a full vegetarian path on request; ask at booking.
Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown's Supperland in Plaza Midwood is a Michelin-recommended Southern dining room set inside a converted 1950s church.
OrderWhatever is coming off the hearth; the kitchen builds the menu around live-fire cooking.
TipBeverage director Colleen Hughes won Michelin's Exceptional Cocktails Award in 2025. Order a drink from her list, then book the Sunday supper.
Bully's is Jackson's James Beard-winning soul food institution, with steam-table oxtails, neckbones, catfish, and homemade cobblers from a morning start.
OrderOxtails with greens, mac and cheese, and a slice of sweet potato cobbler
TipThe steam table closes when the food runs out, usually by 15:00; arrive at opening for the full selection.
Chef Hal Holden-Bache's Five Points room in East Nashville opened 2012 in a corner storefront, running wood-fired pizzas and Southern-accented neighbourhood.
OrderMargherita pizza from the wood oven and the pork chop.
TipHappy hour 16:00-17:30 runs half-price pizza and pours at the bar; James Beard Community Kitchen nominee.
Geoff Davis's soul food room in Oakland's Temescal carries Michelin Recommended status and made Food and Wine's Best Restaurants in America list.
OrderFried chicken, Collard greens, Dry-aged duck
Burdell is Geoff Davis's Michelin Recommended soul food room in Oakland's Temescal. Collards and fried chicken alongside contemporary Southern plates.
Lemaire inside the Jefferson Hotel is named for Etienne Lemaire, Thomas Jefferson's maitre d'. Chef Patrick Willis since 2009; grande dame of RVA.
OrderVirginia ham, She-crab soup, Tasting menu
Elizabeth on 37th opened in a 1900s Victorian mansion in 1981; Elizabeth Terry won James Beard Best Chef Southeast in 1995. Classical Lowcountry benchmark.
OrderThe spiced Georgia shrimp on stone-ground grits; the seven-course tasting if you are committing.
TipTasting menu by reservation only; book OpenTable two weeks ahead. Jackets suggested.
Mrs. Wilkes has run from a Jones Street basement since 1943, Southern home cooking at ten-person communal tables Mon-Fri. Family-style daily-changing dishes.
OrderWhatever fried chicken comes out hot; the sweet potato souffle and black-eyed peas as sides.
TipCash or check only. Daily $35 per person communal lunch (tax included). Opens 11:00; arrive by 10:30 for a manageable wait.
Coastal Italian dining room inside Hotel Bardo on Forsyth Park since September 2023, now led by exec chef Jim Anile. Garden and Gun: 30 new Southern 2024.
Chef Steven Satterfield's modern Southern room in Atlanta's West Midtown opened 2009 and won a James Beard Best Chef Southeast in 2017 for produce-driven.
OrderThe farm egg with grits and roasted vegetables; the menu shifts weekly.
TipLunch is the quieter seat. Resy reservations open 30 days out; the bar takes walk-ins.
Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta opened 1945 and runs Southern Sunday dinner classics in a four-dining-room compound on Ponce de Leon, with the same recipes.
OrderPot likker with a side of cornbread, then fried chicken with three sides.
TipOrder the pot likker as a starter; it comes free with cornbread. No reservations Monday through Thursday lunch; OpenTable for dinner and weekends.
Niki's West on Finley Avenue West in Birmingham has run the canonical meat-and-three since 1957, with a cafeteria steam table by the Alabama Farmers Market.
OrderFried catfish, Turnip greens, Cornbread
Eagle's Restaurant in Smithfield Birmingham is the Black-owned soul-food anchor since 1951, with Friday catfish and weekday meat-and-three plates.
OrderSmothered pork chop, Fried catfish, Greens and cornbread
Guided tour · 3 hours
Discover historic Savannah on a guided foodie tour. Learn about the city's fascinating history, elegant architecture, and unique culture, with food tastings at 6 of th...
Guided tour · 3 hours
Southern bites, hidden delights. This is more than a food tour. It’s your backstage pass to the city’s up-and-coming eateries, tucked-away speakeasies, and the dishes ...
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Join us on an easy evening stroll through Savannah’s most historic district, learning the Southern way one bite and libation at a time.
