Lowcountry cooking, Gullah Geechee roots, Sapelo oysters, Georgia white shrimp.
Savannah eats Lowcountry. The plate is built on Gullah Geechee creole roots, with Carolina Gold rice, sea-island peas, blue crab, white shrimp, fall oysters and the coastal-Georgia produce that backs them. Shrimp and grits, she-crab soup, Lowcountry boil and Frogmore stew are the canonical orders; benne wafers, peach cobbler and pecan pralines close most meals. The modern restaurant story runs from Mrs. Wilkes' 1943 communal-table soul food and Leopold's 1919 ice cream parlour to Mashama Bailey's James Beard winning kitchen at The Grey and the heritage-grain Husk in a restored hotel building on Oglethorpe. Lunch is the unmissable meal here, often the day's anchor; dinner runs late and casual on the squares.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Savannah, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
The plates that define eating in Savannah.
Stone-ground white grits with sauteed Georgia shrimp, andouille or tasso ham, often finished with tomato gravy or a butter sauce. The canonical Lowcountry plate served at breakfast and dinner alike.
Where: Husk Savannah, Vic's on the River, Elizabeth on 37th, B. Matthew's Eatery
A one-pot boil of Georgia shrimp, smoked sausage, corn on the cob and red potatoes, seasoned with Old Bay or a house spice blend. Traditionally served on butcher paper for shared family eating.
Where: The Wyld Dock Bar, Sorry Charlie's Oyster Bar, Wiley's Championship BBQ, Vic's on the River
A rich blue-crab bisque thickened with cream and finished with a splash of sherry. Traditionally made with the orange roe of female blue crabs (now often substituted with extra crab stock and cream).
Where: The Olde Pink House, Vic's on the River, Elizabeth on 37th, Crystal Beer Parlor
A small confection of pecans, brown sugar, butter and cream, cooked in copper kettles until thick enough to set on parchment. The candy is buttery, slightly grainy, deeply sweet.
Where: Savannah's Candy Kitchen, Byrd Cookie Company, Leopold's Ice Cream
Small, thin, lacy sesame-seed cookies, golden brown and crackle-crisp. A Gullah Geechee signature with deep West African roots; eaten as a snack, a tea biscuit, or a sweet to close a meal.
Where: Byrd Cookie Company, Savannah's Candy Kitchen, Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room
Sweet ripe Georgia peaches under a buttery biscuit or pie-crust topping, baked until the fruit bubbles up around the crust. Served warm with vanilla ice cream.
Where: Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room, Sisters of the New South, The Olde Pink House, Vic's on the River
A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Savannah.
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.
Signature: Foie gras and country ham, Country captain
The fourth Husk opened on Oglethorpe in January 2018, running the heritage-grain Lowcountry programme Sean Brock built at the original Charleston room.
Signature: Wood-grilled coastal Georgia fish, Heirloom-grain plates
An institution in the 1771 Habersham mansion on Reynolds Square, serving classic Southern menus in candle-lit upstairs rooms and a Planters Tavern basement.
Signature: Crispy scored flounder, She-crab soup
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.
Signature: Tasting-menu dinner, Chef's choice plates
Saint Bibiana inside Hotel Bardo opened September 2023, now led by executive chef Jim Anile; coastal Italian, house-made pasta, wood-fired plates, aperitivo.
Signature: House-made pasta, Al fresco spritzes
Adventurous Southern in a Colonial cellar on Telfair Square since 2003. Cajun-Creole technique meets coastal Georgia, with a wild-game special board nightly.
Signature: Candied alligator, Wild boar volcano shank
The 22-square grid laid out by James Oglethorpe in 1733, bounded roughly by River Street, Forsyth Park, MLK Jr Boulevard and East Broad. Husk, The Grey, Olde Pink House, Mrs. Wilkes and Leopold's Ice Cream all sit here.
Best for: Fine dining, Soul food, Southern, Lowcountry, Ice cream
Bull Street south of Forsyth, anchored by Starland Yard and the Foxy Loxy block. Pizzeria Vittoria, Henny Penny, Two Tides Brewing, Back in the Day Bakery and the city's most-walked Starland-art-district food strip.
Best for: Pizza, Bakeries, Breweries, Cafes, Brunch
The blocks immediately south of Forsyth Park, including Habersham Street and Park Avenue. The Sentient Bean by the park, Cotton and Rye on Habersham, Local 11ten on Bull.
Best for: New American, Vegetarian, Brunch, Wine bars
East of East Broad, anchored by Sisters of the New South on Skidaway and the East Side soul food and barbeque counters. Quieter, residential, where locals lunch.
Best for: Soul food, Southern, Barbecue
A small commercial node on Skidaway Road on the way to Skidaway Island, with Auspicious Baking Co. as its bakery anchor. A locals-only suburban food strip.
Best for: Bakeries, Barbecue, Casual
The string of islands east of Savannah toward Tybee, connected by US 80. Wiley's Championship BBQ on US 80 and The Wyld Dock Bar on the Herb River anchor casual-coastal eating.
Best for: Barbecue, Seafood, Casual
Peak food season: October to May. Oyster season runs October through March, cooler weather opens patio seating, and the spring shrimp run kicks off in May. June through August is humid; many restaurants close mid-afternoon and the kitchens lean on coastal vegetables and peach.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30 to 14:00, dinner 17:30 to 21:30. Many soul food rooms (Mrs. Wilkes, Sisters of the New South) serve only lunch.
Tipping: 20 percent standard on the pre-tax total; 15 percent for service that misses. Counter and coffee shops often have a tip jar; 1 to 2 dollars per drink is generous.
Savannah's signature dishes include Shrimp and grits, Lowcountry boil (Frogmore stew), She-crab soup, Pecan praline, Benne wafers. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Savannah by district. Historic District (Downtown), Starland District, Forsyth and Thomas Square, Eastside are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Savannah include The Grey, Husk Savannah, Common Thread, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 8 editor-picked food tours in Savannah, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Savannah dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.