I am traveling to Savannah, Charleston and Wilmington in the summer. I am staying in or close to the historic district and I need some advice.Which restaurants are good and not too expensive? I want to try local or southern food. I have a budget of $50 per day for food (breakfast, lunch, dinner). I only have about 2 days in each city.

Lots has been written on this subject. Charleston and Savannah are fabulous food towns and there are many great restaurants in both.

If you can tell us your likes and dislikes, we can help you narrow it down. Start by reading through these and see what you think:
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/838930
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/846055

Where are you staying? Did you decide to rent a car?

http://fastandfrenchcharleston.com/
Fast and French at 98 Broad Street is good and fast and not expensive. Not exactly southern food, but a great place to get a quick bite to eat.

http://www.mavericksouthernkitchens....ofbroad/menus/
I also love Slightly North of Broad/S.N.O.B. at 192 East Bay.

Sorry, forgot to add that both of the above recommendations are in Charleston.

Don't know if it is still there, but we used to eat at Savannah's Pirate's House when visiting Hilton Head.

Here's a thread with certified "hole in the wall" breakfast and luncheon spots in Savannah.
http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...n-savannah.cfm

Savannah: Le Papillote http://papillote-savannah.com/
Charleston: Jestine's http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran..._Carolina.html
Homminy Grill hominygrill.com
Wilmington: NOFO cafe www.nofo.com

Have fun. It sounds like a great trip!

Hi Sharon,

Glad you found some way it seems of getting to Wilmington. I second Hominy Grill in Charleston, a reasonably-priced spot I loved for southern cooking and not far from the northern attractions of the city (accessible via the free CARTA #211 bus from the historic downtown).

Best wishes, Daniel

I'm not a big fan of Hominy Grill for breakfast at least. Seriously, one can get grits, biscuits, and eggs almost anywhere. Among the natives like me that I know, one could get the same thing for half the price at dozens of places around town. Diagonal from Hominy, across the street, is Lana's which is a nice meal.

I had lunch at Hominy on Friday. It was outstanding: porgy right off the boat, okra and tomatoes over rice, fresh squash. I agree, eggs and bacon can be found anywhere, but, if I remember correctly, OP will be at the not-so-hostel so HG, Lana, and Fuel are all in walking distance.