jbee

Hi all,
We're planning a trip to Savannah for Thanksgiving and I'm looking for some advice on where to go for a great Thanksgiving dinner. My husband has never been east of Texas, so I'd love to find a place serving a traditional Southern spread.

I've done some preliminary research into restaurants, but I can't land on the right one. Price is not a real deterrent as we tend to splurge on 1 or 2 meals per trip - this could be one of them. I'm also open to driving a bit for a great meal, so a 2 hour drive to another city (or state?) would be fine too!

Any suggestions?

laurieb_nyny

What restaurants have you found so far & are you looking for traditional Southern food or traditional Thanksgiving food (both?).

I looked at all the local menus on this site: www.savannahmenu.com

We ate at Mrs. Wilkes & Wassaw Seafood (both excellent).

jbee

My short list at this point is (in no particular order):

700 Drayton Restaurant
Elizabeth On Thirty Seventh
Noble Fare
Bistro-Savannah
The Olde Pink House

My husband is not a huge fan of seafood, so I'd like to find someplace with other options that are just as tasty and authentic. We enjoy fusion type restaurants, but as we're not familiar with Southern food to begin with, the fusion part may be wasted on us.

I just found savannahmenu today, but it's a bit overwhelming. There's so many restaurants it may take me a few days to sift through...

starrs

Well, the obvious answer for a traditional Southern spread is Paula Deen's Lady and Sons - and they accept reservations for Thanksgiving (one of the few days of the year)

http://www.ladyandsons.com/index.php...content/hours/

My favorite restaurant is the Pink House, and they have a wide variety on their menu. You'd have to call to see if they offer a Thanksgiving menu.

One option for Thanksgiving in the Historic District would be the Mulberry Inn. They always have a nice buffet with southern dishes and I imagine they would "do up" Thanksgiving dinner too.

jbee

Is Lady and Sons really good? I'm seeing a lot of mixed reviews, which is why it didn't make my original list. I can definitely add it, I just didn't want to end up at a really touristy restaurant.

laurieb_nyny

I have the same problem with my husband & seafood. That is why I pored over ALL those restaurants on savannahmenu.

We were very happy with our choice (Wassaw) because they had beef & pork on the menu as well. But it is not in the historic district so you would need a car to get there. The owner is the chef.

& BTW, Mrs. Wilkes is a lunch place.

jbee

Thanks so much! We'll have a car so Wassaw could work for us.

lisettemac

Pink House would be my choice. Consistently good food; nice atmosphere.

mpt33905

I agree about Lady and Sons.. Charming to see, but the buffet is not a lot better than you can get at Cracker Barrel! Very over rated, I think. The hoe cakes are good, but... I had the chicken pot pie once hoping for a better meal. it was "pretty" with the puff pastry strips on top, but not much substance (chicken and veges) under the crust.

jbee

Any other ideas/comments? So far, Pink House and Wassaw are at the top of my list now. Hopefully one or both are open for Thanksgiving!

elsiemoo

I would have to disagree with mpt regarding Lady And Sons versus Cracker Barrel. (I like both, for what they are.) We've always had delicious food there, and Paula's kind of dishes would be exactly what I'd want for Thanksgiving on the road. Of course, I'm going for traditional, homey, Thanksgiving comfort food ... I'm a Southern cook so I know the real thing when I taste it!

Lee4

My husband and I were in Savannah 5 or 6 years ago during Thanksgiving and ate at the Old Pink House. It was delicious! They had a special menu for just Thanksgiving day that had traditional southern Thanksgiving foods. We did have to make reservations. Again, it was great!

TrvlMaven

Another vote fot Olde Pink House! If you are staying downtown, the walk back to hotel would finish my T-day dinner just fine!

jbee

Thanks again to all the responses! The Olde Pink House seems to have the runaway vote for sure.

It's interesting to see the different opinions on Lady & Sons - I see the same variance in comments on trip advisor, etc. I guess that's to be expected with such a high popularity factor... We'll be there for about a week so popping in there for lunch or dinner on a different day is a definite possibility.

starrs

I love Lady and Sons. It's "touristy" for a reason. It was a hit in Savannah way before Paula Deen was discovered by the Food Network. The lines were long then. They moved to a new location with at least 3x the dining space - and there's still a wait years later. There's a reason for that.

First of all, I'll say again that the Pink House is my favorite restaurant almost anywhere (not just in Savannah). It's NEVER a bad choice and if they are doing a T'day dinner, do it!

But, Paula's restaurant DOES meet what you described. It's like going to your mama's or your aunt's for supper. (I won't say Grandma - she's far too young). The buffet is full of southern dishes. They are good. They are traditional. The food is traditional, tasty, classic southern dishes. Having said that, not everyone likes that kind of food. It's not low fat - by ANY stretch of the imagination. There's going to be a lot of seasoning - butter, salt and sugar. The veggies are going to be cooked (not crunchy). The first time I ever saw a boyfriend crunch on a raw green bean I 'bout fainted. I'd never seen such a thing. "We" cook green beans until they are almost mush. Paula probably doesn't cook them down that much - but my grandmothers did.

So, the buffet is going to be a traditional southern meal. At $13.99 at lunch for all you can eat, it's a deal. If you don't like that, order off the menu. The asparagus sandwich is my favorite. The asparagus IS crunchy

Asparagus Sandwich $9.99
A New York Times favorite! Topped with jack cheese, purple onion and thousand island dressing on grilled pumpernickel.

I order it a lot "to go" when I'm down there working. I bypass the line and get one of my favorite sandwiches ever.

L&Sons is not fancy. The Pink House is - but still comfortable. I've entertained there for years and have NEVER had a co-worker or customer do anything but rave over the food.

Be sure to stop by the tavern in the basement for a drink and appetizer or dessert. If it's cool there will be fires going. Gail Thurmond will probably be playing the grand piano. Gorgeous setting (oldest building in GA), great ambience and of course great food.

Enjoy!

jbee

Yeah - part of my problem is knowing what to expect when I ask for "traditional Southern".

I think we'll save Lady & Sons for a different afternoon lunch since there's a buffet. Between that and the B&B, that could be a full day's food!

Starrs (or anyone) - any opinions on the rest of the restaurants on my list, not as a Thanksgiving dinner but just in general? I was really interested in 700 Drayton but I'd like a first hand impression on whether it's good food or if they're just trying too hard to be unique. Any opinions?

starrs

I have a VERY strong opinion. You should eat at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House for lunch sometime during your visit.

700 Drayton Restaurant - don't know
Elizabeth On Thirty Seventh - I've eaten there and it is highly rated. I'm just not a big fan. Having said that, I have nothing negative to say - other than the location.
Noble Fare - don't know
Bistro-Savannah - owned and managed by the same folks as the Olde Pink House. Therefore, good and I would recommend. But, I usually choose their third restaurant (Garibaldi's)when I can't get a reservation for the Pink House
The Olde Pink House - my fav

I like the Gryphon Tea room and I LOVE the SCAD gift shop across the street!

jbee

Thanks for the *strong* opinion - they're always welcome here!

So I need more information on Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House. I've read everything I can find but I want to make sure I have the theory correct. You go in and sit at a big table with a lot of people you don't know and pass around bowls of food for the table. Does that cover the basic principle? Starrs - I'm assuming by your statement that it's some of the best food I'll ever have?

Is it weird to sit and pig out with strangers? I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around that concept... I guess everyone who eats there knows that's going to happen so they're friendly, right? Oh, and how early do we really need to line up?

And since I'm digressing from Thanksgiving dinner, here's my list of lunch or casual dinner restaurants - any comments or additional places I should target?

Angel's BBQ
Geneva Geneva's Home Plate
Johnny Harris Restaurant

Thanks for all the help so far! For some reason, food is the thing I freak out about the most when planning a trip. Yeah I know - I'm weird.

starrs

Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House used to be just that. They serve (just lunch now) like they used to serve it to their guests. They have never advertised and the sign outside is very discrete. You'll find it by the address, and you'll love walking the area around there. It's cash only (or it least it used to be). It opens at 11:30 and I usually get there at 11:15 and wait in the line outside. When the doors open, everyone in line gets seated quickly. If you arrive later than that, you may have to wait for "a while", but the time varys by day.

The tables seat about 6 to 12 people (per my memory) so you'll sit with the folks who arrive about the same time as you. The serving dishes will be placed on the table and you'll pass them - just like sitting at a big dinner with family or friends. Most of the guests will be tourists, but there will be some Savannah regulars there. The visitors will be from all over the US and the world. I've only had wonderful experiences "visiting" with the folks at my table.

The food is good southern cooking and since it's served fresh to your table most people like it better than a buffet set-up. The wait staff and cooks have been there forever. Nothing fancy - just good food. And, I'm betting you'll buy a cookbook before you leave

I LOVE Mrs. Wilkes

OO

I agree with the Mrs Wilkes recommendation. Not only is the food terrific, but people are very friendly and the atmosphere at the table reflects that. You will sit with those standing in line immediately around you. Everyone chats and gets to know others at the table. It's a lot of fun. Be prepared to carry your dishes to the kitchen at the end of the meal. (Hoping they still do that). That place is a Savannah institution and popular with residents and tourists alike. We always took guests in town and everyone always enjoyed it.

I have heard the same thing you have about Paula Deen. Buyer beware.

I am not a big fan at all of Johnny Harris, either, although that's another old time Savannah institution.

Love Pink House. Love Elizabeth's, and Love Garibaldi's too.

If Pink House is open Thanksgiving, that would be my choice, but most of the larger hotels have very elegant buffets as well.