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Southern cuisine is rich in tradition, but the dining scene in Savannah is more than just fried chicken and barbecue. Many of the city's restaurants have been exploring locally sourced ingredients as a way to tweak their usual homespun offerings, a change that is now attracting chefs and foodies alike.
Although the farm-to-table trend was first spotted at upscale spots like Elizabeth on 37th and Local 11ten, more neighborhood restaurants are now getting in on the action. Places like the Green Truck Pub utilize locally raised, grass-fed beef for their burgers, and after-dinner options now even include locally roasted coffee.
The arrival of some new kids on the block doesn't mean the old standbys have ridden off into the sunset just yet. For traditional, exquisitely prepared menus, be sure to visit the Olde Pink House, which has been pleasing local palates for decades. Or follow the crowds to the ever-popular Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room (which even President Obama once visited), where you’ll find all the fried chicken, collard greens, and mac ’n' cheese you can handle.
That's just a few ideas to get you started. While exploring Savannah, you're sure to find any number of other exciting options as well, whether you're craving noodle bowls or a simple sandwich.
Specializing in locally roasted PERC coffee, house-made baked goods, and craft beers, the Coffee Fox is a great stop whether you're on the run or looking to perch. The cold brew will win the hearts of coffee aficionados in the hot summer months. The popular Mexican Mocha is a sweet and spicy twist on the traditional mocha and features local chocolatier Adam Turoni's dark chocolate with a kick.
Modeled after the cozy coffee cafés of Melbourne, Australia, this bustling locale serves espresso, cold brew, and its famous spiced lavender mochas, as well as a curated menu that features favorites like smashed avocado toast at brunch and duck confit, served alongside fingerling potatoes and oyster mushrooms, at dinner. The beer selection includes favorites from craft breweries around the country, and the wines are carefully selected from some of the world's most unique regions to complement the food. With high ceilings and beautiful natural light, this airy spot is very photogenic.
A full-service coffee shop featuring lovingly-crafted lattes and a Tex-Mex menu, Foxy Loxy is the always-busy hangout for students, artists, and entrepreneurs. Order a horchata and take your laptop out to the courtyard, where a koi pond, acoustic music, and Saturday night s'mores parties at the firepit invite folks to lounge in the open air.
This elegant garden-level spot is moody but bright and cozy, and the menu is chock-full of delicious treats for any time of day. The quiche is some of the richest in town, the homemade tomato soup will knock your socks off, and the Butcher's B.L.T. features thick-cut bacon and soft sourdough. Grab yourself a boozy coffee drink to go (or any other kind of espresso drink to suit your taste), and peruse the gift section while you wait for your order to come up.
The beloved sandwich shop has a fantastic lineup of saucy sandwiches, peri-peri marinated wings, and crispy chips made in-house---wash any of them down with Zunzi's South African sweet tea, and you won't be sorry. Don't skip the sauces! Try an array of the house-made sauces and dressings with whatever you order.
If your taste buds seek something other than standard Southern fare, head to one of Savannah's few Middle Eastern restaurants. Owned and operated by a husband-and-wife team Meqbel and Rose Salameh Al Salaam, the restaurant is celebrated for its perfectly fried falafel, spit-roasted lamb, and hummus and baba ganoush platters. Take time to look around the small space, enticingly papered over with vintage covers of National Geographic, which depict cultures from the world over.
There's a reason you always see a line for the most heavenly croissants and pastries for miles; available for takeout Friday through Sunday.
Tybee Island's only microbrewery features an array of craft beers from dark lager to fruity and floral sours with characteristically Tybee-sounding names, like "Move Beach, Get Out the Whale Juicy IPA" and "Hurricane Season Sour." The brewery also provides fresh and tasty snacks served alongside their frosty mugs, including dishes like a watermelon and cantaloupe salad, seasonal veggie wraps, and an Auspicious Bakery–made pretzel served with Back River Brewery beer cheese. The space is small but cozy, and still provides enough room for a live music setup, performed on Fridays and Saturdays.
Traditional pizzas, subs, and calzones are served up in a friendly atmosphere.
Wood-fired bagels, hot coffee, and other brunchy treats are available through lunchtime, with pop-up pizza on the weekends.
On bustling Barnard Street in the Victorian District, this neighborhood café and bar serves up affordable, scrumptious sandwiches and creatively crafted cocktails in a small, intimate space. With a name inspired by the black rabbit painted on its roll-down door, the property stands today as a compelling concept from seasoned Savannah restaurateurs who know how to make unforgettable food at unbeatable prices.
This natural foods haven has been serving Savannah's organically minded since the 1970s. In the back of this full-fledged grocery and supplement store is a busy deli counter busting out custom sandwiches with meat, vegetarian, and vegan options as well as house-made side dishes, salads, and cakes. Eat at the small counter indoors, at one of the tables out front or—since it's located at the southern end of Forsyth Park—put together a picnic to enjoy on a bench.
Restauranteurs Ele and Sean Tran brought Asian-style street food to Savannah with their menu that boasts everything from sushi rolls to noodle soups, and some of the best sweet-and-spicy chicken wings in town. Occupying a bright, hypermodern space, this eatery offers an offbeat alternative to the slow-paced Southern Savannah feel. Enjoy a quick meal in the dining room, stop by when you have a late-night craving, or order a few of the small plates to go.
Fried shrimp and ahi tuna bites hit the spot on the way home from the beach.
This long-established coffee haunt and art enclave features a steady rotation of local artists, with house-made pastries, cheesecakes, muffins, scones, and luscious desserts. Gallery Espresso is a real neighborhood joint and a popular destination for art students, and the comfortable vintage couches and chairs are a great place to curl up with a book.
From the same owners as Foxy Loxy and the Coffee Fox, this wide-open, family-oriented café offers a place for kids to explore the art project of the day while parents enjoy some caffeine. The menu also includes vegan donuts, grab-and-go sandwiches, and the in-house bakery's famous kolaches.
This British-style bakery sells everything from traditional meat pies to savory quiches to crusty bread and dessert pies, all of it baked fresh daily. The owners hail from Staffordshire and make remarkable and authentic meat pies in such varieties as steak and ale, chicken and thyme, and steak and kidney. Pick up an individual cottage pie or pasty to enjoy while watching the City Market hustle and bustle, or grab a full size savory pie to take home for supper.
This charming hideaway can only be described as a woodland fantasy made real, featuring yerba mate beverages, made-to-order sandwiches, and baked treats.
Roasted aromas, fresh-baked pastries, and industrial vibes abound for hard-core coffee folk who can watch beans being bagged and sent out to international destinations.
Tiny burgers get gourmet treatment and are paired with generous portions of perfectly crispy skinny fries at this local favorite. Try the Mr. Chow, which comes with a fried egg and extra bacon, or the Lil Sandy with pulled pork; vegetarians can chow down on the Shroomwich, featuring three kinds of marinated fungi. This is a great lunch spot—call ahead to order a sackful for a fabulous picnic.
This is the place to satisfy a hankering for the original crispy chicken fingers without going downtown.
Housed in a brightly painted two-story house, this legendary lunch spot is the restaurant that started the neighborhood's renaissance. From the fresh-pressed vegetarian Greek panini (brimming with crispy asparagus, hummus, marinated artichokes, feta, tomato, pesto, and house aioli) to the generously portioned Kitchen Sink Salad (dates, raisins, artichokes, apples, grapes, crunchy rice noodles, tomatoes, and onion), it’s hard to go wrong with a menu that prioritizes freshness and locally sourced greens. Folks travel for miles just for the tomato Thai soup.
Rotating food trucks means that menus revolve weekly at this literal playground constructed out of old shipping containers. Two permanent fixtures are a well-stocked central bar and Pizzeria Vittoria, whose piping hot oven manned by award-winning chef Kyle Jacovino churns out the neighborhood's best pizza. A credit card is taken upon entry, so visitors can order at the yard's multiple food sites and pay one bill as they exit. The park often hosts live music, and cornhole and other games make for a festive atmosphere.
A Tybee tradition since 1971, it offers cones, ice cream sandwiches, coffees, candies, and more.
You can usually smell the delicious aroma before you see the line snaking around this outdoor pit stop right off Victory Drive. Using mouthwatering smoke techniques and a secret golden mustard sauce recipe, Tricks serves up to-go containers of the finest ribs around. Snack-sized portions are perfect for a taste, or try a slab dinner to feed the fam. Get there by early afternoon—they close up shop at 4 pm but often sell out earlier.
This funky mini-gallery and coffee shop has an extensive menu of espresso drinks, frappes, smoothies, matchas, and teas alongside scones, muffins, and other grab-and-go baked goods. Peruse the unique art pieces and gifts while the barista crafts your drink, then enjoy it outside on the deck. It's conveniently located at The Shoppes at Tybee Oaks, which also houses galleries, gift shops, and Huc-A-Poos for specialty pizzas.
Find authentic Greek specialties like gyros, baklava, and fresh salads.
Evolved from the Historic District express sandwich shop, Zunzibar is a rainbow-colored respite from anything that brings you down. It's bright and open air, and features a variety of cocktails and refreshing beverages alongside bar bites like Peri-Peri cheese dip and mustafa curry hot wings that fit perfectly alongside the original dishes and sandwiches that brought them to the national stage.
