If you’re working out where to eat in Savannah, start with three classics: a family-style lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room, dinner in the 1771 mansion that houses The Olde Pink House, and a scoop at Leopold’s Ice Cream. Then add The Grey or Husk for modern Southern cooking, a crab stew at Crystal Beer Parlor, and an evening in the Starland District. Every place below was checked as operating in September 2026.
Savannah’s food scene sits mostly inside the walkable Historic District, where several of these addresses are only a few blocks apart. Two of the oldest, Mrs. Wilkes’ and Crystal Beer Parlor, are on the same street.
This guide covers where to go, what each place is known for and how to plan around the ones that don’t take bookings.
Key takeaways
- Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room has served family-style lunches at shared tables for ten on West Jones Street since 1943. It takes cash or checks only.
- The Olde Pink House occupies a mansion built in 1771 and serves Southern cooking at 23 Abercorn Street.
- Leopold’s Ice Cream was founded in 1919 by three Greek brothers. Its flagship on Broughton Street opened in 2004 with the original fixtures.
- The Grey is in a restored 1938 Art Deco Greyhound bus terminal; Husk serves Lowcountry-sourced food on West Oglethorpe Avenue.
- The Starland District, just beyond Forsyth Park, is the place for a casual evening at Starland Yard or Foxy Loxy Cafe.
Savannah at a glance
| Place | Where | Go for |
|---|---|---|
| Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room | 107 W Jones St, Historic District | Family-style Southern lunch, weekdays |
| The Olde Pink House | 23 Abercorn St, Historic District | Southern dinner in a 1771 mansion |
| Leopold’s Ice Cream | Broughton St, Historic District | Tutti Frutti and old-school sundaes |
| The Grey | 109 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd | Port City Southern dinner or Sunday brunch |
| Husk Savannah | 12 W Oglethorpe Ave, Historic District | Lowcountry ingredients, modern plates |
| Crystal Beer Parlor | 301 W Jones St, Historic District | Crab stew, burgers, local history |
| Starland Yard | 2411 De Soto Ave, Starland District | Pizza, barbecue and food trucks |
| Foxy Loxy Cafe | 1919 Bull St, Starland District | Coffee, pastries and tacos |
Hours change with the seasons, so check each restaurant’s own site before you go. Mrs. Wilkes’ in particular keeps short hours and an annual winter break.
The classics: Mrs. Wilkes’, The Olde Pink House and Leopold’s
Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room
This is the lunch Savannah queues for. According to Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room, Sema Wilkes took over a boarding house in downtown Savannah in 1943 and served homestyle Southern food family-style in the downstairs dining room. The format hasn’t changed. A line forms each morning at 107 West Jones Street, the doors open at 11, and diners fill large tables for ten shared with strangers.
The tables fill with platters: fried chicken, cornbread dressing, sweet potato soufflé, black-eyed peas, okra gumbo, corn muffins and biscuits, among many other sides. Lunch runs Monday to Friday from 11am to 2pm. Bring cash or a check, since cards aren’t accepted (there’s an ATM on site), and note the restaurant closes each year from January 1 until about mid-February, as well as on several holidays.
In Savannah, the best seat at lunch is next to someone you’ve never met.
The Olde Pink House
For a special-occasion dinner, The Olde Pink House is the classic choice, serving Southern cooking in a mansion built in 1771 at 23 Abercorn Street. Visit Savannah tells the story of the colour: James Habersham Jr. built the house in red brick covered in white plaster, and the brick kept bleeding through as pink. He painted over it repeatedly, until a new owner in the 1920s gave up and painted the whole mansion pink.
Visit Savannah highlights dishes such as grilled pork tenderloin with bourbon molasses and crispy scored flounder with apricot shallot sauce. Lunch runs Tuesday to Saturday from 11am to 2:30pm, which is often an easier table to get than dinner. Book ahead either way.
Leopold’s Ice Cream
Leopold’s is Savannah’s sweet stop. Its own history says brothers George, Peter and Basil Leopold, who came from Greece, founded the shop in 1919 at the corner of Gwinnett and Habersham streets, where two streetcar lines met. Tutti Frutti became the signature flavour. Peter’s youngest son, Stratton Leopold, took over the business and later became a Hollywood film producer; he still scoops when he isn’t on location.
The flagship on Broughton Street opened in 2004 with original fixtures such as the black marble soda fountain and wooden back bar. Leopold’s also has a shop on Whitemarsh Island and a kiosk and shop at the airport, handy for a last scoop before you fly.
Modern Southern: The Grey and Husk
The Grey
The Grey is in a restored 1938 Art Deco Greyhound bus terminal at 109 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard. The kitchen calls its style Port City Southern, built on regional produce, seafood and meat. Dinner runs Tuesday to Sunday, with brunch on Sundays, and reservations are taken through Resy or by phone. Book early for weekends.
Husk Savannah
Husk Savannah at 12 West Oglethorpe Avenue serves modern Southern food built on heirloom ingredients from coastal Georgia and the Lowcountry, sourced from local farmers and nearby waters. It’s open for dinner daily and brunch on weekends, with a weekday happy hour from 5pm to 6pm that makes a good first stop if you can’t land a dinner booking.
Between them, The Grey and Husk show where Savannah cooking is heading: the same Lowcountry pantry as the classics, handled with a lighter, more seasonal touch.
A Prohibition-era local: Crystal Beer Parlor
Crystal Beer Parlor at 301 West Jones Street, a few blocks west of Mrs. Wilkes’, started life as a family grocery store. William “Blocko” and Connie Manning bought it in the early 1930s, and it became one of the first places in town to serve alcohol legally after Prohibition was repealed. The restaurant says the building and interior are largely unchanged from that era, and the walls are covered in photos of Savannah’s past.
Order the crab stew, a burger and the homemade fries. It’s open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 9pm and closed on Mondays, which makes it a useful fallback when the Monday-to-Friday lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’ doesn’t fit your schedule.
South of Forsyth Park: the Starland District
Visit Savannah places the Starland District a few blocks past the Historic District, just beyond Forsyth Park. It’s a creative, SCAD-influenced neighbourhood of galleries, vintage shops and record stores, and it’s where locals eat on a relaxed evening.
- Starland Yard at 2411 De Soto Avenue is a food park with a full bar, three built-in restaurants (Pizzeria Vittoria, T-REX BBQ and Uncle June’s) and rotating food trucks. It suits groups who can’t agree on dinner.
- Foxy Loxy Cafe at 1919 Bull Street is part coffee shop, part bakery and part Tex-Mex cantina, with tacos, pastries, local coffee and wine. It’s open from breakfast until late most days.
Planning tips
- Book the dinners. The Olde Pink House, The Grey and Husk all take reservations, and weekends fill up.
- Queue for Mrs. Wilkes’. It doesn’t take bookings. Arrive before the doors open at 11am, and bring cash.
- Walk between stops. Most of the Historic District addresses here are a short walk apart through the squares.
- Check winter dates. If you’re visiting in January or early February, Mrs. Wilkes’ will be on its annual break.
- Save a scoop for the airport. Leopold’s runs a kiosk and shop there.
For more trips planned around food, see our city guides.
FAQ
What food is Savannah known for?
Southern and Lowcountry cooking: fried chicken and vegetable sides at Mrs. Wilkes’, seafood-driven dishes at Husk and The Grey, crab stew at Crystal Beer Parlor and Leopold’s ice cream.
Do I need a reservation for Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room?
No. It’s a first-come, first-served line on West Jones Street, open for lunch Monday to Friday. It takes cash or checks only.
Why is The Olde Pink House pink?
According to Visit Savannah, the red brick bled through the white plaster. A 1920s owner stopped fighting it and painted the whole mansion pink.
Where should I eat in Savannah on a Sunday?
The Grey serves Sunday brunch and dinner, Husk has weekend brunch, and Crystal Beer Parlor is open Sundays from 11am. Mrs. Wilkes’ is closed at weekends.
A two-day Savannah eating plan
Day one: queue for lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’, walk the squares, get a scoop at Leopold’s on Broughton Street, then dinner at The Olde Pink House. Day two: crab stew at Crystal Beer Parlor for lunch, dinner at The Grey or Husk, and a nightcap in the Starland District. Book the dinners today, and fill any gaps from our restaurant directory. Heading further along the coast? Read our Charleston food guide and our guide to shrimp and grits.
Featured photo: Homemade food platter with Ugali,chicken,fries,salsa and lettuce by Anitah Pezz, BY-SA 4.0.
