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To say I was looking forward to Southern food would be an understatement. I literally planned the whole #SouthUSA trip around what I would be eating! Southern food is rooted in so much tradition and has so many geographic influences, from Africa to France to the Caribbean to Ireland, and I was so excited to finally try it for myself.
Traditional Southern food also has the reputation of not being so healthy. While you can eat healthy-ish in the South if you’re committed and have iron willpower, traditional food here is very heavy. Lots of butter, lots of cream, lots of fried food. If you’re trying to eat healthy, I recommend that you indulge with one traditional meal per day, ideally at lunch, and make up for it with a salad at dinner.
But if you’re happy to dive into the culinary goodness of the South, your taste buds will thank you. The food here was just as good as I imagined.
Here are my favorite food experiences, from New Orleans to Charleston:
Beignets at Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, Louisiana
Trust me — this is the ONLY way to begin a perfect day in New Orleans. Cafe du Monde is one of the culinary icons of New Orleans and the menu is so short that it’s printed on the menus. Coffee. Beignets. That’s it.
These aren’t just donuts. They’re more akin to the fried dough you get a theme park — but better. More flavorful. Square. And a single serving includes three beignets! Believe me, you’ll need to stop yourself from going back multiple times each day.
Just know that you will get powdered sugar all over yourself. This might not be the time to eat black.
Serving of three beignets, $4; cafe au lait, $2.
Shrimp and Alligator Sausage Cheesecake and Fried Chicken at Jacques-Imo’s in New Orleans
Jacques-Imo’s shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake was by far the most unique dish I tried throughout the South — and one of the most delicious. I was ready to eat another after finishing the first!
Jacques-Imo’s is such a cool, hip restaurant in the Uptown area, far from the French Quarter (take the streetcar, but you’ll need to take a cab during Mardi Gras). It’s colorful and friendly.
Accoutrements include this cute cornbread:
And the salad, which comes with an adorable fried oyster!
Next came the fried chicken, which was highly recommended by the staff. They think it’s the best fried chicken in the city, the waitress told me.
As for that chicken? So much juice. So much flavor. I’ve never had a fried chicken that moist in all my life!
Jacques-Imo’s was my favorite high-end restaurant of the trip, and it’s well worth the journey to Uptown New Orleans. Make sure to head there earlier and check out the cute shops around the restaurant.
Alligator cheesecake, $9; fried chicken, $18.95 including dark or $19.95 for all white meat.
Ferdi Special at Mother’s in New Orleans
What is a Ferdi Special? A baked ham sandwich with roast beef, debris, and gravy. What is debris? Pieces of meat that fall off the roasting meat into the gravy.
If a sandwich is capable of making me cry, this would be it. I never dreamed that this combination of ingredients would work so well together and melt so well together into a pile of delicious glory.
Mother’s Restaurant is a casual restaurant in the central business district, around the corner from the French Quarter. You’ll have to wait in line to order food, sit down, and your food is brought to you. Tipping is strictly forbidden here.
And the Bloody Mary here is one of the best I have EVER had anywhere.
Ferdi Special, $11.75 for a regular or $10.25 for a 2/3 portion. Bloody Mary, $7.
Broiled Oysters at Half Shell Oyster House in Biloxi, Mississippi
I am an oyster aficionado and considered myself a purist — raw or nothing! — until I had these incredible oysters at Half Shell Oyster House in Biloxi.
I’ve said a lot about them already, so I won’t reiterate it — but these oysters, particularly the signature Half Shell oysters broiled with garlic and parmesan, were the best oysters that I have ever had in my life. What a marvel, and what a find in Half Shell.
12 broiled oysters, $18.
Pulled Pork Sandwich at The Shed in Ocean Springs, Mississippi
It’s rare to find a place that does both food and design SO well. The Shed is one of those examples, and it’s no surprise that there is now a Food Network TV show based around this restaurant!
The pulled pork sandwich is their most famous item on the menu, and it will blow your mind. The pork falls apart so easily and beautifully.
The Shed is made from salvaged objects and random objets d’art found in junkyards and at the end of driveways. But you can obviously tell that someone with an eye for design pulled the whole place together. It’s well worth a visit if you’re driving through coastal Mississippi! In fact, I met a man who travels often between Pensacola and New Orleans for work and he told me he always stops at The Shed en route.
Pulled pork sandwich, $7; jumbo pulled pork sandwich, $9.
Throwed Rolls and Fried Frog Legs at Lambert’s Cafe in Foley, Alabama
Throwed rolls! Really, they’re a thing. In this restaurant, if you want a roll, it won’t come on a plate — it will be thrown at you by a designated roll-thrower.
Lambert’s Cafe was first founded in Missouri more than 70 years ago. Today, bizarrely, there are two Missouri restaurants and one here in the small town of Foley, Alabama. Lambert’s features pure Southern home cooking, and a LOT of it.
Servers come around with apple butter for the rolls.
I have to point out that this was an extraordinarily difficult place to shoot photos. It’s dark inside, and the roll-throwing is an action you don’t want to miss. My photos are all so grainy due to the ISO, even with noise reduction; this makes me want to get a camera that can handle low light better!
The roll-thrower threw me a throwed roll of my own.
The roll throwers aren’t aggressive at all — they won’t whip it at you or make it difficult for you to catch. It’s just a fun, friendly thing that they do.
As for the main dish, I had the fried frog legs. “If you haven’t had them in a while, you need to try these!” reads the menu. And they were lovely — gently fried with a great seasoning..
In addition to the entrees, Lambert’s offer “pass-arounds” — servers walk around announcing, “Fried potatoes and onions…fried potatoes and onions…” and serve you a generous portion if you’re interested. They’re free in addition to entrees and are unlimited.
At Lambert’s more than anywhere else, I felt like I was DEEP in the South. Foley isn’t remotely a tourist area, and it took an hour to get there from Pensacola. I was surrounded by locals. (A quick glimpse at the website shows that famous people do drop into Lambert’s every now and then, mostly country singers.) If you want a very local experience in the South, this is where to go.
Frog legs with throwed rolls and pass-arounds, $15.99.
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Key Lime Pie at The Shrimp Shack in Seaside, Florida
You can’t go to Florida without trying some key lime pie! And the panhandle is the perfect place to sample it.
The Shrimp Shack has a lighter, creamier pie rather than a dense, tart one. It’s smooth and the perfect dish to eat on the sun in the far-too-picture-perfect village of Seaside.
Key lime pie, about $5.
Lunch at Mrs. Wilkes’s Boarding House in Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is a city steeped in ritual and tradition, and no place exemplifies that better than Mrs. Wilkes’s Boarding House, arguably the most famous eatery in town (and definitely the most famous one not owned by Paula Deen).
Every weekday, people line up starting at 9:30 AM for the first seating at 11:00 AM. People are welcomed in, sat at large communal tables and fed family-style — after the food is blessed, of course. Afterwards, you clear your plate and pay a flat $18 per person, cash only, at the door.
As for the food, this will be one of the very best home-cooked meals you will have across the South. Some of the standouts include the stuffing, greens, and black-eyed peas — but in my opinion, it’s the best fried chicken that I had across the South.
Family-style lunch, $18.
Fried Chicken and Coca-Cola Cake at Jestine’s Kitchen in Charleston, South Carolina
If you want a hardcore fried chicken, Jestine’s is the place. While I thought Mrs. Wilkes had the best overall chicken and Jacques-Imo’s had the moistest chicken, Jestine’s is for people who love skin. Particularly if you go crazy for Chinese take-out chicken wings. The skin is thick and fried perfectly, a luxurious indulgence on a fried chicken.
You can’t go to Jestine’s without asking if they have Coca-Cola cake for dessert today:
Extremely sweet, and it makes you wonder why we don’t use Coca-cola instead of water in all of our baked goods. This place is a must for any trip to Charleston and it’s in the heart of the downtown area.
Fried chicken plate, $12.95; desserts, $5.95.
Bites Along the Way
While I wouldn’t put these items in the top tier, here are a few memorable meals I had along the way.
Gumbo at World Famous N’Awlins Cafe and Spice Emporium in New Orleans. This place is 100% geared toward tourists and in the heart of the French Market, but don’t let that stop you — this place has a more extensive menu of unusual Cajun and Creole dishes than anywhere else I saw.
Gumbo, about $8.
Fried Oyster Po Boy at Magazine Po Boy Shop in New Orleans. If you’re exploring the Garden District, this is a great place to stop for a bite. I loved my fried oyster po boy, and it definitely needs a bit of hot sauce!
Fried oyster po boy, about $10.
Redfish Meuniere at Coop’s Place in New Orleans. Coop’s is a casual bar and restaurant in the French Quarter that everyone seems to love. It’s a nice place to stop for a not-too-pricey meal, and I loved my Creole redfish topped with shrimp.
You can get a taste plate, which included seafood gumbo, shrimp Creole, Cajun fried chicken, red beans and rice, and rabbit and sausage jambalaya — a great option if you want to get a taste of everything.
Redfish Meuniere, $17.50; Coop’s Taste Plate, $12.95.
Pralines at Magnolia Praline Company. You’ll see pralines all over New Orleans — and Savannah, as well — but you can’t beat a fresh, warm praline newly formed after resting on the counter. It will melt in your mouth — and you’ll never be able to have one again!
Fresh praline, about $2.
Buffalo Blue Cheese and Tacos at alFRESCO food truck park in Pensacola, Florida.
Don’t think that food trucks are restricted to hipster hangouts. I found alFRESCO in the heart of downtown Pensacola, a short walk from the historic area.
I can’t resist a good collection of food trucks, especially when they’re made from Airstream trailers, and went to the Z Taco truck, while I almost went for grilled cheese at Gouda Stuff.
Fun fresh food, and a nice break before hitting up Pensacola Beach.
Blue buffalo grilled cheese sandwich at Gouda Stuff, $5.50; Z Tacos at Z Taco, $3.50 each.
Grouper Chowder at Boss Oyster in Apalachicola, Florida. While I sadly wasn’t impressed with the oysters, I did enjoy the grouper chowder, made in a style similar to New England clam chowder.
And only in America can you have a peanut butter pie for dessert!
Totally processed…but sometimes you need a dessert that is essentially candy on a plate.
Grouper chowder, about $6; peanut butter pie, about $5.
Pizza at Vinnie Van Go Go’s in Savannah. They are huge, and they are delicious. (Thanks to Kristin for her wonderful Savannah food recommendations — I definitely wouldn’t have found this place without her!)
Believe it or not, we only had two tiny slices left when we were done.
Large pizzas from $12, medium pizzas from $10.
And One Major Issue
It really bothered me seeing how much food was wasted in the South. I’m not sure if this is as common throughout America these days or simply amplified in the South, but it’s definitely something that you notice after traveling the world and seeing how little food is wasted elsewhere.
At Mrs. Wilkes’, most of the family-style bowls on the table had only been half-eaten by the time we had left. Add it up and that’s a TON of food that could be donated to a soup kitchen.
But due to health codes, you cannot re-serve or eat anything that has been served to customers. Even if it’s served family-style like this.
But SO MUCH was left over. Maybe our table didn’t eat as much as most, but it seems like there would be no harm done if they served the food in smaller dishes and brought out more when it was needed.
Lambert’s was another place that made me feel uncomfortable. Plates filled with food were left behind by customers. The portions were so enormous, even before adding the pass-arounds, and most of the time people wanted to catch the throwed rolls for fun, not to eat them.
While it seems like the solution would be simply to REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF FOOD SERVED!!, it’s not that easy for restaurant owners who have to contend with keeping their customers pleased. I do hope that places keep this in mind.
The #SouthUSA campaign is brought to you by Country Inns and Suites by Carlson and Holiday Autos. All opinions, as always, are my own.
Have you been to the South? Which of these dishes would you most like to eat?
I love seeing you love on my region of the country (and also am with you on the amount of food we waste, though I do think that is America at large). I should send this post to my husband, a born-and-raised Californian (and typical SF snob when it comes to food) who thinks that the South has no “native cuisine.” Heh. 😉
Glad you had such a great trip; I loved following along!
Kristin, how wonderful to see you here. Miss Kate, Kristin is an amazing blogger who visited our inn on a FAM trip several years ago. I adore her and her adventures.
Perhaps the two of you would be interested in helping a 60+year old innkeeper plan a trip from Savannah to New Orleans, and back, chock full of adventure and great food?
thanks for the ideas Miss Kate.
Read through all my posts on the South and you’ll have a fantastic start! Eating was the best part!
Yum! This all looks delicious. I might be spending a fair amount of time in the south in the near future and will definitely be keeping this post handy.
It all looks so delicious but that peanut butter pie is killing. I’ve got some serious cravings building!
This is exactly why I want to go to the South, oh my days it looks so good! But, totally agree with you with regards to food wastage, I’ve been temp working in a conference centre recently and the amount of food that goes in the bin makes me sick. The staff aren’t, for ridiculous reasons, allowed to take food that is otherwise going in the bin home.
I love your posts! And I officially am craving southern food, especially a praline! Its nice to see how caring you are about wasted food, its a huge problem in the US!! xo, Jess @ http://www.dreamingofleaving.com
Justin and I both follow a vegan diet, so we might have to search pretty hard to find healthier food there! I’m glad you had a good time though! It is a little disturbing how much food is wasted … I find that American portions in restaurants are HUGE, even compared to what we get in Canada!
That Ferdi special is making ME cry. I am starved for a proper sandwich.
I’m glad to see so many non-seafood dishes on your list. I like fish but not the rest, and my concern with a food tour of the South was always that I would be surrounded by shrimp, shrimp, shrimp (which I hate). You presented a terrific variety here!
I went to Lamberts as a kid and well never forget how many chicken tenders they gave me. I asked my mom if it was the whole chicken! Her salad came in in a serving bowl. It was a lot of wasted food on tables although we did take our leftovers home. I know that’s taboo in UK and other places, but we’ve always done so. They could certainly serve smaller amounts! The pass arounds and such made it just crazy amounts of food!
Wow this post really makes me want to check out the south! Shrimp and alligator sausage cheesecake?! Sounds great. I had alligator bites in Florida and they were actually really good! We definitely didn’t have much southern food in Seattle (as far away in the continental US as you can get from the south) so I think it would be an awesome culinary experience. Now I’m hungry!
All of this food is making me starving! We went to New Orleans last year and the food was amazing. We are going back again this Fall and I can’t wait!
Unfortunately I didn’t took advantage of the food in the south, but I see Kate did 🙂
Thanks for the tips, I will make sure next time try some of the specialties!
It all looks so fantastic! What a great sampling of all over the south. It seems like it’s common in the US to serve crazy amounts of food. I almost always count on getting a minimum of two meals out of most meals I get at home. It seems like a lot of people complain when restaurants reduce portion sizes (I’ve read some reviews like that), so I doubt it will ever change, unfortunately.
I live in the South and think the food here is the best thing going! But I was amazed at how many places you went to that I haven’t tried. So it looks like I better get busy! I can vouch for Mrs. Wilkes and Vinnie Van Go Go’s though – delicious as it looks. One thing that you didn’t get to was Shrimp and Grits – a delicacy here in SC.
As for the food waste, well, the South is the absolute least green of any area in the US so I think that has something to do with it – though I think we are generally wasteful as a society.
Fried chicken has got to be my favorite food of all time! 🙂 I love the idea of “debris” too. 🙂
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Oh my God, everything looks so good. That cheesecake sounds both strange and wonderful. I’ve only been to Georgia and my food memories mostly include a lot of pralines.
Oh, I’m so glad you found the food trucks in Pensacola! While I was living there I always meant to try all of the tacos, but never got around to it. The original grilled cheese at The Gouda Stuff is divine too.
When I was driving down to Pensacola I stopped overnight in Montgomery, Alabama, and I decided I had to have some traditional Southern fare. I googled “best fried chicken Montgomery” and found Martin’s restaurant, which did not disappoint. One of the other diners told me that most of her friends didn’t come to Martin’s because it was on the wrong side of town, but they were missing out. Yum!
I would like to eat everything! Especially the fried chicken, corn bread and beignets. The South is one of my dream food destinations 🙂
Ok, you’re really making me drool with envy here, lol. I can’t wait to get back to the South and try some of these fantastic looking recommendations I’ve somehow missed. Glad to see Mrs. Wilkes on the list (and also glad to see Lady & Son’s mediocre overpriced buffet is NOT on the list, lol). Mrs. Wilkes really is the best and truly worthy of the buzz. Its been years since I been and I can’t believe there’s now a 90 minute wait for the 11:00 seating. Yikes! Still, worth the wait though in my opinion.
By chance, did you go to Hominy Grille in Charleston? Its another often-hyped yet worthy joint that remains the best shrimp & grits I’ve had to date.
Happy travels and enjoy London!
The South has a cuisine all of it’s own doesn’t it? Looks and sounds amazing!
Fantastic blog Kate and I can’t wait to get to the south to try the food! Wetting my lips here!
Sweet heavens! I’m starving after reading that, what I’d do for a proper bowl of gumbo. The food looks absolutely amazing there.
Om nom nom… My wife and I visited my parents in the south last Christmas… nothing nearly this good around Asheville… We did have some great Korean (which we were proud to speak to the waiter, who didn’t understand a word of it!)
Nice pictures, as well.
You should have stopped by Charlotte and I would have taken you to my Dad’s restaurant, you would have loved it! Southern cuisine is amongst the best cuisine in the world in my opinion. 🙂
That all looks delicious!
Yum! Those “guilty pleasures” foods (or guiltless pleasures?!), so to speak, look fabulous! 🙂 There is nothing better than a little ol’ greasy deliciousness occasionally 😉 I can totally understand having only two pieces left over from that ginormous pizza….the appetites of my boyfriend and myself combined are, “irregularly large”, to put it politely! I need to get myself to Southern USA ASAP to get me some of those tasty eats! 🙂 And I agree completely with your statement regarding food wastage…the more you travel the more you notice the overconsumption of other areas (particularly North America). Thanks for sharing.
That food looks AMAZING! I’ve had those beignets at Cafe du Monde and they truly are a revelation. I’m really glad that you discussed the overconsumption/food wastage issues in the States! Travel really does put a lot of things into perspective, especially about your own home. Great post!
Yum. i would return to NOLA just for the food. I am hoping to do a similar eating tour early 2015! Thanks for sharing some spots to check out.
Shaun
http://www.thislifeintrips.com
The food tradition of the South is one of the most legendary in the US! I love that you made it to Mrs. Wilkes and Vinnie Van Go-Gos, two of the best in Savannah in my opinion. Also, Jestine’s in Charleston is a classic spot. You have me wanting to return to all my favorite Southern cities now, just to eat!
Two things missing from your list – Frickles (fried pickles for those not in the know) and shrimp & grits. Tell me you didn’t visit the South without eating either one of those?
All I can say is… OM NOM NOM!
Glad to see you discovered Vinnie Van Go Go’s in Savannah! It’s definitely a great spot for a cheap (and delicious) meal!
And this is why I keep ending up back home :). Totally agree about food waste, though. I see it a lot but part of the appeal is the portions and family style atmosphere.
Amazing picture! That closure experience is very cute!!!! – Thanks for sharing.
Oh my! ‘Loving the Ferdi Special and those wonderful Missisipi broiled oysters. All I can say is when I’m ready: trousers open, knifes and forks at the ready!
YUM! Making a mental list of all these places — and note to self to go to New Orleans stat. Those beignets look amazing.
Totally agreed about the waste of food. It’s a shame that restaurants throw out so much on a daily basis and are literally serving 2x the amount of food a normal person can consume!
I remember that Jess and I both gained weight during our road trip through the South… but we couldn’t resist all the yummy food and of course we had try bizarre foods like Green Fried Tomatoes and Fried Pickles, and Mac’n’cheese was declared a vegetable side on every single menu! The most memorable thing I ate there was a deep-fried moon pie in Savannah. I think I gained a couple of pounds just thinking about it 😀
Holy crap that’s a gigantic pizza.
I’m with you on the serving sizes, too. I get uncomfortable whenever I see food wasted. I can’t compare my experiences with wastage in the US, as I’ve never been there, but I think most Western countries waste a lot. It’s very concerning, particularly when you see what people in some parts of the world have to do just to have one meal a day.
This block would definitely come handy to our readers.. A great read, and a crisp thought at wastage of food too..
Oh man, this is the mother of all food posts!! I was SO bummed we didn’t have time to go to Mrs. Wilkes’ while in Savannah last fall but I’ll be returning soon and will happily wait in line. Thanks for sharing!!! I’m drooling.
Happy travels 🙂
OOOH! I loved beignets at Cafe du Monde! I waited for at least half an hour but it was worth the wait. I’ve had them elsewhere but Cafe de Monde was definitely the best 🙂
Oh. My.God. Stop. It. I would plan a trip around the South just based on this post!! 🙂
Oh my gosh…this post is a seductress for my tongue! I mostly would like to gorge on the desserts.
Wow, all this food looks AMAZING!!! I want that pizza!!! 🙂
But it makes me sad there is so much waste! I’ve found the portions in the US to often be much bigger than I could manage to eat!
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Wow, now that is a trip I would really love especially with breakfast starting with beignets – that’s a real winner!
This all looks so amazing. I haven’t been to as many places in the South as I would like but New Orleans, Asheville, and most recently Atlanta all had such amazing food! (If you ever make it back to Georgia and are in the Atlanta I definitely recommend visiting Mary Mac’s Tearoom, amazing!).
That coca cola cake looks to die for!
Great list! I’ll have to bookmark these for trips back! And I LOVE Al Fresco in Pensacola!!!! That place is awesome, I went to Gouda Stuff too! lol
“In addition to the entrees, Lambert’s offer “pass-arounds” — servers walk around announcing, “Fried potatoes and onions…fried potatoes and onions…” and serve you a generous portion if you’re interested. They’re free in addition to entrees and are unlimited.”
This is basically the BEST THING I HAVE EVER HEARD.
America, I love your excess at times.