When you get hungry in Savannah, you are steps away from good cooking. Here are a few favorites.
B. Matthews Eatery, 325 E. Bay St., serves traditional and New American-style dishes. The kitchen uses fresh, seasonal, high-quality ingredients. Lunch items include mouth-watering burgers, a black-eyed pea cake sandwich, and muffuletta.
Little Duck Diner, 150 W. Saint Julian St., offers a “vintage chic diner” reminiscent of spots from the late 1920s and 30s but with a contemporary twist. This hidden gem offers a menu that covers a range - from hearty breakfast items to a “wicked” hamburger.
The Olde Pink House is a Savannah institution, with a lunch menu to match its reputation. Talk about comfort food, choose from an eclectic variety including cornbread fried oysters, she-crab soup and Southern Sushi, made with smoked shrimp and grits rolled in coconut-crusted Nori.
The Olympia Cafe, 5 E. River St., is another longtime favorite that serves traditional Greek and Mediterranean food, such as gyros, moussaka, spanakopita, prime cuts of meat, seafood, and flaming cheese. Specialties are prepared from scratch daily using authentic Greek recipes.
Sentient Bean Coffee Shop & Cafe, 13 E. Park Ave., serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and brunch from 9 a.m. to noon on Sundays, with a brunch bowl, vegan pancakes, and other items made from seasonal ingredients fresh from the market.
Treylor Park, 115 E. Bay St., gets rave reviews for its large portions, tasty dishes, and friendly service. Start with avocado fries, PB&J chicken wings, or nachos grande created with waffle fries. Sandwiches include a Southern sloppy joe, fried bologna classic, Monte Carlo Melt, and an array of burgers. Don’t skip one of the craft cocktails, either.
Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House, 107 W. Jones St., is a must-stop in Savannah. It’s cash only, doesn’t take reservations, doesn’t do takeout, and yet has filled up daily since 1946. Tabletops are crowded with platters of fried chicken and cornbread dressing, sweet potato souffle, black-eyed peas, okra gumbo, corn muffins, and biscuits.
Vinnie Van Go Go’s, 317 W. Bryan St., is open for lunch Friday through Sunday. They make a thin hearty crust pizza called Neapolitan, with fresh dough, and fresh-grated Parmesan and Mozzarella cheeses, and a rich sauce. And for a fun twist, Vinnie’s delivers its pizzas to the downtown area on bicycles.
Hungry, yet? You’ve got options in Savannah!