I just got back from a road trip up the Eastern Seaboard from Savannah to Charleston to Virginia Beach and everything in between. There was a reason for the trip, but instead of telling you about that, I figured I’d tell you about the most delicious southern food I ate along the way. The South may not always be the most sophisticated chunk of the USA, but boy can they eat. Here are my favorites.
It’s hard not to start with such a classic. Shrimp and grits. The perfectly gooey, buttery, delicious treat that’s just as good for breakfast as it is for dinner. This one’s from Huey’s on River Street in Savannah. A great place to perch yourself for Sunday brunch.
While we’re on breakfast, get a load of these poached eggs. What’s that they’re sitting on? Fried green tomatoes. Wait, what’s under the tomatoes? Crab cakes! Yes. Really. This is also from Huey’s on River Street.
If you’ve ever been to Cafe du Monde in New Orleans, you’ve most likely gorged yourself on beignets. Huey’s has got some pretty great ones so don’t forget to leave some room!
If shrimp and grits seems like too big a breakfast maybe you should just grab something on the go instead. Check out Mike as he enjoys a warmed chocolate croissant from Caviar & Bananas in the Charleston City Market. You might want to enjoy it in smaller bites.
There’s nothing extraordinary about chicken tenders, right? I don’t know, there’s something about the way things are fried in the south. It’s just hard to beat. Take these chicken tenders from Churchill’s Pub in Savannah? They’re beautiful. And as delicious as they look.
It’s hard to imagine the south without some good BBQ and it’s hard to imagine good Southern BBQ without ribs. Southern Soul BBQ on St Simons Island in Georgia is the real deal. It’s so smokey outside from cooking all the ribs your eyes will be burning as you tear into these delicious morsels. Don’t miss out on some of the sides either. Fried green beans and fried okra are pretty great.
This may have been the perfect on-the-go lunch. We were going for pulled pork, but this is rib meat and even better. Check out the magic at Wholly Smokin’ BBQ & Ribs in Florence, SC. You won’t regret it.
If you’re overloaded on grits and ribs by the end of the day and want something a bit more refined, check out the lobster and crab pasta at Tramici Neighborhood Italian Restaurant on St. Simons Island in Georgia.
One of the best meals I had on this trip was at Pearlz Oyster Bar on East Bay Street in Charleston. Alas, the food was so good I couldn’t pull myself away from eating it to take a photo. You’ll just have to imagine how good it was. What about you? What’s the best food you’ve eaten in the Southern United States? I want to hear where to get it in the comments!
