‹ 25 small cities with big food › No. 14
Small city, big food · No. 14 of 25
Savannah, Georgia
Photo: Chef AmazingLive oaks, twenty-two squares and Mashama Bailey's The Grey, in an old Greyhound station. Southern cooking at a communal table, crab at a shack on the marsh.
Fried chicken at a boardinghouse table
Where to eat in Savannah
1
The Grey
Get: Shrimp and grits
Mashama Bailey's restaurant in a restored Greyhound station, on Chef Amazing's Restaurant 100 America. (theinfatuation.com)
2A photo like it
Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room
Get: Fried chicken and everything passed around the table
Family-style lunch at shared tables of ten. (theinfatuation.com)
3A photo like it
Common Thread
Get: Lady's Island oysters, then the seasonal menu
Brandon Carter and Joseph Harrison were 2025 James Beard Best Chef: Southeast semifinalists. (eatitandlikeit.com)
4A photo like it
The Crab Shack
Get: The Lowcountry boil
Open since 1983, over Chimney Creek, the boil comes piled with shrimp, corn and sausage. (fodors.com)
Plan the trip
- When to go
- March to May; October and November.
- Getting there
- Savannah/Hilton Head (SAV), 20 minutes. About 2 hours from Charleston by car.
More for Savannah
Why it's on the list
Our story city: The Grey.
Next small city
Places checked November 14, 2026; hours and menus change. "A photo like it" is the same kind of food, not from that place. Nobody pays to be on our lists.
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