On a recent trip to Savannah, Georgia, I stopped by Mrs. Wilkes for lunch. I knew that it was popular and highly rated, but I had no idea the pleasures that were to be in store for me that day. I walked into the dining room and asked for a table for two. The gentleman asked me to wait while his team set up the table.
We walked in around 1:30PM, and this was lucky for 2 reasons:
- they close at 2PM
- if you come earlier, the line will be massive; on this day, at this time, there was no line
After some time waiting, I followed up with the guy at the front as to when I could be seated. I saw an empty table, but he was not seating us. What I did not know at the time, was that the tables are all communal, and you are seated when all the food is done being set on to the table.
When it was finally time to sit, we were in for a massive spread of food.
On this day, we were seated with only one other gentleman, and we were fortunate because Mrs. Wilkes granddaughter, who now runs the place, joined us later for lunch too! She shared some stories of the history of the place, and all the famous people who had visited. She also showed us around briefly, including a map of every country where customers had come from.
To say that the food was good would be an understatement. EVERYTHING was delicious. The fried chicken was some of the best I’d ever had. Every dish was well seasoned and bursting with flavor, even the sides. The collard greens, mac and cheese, and everything else were so good.
Later, they brought out warm fresh cornbread.
Another nice thing about this place I did not know, was that for one price, EVERYTHING, including sweet tea, was included! Overall, this was an amazing lunch. I highly highly recommend and this would be the first place I visit on any future trips to Savannah. The service and food are top notch and prepared with huge passion. It was not just one of the best Southern Meals i’ve had, but one of the best meals period!