Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (Savannah, Georgia)

Part of the main reason we went to Savannah was to go to Mrs. Wilkes for lunch. My friend had been before and gave it rave reviews, and although I had lived in Savannah years before (living only a couple blocks away) I had never actually dined there. We did our research and knew that the doors open at 11am, but also knew there was always a line of people waiting to get in and you had to get there pretty early if you wanted make the first seating. We arrived around 9:45 on a Wednesday morning and were surprised to find that there was only one other couple ahead of us. Score! We made friends with them and found that they were actually from our area in Florida so we had plenty to talk about while we waited (and smelled the biscuits baking).

Just as expected the line began to form and much to our surprise they actually let us in and seated us about 10 minutes before 11am.

They show you to your 10-seat table, which is already covered in bowls and bowls of different Southern-Style dishes and plenty of Sweet Tea.

Once the table is seated they say a quick blessing over the food and then everyone at the table takes a dish, serves themselves, and then passes it. Although some people might not like to be seated with strangers or eat “family style”, this is a big part of the charm of eating at Mrs. Wilkes and it has worked for them all of these years (I believe they have been open for like a million years or something). On a side note… even their Bathroom has a certain charm to it!

Now as for the Food… My Goodness, where do I begin? Fried Chicken, Biscuits, Green Beans, Black Eyed Peas, Okra Gumbo, Meatloaf, Corn Muffins, Lima Beans, Mac N Cheese, Beef Stew, Sweet Potatoes, Collard Greens, Baked Beans, Squash Casserole, Cabbage, Rice, and Rutabaga! (I didn’t even know that people knew what a Rutabaga was! LOL) The menu changes a little each day depending on what is in season… but trust me, as long as you like Southern Style Cooking then you will find tons of dishes that you like and you will leave stuffed (or like me, Miserably Stuffed).

I will say that everyone at my table was more then happy to pass the dish around again and also comment on what their personal favorites were.

My basic game plan was to take a tiny portion of everything and then go back for what I really liked.

Although everything was basically pretty good, I had three stand-out dishes that were my favorite… The Sweet Potatoes (They are not kidding with the SWEET… they were like candy, or better yet… Pie Filling), the Creamed Corn (Creamy and delicious, and truly from the South) and my favorite of all The Black Eyed Peas (Salty goodness and I loved the Green Beans mixed in).

The Dessert options of the day were Banana Pudding and Blueberry Cobbler. I must say that they were both a little underwhelming, however they were included in the price ($18 per person) so why not?

We also had to buy a Mrs. Wilkes Cookbook on our way out, and then we meandered through the Savannah Squares for a while to “Walk Off” our food. I will say that a trip to Mrs. Wilkes was something that I checked off of my Bucket List, and I think that everyone should go there at least once before they die. 

Vinnie Van Go-Go's (Savannah, Georgia)

I lived in Savannah in the ‘90s when I was in college. Being a student and on a budget I would always go to Vinnie Van Go-Go’s. Although I was not yet the Foodie that I am today, I do recall them having really good tasting slices of Pizza (that were huge) at an affordable price.

Twenty years later I returned to Savannah for a visit, and much to my surprise and delight it was as if time had stood still… Vinnie Van go-Go’s was exactly as I remembered and the Pizza was just as good, and still at an extremely affordable price.

Located on the edge of City Market, Vinnie Van Go-Go’s must be doing something right if they are still going strong after all of these years. They have a cash only policy and have a bicycle delivery area at no additional charge so locals can stay in and eat out.

Their menu is simple - Pizza by the Pie or the Slice, Spinach Salads and Calzones. Toppings are extra and you pretty much build your own.

We arrived around 10pm on a Tuesday night and the place was packed. We did manage to get a table outside on the heated patio. They still had the plastic awnings that they can bring down when it is really cold out. (Can you tell that I was thrilled to be back and feeling extremely nostalgic about this place?) The place was filled with art students and locals that were out for a Beer. I ordered a Slice with Feta and Broccoli, and my friend ordered his Slice with Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Spinach and Artichokes.

Our friendly waitress brought out our food in record time and that very first bite took me back to my late teens/early twenties. It was so good. Their Pizza has the perfect crust and I love not only how big each slice is but also how generous they are with their toppings.

On our last day in Savannah we were hoping to get another Slice or a Calzone from Vinnie’s before we drove back to Florida, but were saddened by the fact that when we arrived it was about 1:30 and they didn’t open until 4pm. I guess this just means that we will have to make a trip back at some point.

It is quite possible that I am a little biased because of my history with this place, but I feel as though Vinnie Van Go-Go’s has the best Pizza in the world.