These Are the 50 Best Southern Restaurants in America, According to OpenTable
OpenTable just released its annual list of the 50 best Southern restaurants in the country. Notice that they specified "the country" and not "the South"—that's because a handful of the spots are actually in the Northeast (New York City's The Boil Waverly and Buffalo's Toutant), the Midwest (Maple Tree Inn in Blue Island, Illinois), and the West Coast (Yardbird Southern Table & Bar, which has outposts in L.A. and Vegas), proving that perfectly-fried catfish knows no geographical bounds.
That's not to say the South isn't heavily represented! 44 of the 50 dining spots are below the Mason-Dixon line. Unsurprisingly, New Orleans scored the most nods with eight restaurants on the list (including James Beard finalist Kelly Fields' Willa Jean, and Restaurant R'evolution, known for its drumstick-size, crab-stuffed frog legs), while Nashville and Birmingham tied for second place with three picks each.
The folks at OpenTable chose the restaurants by combing through reviews of 27,000 spots in the "Southern" cuisine category from all 50 states, collected between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. From there, they analyzed each restaurant's overall food rating. Take a look at all 50, below, to see if your favorite spot made the cut (or just find some new places to add to your "must try" list).
- Abel Brown: Augusta, Georgia
- Acadiana: Washington, D.C.
- Acre: Auburn, Alabama
- Alligator Soul: Savannah, Georgia
- Anson: Charleston, South Carolina
- Antebellum: Flowery Branch, Georgia
- Atchafalaya Restaurant: New Orleans, Louisiana
- The Boil Waverly: New York, New York
- Boucherie: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Brennan's of Houston: Houston, Texas
- Cafe Dupont: Birmingham, Alabama
- Carrollton Market: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Circa 1886: Charleston, South Carolina
- Cured: San Antonio, Texas
- Cypress Restaurant: Tallahassee, Florida
- Distilled at The Sire Hotel: Lexington, Kentucky
- Dogwood Southern Table & Bar: Charlotte, North Carolina
- Fixe: Austin, Texas
- High Street Caffe & Vudu Lounge: West Chester, Pennsylvania
- Highball & Harvest: Orlando, Florida
- Highlands Bar & Grill: Birmingham, Alabama
- Hot and Hot Fish Club: Birmingham, Alabama
- Ida Claire: Addison, Texas
- Kitchen Notes - Omni Nashville: Nashville, Tennessee
- The King's Kitchen: Charlotte, North Carolina
- Langdon's Restaurant: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- Madison's: Highlands, North Carolina
- Mandolin: Raleigh, North Carolina
- Maple Tree Inn: Blue Island, Illinois
- Merrick Inn: Lexington, Kentucky
- Midtown Cafe: Nashville, Tennessee
- Mozelle's Fresh Southern Bistro: Winston-Salem, North Carolina
- Mr. B's Bistro: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Muriel's Jackson Square: New Orleans, Louisiana
- The Olde Pink House Restaurant: Savannah, Georgia
- Preserved Restaurant: St. Augustine, Florida
- Rapscallion: Dallas, Texas
- Restaurant IRON: Pensacola, Florida
- Restaurant R'evolution: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Restaurant Rebirth: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Root & Bone: New York, New York
- RT's Restaurant: Alexandria, Virginia
- Rx Restaurant: Wilmington, North Carolina
- South City Kitchen: Multiple locations
- State of Grace: Houston, Texas
- Stella's Bistro - Simpsonville: Simpsonville, South Carolina
- Toutant: Buffalo, New York
- Urban Grub: Nashville, Tennessee
- Willa Jean: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Yardbird Southern Table & Bar: Multiple locations