Louisville
This hot spot rides a delicate line between raw and refined, dishing out European-inspired, American-anchored comfort cuisine in an unassuming 19th…
Must-see restaurants in Southern USA
Asheville
What happens when two James Beard–nominated chefs, Meherwan Irani and Elliott Moss, open a whole-hog barbecue joint in a cavernous former skating rink on…
Wayne Jacob’s Smokehouse & Restaurant
Louisiana
This is the place to stop on your way upriver for smoky pork goodness. LaPlace, located about 30 miles west of New Orleans, is known for its fantastic…
New Orleans
Irasshaimase! That's what they yell whenever you enter a business in Japan, and it's what the servers say here as well. New Orleans has been in dire need…
North Georgia
Clayton's best night out is this stylish farm-to-table supper club from chef Jamie Allred, North Georgia's top kitchen dog. Some of the Southeast's best…
Kentucky
There’s lots to love about this slick, modern-industrial restaurant inside Bardstown Bourbon Company: the fried chicken double-dipped in buttermilk, the…
French Quarter
Established in 1840, Antoine’s is the oldest of old-line New Orleans restaurants. The dining rooms look like first-class lounges on the Orient Express and…
Greenville
Nobody quite does breakfast excess like the USA, and this bustling family-owned diner 4 miles east of downtown Greenville is everything fantastic about…
New Orleans
Cowbell has a scruffy charm – scuffed wooden floors, Elvis on the ceiling, a bottle-cap mosaic on one of its bars – that makes you want to stay awhile…
New Orleans
With its wooden refectory tables, white lights and soaring ceiling, Domenica feels like a village trattoria gone posh. The ‘rustic’ pizza pies at this…
New Orleans
'Who does the best barbecue in town' is a subject of low-intensity foodie debate in New Orleans, but Central City BBQ is a respectable answer. The spot is…
Lowcountry
The Old Bull Tavern offers some of the tastiest food and cocktails in Beaufort, with a wood-fired pizza oven and low-lit, worldly aesthetic to boot. The…
The Triangle
The downstairs half of this cool, friendly, split-level Japanese joint serves sizable bowls of ramen noodles in various broths, with added ingredients…
Charleston
In a renovated, elegant carriage house, this is Lowcountry fine dining at its most rewarding, with healthful, seasonal offerings that reflect the region's…
French Quarter
Eat dishes out neo-Creole cuisine that has become immensely popular with locals; when a New Orleanian is willing to brave French Quarter parking for pork…
East Tennessee
This cozy cottage of homemade deliciousness is well worth the 7-mile drive from downtown. The interior is slightly dainty but not too froufrou, and…
New Orleans
Tucked behind the slightly more formal Cochon, this sandwich and meat shop calls itself a ‘swine bar and deli.’ We call it one of our favorite sandwich…
Coastal Georgia
Housed inside a former gas station at the side of a roundabout, Southern Soul BBQ serves succulent slow oak-smoked pulled pork, burnt-tipped brisket, full…
Atlanta
Leon's can come across as a bit pretentious, but the gorgeous concrete bar and open floor plan spilling out of a former service station and on to a groovy…
Atlanta
Atlanta staple chef Shaun Doty has returned to his kitchen roots at this glam bistro serving everything from a $16 burger to high-end cast-iron steaks (…
North Georgia
Sustainably driven, James Beard Award–winning Five & Ten ranks among the South's best restaurants. Its menu is earthy and slightly gamey: Georgia quail…
Faubourg Marigny & Bywater
Elizabeth’s is deceptively down-at-heel, but the food’s as good as the best New Orleans chefs can offer. It's all friendliness, smiling sass, weird…
New Orleans
When it comes to grabbing a sandwich downtown, we're always torn between this spot and Cochon Butcher. St James does possess an advantage on the actual…
East Tennessee
Don't let the bland corporate exterior fool you. The scratch-made fare inside this busy restaurant is locally sourced and delicious. At lunch burgers get…
New Orleans
Herbsaint’s duck and andouille (smoked sausage) gumbo might be the best restaurant gumbo in town. The rest of the food ain’t too bad either – it’s very…
Lowcountry
Kiawah Island is a private island, mostly for fancy golfers and other well-off folks. But tell 'em at the gate you're headed to Jasmine Porch and, boom,…
Greenville
You don't have to bicycle along the Swamp Rabbit Trail to make a stop at the eponymous, adjacent grocery, but it's definitely the most fun way to visit…
Nashville
With a seasonal menu of gluttonous meals and an art-deco feel straight out of a noir flick, an evening at Sinema will have you seeking the nearest…
Savannah
The line outside can begin as early as 8am at this first-come, first-served Southern comfort-food institution. Once the lunch bell rings and you are…
Charleston
It goes without saying that if Bill Murray is a co-owner, the place is probably dope. That's the case for this former corner store, which remains a rustic…
Mississippi
With its golden crispiness and tender meat, Bully's fried chicken is a culinary home run and worth a detour from downtown. Or pick up some chicken to go…
Charleston
Come here for the perfect Charleston lunch: a river view, a cup of she-crab soup with a splash of sherry, and a big bowl of shrimp and grits. Housed in a…
Tremé-Lafitte
You came to New Orleans and thought, 'I have to get beignets,' right? And sure, beignets are fine, but the best dessert in town is the buttermilk drop – a…
Nashville
Slim & Husky's is the real pizza deal, turning out impeccably toasted oblong pizzas made with fresh ingredients, creative sauces and a house-made cheese…
Louisville
A beautiful space with a cork-and-wood floor, fountain-strewn patio and gorgeous Laguiole cutlery opened by a chef from San Francisco (albeit a Southerner…
New Orleans
A pecan tree thrusts through the floor and ceiling of the enclosed deck that serves as Café Degas’ congenial dining room. A rustic, romantic little spot,…
Chattanooga
The culinary anchor of Chattanooga's Southside is widely considered the city's best night out. It's Johnny Cash black (black-granite floor, black-glass…
New Orleans
Every part of your tasty dog, from the steamed link (sausage) to the toasted sourdough bun to the flavor-packed toppings, is produced with exuberance here…
Charleston
A welcome respite from all the Lowcountry and fried food, this elegant Lebanese restaurant is a favorite with locals. You can't really go wrong, so you…
Louisville
Gastronomically noncommittal – we'll call the cuisine California-inspired New Southern – but unrepentantly bourbon obsessed, the Silver Dollar will dazzle…
