Where to Find the Best Shrimp and Grits in Savannah, GA
Where to Find the Best Shrimp and Grits in Savannah
If you’re visiting Savannah, there’s one dish you can’t leave town without trying: shrimp and grits. This southern classic grew up in the kitchens of coastal Georgia and South Carolina, where fresh-caught shrimp and stone-ground corn were everyday staples. What started as a simple fisherman’s breakfast is now a signature plate on menus across the city, and every kitchen in Savannah puts its own spin on it.
For foodies visiting Savannah, tracking down the best bowl is one of the most delicious things to do in Savannah. For history lovers visiting Savannah, it’s a chance to taste the city’s past inside some of its most storied buildings. And if you want both at once, a Savannah food tour is the easiest (and tastiest) way to do it.
Here are four of our favorite spots for shrimp and grits in Savannah, plus which Savannah Taste Experience food tour brings you through their doors.
Good to know before you go: On our food tours in Savannah, you’ll sample a signature bite at each stop, and the tasting is different at every restaurant. Think of the tour as your insider introduction. Once you’ve met the chefs’ cooking and found your favorite, come back for a full plate of shrimp and grits on your own.
Rhett on River Street
Few views in Savannah beat a table overlooking the Savannah River, and Rhett puts you right where the historic riverfront meets the city’s entertainment district. River Street’s cobblestones and old brick warehouses once moved cotton around the world. Today, they’re home to some of the best places to eat in Savannah.
Rhett’s kitchen takes beloved coastal Southern dishes and gives them a fresh, playful twist. Their shrimp and grits brings together Sea Island shrimp, andouille sausage, cherry tomatoes, and scallions, finished with benne seeds. That last ingredient is a true piece of Lowcountry history. Benne, an heirloom sesame, was carried to the Southern coast from West Africa and has been part of the region’s cooking for centuries. It’s a small detail that makes this bowl taste like Savannah.
Experience the Rhett on: First Squares Food Tour (featured food is She Crab Soup)
Common Restaurant on Broughton Street
Broughton Street is Savannah’s main shopping and dining corridor, and Common Restaurant is one of its standouts. The restaurant lives inside a historic building that once housed Savannah’s Orpheum Theatre, now reimagined with an industrial-chic look, exposed architecture, and a second-floor view over the whole dining room. It’s a must for anyone who loves history and great food under the same roof.
Common’s shrimp and grits is the creative pick on this list. Jumbo white shrimp are served over stone-ground gouda grits with pancetta lardons, shallots, and fresh red peppers, then finished with a hondashi aioli and bay leaf oil. The result is rich, smoky, and savory, with an unexpected layer of umami that makes it unlike any other shrimp and grits in town. If you like your Southern classics with a little adventure, start here.
Experience it on: First Squares Food Tour (featured food is Pork Belly Donut Sliders)
Shrimp and Grits at 22 Square on the First Squares Food Tour.
22 Square Restaurant & Bar at the Andaz Savannah Off Ellis Square
Just steps from Ellis Square and City Market, 22 Square sits inside the Andaz Savannah and serves contemporary Southern cooking in a stylish, relaxed dining room. Their Andaz Shrimp and Grits is the dish people talk about most, and for good reason. Tender shrimp rest on a bed of creamy NC stone-ground grits, layered with melted leeks and the holy trinity of Southern cooking, then finished with a white wine blackened cream sauce.
Here’s your insider tip: 22 Square is the only stop on our tours where you’ll taste stone-ground grits as part of your tasting. It’s the perfect first bite of the Lowcountry, served in the heart of Savannah’s historic district. Stick around after the tour and you’ll find a lively bar, Southern-inspired cocktails, and live local music on Saturday nights.
Experience it on: First Squares Food Tour (featured food is Shrimp and Grits)
Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar Off Ellis Square
On Congress Street, right across from City Market and Ellis Square, Sorry Charlie’s Oyster Bar fills a historic brick building known as the Thomas Gibbons Range. The restaurant’s neon fish sign has become a local landmark, and upstairs you’ll find one of the most laid-back rooftops in the historic district, perfect for sunset views over the city.
Sorry Charlie’s takes a made-from-scratch, locally sourced approach to Lowcountry cooking, and their shrimp and grits shows it. Tail-on shrimp, andouille sausage, bell peppers, corn, and tomato come together in a sherry cream sauce over hot, creamy stone-ground grits, topped with pickled okra for a bright, tangy finish. It’s hearty, classic comfort food with a signature twist. Need a gluten-free option? Just ask your server.
Experience it on: Southern and Secret Food Tour (featured foods are Boiled Peanuts Tossed in Hot Butter Sauce and Fried Green Tomatoes)
Why a Food Tour Is the Best Way to Taste Savannah
With so many restaurants to choose from, planning where to eat can feel like a full-time job. That’s where the best tours in Savannah come in. A guided food tour lets you taste your way through the city while you stroll its famous squares, hear the stories behind its historic buildings, and meet the people who make Savannah’s food scene so special.
Our First Squares Food Tour brings you to 22 Square, Rhett, and Common, weaving together Savannah’s earliest squares, its riverfront, and its busiest shopping street. The Southern and Secret Food Tour takes you to Sorry Charlie’s and other hidden local favorites that most visitors walk right past.
Whichever you choose, you’ll leave with a full stomach, a camera roll full of historic architecture, and a list of places you’ll want to come back to.
Whether you’re a foodie, a history buff, or simply looking for the best things to do in Savannah, a food tour is the tastiest way to get to know this city.
Book your Savannah food tour today and taste the city like a local.