Lady and Sons? Lady and Sons Who?

Ok, I’m sure with some people those are fightin’ words, but after my family’s recent dining experience in Savannah…

We just got back from a week in Hilton Head, SC. Hilton Head is only about 32 miles from Savannah, and it would have been almost criminal not to visit that city while there. It is truly one of the most beautiful cities ever built. How can a visitor not be affected by the Spanish moss hanging over the 21 squares, creating canopies of quiet shade and peace? And the architecture….and the food….

Which brings me back to my original thought. When we arrived in Savannah, we immediately stopped at the visitors’ center to purchase our day parking passes ($8.00 for 48 hours of parking at any parking deck, lot or meters). Of course, being lured by the thought of Paula Deen’s reputation and cooking, and because several people told me to go there, I asked a docent there about Lady and Sons. And he just laughed and laughed. When he stopped, he explained that for lunch, people line up at 9:00am to receive a time to come back for lunch. Is any food really worth that? He then asked, “Do you want to go where the locals go?” Well, damn, of course we did! That place, is Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room.

Opened in 1965, this restaurant quickly became a Savannah icon. Mrs. Wilkes died in 2002, but it is still run by members of her family. It is open for lunch from 11am to 2pm each day. I insisted on going early, knowing that if we started our sightseeing around town, we’d never make it there. We arrived around 11:30am or so, shortly after the ringing of the bell and blessing signifying they are open for business, to the protests of my husband and father who swore they were not going to eat at that hour. The lone sign outside was obscured by trees, so the only way you really know there is a restaurant there is the line of people outside. The restaurant does not take reservations. Eager diners line up outside and as tables empty, people are let in.

All food is served family style. Tables seat about 12, so unless you are a large party, you will be seated with strangers; we sat with a charming family of 4 from Atlanta. We were ushered into a dining room set with 3 large tables and took our seats around a table groaning with food. And such food! Plates of mashed sweet potatoes, okra, baked beans, butter beans, biscuits and cornbread, barbecued pork, turnip greens, lima beans, corn, cole slaw, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, cabbage, and of course sweet tea. The lovely server told us our food was already blessed and we could start eating. My husband and father who were still swearing they were not hungry piled their plates as if they were going to the electric chair. My kids insisted on a bit of everything. But the best was yet to come – the fried chicken! While the menu may change each day, this is the signature dish and is always guaranteed. It was the perfect blend of crispy and juicy with no grease.

This was also my first experience with sweet tea. The mother of the family we dined with was Georgia born and bred, and she just waxed eloquently on this ultimate Southern drink. As a northerner, the only sweet tea I am accustomed to is powdered Nestea in a can. So this was a nice refreshing change and oh so delicious! Just the right amount of sweetness that didn’t make me pucker up and develop diabetes.

We ate until we felt we needed to be rolled out of there. Visitors should not be alarmed when they are told that after they finished, they need to bring their plates and glasses to the kitchen themselves. My daughter, who loves to clear the table and aspires to bus tables, loved this. It speeds up things so they can bring in more guests. In 3 hours of operation a day, they serve close to 200 satisfied diners.

And satisfied we were. So that is why I say Lady and Sons? Lady and Sons who? Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room is the perfect family restaurant. It is historic, it is authentic, it is cheap and it is GOOD! For the rest of the week, my kids asked to go back to have lunch there.

If only we could.

For more information on our visit to Hilton Head and Savannah, please visit my website at http://www.oneworldfamilytravel.com/.