Savannah Tourist Traps

We were heading to the Mercer House when we 1st saw the line for Mrs. Wilkes but it was only 10am and I thought it a bit silly to stand in line when the place doesn't even open until 11am. When we headed back after the tour of Mercer House at around 11:30 am, silly me, I thought that the line would have subsided but instead I was greeted with a line out the door, down the rest of the block AND around the corner partially down that street.

Despite virtually every guidebook, every person who has ever visited Savannah and everyone who lives in Savnnah saying that you just HAVE to eat at Mrs. Wilkes, with only one day in Savannah, I wasn't inclined to wait on the off chance that they might be able to seat me before 2pm when it closes. And the thought crossed my mind that if it wasn't the best food I'd ever tasted, I'd be kicking myself for the rest of the day. I'm sure there is some calculated reason for only being open 11am-2pm 5 days a week but it just didn't seem very logical to me. Or very hospitable to make people wait in line...

Unique Suggestions: To be fair even local Savannah residents sighed when I said I missed going here, in their slow Southern drawl they told me I had missed out on the best Southern cookin' anywhere. If you HAVE to go, I'd recommend finding out what time people start lining up and beat the crowd or bring a book, you could probably polish off a good chunk of local must read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" in the 2 hours you'll be standing there.

Fun Alternatives: I was perfectly satisfied with our 2nd choice, the Pirates House, which had a yummy lunch buffet with all kinds of good home cooking. Unless Mrs. Wilkes is popping hallucinogens in the fried chicken, I just can't fathom that it is SOOOO much better that it warrants wasting the best part of the day standing in line.

A guy from a bus tour company in Savannah told us that we should go to AJ's on Tybee Island which has a great view overlooking the sea, with a beautiful sunset. Well, the service at AJ's was slipshod.

Our server had a sulky demeanour. We didn't even ask for the check when the server came by and slipped it on our table. Then, she came by a short while later to ask whether we were ready to get it. Ok, we get the hint. We'll leave.

To add insult to injury, we were not given a choice, but were slapped with a 20 percent gratuity because we came in a group of 6.

The view was great though.

Fun Alternatives: Crab Shack on Tybee. Crazy portions. No one goes hungry there!

I think everyone is grand, however,there are many LOCAL restaurants that have much nicer dining options than the Chart House etc...Some of the River Street Restaurants charge alot and give a little. Do your homework and try some of the City Market venues!

Unique Suggestions: riverstreet:
LUNCH & Inexpensive dinner:
SPANKY'S- famous for chicken fingers!yum!
COBBLESTONE CAFE-breakfast all day
OLYMPIA CAFE-greek-so good!!!

The Boars head for dinner is good.- 912.651.9660 oldest restaurant on riverstreet

Fun Alternatives: NOW THESE ARE GREAT RESTAURANTS:
17 Hundred 90
307 East President St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912.236.7112, 800.487.1790

Bistro Savannah
309 West Congress St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912.233.6266

Garibaldi's Café
315 West Congress St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912.232.7118

Lady and Sons
311 West Congress St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912.233.2600

Olde Pink House
23 Abercorn St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912.232.4286

Saphire Grill
110 West St. Julian St.
Savannah, GA 31401
912.443.9962 Visit our Web Site

Wall's Bar B Que
515 East York Street Lane
Savannah, GA 31401
912.232.9754

Sambo's Restaurant. On the way back from Disney World, we also stopped in Savannah, staying at the same hotel. That evening, 2 August 1978, we ate at Sambo's restaurant (a restaurant in the style of Denny's). Unlike Denny's, however, we waited for nearly an hour to be served and when we got the food it was cold. It wasn't like we ordered pâté de foie gras and duck à l'orange, just simple American cuisine. I only had a jumbo hamburger. You would think they had to chase down the cow and everything. Because of this poor service, Daddy only tipped the waitress a penny. That was to protest the bad service and to show he hadn't forgotten the matter of tipping. Hopefully, this sorry excuse for a restaurant, at that time across from Oglethorpe Mall, has either improved its service or given way to a real restaurant.

Unique Suggestions: Make sure you take a big snack beforehand to tide you over until you actually get served.

Fun Alternatives: Anything else except McDonald's