With only 50 lazy, hazy days of summer remaining as of this week, OpenTable, the world’s leading provider of online restaurant reservations, today unveiled the 50 Best Southern Restaurants in America for 2018. Featuring restaurants across 14 states and Washington D.C., including ten in the South, the list evokes all the joys of summer picnic fare without having to break a sweat.
While Southern states claim the most number of restaurants on the list, with Louisiana in the lead with eight, northern and mid-western states including New York, Philadelphia, and Illinois prove that Southern hospitality can take root anywhere. From Café Dupont’s famed fried chicken in Birmingham, Alabama and Antebellum’s mouth-watering shrimp and grits in Flowery Branch, Georgia to Acadiana’s soft shell crabs in Washington, D.C. and Maple Tree Inn’s Étouffée in Blue Island, Illinois, diners don’t have to venture too far this summer to find the best Southern fare near them.
“OpenTable’s list of the best Southern restaurants offers diners plenty of options to savor flavors that are strongly associated with warm summer days and balmy nights, although the honorees serve standout Southern fare year-round,” said Caroline Potter, OpenTable’s Chief Dining Officer. “While winning restaurants are sprinkled throughout the nation, spots in southern states rightfully dominate the list, which works as a handy guide for travelers who want to eat their way through the region.”
The 50 Best Southern Restaurants in America for 2018 list is generated solely from more than 12 million verified OpenTable diner reviews for more than 27,000 restaurants in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. collected between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018. All restaurants in the “Southern” cuisine category with a minimum “overall” score and number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Qualifying restaurants were then scored and sorted according to their overall food rating.
Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the 50 Best Southern Restaurants in America for 2018 according to OpenTable diners.
50 Best Southern Restaurants in America for 2018
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
The complete list may also be viewed at www.opentable.com/lists/best-southern-restaurants-2018.
