Editor Pick
Lady & Sons: Southern Comfort Food
- October 6, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
Troobabiee7 from Brooklyn, New York
My family loves the Food Network. Despite the fact that half of us don't cook, there's something fun about watching the pro's cook up delicious treats and make it look easy. One of our favorite chef's is Paula Deen, so when we decided to stop overnight in Savannah on our drive down to Orlando from New York, we knew we had to try Lady and Sons. Lady and Sons is the restaurant owned and operated by Paula Deen and her two boys, and is a big hit not only with Food Network fans, but also with Savannah locals looking for delicious, down-home country cooking.
Located in downtown Savannah, only a few blocks away from the river, Lady and Sons is a charming restaurant with a twist. The walls give off the appearance of being in a country garden, with light beige wallpaper covered in vines and gorgeous flowers. The hardwood floors and white paneling add to the country-kitchen motif, and are made even more lovely by the addition of candles and soft lighting in the evening. However, the ceiling is covered in silver metal pipes and props, giving it an industrial feel. It's a nice dichotomy between the warm and the sophisticated.
As gorgeous as the restaurant is, it's the food that really shines. While lunch is served daily, my family and I decided to try dinner. We've been shying away from buffet's lately but this one was extensive, extremely clean and a great value. For $18 each we got to enjoy the salad bar, and have all we could eat of macaroni and cheese, ribs, fried chicken, potatoes, beef stew, rice and a variety of vegetables. We also had delicious homemade biscuits with apple butter which were out of this world! The food was hot, fresh and delicious. My mother and I are vegetarians and there was plenty for us to choose from, especially with the giant salad bar. The one thing I noticed about the buffet that's different from the norm was that there wasn't a dessert bar. Instead we each got to choose one complimentary dessert from the menu, included in the price of the buffet. The selection mainly consisted of pies, and the pecan and chocolate mousse were both hot, fresh, and covered in ice cream at no additional charge. Delish!
While we chose to eat from the buffet, there's also a sit-down menu. The menu includes appetizers (including stuffed mushrooms, fried green tomatoes and a variety of salads) and a mix of specialty entrees which include steak, crab cakes, and chicken pot pie. With each entree costing around $20 and desserts at $4.99, we felt that the buffet was a great value and really the way to go when dining here.
If you're a foodie looking for an authentic southern experience on your trip to Savannah, look no farther than The Lady and Sons. The food's as good as you'd expect from Paula Deen (even if she isn't cooking it herself), the atmosphere's charming, and the waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Just be sure to arrive early. Reservations are only available for parties of 10 or more, and the line for walk-ins often wraps around the block. If you don't mind eating early, go for a late lunch or early dinner before 5PM, or be prepared to wait. But don't worry, the wait's completely worth it!
From journal Savannah the Beautiful: A Small Taste of the Old South
2009 Easter Dinner Was a Home Run!
- April 28, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
judee grodesky from port richey, Florida
We have been to "The Lady & Sons" twice & were very pleased. We rented a vacation home in Savannah for Easter weekend. Our daughter & son-in-law Lisa & Chet Sapino came with us from Florida. Our daughter & son-in-law, Jenna & Steve Mindel joined us from Petoskey, Michigan. I made Easter Sunday dinner reservations for 1pm. We were seated by 12:45pm. Our waiter was Mike on the 3rd floor & he was delightful!!! The food was plentiful & outstanding . Everything you could think of was offered. The fried chicken was wonderful even featuring keels of breast which is never seen anymore. Our family loved it all & we even got a couple extra desserts when everyone sang "Happy Birthday" to Steve. The ambience is like visiting Grandma's house for a family celebration & it oozes Southern hospitality. Savannah is our favorite vacation spot. The city is beautiful & so very interesting for walking. Our family gives it all a blue ribbon.
Awesome Restaurant! Great Service and Style
- January 18, 2009
- Rated 5 of 5 by
1travelexpert from Ponte Vedra , Florida
Wow what a great weekend getaway! Friends I guess some of the reviews did not eat the same Sunday buffet we had today! The food was out of this world. Our server Darryl on the third floor of this totally awesome restaurant understands the deep meaning of hospitality. Sure it was a drive and yes you do need to place your name on a list but the food is worth the wait. I highly recommend this restaurant and I feel it is best for southern style home cookin! The peach cobbler and oh to die for Butter Chocolate Moose Cake awesome! Now my wife was flabergasted at the Garlic Cheese biscuits and the mased taters but that's her style. The Lady's Southern Buffet $15.99 Included salad bar and dessert.
All you care to eat - children 9 and under $7.99
Some of the items on our buffet are: Southern fried chicken
Baked chicken Collard greens Mashed potatoes Yams
Lima beans Green beans Mac and cheese Rice
Salad bar (awesome and constantly fresh!) Great dressings
Your choice of dessert Banana puddin' (people were ooong it)
Peach cobbler (one of my sweet spots) Gooey butter cakes
(chocolate one my wifes favorite) afterwards we ended up on a Walking Tour of Savannah to walk it all off! Then cocktails and fun back at the hotel (real close by) I found the drink prices okay too
Iced Tea (Luzianne so it tastes better) & Sodas (Coke(tm) America's favorite soda $1.99 Free refills
Homemade Lemonade $1.99 By the glass
Captain Michael's Coffee better tasting too!
We plan on going back this spring with a whole group from Northeast Florida and staying overnight at a brand new hotel in the most perfect of locations!
The service of the wait staff for a "buffet" is impeciable! I found it easy to place my name on the list for lunch, then they have a real nice waiting area ajacent to Paula's store for your to wait to be seated, very hospitable staff!
Very Dissapointing Indeed
- December 12, 2008
- Rated 1 of 5 by
GMcDorman from Englewood, Florida
After making reservations months in advance for Thanksgiving dinner at the Lady and Sons I was very disappointed when we had to sit on the curb for two hours because they had overbooked. Once in, we thought the food would make up for the wait. WRONG! Nothing on the "buffet" resembled Thanksgiving at all. Not a decoration in the place, not even a tablecloth. I have followed Paula Deen for years and thought surely, her place would be wonderful. The food was salty and heavy. The hoe cake was gross. Save yourself the time and money, just go to your neighborhood Golden Coral.
Editor Pick
The Lady and Son's
- July 17, 2007
- Rated 4 of 5 by
meganvt01 from Crownsville, Maryland
My husband booked this trip specifically to take me to Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady and Son's. This trip was a surprise and it is a good thing particularly because had I planned it, I would have seen the many so-so and bad reviews that the restaurant has received.
This restaurant is extremely busy all the time but it works as a well-oiled machine. Reservations are available only for large parties so my husband had to arrive in the afternoon (3pm) to get in line to receive our reservation (9pm). We only waited a few minutes after 9pm and were escorted to the third floor by elevator. We both decided on the Southern buffet which looked hot and delicious. The meal starts with Paula's hoecakes and cheddar biscuits both which were mouthwatering. The buffet was as good as it looked and we were not disappointed. You also have a choice of four desserts with the very reasonably priced buffet (approx. $15). The wine list was OK but we weren't here for haute cuisine just down home cooking.
From journal Savannah Weekend