I really looked forward to paying a visit to this iconic restaurant which has been family-owned since 1943. Whenever I mentioned I was taking a short trip to Savannah, Georgia “you have to go to Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room” was part of the conversation. Now I know why!
You can read about the history on their website at History – Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (mrswilkes.com) and I was excited to be able to buy their cookbook not just for recipes but for the wonderful stories and events that took place at this humble boardinghouse over the years. It’s wonderful how the family has so enthusiastically carried on their traditions.
So I told my friend Angela who was traveling with me that we were going to go get in line at a restaurant around 11:30 am and we would wait a couple of hours before we are served. Thankfully a friend who knows me for 25 years trusts me on that!
The location is a beautiful tree-lined street surrounded by history. We got in line and were soon greeted by Marcia and Marcia Thompson, Marcia is the late Mrs. Wilkes’ granddaughter who now runs the business along with other family members. She cheerfully explained the menu, ordering process and time it would take along with a few tidbits of history as she personally greeted everyone in line.
Due to COVID the dining room is not open at this time. Normally guests sit a communal tables of 10 or so and are served family style. The restaurant adapted very well by offering all carry-out and the option to use the ample outdoor seating. After placing our order Marcia gave us several suggestions for historical sites or cocktails within a few blocks.
The hour and a half wait was enjoyable as we were able to walk the streets in the area and enjoy time in a historical square. We got a call to come for our order and were graciously offered a table on the second floor balcony. It was perfect! We were able to enjoy people watching as we enjoyed the view of the street activity below.
Now we get to the food. Oh my goodness! The menu offers a fixed price for a generous portion of fried chicken, biscuits and three sides but let me tell you there’s extra chicken in there and more side dishes to taste. What a feast of traditional southern specialties. I think my favorites were the red rice with sausage and the English peas with egg noodles but it’s a real toss up with the cornbread dressing and gravy or the creamed corn!
You know I don’t normally eat like this but every now and then a deviation from my usual Paleo diet is fine with me. The thing is if I’m going to indulge it’s going to be on the best and it’s going to be worth it. There was something about this homemade meal, the beautiful setting that takes you back in time and our gracious hosts that really made me realize that this was one of those foodie experiences I will be talking about for a long time.
We couldn’t finish all the food but were provided packaging to bring the rest with us but before we left I had an opportunity for Marcia to autograph my cookbook. Erin and Marcia showed me around and we had a chance to chat over photographs of past visitors and some of the history. It was honestly more like a visit with friends than being a customer in a restaurant.
I look forward to visiting Erin and Marcia again someday when the restaurant returns to dining room seating but I’ll always cherish this first visit and my special table on the balcony.
Learn more about Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room at Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room (mrswilkes.com)
