The South’s Most Legendary Restaurants

Famous for their food, atmosphere, and hospitality, these establishments—from old-school diners to special occasion spots—have stood the test of time.

Throughout the year, we publish many lists of the best places to eat in the South, and this one is probably the most unique. When it comes to restaurants, “legendary” can mean many different things to people, resulting in this somewhat unusual combination of iconic dining establishments. It’s not everyday that a Michelin starred restaurant (Atlanta’s Bacchanalia) is put in the same category as a small town ice cream parlor (Trowbridge’s in Florence, Alabama). 

Some might say legendary means white tablecloths and an expert wine list, like at Bern’s in Tampa. Others might picture an iconic barbecue joint, like Arthur Bryant’s in Kansas City. Or a storied meat-and-three like Ajax Diner in Oxford, Mississippi, where generations of students return for their favorite plate lunches. Hospitality is key—the best places always remember their regulars, while making newcomers feel right at home. History matters, too. Cattlemen’s Steakhouse in Oklahoma opened in 1910 and still serves up prime cuts cooked over charcoal. The Blue Bonnet Cafe in Marble Falls, Texas has been making pies since 1929.

Our guiding thought when making this list was to include places that were meaningful and have had a lasting impact on their communities. In a time where restaurants come and go every week, these establishments (listed in no particular order) have staying power for a reason—they are simply legendary.

Blue Bonnet Cafe

BLUE BONNET CAFE 

Marble Falls, Texas

There’s one real reason the Blue Bonnet Cafe is so widely respected: The folks who run the place have been holding this small-town diner to high standards for years. The eatery, which originally opened in 1929, is now owned by the Kemper family, who bought it in 1981. (Fun fact: The Blue Bonnet is named not for the flower but for old-timey ladies’ headwear.) But they’re not the only ones who have stuck around, as some staff members have been with them for decades. Stop in for the all-day breakfast or one of the daily specials like chicken and dumplings or meatloaf—but you’re really here for the pie. Choose from 15 options, from fruit filled to luxurious creams and meringues. You’re guaranteed to find one you’ll love.

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Bern’s Steakhouse

PEZZ PHOTO

Tampa, Florida

Eating at the family-owned Bern’s Steak House is like cracking through the fourth wall of an expertly delivered theatrical production and finding yourself part of the show. Maybe it’s how the menu invites you to choose your own meaty adventure. Or it might be because the full dining experience includes leaving your table to tour the kitchen and peek into one of the world’s largest wine collections before landing in the Harry Waugh Dessert Room. A night at Bern’s, which opened in 1956 after founders Gert and Bern Laxer moved to Tampa from New York, is unlike any dinner out you’ve ever had.

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Jones Bar-B-Q Diner

ART MERIPOL/SOUTHERN LIVING

Marianna, Arkansas

To think of Jones Bar-B-Q Diner as simple is to misunderstand just how difficult it is to do the exact same thing, day in and day out, for over a century. The tiny town of Marianna has been home to the Jones family’s pit since sometime in the 1910s (food historians have debated that detail for years), and despite all that time, they haven’t expanded the menu. Instead, they’ve focused on successfully passing culinary knowledge and business acumen down by the generation. In the process, the restaurant earned the state’s first James Beard Award when it was named an America’s Classic in 2012, plus a list of other accolades. If you go, take an early lunch, as they open at 7 a.m. and often run out of meat. Also be ready to make some new friends. Seating options include one big table inside and a long picnic table outside. When you get to the counter, there aren’t many decisions to make. You’re getting one thing: chopped pork. You can order it by the pound or between two slices of white bread, and it comes with or without slaw, but that’s all. And, for over a century, it has been more than enough.

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Ajax Diner

DAVID ROSEBERRY

Oxford, Mississippi

To love the Ajax Diner is to love its owner, Randy Yates, who started the bar and restaurant on the Oxford Square in 1997. He named it for his grandfather A.J., who was known for his Southern hospitality, and originally envisioned the eatery as a barbecue joint. But that didn’t last. Soon after opening, plate lunches took over in popularity. Now, after a quarter century in business, Yates’ meat ’n’ three has earned The Oxford Eagle’s Best of Oxford awards several times over. In a dining room decked out in strings of Christmas lights, the staff is warm and welcoming, whether they’re serving gaggles of Ole Miss sorority sisters or visitors just passing through. As for the food, it is pure comfort, with options like chicken and dumplings, fried okra, casseroles, grits, turkey and dressing, and country-fried steak with gravy.

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Martin’s Tavern

SEAN KELLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Washington, D.C.

This spot claims to have served nearly every VIP who’s stayed in town during
the past nine decades, including every President from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush. But if you’re picturing a highfalutin place with impossible-to-snag reservations, think again. Instead, Martin’s Tavern is a family-owned institution with warm wood paneling, creaky floors, and Tiffany glass lanterns hanging over often crowded banquettes. Founded in 1933 by father-and-son duo William G. and William S. Martin, the restaurant and the stories contained within its walls have been handed down through multiple generations of star athletes. (That’s why the back room is called the “Dugout.”) One of those tales is that this is where John F. Kennedy proposed to Jacqueline Bouvier. Order the Traditional Oyster Stew and Shepherd’s Pie, and thank us later.

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Bertha’s Kitchen

PETER FRANK EDWARDS

Charleston, South Carolina

It’s hard to miss Bertha’s Kitchen, with its turquoise-painted brick exterior and purple accents. What you find inside is a little quieter, a bit softer, but no less impactful. The restaurant has been serving up meals made with love ever since Albertha Grant first opened it in 1981. Although the matriarch died in 2007, her family runs the place with the same intentionality, offering fried chicken, lima beans, cornbread, okra, greens, and the like. Saturdays bring seafood specials like garlic crab and fried fish. The heaping plates of soul food draw crowds from all walks of life. There was a moment in 2022 when the family weighed selling the place, with Grant’s daughters considering retirement, but ultimately they decided to keep the doors open. Some things you just cherish too much to let disappear. 

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Alexander Michael’s

AUSTIN CAINE

Charlotte, North Carolina

Named for its original owners, Alexander Michael’s (or “Al Mike’s,” as locals know it) is the kind of tavern that seems like it’s part of the neighborhood architecture, as expected as street lamps or sidewalks. That could be thanks to the reliability of its cast of characters: Today’s proprietor is Steve Casner, who worked as general manager on its debut night in 1983. This cozy space initially housed the Crowell-Berryhill Store when the building first opened in 1897. Order a boilermaker or half-pound burger while you admire the bar made from the oak doors that once led into Charlotte’s first skyscraper.

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Prince’s Hot Chicken

Nashville, Tennessee

If any story was ever suited to turn into a legend, it’s the one that led to Prince’s Hot Chicken. As the tale goes, Thornton Prince was a Nashville man well loved by the ladies and something of a philanderer. One night, Prince came home late after obviously having seen another lover. To pay him back, the next day his partner cooked up a plate of the spiciest fried chicken she could muster. Prince rolled out of bed, sat down at the table, and loved every last bite of his punishment. A classic recipe was born, and the Nashville restaurant followed soon after in 1936. Since then, Prince’s has expanded with a food truck, a food hall stand, a soccer-stadium location, a brewery partnership, a spot in the nearby suburb of Antioch, and plans for two more locations. Spice levels range from Plain (for the spice-averse) to XXX Hot. The chicken is served atop a bed of red-stained white bread with a couple of pickle slices for tang. Although Nashville’s reputation for hot chicken has grown far and wide, everyone knows that it was Prince’s fire that fueled the creation of this iconic dish. 

Brennan’s

Ï»¿CHRIS GRANGER

New Orleans, Louisiana

In the bustling French Quarter, between all the po’boy joints, T-shirt shops, and balconies with curling wrought iron, is the salmon pink building that houses Brennan’s. If you were to sit on the steps of the Louisiana Supreme Court across the street, you’d see a steady stream of tourists and locals making their way through the doors of this storied spot. Owned and operated by the “first family” of New Orleans restaurateurs, the Brennans, since its inception in 1946, it is a sprawling example of Southern hospitality and charm. Each dining room has its own appeal, and there’s a regular Champagne sabering in the spacious courtyard. All first-time diners must start with a bowl of seafood gumbo and save room for a flaming dessert of bananas Foster; the dish was created here after all. Following a temporary closure and full restoration, Brennan’s returned to serving breakfast, lunch, happy hour, and dinner in 2014. It remains a classic place for special occasions, even when all you’re celebrating is another day done.

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Trowbridge’s

HERMANOS PHOTO

Florence, Alabama

At Alabama’s oldest ice-cream shop, consistency has always been key. Step inside today, and it’ll feel just like what Paul Trowbridge envisioned when he first opened for business in 1918. Back then, Trowbridge, a dairy farmer from Texas, passed through the small Alabama town and became so enamored that, by the time he got home, he’d decided to turn right back around. Today, the shop is still owned by the same family, and though ice-cream production was turned over to Nashville’s Purity Dairy, all the flavors and familiar sights remain: vintage Coca-Cola signs, checkered mint green floor tiles, and lots of ice cream and nostalgic Southern snacks. Generations have found joy in a freshly scooped cone or cup of their favorite variety.

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Jack Fry’s

Jack Fry’s in Louisville, Kentucky. IMAGE COURTESY OF JACK FRY’S

Louisville, Kentucky

Dive into the story of Jack Fry’s, and it becomes clear that the tale meanders a bit. Founded in 1933 by Flossie and Jack Fry, it was originally a place where sportsmen congregated. Jack was a colorful character who loved living it up: gambling, boxing, and horse racing—not to mention bootlegging and bookmaking. After he closed the restaurant in 1972, it changed hands three times and eventually evolved into one of the state’s best fine-dining destinations. Today, beef fillet and pan-seared diver scallops are on the menu, reservations are recommended, and live jazz is a common occurrence. But Jack’s legend lives on in vintage photos around the low-lit, intimate space. Executive chef Duncan Williams offers a long list of expertly prepared classics like braised short ribs, garlic-butter broiled escargots, and an exceptional Caesar salad that benefits from the addition of hazelnut gremolata, shaved celery, and crispy capers. But if you order only one thing, make sure it’s the breaded-and-seasoned Spicy Fried Oysters appetizer that’s served with Weisenberger Mill grits and country ham beurre blanc.

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Bacchanalia

COURTESY OF STAR PROVISIONS

Atlanta, Georgia

Evolution is a constant at Bacchanalia. The famed restaurant comes from chefs and owners Anne Quatrano and Clifford Harrison, who have been pioneers not only for their often-lauded cuisine but also for their oracle-like foresight in finding it a home. (The restaurant is now in its third locale.) Quatrano’s kitchen has also served as a proving ground for other Atlanta chefs like Ryan Smith and Steven Satterfield, deeply affecting the area’s food scene for years to come. At Bacchanalia, the menu focuses on organic ingredients within a contemporary, four-course tasting menu. With produce often coming directly from Summerland, Quatrano and Harrison’s own farm, each dish is light but impressive. It doesn’t hurt that Harrison’s wine selections always hit the mark. After years of excellence, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2023.

Arthur Bryant’s

HECTOR MANUEL SANCHEZ

Kansas City, Missouri

If you’re jonesing to watch a fight, ask a Southerner where to get the best barbecue and hope that someone opinionated overhears their answer. But when you say that Arthur Bryant’s is among the best in the country, you’ll be hard-pressed to find someone inclined to disagree. It all began when Arthur Bryant visited a restaurant belonging to his brother, Charlie, and never left. After Charlie’s retirement in 1946, Bryant stepped in to take the reins. For decades since, the staff has served everyone from Kansas City locals to presidents and celebrities. Although Bryant died in 1982, his memory lives on in the place where he became known for slow-smoked meats and slathering each serving of brisket, ribs, and ham with sauce using a 4-inch paintbrush. This is a spot steeped in equal parts tradition and house-made barbecue sauce. 

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Cattlemen’s Steakhouse

COURTESY CATTLEMEN’S STEAKHOUSE

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Cattlemen’s Steakhouse is steeped in history. The restaurant opened in 1910, creating a Stockyards City way station for cowboys and ranchers looking to sample some of the beef they were herding, managing, and processing. It survived the Great Depression and Prohibition, staying open late and serving its own home brew. But in 1945, things got even more interesting when then owner Hank Frey gambled away the place in a dice game with local rancher Gene Wade. Frey’s loss was his gain, and Cattlemen’s grew its footprint under Wade’s management. All these years later, Cattlemen’s menu remains as good as its lore. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the restaurant focuses on quality cuts of beef, which are aged, hand cut, and cooked over charcoal. House-made rolls, oversize croutons, and signature salad dressing pair perfectly.

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Schultz’s Crab House

SOUTHERN LIVING

Essex, Maryland

If nostalgia is what you’re after, it’s embedded in every menu item at Schultz’s Crab House. The restaurant got its start in 1950 when Mildred and William Schultz opened Schultz’s Cafe in the space that today is the dining room. Eventually they expanded into the whole building. In 1969, they sold the business to Karen and Bob McKinney in 1969, who kept the original owners’ name to avoid losing longtime customers. The McKinney children still run things today, and inside you’ll find all the cozy markings of a well-loved neighborhood place: wood paneling, white paper covering each table, and old-school wall art (like stuffed fish and vintage photos of nautical scenes). There are no reservations and no delivery, so if you want a plateful of steamed crabs—available year-round—you’ll just have to show up and get cracking. Not in the mood to get your hands dirty? You can enjoy the same succulent meat in Chesapeake-style jumbo lump crab cakes, Maryland crab soup, crab dip, and a battered and deep-fried version of a crab cake known as crab fluff.

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Harry’s Savoy Grill

HARRY’S SAVOY GRILL

Wilmington, Delaware

The success of Harry’s Savoy Grill in north Wilmington has long been attributed to Xavier Teixido, who didn’t actually own the steak house until 1993. By then, the veteran restaurant manager and stickler for great service had already been working at Harry’s since it opened about five years earlier. But that doesn’t mean the place hasn’t changed since then. For decades, Teixido has ensured that the neighborhood spot keeps up with the times, from the hazy days of big steaks and clouds of cigar smoke to a magician’s act delivered over brunch. Today, the menu at Harry’s is still dependable for its steaks—a prime rib station remains a focus—and its beloved Clams Casino, but it has grown to also feature more fresh-caught seafood and seasonal produce. What hasn’t changed? Teixido’s big reputation for hospitality.

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Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House

JIM’S STEAK & SPAGHETTI

Huntington, West Virginia

Jim’s Steak and Spaghetti House started with a suggestion from Jim Tweel’s wife, Sally Rahall. The establishment’s official history says that after the couple got engaged, Rahall put her foot down and told him he’d need to find a job. It’s fair to say that Tweel found quite a bit more than that. In 1938, he bought a dairy store, and he and Rahall were soon slinging burgers and milkshakes. Sometime later, Tweel was convinced to open a spaghetti restaurant next door, and by 1948, the two spaces were combined. Visitors today will find many of the same details—like bright green booths and servers wearing crisp white—that guests have been enjoying for decades. What also hasn’t changed? How easy it is to get your hands on a mound of pasta topped with delicious deep red sauce and a slice of expertly made pie.

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Riverside Lunch

RIVERSIDE LUNCH/FACEBOOK

Charlottesville, Virginia

Peruse Riverside Lunch’s offerings, and you’ll find 11 different ways to get your hands on a burger (12, if you count the veggie version). What makes this exceptional? It’s the fact that every single one will leave you satisfied, just like the rest of the options, including snack bar classics like fried pickles, onion rings, and cheese sticks. In a world where restaurants often get attention for their swanky decor, tasting menus, and Instagrammable plates, there’s something deeply comforting about the consistency and dependability of this establishment, which has been in business since 1935. Riverside’s chefs have used the same flat-top grill for years, even after it survived a fire over two decades ago. Whether you’re a regular or a first-timer, this place feels instantly nostalgic.

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Source : Southern Living