Savannah's Most Iconic Restaurant Is Only Open For Three Hours But It Draws Celebrities And Lines Out The Door

Here's the scene: You're in Savannah, Georgia, and you have a craving for some delicious Southern comfort food. You look up a top-rated place online and find a spot that's within walking distance — best of all, it's a buffet, so you can eat as much as you like! You head over to this fabulous restaurant only to see a line of people all the way down the street. Worst of all, when you check the business hours, you see that it's only open Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so you have to get in line now. Such is the case with Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room.

If you have never heard of this restaurant, you'll be surprised to see so many people waiting in line, even hours before it opens. In fact, if you want to minimize your wait, you should show up at least an hour early to snag a spot. You probably won't be first in line, but you might make the first seating, which is just as good. Better yet, if you're traveling with others, one person can wait in line while you and the rest of your party enjoy Georgia's oldest city, a walkable gem of picturesque streets. Mrs. Wilkes is in the heart of Savannah, so you can see plenty of squares and historical sites as you work up an appetite. Believe us, you'll need it.

So, after waiting over an hour to get in, what is Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room like? Well, it's much smaller than you might expect, as there are only two dining rooms. The restaurant serves everything family-style, so you'll share sides and mains with strangers at your table (each table serves about 10 or 12). Everything will already be served when you sit down, so you can dig in immediately. On average, you can expect about 25 unique dishes on the table, and servers will replace anything that runs out during the meal. You don't have to order anything; it's all prepared and placed on the table. The only thing you have to ask for is a cup of sweet tea if you don't want water with your meal.

Although the specific menu items can change daily (there is no menu, in fact), you can expect dishes like fried chicken, pulled pork, beef stew, and meatloaf as your mains. For the sides, you might get mashed potatoes, potatoes au gratin, sweet potatoes, creamed corn, cornbread, mac and cheese, biscuits, okra, rice, boiled cabbage, and much more. Even if you just get a sampling of each item, you'll be stuffed by the time you try them all.

Once you're finished eating, you must take your dishes to the kitchen and hand them off to the cleaning staff. As you walk through the restaurant, you'll notice photos of various celebrities who have dined here, such as Barack Obama, Dennis Quaid, Charlize Theron, and many more. Finally, when paying your bill, you must have cash on hand. At the time of this writing, the whole meal costs $35 for patrons ages 13 or older. For those 12 and younger, the price is just $17.50.

Although Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room is the star of the show, the building has actually been a boarding house since the beginning. Mrs. Wilkes took over the house in 1943 and started serving delicious food and renting rooms. You can still stay on site today, which comes in handy so you don't have to travel far to get in line (or worry about parking). There's only one bedroom available, so if you're traveling with others, you'll have to share a bed or find other local accommodations.

Depending on where you're coming from, you can either fly into the busiest airport in the world and drive about four hours, or you can fly into Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in the city so you're closer to the action. In addition to the Wilkes House for lodging, there are many other historic hotels in the area, including the Eliza Thompson House, the House on Taylor, and the DeSoto Hotel, which are all within walking distance of the restaurant.

After filling your belly with some of the best food in Georgia, you can walk around and explore the rest of the city. The world-famous Forsyth Park is just a few blocks south, or you can head north and walk around the River Street area. You can also find a piece of Paris in Georgia at the Paris Market, which is full of French-style antiques, trinkets, and souvenirs.