Travel The South's Best The Best New Restaurant In Every Southern State 2024 Chinese food, Native American fare, Southern comfort, and more By Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola Lisa Cericola has been on staff at Southern Living since 2015. As Deputy Editor, Lisa manages the food and travel departments and edits those sections of each issue, as well as digital content. Previously, she was the features editor at Food Network Magazine and has more than 15 years of experience writing, editing, and managing photo shoots for print and digital lifestyle brands. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 6, 2024 Trending Videos Close this video player Photo: Salted Melon Market & Eatery Southerners make barbecue, fried chicken, and biscuits better than anywhere else in the world. But anyone who thinks Southern food is limited to those dishes hasn’t been here in awhile. Our ever-changing region is at the forefront of what’s new in the food world, and this list of our readers’ favorite new restaurants is evidence of that. As part of our annual South’s Best Awards survey, we asked for your favorite recently opened spots, and you responded with a list that is as diverse as the South itself. This vibrant collection of cuisines reflects the diversity of our region. We’re talking Chinese food in Louisiana, Native American cuisine in Oklahoma, an African restaurant in Mississippi. Menus emphasizing local ingredients, like Norman’s in Florida, which transforms avocado, plantains, and seafood into an elegant tasting menu, continue to be popular. And several places on the list combine food and retail, taking “locally-made” to a new level. Some restaurants defy categorization, like Little Donna’s, a Maryland spot that offers pierogies, stuffed pork schnitzel, and pizza. And because this is the South, after all, you’ll find fancied-up chicken biscuits, deviled eggs, and shrimp and grits at The House of Marigold in Kentucky. These restaurants (listed alphabetically by state) may be new, but our readers believe that they are destined to become classics, and we think you’ll agree. South's Best Voting Process An online survey was conducted by third-party agency Proof Insights among Southern Living consumers, asking them to rate their favorite places across the South for the South's Best Awards 2024. The survey was fielded from July 12 to August 23, 2023, and had over 20,000 respondents. Alabama: 1856 - Culinary Residence Interior of 1856 restaurant in Auburn. Cooper Carry Auburn, Alabama It might seem odd to go to a college campus for a high end meal, but not if you’re at 1856 - Culinary Residence at Auburn University’s new Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center. The “teaching restaurant” where students work under chefs-in-residence (currently Ford Fry) and a chef de cuisine (Thomas Baco-Wang) to create a sophisticated environment for lunch and dinner, with dishes like tagliolini with scallops, toasted garlic, parsley, and lemon. auburn1856.com, 205 S. College Street, Auburn, AL 36830 Explore Auburn Arkansas: Nosh Nola Nosh NoLa Bentonville, Arkansas Totchos (tater tot nachos), po’boys, and boudin balls paired with local beer—it’s no surprise why Bentonville has fallen in love with Nosh Nola. Originally a roving food trailer, the concept found a permanent home for its New Orleans-inspired menu at Bentonville Brewing Co. in 2023. noshnola.com, 901 SW 14th Street, Bentonville, AR 72712 Explore Bentonville Florida: Norman’s Visit Orlando Orlando, Florida Norman Van Aken is no newcomer to Florida’s dining world. Since the 1990s, he has established that the Sunshine State has a cuisine all its own. After years at the Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes Orlando, his namesake restaurant now has a new home at the Dellagio Town Center. The massive space has an elegant indoor dining room (with a and a lounge-like outdoor terrace, which gives the restaurant two distinct personalities. The menu, which includes many classic Van Aken dishes like My ‘Down Island’ French Toast (foie gras, griddled brioche, passion fruit caramel, and candied lime zest), is still as strong as ever, making a night at Norman’s feel comforting yet surprising. normans.com, 7924 Via Dellagio Way, Orlando, FL 32819 Explore Orlando Georgia: Brochu’s Family Tradition Simon Davies Savannah, Georgia Husband-and-wife team Andrew and Sophie Brochu turned a vacant 1930s-era grocery store into a neighborhood restaurant that feels entirely of the moment. The menu focuses on "fried chicken and fancy seafood”, two things that Savannah locals love. But don’t come expecting the classics. Here, The Whole Chicken Dinner comes with fried thighs, charred breasts, chicken salad, and gravy, plus chamomile spice, sunchoke hot sauce, biscuits, and pickles. Oysters are prepared seven different ways, from raw with baja mignonette, yuzu green peppercorn sauce, or cocktail sauce and lemon to jerk-style, with a Caribbean-spiced jam. brochusfamilytradition.com, 2400 Bull Street Suite 8, Savannah, GA 31401 Explore Savannah Kentucky: House of Marigold Andrew Kung Photography Louisville, Kentucky This stylish restaurant got its start as a catering company. Now it’s one of the most popular tables in Louisville, especially for brunch. House of Marigold is family-run (Kristopher Cole is the chef, and his wife, Adrienne, handles front of house) and fun, with dishes like “build your own” deviled eggs, chicken and Belgian-style waffles with hot honey, and creme brulee cheesecake for dessert. thehouseofmarigold.com, 10310 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40223 Explore Louisville Louisiana: Miss Shirley’s Chinese Restaurant Randy Krause Schmidt New Orleans, Louisiana For decades, Shirley Lee and the Lee family made a name for themselves at the beloved Metairie restaurant Royal China, before retiring in 2021. A change of heart led to the opening of an entirely new restaurant in 2022, to the relief of their many fans. The menu at Miss Shirley’s, which focuses on dim sum and Cantonese dishes, is not as vast as the one at Royal China, but the food and hospitality remain as good as ever. missshirleyschineserestaurant.com, 3009 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70115 Explore New Orleans Maryland: Little Donna’s Little Donna's Baltimore, Maryland Named for his Yugoslavian grandmother, chef Robbie Tutlewski’s restaurant Little Donna’s has a menu that’s just as personal, with dishes like pierogies, stuffed schnitzel, and a Taco Pizza with chorizo, green chile crema, and crushed tortilla chips. But somehow it all makes sense together. Even The New York Times agrees, naming it one of their best restaurants of 2023. littledonnas.com, 1812 Bank Street, Baltimore, MD 21231 Explore Maryland Mississippi: Sambou’s African Kitchen Visit Jackson Jackson, Mississippi Sally Demba, a native of Gambia, opened this restaurant in 2022 with her two children Joseph and Bibian, to share the flavors of Africa with Jackson. Since then, Sambou’s has been a hit, attracting a loyal crowd of diners for dishes like oxtail soup, jollof rice, and doro wot, as well as a James Beard nomination. sambouafricankitchen.com, 625 E. County Line Road Suite 150, Jackson, MS 39211 Explore Jackson North Carolina: Salted Melon Salted Melon Market & Eatery Charlotte, North Carolina Salted Melon is a one-stop-shop for Charlotte food lovers. This market-restaurant-hybrid not only serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and fully-prepped meals to go, it also has a gourmet grocery store filled with products you won’t find at your local supermarket. Menu items lean toward the healthy side, with lots of vegetables and whole grains, like the Healthy Farmer, a quinoa bowl with spinach, a six-minute egg, bruleed goat cheese, red bell peppers, avocado, and pear vinaigrette. saltedmelon.com, 100 W. Worthington Avenue Suite 107, Charlotte, NC 28203 Explore Charlotte Oklahoma: Nātv Courtesy of NATV Restaurant Broken Arrow, Oklahoma True to its name, chef Jacque Siegfried’s restaurant Nātv offers her modern, creative take on Native American cuisine made with ingredients local to Oklahoma. Depending on the season, that might mean tacos with shredded bison and blackberry salsa or sunchoke gnocchi. natvba.com, 1611 S. Main Street, Broken Arrow, OK 74012 Explore Broken Arrow South Carolina: Vern’s Lizzy Rollins Charleston, South Carolina It’s very hard for a restaurant to stand out in Charleston’s crowded food scene. And yet Vern’s, which describes itself as a “neighborhood restaurant,” has done just that. The warmly-lit dining room feels like you’re in a very sophisticated friend’s home, and the dinner menu skews cozy but refined as well, with dishes like charred sourdough bread with allium butter, and grilled pork with king trumpet mushrooms. It’s the kind of place anyone would love to have on their corner. vernschs.com, 41 Bogard Street A, Charleston, SC 29403 Explore Charleston Tennessee: The Pink Hermit Brandon Barre Nashville, Tennessee Few restaurants are as Instagrammable as The Pink Hermit. Located in the storied Hermitage Hotel, the very sleek, very pink all-day cafe is bright and airy in the daytime and has an appealing glow in the evening. But looks aren’t everything—the Italian-inspired menu, created by award-winning chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten offers bright salads, creative takes on bruschetta, and pizza. All of which are very photogenic, of course. thehermitagehotel.com, 231 6th Avenue N., Nashville, TN 37219 Explore Nashville Texas: Veracruz Fonda Veracruz Fonda Austin, Texas In a city that's filled with incredible tacos, it's incredibly hard to stand out. But sisters Reyna and Maritza Vazquez did just that with their award-winning food trucks Veracruz All Natural. Last spring, they expanded their mini empire with a brick-and-mortar restaurant called Veracruz Fonda, named for their hometown of Veracruz, Mexico. Don't miss the Cochinita Pibil (pictured), pork marinated in orange juice and achiote, and served with red onion escabeche, refried black beans, rice, fried sweet plantains, and house made blue corn tortillas. veracruzfonda.com, 1905 Aldrich St #125, Austin, TX 78723 Explore Austin Virginia: Birdie’s Birdie's Richmond, Virginia Like other restaurants on this list, Birdie’s is many things under one roof: an oyster bar, a coffee shop, daytime cafe, wine cellar, and a place to get dinner. It does all of it well, and in an inviting space that makes you want to hang out all day long, whether it’s with a book and a latte or over lobster rolls with friends. As The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported, it’s a bright spot in the city’s Arts District, which is still rebounding after the pandemic. birdiesva.com, 305 W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA 23220 Explore Richmond West Virginia: The Vandalia Co. The Vandalia Co. Charleston, West Virginia Charleston’s rising food scene just keeps getting better, especially with the addition of The Vandalia Co., a family-owned cafe serving soups, sandwiches, and salads to enjoy at the restaurant or take away. But it’s the bakery counter that customers dream about. Savory scones, fruit-filled turnovers, lavishly-frosted cinnamon rolls and seasonal doughnuts are just a few of the very special offerings you’ll find here. thevandaliaco.com, 611 Tennessee Avenue, Charleston, WV 25302 Explore Charleston Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit