Eating Cheap and Well in Savannah, GA

Savannah, the state of Georgia’s oldest city, is recognized for its history, stunning architecture, tree-lined streets, and vibrant dining scene.

Savannah is a foodie’s dream destination, brimming with culinary opportunities that will thrill both the discriminating palate and the diner eager to savor “down South” cooking. And better yet, though some restaurants can break the bank, we’re here to tell you that there’s no need to take out a second mortgage to enjoy good food during your trip to Savannah. As frequent visitors (we live less than an hour away) the city has plenty of restaurants that serve superb food at reasonable prices.

So when you want to stop and eat in Savannah without spending an outrageous amount of money, choose from any of the places on our list to get your money’s worth without having to resort to the dollar menu at a fast food joint.

Yes, Savannah has many fantastic restaurants that are inexpensive so you won’t have to open your wallet too far to enjoy a delicious meal.

Savannah Seafood Shack

A fast, casual restaurant where the taste factor outweighs more expensive places.

The Low Country Boil reigns supreme at the Savannah Seafood Shack. This classic is filled with shrimp, local sausage, corn, and potatoes. The game changer that separates this dish from those served in other restaurants is that each item is boiled separately (each has a different doneness time) and then combined with a distinctive seasoning to create delectable perfection. Roll up your sleeves and get ready for flavors and ingredients that will pop your palate, no additional seasoning needed. Just think, all this goodness for $15.95.

Try a shack cone for a unique economical bite. A homemade waffle cone is filled with creamy coleslaw and topped with your choice of protein: fried shrimp, fried fish, fried calamari, or chicken tenders. All for under $10.

Three soft tacos with fried shrimp, fried fish, or tenders with Shack Sauce will only run you $10.95.

There’s a kid’s menu: fried shrimp or fish, chicken tenders, fries and a drink for under $8.

Savannah Seafood Shack
116 East Broughton Street
(912) 344-4393
https://savannahseafoodshack.com/

Betty Bombers

All the locals know that when you want to eat on a budget in downtown Savannah, Betty Bombers is the place to be. This is a delicious diner inside American Legion Post 135 (one of a very few number of American Legion Posts that are open to the public).

From the ambiance of old school war paraphernalia to a menu stocked with classic diner favorites, Betty Bombers is a trip back in time complete with an old-style root beer float served in a big frosty glass with homemade ice cream.

Order a burger, some chili, a Salisbury or hot pastrami sandwich (pulled pork and BBQ chicken are also great), some fries or onion rings, and make sure to leave room for dessert. For less than $20 per person, anyone can find a full plate’s worth of food at Betty Bombers. And don’t forget, the American Legion offers all kinds of cheap drinks.

Betty Bombers
1108 Bull Street
(912) 272-9326
https://bettybombers.com/

The Sentient Bean

This hip coffee house which is adjacent to Forsyth Park serves vegetarian and vegan fare seven days a week, and breakfast all day long, 7am-7pm.

Coffee aficionados will appreciate the Bean’s great selection of coffee, which usually includes freshly brewed, single origin roasts from Africa and South America (our favorites).

Breakfast options are all under $10 and include tacos (black beans, eggs, spinach, cheddar, 3 corn tortillas), a vegan burrito (tofu scramble, vegan homemade “sausage”, black beans, spinach, vegan spicy mayo), and much more.

Props to a place that keeps its prices low despite using organic ingredients in its vegetarian and vegan fare. The coffee is top notch and reasonably priced.

The Sentient Bean
13 East Park Avenue
(912) 232-4447
https://www.sentientbean.com/

Sly’s Sliders and Fries

Sly’s Sliders and Fries is one of the best places to go in Savannah ro grab a meal that is inexpensive but delicious and uses quality ingredients.

Award winning sliders and hand cut fries are only the start of Sly’s menu, they even have high-end slider dogs covered in toppings you might not have thought of before like the “Mustard Tiger” (dijon tiger sauce, fried egg, american cheese) for $4.02.

Their staple slider sandwiches range from a reuben style, to a pulled pork slider, to a caribbean jerk chicken. They even have vegetarian and vegan options.

Savannah locals have embraced Sly’s take on cheap deals of small portion plates with creative ingredients.

So if you want to eat extremely well on the cheap, this is a must-stop.

Sly’s Sliders and Fries
1710 Abercorn Street
(912) 239-4219
https://slysslidersandfries.com/

Ole Times Country Buffet & Bar-B-Que

Southern food is known for being filling, comforting, and easy to eat. At Ole Times you can get your fill of pot roast, cooked-to-order steak, mashed potatoes, and a huge variety of desserts. They also offer a breakfast buffet that includes made-to-order omelets. From seafood to BBQ, this buffet has it all and is a great budget stop when visiting Savannah.

Ole Times Country Buffet & Bar-B-Que
209 Stephenson Avenue
(912) 356-1630
https://www.oletimescountrybuffets.com

Sweet Potatoes Kitchen

While Sweet Potatoes might not look like much from the outside, its vividly painted interior screams Southern comfort at its homiest. And the food follows suit. From freshwater catfish to peach glazed BBQ chicken to meatloaf…there’s something to please every Southern food-loving palate.

Picking an entree might be easy, but choosing the accompanying two sides may prove more challenging. The long list of sides includes, but is not limited to: garlic mashed potatoes, black-eyed peas, dill lima beans, lemon collard greens, hot and sweet garlic pickles, cheese grits, okra and tomatoes, and corn pudding. You can also have a very inexpensive vegetable plate with four sides.
Leave some room for dessert; Man vs Food named Sweet Potatoes, home of “the best banana pudding on earth.”

Dining at Sweet Potatoes Kitchen means dining on gourmet fare at reasonable prices.

Sweet Potatoes Kitchen
531 Stephenson Avenue
(912) 352-3434
https://www.sweetpotatoeskitchens.com

Vinnie Van’s GoGo’s

Long considered one of Savannah’s best pizza restaurants, Vinnie Van’s GoGo’s in City Market is a popular destination among both locals and visitors. The restaurant’s thin and hearty crust Neapolitan style pizzas can be ordered whole or by the slice. Fair warning: slices are too big to eat with one hand and are a meal unto themselves.

Vinnie’s also offers spinach salad and calzones for those who want something different, along with a great selection of beer.

Long time residents will remember the days the restaurant was cash only. One thing that hasn’t changed is the delivery service. If you’re staying anywhere in the historic district you can place an order and know it will be delivered in a timely fashion by way of bicycle delivery. Don’t worry, your pie will arrive intact as the drivers are longtime employees that are well-versed in pizza bicycle delivery.

Vinnie Van GoGo’s is a real crowd pleaser and a great option for the budget conscious.

Vinnie Van’s GoGo’s
317 West Bryan Street (in City Market)
(912) 233-6394
https://www.vinnievangogo.com/

Clary’s Cafe

Clary’s Cafe is a popular eatery due to delicious food, inexpensive prices, and a prime location.

The building was formerly a drugstore and there are still remnants of that time making it a unique place to visit. The cafe was also featured in the book and movie Midnight in the Garden Of Good and Evil, which draws fans of the story. However, the rationale for most locals is the quality of the reasonably priced food and the friendly service provided by the staff.

Breakfast is available all day (they close at 2pm) and thus you have time to avail yourself of the compelling corned beef hash, a dish that is common everywhere but all too often mediocre. Clary’s is some of the best: crisp edged and moist inside, packing intense briny beef flavor with a peppery taste.

An extensive breakfast menu features honey pecan waffles, stuffed French toast, Salmon cakes Benedict, buttermilk biscuits, and caramel sticky buns big enough to split among two, three, or four (depending on how much room you have).

Breakfast is what draws the crowds but customers also pack this vintage place for lunch: sandwiches, salads, soups, and burgers.

Clary’s Cafe
404 Abercorn Street
(912) 233-2402
https://claryscafe.com/

Narobia’s Grits and Gravy

Do you like grits? They do it right at Narobia’s Grits and Gravy. Dense, creamy grits, smothered with shrimp in a peppery gravy that is bright with vegetable flavor (and happens to be pork-free as is everything at Narobia’s). It’s a wonderful breakfast.

Whatever else you eat, you must try the French toast. According to a sign at the side of the restaurant, it’s so good it doesn’t need syrup! “That’s a fact”

Popular with both eat-in and take-out customers, Narobia’s is a bustling neighborhood place with a small, open kitchen.

Other highlights include biscuits and gravy (crunchy on the outside, moist inside), fried whiting, salmon croquettes, and a seafood omelet with hash browns.

Narobia’s is worth its weight in gold without breaking the piggy bank.

Narobia’s Grits and Gravy
2019 Habersham Street
(912) 231-0563
https://narobiasgrits.restaurantwebexpert.com/

Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room

When Mrs. Wilkes started serving meals in this dining room in 1943 there were many similar places in cities throughout the region. They were places where boarders as well as frugal local citizens gathered to enjoy the special pleasure of a meal shared with both neighbors and strangers.

Now, the take-some-and-pass-the-bowl style of the old boarding house is a rarity. Mrs. Wilkes passed away in 2003, but her establishment remains a prized opportunity to indulge in delicious food and cordial foodways.

Tabletops are crowded with platters of fried chicken, sausage, beef stew, meatloaf, cornbread dressing, sweet potato souffles, black-eyed peas, okra gumbo, corn muffins, and biscuits. As at any Southern feast, there are oodles of casseroles: great, gooey, buttery bowls of squash and gratin, scalloped eggplant, cheese grits, corn pudding, candied yams with melted marshmallows, and the lowcountry legend Savannah red rice.

Mrs. Wilkes stopped taking boarders in 1965, but her tables still demand the vigorous exercise of boarding house reach, all at amazingly low prices.

Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room
107 West James Street
(912) 232-5997
https://mrswilkes.com

Sisters of the New South

There are now four Sisters of the New South, and they’ll probably be more. It’s a winning formula, but dining at the original location on Skidaway Road is anything but formulaic. With its painted signs and folksy mural on the wall, along with a hand-inscribed billboard menu of soul food classics, Sister’s has a heart warming feel of an original and genuine people’s eatery.

Smothered shrimp spilled out across a field of cheese grits, accompanied by eggs and a biscuit is a match made in culinary heaven. All the usual pig meats are available as well as corned beef hash, pancakes and salmon patties. 

Be forewarned, the mouth-watering fried chicken is not ready until mid-morning. Other meals served later in the day include oxtails, pork chops, liver, fried oysters, BBQ ribs, and vegetable plates.

Yes there is dessert: banana pudding, peach cobbler, and a triple layer red, white, chocolate velvet cake.

Everything served is delectable, scrumptious, and wallet-friendly.

Sisters of the New South
2605 Skidaway Street
(912) 335-2761
https://www.sisters4me.com

Sweet Spice Restaurant

Finding tasty and filling Caribbean food in Savannah is as simple as driving to Waters Avenue to Sweet Spice. The menu has all the classics (oxtails, curry chicken, jerk chicken, curry shrimp, escovitch, ackee, and saltfish) at prices ($15 and under) that can’t be beat. Try the curry goat, you will thank us.

Sweet Spice Restaurant
5515 Waters Avenue
(912) 335-8146
http://www.sweetspicesavannah.net/

Debi’s Restaurant

This charming spot knows how to pack a plate for very little dollars. Normally an outing on Bay Street that includes a meal is not within the realm of possibility for those on an inexpensive budget, but Debi’s changes all that.

Located inside the East Bay Inn, Debi’s is a small cozy spot serving breakfast and lunch.

Serious comfort food at great prices, offerings include: omelets, burgers, shrimp & grits, chicken & waffles, BLT, crab sandwich, and meatloaf.

This is quality, old-fashioned cooking and not to be missed when working with a budget.

Debi’s Restaurant
225 East Bay Street
(912) 438-6762
https://debisrestaurant.com

Final Thoughts

Thankfully, affordable dining isn’t that hard to come by in Savannah, Georgia….make that affordable good dining. Life is too short to eat bad food while visiting Savannah. Dine at any of these trusted spots on our list and you’re guaranteed an exceptional meal that won’t break the bank. Eat hearty and eat well!