Today I’m sharing a few of the best seafood restaurants in Savannah.
Being so close to the ocean, you’d expect to find some pretty incredible seafood here in the city, right?
Fortunately, you won’t have to look too hard to find some good spots.
Note: This guide contains affiliate links to my trusted travel partners.
If you’re new around here, first of all… welcome!
My name is Erin, and I authored the Savannah First-Timer’s Guide.
It combines my top Savannah travel tips from this website into one handy ebook.
You might also like:
🍔 A Local’s Guide to the Best Restaurants in Savannah
🍳 Where to Find the Best Breakfast in Savannah’s Historic District
🍖 3 Spots to Add to Your Savannah BBQ Bucket List
Table of Contents (Skip to Any Section)
Seafood in the Historic District
Let’s start with the options located in Savannah’s Historic District.
These restaurants are ideal if you’re staying downtown and don’t have a car.
I’ve made sure to note which restaurants need reservations far in advance.
NOTE: I support small, locally owned businesses on this website, not national chains.
Chive Sea Bar & Lounge
Location: Historic District
Address: 4 W Broughton St, SAV, GA 31401
Most Known For: Mussels | Chilean Sea Bass
Open: Daily for lunch and dinner
Reservations: First come, first served
Website: Chive Seafood
The friendly staff, fantastic bartenders, and decadent menu options (Lobster on the Ritz anyone??) make Chive a solid choice.
The restaurant’s convenient location on Broughton Street is a perk for tourists — especially if you’re making your way around Savannah on foot.
I’d say the vibe inside the restaurant leans towards romantic — especially at night. The lighting is low and the seating feels intimate.
They also offer outdoor seating options, just make note that the tables are on a busy sidewalk with plenty of hustle and bustle and street traffic in the area.
The food is presented beautifully and the service is usually top-notch, too.
Try the mussels!
The Grey
Location: Historic District
Address: 109 MLK Jr. Blvd., SAV, GA 31401
Most Known For: Tuna Crudo | Steak Tartare
Open: Tues – Sun
Reservations: Make reservations well in advance!
Website: The Grey
If you consider yourself a foodie and are on the hunt for award-winning cuisine in an upscale atmosphere, then The Grey is the spot for you.
Executive Chef, Mashama Bailey, is from NYC but spent much of her early childhood right here in Savannah, Georgia.
Her parents were even married at the Chatham County Courthouse, which is located on the block directly across the street from the restaurant!
The Grey is located inside an Art Deco-style former Greyhound bus station.
It operated during the Jim Crow era in Savannah, which means — like in many Southern establishments — the bathrooms and waiting areas were once segregated. You can still see signage indicating the rules.
The place has come a long way since then.
The restoration of the building is impeccable, and it’s fun to spot all of the vintage design details.
Make note that it gets a little noisy inside, so the vibe is more “place to be seen” vs. “intimate dinner spot.”
The Grey was Eater’s Restaurant of the Year in 2017, one of TIME’s World Greatest Places in 2018, and then in 2019 Chef Bailey brought home the coveted James Beard Foundation’s Best Chef: Southeast award. She won top honors as Outstanding Chef in 2022.
It’s definitely a solid spot for delicious seafood in Savannah!
Outskirts of Savannah
Now let’s move on to the outskirts of Savannah…
This set of options stretch from the southern section of downtown out towards the islands. You’ll need a car or will have to arrange for Uber or Lyft to visit them.
Erica Davis Lowcountry
Location: Thunderbolt
Address: 3209 E. Victory Dr, SAV, GA 31404
Most Known For: Wassaw Redfish
Open: Wed – Sun
Reservations: First come, first served
Website: Erica Davis Lowcountry
It’s worth it to make the short trek out to Thunderbolt to give this spot a try!
The Davis family has owned a popular catering business in the area for 15+ years.
As Dwight (the husband half of the team) tells me, most of their dishes are family recipes that have been passed down through the years and customized over time.
This is one of those places that just exudes Southern hospitality. I’d classify it as upscale casual and a very family-friendly spot.
As a bonus, it’s very close to Bonaventure Cemetery and you’ll pass it on the way to Tybee Island, so it’s nice to pair it with a visit to one of those locations.
⭐ Insider Tip: Ask to take a peek at their Charlie Teeple book while you’re there to see what the building used to look like.
The Wyld
Location: Southeast Savannah
Address: 2740 Livingston Avenue, SAV, GA 31406
Open: Tues – Sun
Most Known For: Fish Tacos
Reservations: First come, first served
Website: The Wyld
With delicious food, a casual atmosphere, and gorgeous sunset views over the marsh, you can’t go wrong at The Wyld.
In fact, this is one of my favorite spots to eat during the summertime months. I just can’t get enough of the gorgeous sunset views overlooking the water!
There’s even a dock for those of you arriving by boat.
The Wyld is a popular spot for families, since they have plenty of room in their outdoor game area for kids to run around.
It’s a nice place for a casual date night, as well. Oh, and did I mention it’s also a very dog-friendly restaurant? So many perks.
The restaurant offers plenty of outdoor seating.
Tables include umbrellas and misters in the summertime and the occasional heater or two during the winter months.
This is a great spot if you want a relaxing, casual dinner where you can watch the boats come and go.
Insider Tip: If you feel like you’re lost on the way there, that means you’re on the right track. You’ll have to take a traffic circle, cut through a neighborhood, and then head towards the sign at the back of a dead-end road to find it.
Driftaway Café
Location: Near Isle of Hope
Address: 7400 Skidaway Rd #E, SAV, GA 31406
Most Known For: Firecracker Shrimp
Open: Daily
Reservations: First come, first served
Website: Driftaway Café
This is another casual spot on the outskirts of the city that’s very popular with locals.
If you’re visiting Wormsloe Historic Site or Bluff Drive on Isle of Hope then this is the perfect place to stop for a meal.
Driftaway Café is a classic seafood restaurant, with good service, great food, and fun drinks.
Their outdoor seating area in the back makes you feel like you’re tucked away in a private garden!
(Although — if the mosquitoes find you as tasty as they do me — you might want to bring some bug spray when you sit back there.)
If you visit for brunch, you can try the Crab Cake Benedict or “The Wayne” — their catch of the day with two scallops served on cheese grits.
Book a Savannah Seafood Tour
If you’re interested in sampling from a variety of restaurants while you’re in Savannah, a food tour is a great way to do just that!
The thing I love most about food tours is that you can eat, walk around to burn off some calories, and then head to the next spot to eat some more!
This is the top tour I recommend for seafood lovers.
On it, you’ll get to sample Lowcountry favorites like she crab soup, baked oysters, and shrimp and grits.
Where to Find Wild Georgia Shrimp
If you’ve never tasted Wild Georgia Shrimp before, let me tell you — it’s a real treat! The shrimp are so much more flavorful than foreign, pond-raised shrimp.
When is Wild Georgia Shrimp in Season?
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources regulates the shrimping season along the Georgia coast, and they typically allow it from June through December.
Shrimp harvesting in federally-regulated waters further off the coast is allowed year-round.
Where to Buy Fresh Local Shrimp on the Georgia Coast
In Savannah, Russo’s (in the Starland District) is one of the closest spots to downtown where you can find Wild Georgia Shrimp.
Here are some additional locations:
Dubberly’s Seafood
214 Vernonburg Road
Savannah, GA
Nelson’s Quality Shrimp Company
3516 Old Tybee Road
Thunderbolt, GA
Anchored Shrimp Co
107 Speedy Tostensen Blvd.
Brunswick, GA
Seaside Seafood
Colonels Island
Midway, GA
Sapelo Shrimp Company
1319 Sapelo Ave NE
Townsend, GA
Shrimp Shack
16960 US HWY 17
Townsend, GA
Related Reading: Why Choose Wild Georgia Shrimp?
More Opinions on Local Seafood
Now…I realize these “best of” types of posts are always subjective, so I encourage you to check around and not just go off my opinion.
While I’m a Southern girl who enjoys seafood, I don’t classify myself as a true a “foodie.” Generally, if I don’t have to cook it, I’m happy.
The website Eat It and Like It is a good place to start.
Owner Jesse Blanco stays on top of all the latest restaurant happenings here in Savannah and throughout the Coastal Empire and South Carolina Lowcountry.
However, if you’re enjoying my tips and want to stick around, here are a couple other food-related posts I’ve written…
- Haunted Restaurants in Savannah: Which Ones are Spookiest?
- Which Famous Savannah Restaurants are Worth the Trip?
(You might want to read that last one if you’re considering a trip to Paula Deen’s restaurant.)
Savannah Travel Guide
If you’re planning a trip to Savannah and are feeling overwhelmed with all there is to see and do, I’ve created a few resources to help you out…
- If you don’t know much about Savannah and want to familiarize yourself with the city, start with my Savannah Georgia Vacation Guide. It provides a brief overview that includes all the high points.
- My Savannah First-Timer’s Guide has everything you need to start planning your trip! It’s an ebook that includes helpful maps, photos, checklists, and insider tips.
Do you have any questions for me about the best seafood in Savannah? If so, let me know below!
Erin authored the Savannah First-Timer's Guide and loves helping first-time visitors plan their trips. She lives in the artsy Starland District and enjoys exploring Savannah's hidden gems, as well as the surrounding Lowcountry.
Hi Erin, years ago, while on business, the Bishop there took us out of town (I think on 17,) to a very contemporary, large restaurant ( mostly wood). A distinguishing feature of it was the road ran between the parking lot and the restaurant and a marsh was on the other side of the restaurant. Can you provide us with its name? I would love to go there again!! We’ll b the in early May. Thanks for any info you can provide.
Hi Christine. That sounds a lot like Pearl’s Saltwater Grille, but it caught fire a year or two ago and is no longer in business. Try doing a search for it to see if that’s where you went. It’s the only seafood restaurant I can think of that sat along the marsh and you had to cross the street from the parking lot.
Hi Erin,
Your blog has been fabulous, your information so very helpful.
Thank you!
Jan H
Hello! Can you recommend a couple other dog friendly places that have misters on during the summer? Thank you!
The Wyld is a great spot for dogs! They have misters, plus the breeze blowing in from the water. Here’s an entire list of dog-friendly spots that might help: https://savannahfirsttimer.com/dog-friendly-restaurants-savannah/
First night here ate at Paula Deens and was disappointed. Found your blog and tried Chive, Erica Davis, and Collins Quarter so far- all AMAZING recommendations. Thank you!
Yes — Paula Deens is no good. I’m glad you went to some yummier spots! 🙂
I live fairly local…Vidalia, GA and as such have traveled to Savannah countless times over my 42 yrs as a GA resident. I have read many so called “expert” guides on where visitors need to dine. Most of these guides make me cringe when I see their suggestions.
Your recommendations however I consider spot on. Erica’s is awesome as is Driftaway. Have never tried The Gray however have reservations Friday for what I hope will be a marvelous experience. Also have never tried Chive but lunch on Saturday is in the plan. As I am basically a redneck with a foodie appetite I also enjoy The Wyld as it is unpretentious and just so casual. The wife’s birthday is Saturday so we are also hitting Olde Pink House as neither one of us has been there either.
Having been to Savannah so many times I find myself going to the same old spots..Crystal Beer, Huey’s, Clary’s, etc. This weekend is about exploring and getting out of that rut.
As a final comment, thank you for such primo suggestions for those new to the area. By the way have you tried Cohen’s Retreat….we hit it a couple of days age and really enjoyed. Thanks again.
I hope The Grey and Chive were both good. I haven’t been to either within the past couple months, so I should probably go back and make sure they’re still hitting the spot! 🙂 Next time you’re in the area, try Desposito’s. I just had the freshest shrimp there that I’ve tasted recently! I took pics but haven’t updated the post to include them on the list yet. They have a Lobster Mac n’ Cheese that I only recommend if you’re not dieting — I think it’s loaded with calories. Erica Davis Lowcountry and Desposito’s are my two go-to spots these days.
driftaways was great today, thanks. spoke with staff and they said shrimp and crab are local but most other seafood is not. superb firecracker shrimp and crab cakes. Trying Erica’s tomorrow.
Their firecracker shrimp dish is spectacular!