Eats in Small Southern Towns: Charleston + Savannah

Eats in Small Southern Towns: Charleston + Savannah 📝 Spent Christmas break in warm Charleston and Savannah to escape the cold～ These small towns don’t have many food options, but the Southern specialties are pretty impressive 👌 Especially fell for Hushpuppy—planning to try making it at home 😉 Charleston Old Li 🌟🌟✨ One of the few restaurants open on Christmas. The home-style tofu and complimentary side dishes were a nice surprise～ The tofu was fried to perfection—crispy outside, tender inside, and full of flavor. The fish-flavored shredded pork was on the sweet side, not authentic but not bad. However, the sour soup with fatty beef was a big miss 💣—the beef was fishy and tough. Not recommended unless you have no other choices. Hyman 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 A must-try century-old restaurant for travelers! Had my "life-changing Hushpuppy" here 🐶 The freshly fried corn fritters had a crispy crust, perfect sweetness, and were addictive even after several bites～ Tried fried green tomatoes for the first time—meatier than regular tomatoes, with a texture similar to zucchini? Played it safe with the classic fried seafood platter, and the fried oysters 🦪 were the standout! Rodney 🌟🌟🌟✨ A fast-casual American BBQ spot—their Hushpuppy was good too～ The BBQ meat was lightly seasoned but packed with meaty flavor, delicious with sauce 😋. 82 Queen 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Lovely ambiance—you can eat brunch in the garden 🌿 Most dishes were tasty, but the crab soup had a weird -like drizzle on top, which was a minor letdown 💣. Red Crab Juicy Seafood 🌟🌟🌟✨ A "crab shack" style spot with rich, flavorful sauce that soaks into the seafood 🦀 Eating with your hands was so satisfying! Savannah E-Tang 🌟🌟✨ Another "just okay" Chinese restaurant +1 ❌ The braised beef tendon lacked flavor, and the grilled fish (seemed like tilapia?) was over-fried—tough skin and under-seasoned. Flock to the Wok 🌟🌟✨ Yet another "just okay" Chinese restaurant +1 ❌ A typical Americanized Chinese spot where wontons, potstickers, shrimp dumplings, and xiaolongbao are all called "dumplings." No photos on the menu—you won’t know what you ordered until it arrives 😂. Collins Quarter 🌟🌟🌟🌟 A popular brunch spot—we went to the Forsyth location, easier to park than downtown～ Their French toast is the least sweet I’ve had in the US 🍞 Finally, no sugar overload! The chicken and waffles were good too, though the sauce had an odd spice flavor I couldn’t get used to. The bagel isn’t as good as New York’s—skip it. Drink lovers, try their cocktails 🍹—strong kick, easy to get tipsy! Chocolat by Adam Turoni 🌟🌟🌟✨ A Xiaohongshu favorite—10/10 for aesthetics 💯 The shop looks like a bookstore, with chocolates displayed on bookshelves. Prices match the vibe—around $3 per chocolate. Taste is good but not mind-blowing—perfect for buying a few for photos 📸. #Charleston#CharlestonFood#Savannah#savannahfood#AHAFoodDiary