Group-Friendly Dining From Soul Food to the Last Supper
Experience a Biblical-style meal as well as modern dishes at these delicious destinations for your group tour.
If you like good things to eat, Georgia offers a veritable groaning board of food experiences. Maybe you'd like to trawl for fish on a shrimp boat; enjoy a real-deal campfire meal while staying on a cattle ranch; or take a chow-hop around some of the state's picturesque cities. Think of these foodie destinations as the main dish–the meat-and-potatoes of your excursion. The gravy comes in the form of the history, architecture, gardens, ocean views and culture you encounter with every bite. The only must-pack item: your appetite.
Biblical History Center, LaGrange
Archeologist Dr. James Fleming founded this museum that takes you back several millennia to the ancient Middle East. After peeking into a goat-hair tent and replicas of ancient tombs, guests partake in a four-course Passover meal that includes foods such as unleavened bread, fruit and sweets, plus wine, grape juice or water. This olden repast occurs in a room modeled after one discovered at Pompeii.
Whistle Stop Cafe, Juliette
Tiny Juliette, Georgia, will forever be remembered as the place where the film version of Fannie Flagg's 1987 novel Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe was shot. Now visitors may dine in the cafe featured in the 1991 movie starring Jessica Tandy, Kathy Bates and Mary-Louise Parker. Originally built in 1927 as a general store, the Southern-style restaurant serves fried chicken, barbecue, salads and sandwiches. Start with fried green tomatoes (of course) and end the feast with pound cake, cobbler or a fried apple pie.
Talk of the Town, Washington
This charming small town is known for its eye-catching historic homes dating back to colonial times and for restoration projects like Callaway Plantation and the Fitzpatrick Hotel. The circa-1898 Fitzpatrick is home to Talk of the Town, a cafe known for its pressed panini "sammiches" with names like The Arnold Ziffel (a ham-and-Swiss riff on the pig from Green Acres) and Hello Dolly (smoked turkey). On Sundays, groups enjoy a buffet of Southern classics including fried chicken and deviled eggs.
Overnight in Augusta
Watermelon Creek Vineyard, Glennville
When deciding what to do with their ninth-generation family homestead, Charles and Deborah Tillman were inspired by a trip to California wine country and the entrepreneurial potential of the grape. In the heart of Georgia onion country, this five-year-old winery crafts vino from sweet scuppernongs and muscadines. Situated on a picturesque property that includes a pond, millhouse and barnyard, the tasting room offers paninis, salads, charcuterie, bruschetta, pimento cheese and pepper jelly made with Watermelon Creek scuppernongs. A banquet hall accommodates groups of 10 to 144.
Savannah Taste Experience, Savannah
From the crab soup with blue crustaceans to sausage stuffed with local blueberries, Savannah's food scene is a vibrant mix of old and new. In fact, the brothers behind this food-tour company confess they had trouble narrowing down places to showcase in the Hostess City. The "First Squares" tour (great for first-timers) starts on River Street and includes cupcakes, British meat pies, a couple of pubs and some seriously good honey. The "Famous & Secret East Side" tour is more of a connoisseur's experience, with off-the-beaten-path spots so fresh even some locals don't know about them.
Lady Jane Shrimp Boat, Brunswick
A former shrimp boat, the Lady Jane was refurbished for sightseeing and fishing adventures around the marshes of Glynn County and St. Simons Island. The boat trawls the waters for the day's catch (shrimp, crab, amberjack, sand sharks and whatnot) and hoists it onboard for all to see (and even sort through, if you don't mind fishy hands). While state regulations don't allow for the seafood to be kept or consumed, the Lady Jane offers an optional low country boil for up to 49 passengers.
Don't-Miss Dining: The Pirates' House, Savannah
Legend has it that this iconic restaurant dating back to 1753 started as an inn for seafarers and "fast became a rendezvous for blood-thirsty pirates and sailors." Today, it's a rambling warren of 15 dining rooms, where guests may indulge in an extravagant lunchtime buffet of seafood and Southern fare, or order dinner a la carte.
Must-Stop Shopping: Madison Markets, Madison
This enchanting town is known for a lovely main street with elegant homes. But visitors will also delight in its dandy collection of antique shops housed in a group of renovated cotton warehouses. Imagine 20,000 square feet of lamps, rugs, china, silver, crystal, linens and other collectable treasures all eager to be adopted and taken to a new home–yours!
