Visit Savannah: Huey's On the River - Savannah, GA

We planned to have a nice dinner our last night. We did lots of research, found some nice places but fine dining and small kids don't work and the few the met the criteria were fully booked and gave the impression over the phone that they didn't take walk-ins. Currently living in New Orleans, Huey's on the River that specializes in Cajun cuisine spiked my curiosity and I figured the mostly positive reviews would hold true.

They didn't take reservations so we showed up and were given a 30 minute wait. They are located by the river so we walked around to killed time. When we were finally called, we were squeezed into a four top (our group was five with the kids) which wasn't too much of an issue. What was an issue is that it took forever for our server to even take our drink order. In fact, the entire dining service was slow. It's wasn't just us either, I saw other table constantly looking around to try and get some attention. Our server just looked like she didn't care or was overwhelmed; everyone that worked there did. The restaurant was so cramped we had to hand off our own plates (I can't imagine what happen when the plates are super hot).

The food didn't improve the experience. I ordered the Pasta Jambalaya. This was not that, this was spaghetti sauce with hot dog masked as andouille sausage. I didn't like it at all, I ate barely any and unfortunately didn't take home the rest.

My mom had the Crab Cakes with red beans and rice. She said the red beans and rice were okay but a little too salty. The crab cakes were crap. They tasted super sour, and were flat as a pancakes fillers. Crab, where are you?

The rest of my family had chicken wings and chicken tenders and had no complaints so I guess that is the way to go at a self proclaimed authentic New Orleans restaurant.


Huey's On the River
115 E River St Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 234-7385
www.hueysontheriver.net

Visit Savannah: Tybee Island Social Club - Tybee Island, GA

Located about 30 minutes outside of Savannah, we ventured outside of the city to Tybee Island to spend the day.

Our first stop on the outing was a visit to the Fort Pulaski National Monument. The park itself was fairly large but the Fort only covered a small portion. Even though we only visited the fort, there are many other things you can experience here. This was one of the more interesting and interactive forts I have been too.

After that, we were hungry and headed to Tybee Island Social Club for lunch. It was a fun, laid back and beachy atmosphere complete with a live Bluegrass band playing. Our server was a sweet girl who made efforts to interact with us. 

For lunch I ordered the Zissou Taco (Marinated seared tuna, horseradish aioli, arugula, cucumber pico on a warm pita). All the ingredients were notable fresh and overall it had a light and refreshing taste.

My mom had has The Club's Shrimp and Grits. It was cheesy, flavorsome deliciousness. 

My sister had the Crab Cakes. It wasn't lump crab meat but was all crab and not that filler crap restaurants are always trying to serve people. It was truly lightly bread and fried as stated on the menu. It had a nice crispy outer crust.

After lunch we headed straight to beach which was just a walk across the street. As someone from the islands, I wasn't impressed. The water was black and my niece got stung by a jellyfish but we did enjoy some fun in the sun and other must have too beach the beach was packed with people.

Tybee Island Social Club
1311 Butler Ave Tybee Island, GA 31328
(912) 472-4044
tybeeislandsocialclub.com

Visit Savannah: The Cotton Exchange Tavern & Restaurant - Savannah, GA

Exploring River Street in the evening, we decided to have dinner at a nearby restaurant, but when we got to the restaurant we selected, it was empty and that turned us off (especially on such a popular street), so we decided to go someplace else and for one reason or another ended up at The Cotton Exchange Tavern & Restaurant.

The Cotton Exchange Tavern & Restaurant reminded me of basically any chain restaurant. Against my better judgement, it was probably better suited for mass alcohol consumption than a real meal but it was packed so it seemed like a good decision at the time. Right off the bat, the service was horrible. We were waiting for a table when we saw one open by the bar and asked if we could be seated there. The guy at the front said yes and then disappeared like he was going to get the stuff to clean the table and never came back. When we finally got someone else to seat us, and endured slow delivery of the drinks and food, we realized we were never given utensils to eat with. Bottom line, service was slow and disorganized. 

The Seafood Scampi was acceptable. It definitely wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and at least I can say the shrimp in the dish was good. 

The Teriyaki Char-Grilled Chicken had a descent tasting sauce but the chicken had no seasoning what so ever, but the good is that it wasn't dry. 

After dinner was better, River Street is a cool spot (literally) to immerse yourself in the tourist experience of Savannah equipped with gift shops, Wet Willies and street vendors.

The Cotton Exchange Tavern & Restaurant
201 E River St Savannah, GA 31401 
(912) 232-7088

Visit Savannah: Forsyth Park Cafe - Savannah, GA

Forsyth Park is a large park that has plenty to see, do and probably one of the highlights of my Savannah vacation. It engulfs the natural beauty and a bit of the history of Savannah. The kids got to play and I got relax out of the beaming sun under the Moss covered Oaks.

When we got hungry, we stopped by Forsyth Park Cafe located inside the park instead of trying to venture out. I wished we would have since the food wasn't anything special. It was basically limited options with a price tag that didn't match the basic taste. 

The kids had donuts which were were frozen, my mom had a parfait that wasn't really too bad, but the chicken tenders tasted like they were freezer burned or came from a box. It wasn't worth it.

Forsyth Park Cafe
700 Drayton St Savannah, GA 31401 
(912) 238-5158

Visit Savannah: Leopold's Ice Cream - Savannah, GA

As my family and I made our way to the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, we stumbled upon Battlefield Memorial Park, which we came to find out is the site of one of the bloodiest battles in the American Revolution. Just thinking about it, it is so crazy that in the middle of what is today a bustling city, something like that had occurred long ago. I found it to be an interesting piece of history that is worth stopping to check out even if it is just for only a few minutes. 

What we really were interested in seeing, the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, actually wasn't as interesting. Although the museum had some fascinating exhibits, it was so poorly run that it felt like more of a waste of time and money than anything else. The gentleman at the front wasn't very friendly when we walked in, they were disorganized and initially provided no information  including brochures (because they had run out and offered no alternative), and frankly what you get out of the museum, the fee doesn't reflect. In my opinion, the way the museum was setup I thought it should have been donation only.

After enduring the long, hot walk to a museum we didn't really enjoy, it was then that we discovered that Savannah offers a free shuttle called The Dot. Sweating like a drove of pigs, we hopped on the bus and headed straight to Leopold's Ice Cream to cool down. The shuttle dropped us off right across the street which was heaven sent but we met by throngs of people trying to get inside. 
I am usually turned off by place that have lines and although lines usually mean the place is great, I am to much of a prima donna to stand in line for anything. However, we were hot and any other chance to try ice cream from this top 10 spot in the world wasn't going to be likely. 

The restaurant was an old school ice cream joint with the uniforms to match and the courteous service you should expect. Good service is all about having someone outside giving out water to hot patrons waiting in line.

I eat ice cream but unless it is soft serve or paired with a dessert, I usually pass but this stuff I really liked. I was so impressed by the flavors! The chocolate tasted like real cocoa, the vanilla could have been mistaken for eating straight from a pod and the rum raisin tasted like actual rum (not vanilla and raisins). This place is about real ingredient and fresh product all, day everyday! I will deem it best I ever had (for now)!

Battlefield Memorial Park

Corner of Louisville Rd and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, Savannah

www.chsgeorgia.org/Tricentennial-Park-Sites

Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum

460 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd  Savannah, GA 31401

(912) 777-6099

www.facebook.com/pages/Ralph-Mark-Gilbert-Civil-Rights-Museum

Leopold's Ice Cream

212 E Broughton St  Savannah, GA 31401

(912) 234-4442

www.leopoldsicecream.com

Visit Savannah: Vinnie Van Go-Go's Pizza - Savannah, GA

Strolling through the Streets of Savannah, we stumbled upon Vinnie Van Go-Go's. Everyone seemed to be lining up to eat there and with a nephew that is addicted to pizza and at 5 years old could probably eat an entire pie himself, we decided to have dinner there.

Vinnie Van Go-Go's is located in City Market, a popular area in Savannah to come to eat, drink, shop and people watch. Around the area there is a lot going so despite the hotness (in the summer) and the bugs, I recommend eating outside to take it all in.

The pizza they serve is thin and crispy "Neapolitan" style pizza (I call it New York style) that is fresh and tastes good! They have they usual toppings but what you really need to know is that it is cash only so hit up the ATM first if you are not the type to have cash on hand.

After eating, we walked around bit, experiencing some of the sight and sounds of the city. Savannah is known for its many squares and close to Vinnie Van Go-Go's was my favorite, Ellis Square where the kids enjoyed playing and I enjoyed relaxing after such a long day.

Vinnie Van Go-Go's

317 W Bryan St  Savannah, GA 31401 (912) 233-6394 www.vinnievangogo.com

Visit Savannah: The Public Kitchen & Bar - Savannah, GA

After the long drive into Savannah from Fort Lauderdale to spend the Labor Day weekend as a mini family vacation, we were famished and looking to eat. Without stopping at the hotel to check-in, we headed straight to The Public Kitchen & Bar for lunch.

The impression I got of The Public Kitchen & Bar is that it is a cool dining spot with friendly staff and awesome (fake) grass walls that surely entertained my niece and nephew. All that is fine and dandy, but the food is what makes the most lasting impression.

I ordered the Paella. I liked it, I just didn't like that it was so tart but the rice was cooked perfectly and in the end I cleaned my plate.

My sister had the Vegetarian (Black Bean Burger). She said it was one of favorite meals of the trip.

My mom had the Crabby Patty. She complained that it had too much filler and wasn't crabby enough but still tasted good.

We had no plans to order dessert but after peeping the desserts at the table next to us, we ordered the Berry Trifle to share. It was a strong finish to the meal, I wish I had ordered my own!

The Public Kitchen & Bar
1 W Liberty St Savannah, GA 31401
(912) 200-4045
www.thepublickitchen.com