Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room
Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room is a casual restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, US which offers a menu of Southern US home cooking. Situated in a historic house dated to 1870, it is a popular dining spot in the city. The restaurant was owned and managed by Sema Wilkes for 59 years, from 1943 until her death in 2002 at age 95.[1]
| Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room | |
|---|---|
The restaurant (on the right) in 2021 | |
Location within Georgia | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1943 |
| Street address | 107 West Jones Street |
| City | Savannah |
| County | Chatham County |
| State | Georgia |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 31401 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 32°04′22″N 81°05′45″W / 32.072645°N 81.095934°W |
| Website | mrswilkes |
History edit
Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room was previously the dining hall of the Wilkes House, a downtown boardinghouse. Today the restaurant is housed on the ground floor of the same historic house, built in 1870, at 107 West Jones Street.[2][3] The restaurant was described by author William Schemmel as "a treasure hidden away in a historic district town-house."[4] Its longtime owner, Sema Wilkes, published several cookbooks.[1] As of 2024[update] her family continued to run the restaurant, serving lunch on weekdays.[5][6]
Mrs. Wilkes and her restaurant have been the subject of newspaper and magazine articles.[1] Japanese chef Hoshinao Naguma was once apprenticed to the restaurant.[7]
Customs edit
Mrs. Wilkes' is noted for its homestyle traditions, in which guests are escorted in shifts of ten into the dining room, where a variety of dishes are freshly laid on one of several long tables.[8][9] There is no menu; dishes are selected by the restaurant and change daily.[8] Travel Holiday in 1993 recalled that the "tables were set with steaming bowls and platters of tasty Southern food".[10]
The guests sit at the table and pass the dishes around to one another like a family.[8][11] There are usually long queues waiting to get in.[8]
Notable guests edit
- David Brinkley once broadcast directly from the restaurant[12]
- President Obama ate at the restaurant with Mayor Otis Johnson and other guests in 2010, having baked beans, fried chicken, and sweet corn[13]
- Robert Duvall, Kate Smith, and Gregory Peck ate at the restaurant[1]
- The cast of Magic Mike XXL ate at the restaurant in October 2014[14]
Gallery edit
- Mrs. Wilkes' Dining Room is located in a former boardinghouse known as the Wilkes House
- Entrance to Mrs. Wilke's Dining Room
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d Rossiter, Erin (November 1, 2002). . Savannah Morning News. Archived from the original on November 17, 2002.
- ^ "Making Yourself At Home" - New York Times, October 16, 1983
- ^ McKee, Gwendolyn (1994). Savannah, where to go and what to do with children. Me and My Friend Publishers. p. 41. ISBN 978-0-9642753-0-0.
- ^ Schemmel, William (January 1, 2003). Off the Beaten Path Georgia: A Guide to Unique Places. Globe Pequot Press. ISBN 978-0-7627-2375-1.
- ^ Leon, Sarah (April 17, 2015). "Savannah In Style". wmagazine.com. Condé Nast. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
- ^ "Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room". Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room. May 10, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2024.
- ^ Harman, Jeanne; Harman, Harry E. (October 1992). Georgia at its best. Rutledge Hill Press. p. 69. ISBN 978-1-55853-202-1.
- ^ a b c d Cathy Swift; Van Robbins; John Miltiades (2008), Pigging Out in Savannah, p. 28, ISBN 9780595486328
- ^ Peffer, Randall S.; Miller, Debra (2004). Savannah, Charleston & the Carolina Coast. Lonely Planet. p. 80. ISBN 9781740597906.
- ^ Travel Holiday. Travel Magazine, Incorporated. February 1993. p. 6.
- ^ "Tybee Island: A quiet family getaway". Greenville Online. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
- ^ Jeanne and Harry Harman (1992), Georgia at its Best, pp. 69–70, ISBN 1558532021
- ^ Lesley Conn (March 2, 2010). . Savannah Morning News. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved November 30, 2019.
- ^ . Greatideas.people.com. October 31, 2014. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
External links edit
- Official website
- Official Georgia Tourism & Travel Site
- U.S. President Barack Obama dining at the restaurant in 2010 – The Obama White House YouTube channel, March 2, 2010