The South's Best Food Towns 2019
Hannah Hayes
By Hannah Hayes
Porch at Preserved Restaurant in St. Augustine, FL
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Our readers are fiercely proud of our region's small towns, and when it comes to the South's Best survey, it is one of our most contested categories. This year, many of our previous food town winners made return appearances, but we were also pleasantly surprised to see some new tiny tastemaking towns make it into our top ten. St. Augustine, Florida, worked its way from the bottom to be our overall champion with their ever-burgeoning food scene anchored by restaurants like Preserved, which shows off the wealth of local ingredients in a modern way in the country's oldest city. Last year's winner, Oxford, Mississippi, dropped into second place, but not by much, a testament to its nationally acclaimed food community. And tiny towns like Kinston and Davidson demonstrate that it's not how many restaurants make a dining scene, but how great they are at serving a community and a purpose. See which towns made the list, and which spot might take first place next year. Travel and Culture Editor Hannah Hayes tells you where to explore in each one.
1. St. Augustine, Florida
Porch at Preserved Restaurant in St. Augustine, FL
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Where to go: Preserved, The Ice Plant, The Hyppo, The Floridian
1 of 10
Advertisement
Advertisement
2. Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford, Mississippi
Credit: Robbie Caponetto
Where to go: St. Leo, Snackbar, Oxford Canteen, City Grocery
2 of 10
3. Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
Grace and Grit in Mt. Pleasant, SC
Credit: Courtesy Grace and Grit
Where to go: Graze, Grace and Grit, Bon Banh Mi
3 of 10
Advertisement
4. Charlottesville, Virginia
MarieBette Charlottesville
Credit: Courtesy MarieBette Cafe and Bakery
Where to go: MarieBette, Lampo, The AlleyLight
4 of 10
5. Kinston, North Carolina
The Chef & The Farmer
Credit: Baxter Miller
Where to go: The Chef and the Farmer, Benny’s Big Time, Boiler Room Oyster Bar
5 of 10
6. Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg, TX: Pontotoc Vineyard Weingarten
Credit: Courtesy Pontotoc Vineyard Weingarten
Where to go: Pontotoc Vineyard Weingarten, Otto’s, Emma + Ollie
6 of 10
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
7. Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
Maison Madeleine: Chef Manny Augello
Credit: Cedric Angeles
Where to go: Cajun Claws, Maison Madeleine, Joie de Vivre Café
7 of 10
8. Winter Park, Florida
4 Rivers Smokehouse in Winter Park, FL
Credit: Courtesy of 4 Rivers Smokehouse
Where to go: 4 Rivers Smokehouse, Prato, Luma on Park
8 of 10
9. Brunswick, Georgia
Brunswick, Georgia: Southern Soul Barbeque
Credit: Andrew Thomas Lee
Where to go: Indigo Coastal Shanty, Southern Soul Barbeque, Jerk Shack
9 of 10
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
10. Davidson, North Carolina
Davidson, North Carolin: Kindred
Credit: Southern Living
Where to go: Kindred, Hello Sailor, The Pickled Peach
10 of 10
By Hannah Hayes