2. The Lady and Sons

We Enjoyed It
Have been wanting to eat at Lady and Sons for years. When we finally made it to Savannah we were so excited to eat here. Most of the people I knew who had eaten here had told us to expect a long line to even get a reservation and then there were even more people who told us they couldn't get in. We came the first week of November and got a reservation with no wait for 12:30 and were told to come at 12:15. We arrived about 12 b/c we ended up there after walking around. We were actually taken back early and were seated by 12:15. We all ate off the buffet and I thought it was great. My grandmother is a top notch southern cook and this food rivaled it. Very, very good. It could be that we came in the "off" season but we really enjoyed our experience. I do not think that I would pay the dinner buffet price but for lunch it wasn't too bad. My only complaints were: 1) only one dessert, I'd like to sample more than one. The peach cobbler was alright but my grandma's is better :-) 2) our waitress was from Boston. It really takes away from the "southern" atmosphere when your waitress sounds like a Kennedy. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience

Enjoyed It
Have been wanting to eat at Lady and Sons for years. When we finally made it to Savannah we were so excited to eat here. Most of the people I knew who had eaten here had told us to expect a long line to even get a reservation and then there were even more people who told us they couldn't get in. We came the first week of November and got a reservation with no wait for 12:30 and were told to come at 12:15. We arrived about 12 b/c we ended up there after walking around. We were actually taken back early and were seated by 12:15. We all ate off the buffet and I thought it was great. My grandmother is a top notch southern cook and this food rivaled it. Very, very good. It could be that we came in the "off" season but we really enjoyed our experience. I do not think that I would pay the dinner buffet price but for lunch it wasn't too bad. My only complaints were: 1) only one dessert, I'd like to sample more than one. The peach cobbler was alright but my grandma's is better :-) 2) our waitress was from Boston. It really takes away from the "southern" atmosphere when your waitress sounds like a Kennedy. Overall, we really enjoyed our experience.

Do Something Else...
...with your time. Waiting like cattle to be called for a very long time when you have a reservation is ridiculous and totally the way they run this place. Food not even worth the wait!

Never again! and I am not surprised the ratings are very low!
I was truly disappointed....they only care about turning tables and making money and could care less about customer satisfaction. I worked in restaurants all my life and have never treated customers or have I ever been treated as rudely as they treated my party. The hostess just completely ignored us at one point because they were upset my three year old neice ran from our table to her parents table on the other side of the restaurant because they could not and would not seat our party at one table and I watched them seat a table of 6 anhour after we arrived at which point the dining room was almost empty. Even with the empty tables around us we could not even have dessert together. NOT a very friendly atmosphere. They had no answer as to why we could not sit together. I quess Paula and her sons have no consept of what is takes to run a great restaurant! I gave it one star because the food was good and the wait staff was efficient but really had no time for us. Take out for this restaurant would have been more enjoyable eating it one of the parks in this beautiful city.

Don't Even Think About Eating Here
My husband and I took my parents to The Lady and Sons to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday. First, I called ahead to ask if there was anything special the restaurant could do for a celebratory dessert. I was told that no, they couldn't do anything special, but could put a candle in any of the desserts on their menu. That should have been the first warning sign. Then my husband had to go stand in line at the restaurant at 8:30 am the morning of our dinner to make a reservation for a 6:00 pm. That should have been the second warning sign. When we got to the restaurant, we waited about 10 minutes before being seated on the first floor. Folks, there is no ambiance in this place. It is a noisy, crowded restaurant, with no real character. The server came and took our drink order, and then explained that the bar was on the third floor, and it might take a little while for us to be served. That was an understatement, and should have been the third and final warning sign. But we forged ahead. Eventually, our drinks were served, and we ordered our entrees. My husband ordered the buffet, because he was excited to try Paula Deen's much-ballyhooed fried chicken. I ordered the crab-stuffed shrimp, my mom ordered the scallops and my dad ordered the crab cakes. Let's just say that everyone but my mom was underwhelmed by the quality of their food, and my mom is very easy to please. I'm as serious as a heart attack when I say that this place is strictly over-rated, and should be avoided at all costs. Spend your money at Belford's or the Olde Pink House instead. And enjoy Savannah, it is a very special place!

While there on vacation I went on Paula Deen's bus tour and got a free meal ticket, so getting in was no problem and I thought the food was great. I ate off the buffet, but I talked to other people in the restaurant and they ordered of the menu and they really enjoyed what they ordered. When in town I will definitely go again. I love Paula. I will soon be moving to Savannah and will go ther with guests.

Try it Yourself!
A trip to the Lady and Sons was to be our last stop on a week-long road trip vacation. After driving for almost 8 hours on a Sunday, we arrived in Savannah only to find that the restaurant was FULL for the day...so disappointed. The hostess actually tried to steer us away, but I stuck to it and said my party of five was willing to split up and that the bar area was OK (not knowing what to expect). One of the inside people who notify the hostess of availability heard me, and within ten minutes we were notifed that they could seat all five of us in the bar area!!! NO WAITING!! We actually got a perfectly acceptable table for five off to the side of the bar area, within steps of the buffet! The waiter was pleasant, and was GREAT at keeping our table cleaned and drinks refilled. He even gave us an extra dessert so we could try the butter cake! Don't listen to the Negative Nancy's...try it yourself! The food was hearty, hot, and downhome like we expected.

Never listen to others' reviews!
I am SO glad I didn't take the bad reviews I saw on this site to heart. My Mom & I went to Savannah the middle of June (2009). One of my MUST DOs was to eat at The Lady & Sons. I was disheartened to see some of the things I'd read but I decided to go anyway. I know from experience that some of the places I like my friends don't and vice versa. Well, my mom and I got there at 8:12 am and there was a small line. Our tour guide the day before had joked about waiting in line for "fried chicken". Well, it is more than fried chicken! Our wait wasn't bad and people were talking and laughing in line. Once you get close to the front there are two lines, one for dinner and one for lunch, which helps. We got a 12:45 luch time which was great for us. We were actually there a little early and once we checked in we were seated even though it wasn't quite our time yet. We were on the third floor in the bar area. Hint: someone told us that if there aren't too many of you, and you tell them that you'll sit in the bar, you'll get in without a long wait. Right away our drink orders were taken and someone came with bread. A cheese biscuit that could rival Red Lobster and a hoecake that was tasty even without the syrup offered. Our waitress told us what was on the buffet and in the same breath said "but you don't have to order the buffet, feel free to order off the menu". We ordered off the menu because neither one of us though we could eat enough buffet food for the price. We both order the barbecue sandwhich. It comes with potato cakes (called somebody's fries), cole slaw and green tomato pickles. Yum! There was so much bbq on that sandwich I took the bun off and ate it with a fork. Creamy cole slaw and tasty potato cakes too. But I knew that I wanted desert so we packed up what we couldn't eat (yes, I brought some home with me in plastic containers so my hubby could try it, he loves Paula Deen too). Dessert: we decided to share the pecan pie. Pecan pie isn't something I've ever tried, but I figured, what the heck. It was heavenly!!! We ordered it a la mode, not realizing that it came with whipped topping. Homemade whipped topping too. I think all that was left was a little bit of crust. We liked it so much we went looking for it in the cookbooks in the gift shop. It was crowded and we didn't find it, but an email to Paula's website resulted in an email back with the recipe. I can honestly say that I can't wait to go to Savannah again. Next time with my husband and next time, hopefully, I can do the buffet.

Never listen to others' reviews!
I am SO glad I didn't take the bad reviews I saw on this site to heart. My Mom & I went to Savannah the middle of June (2009). One of my MUST DOs was to eat at The Lady & Sons. I was disheartened to see some of the things I'd read but I decided to go anyway. I know from experience that some of the places I like my friends don't and vice versa. Well, my mom and I got there at 8:12 am and there was a small line. Our tour guide the day before had joked about waiting in line for "fried chicken". Well, it is more than fried chicken! Our wait wasn't bad and people were talking and laughing in line. Once you get close to the front there are two lines, one for dinner and one for lunch, which helps. We got a 12:45 luch time which was great for us. We were actually there a little early and once we checked in we were seated even though it wasn't quite our time yet. We were on the third floor in the bar area. Hint: someone told us that if there aren't too many of you, and you tell them that you'll sit in the bar, you'll get in without a long wait. Right away our drink orders were taken and someone came with bread. A cheese biscuit that could rival Red Lobster and a hoecake that was tasty even without the syrup offered. Our waitress told us what was on the buffet and in the same breath said "but you don't have to order the buffet, feel free to order off the menu". We ordered off the menu because neither one of us though we could eat enough buffet food for the price. We both order the barbecue sandwhich. It comes with potato cakes (called somebody's fries), cole slaw and green tomato pickles. Yum! There was so much bbq on that sandwich I took the bun off and ate it with a fork. Creamy cole slaw and tasty potato cakes too. But I knew that I wanted desert so we packed up what we couldn't eat (yes, I brought some home with me in plastic containers so my hubby could try it, he loves Paula Deen too). Dessert: we decided to share the pecan pie. Pecan pie isn't something I've ever tried, but I figured, what the heck. It was heavenly!!! We ordered it a la mode, not realizing that it came with whipped topping. Homemade whipped topping too. I think all that was left was a little bit of crust. We liked it so much we went looking for it in the cookbooks in the gift shop. It was crowded and we didn't find it, but an email to Paula's website resulted in an email back with the recipe. I can honestly say that I can't wait to go to Savannah again. Next time with my husband and next time, hopefully, I can do the buffet.

Not
Ok as a local of Savannah I will never go back to the Lady and Sons....The best place for real southern food would have to be Mrs. Wilkes. Its is run by locals born and raised in Savannah unlike Paula Deen. It has also been around a lot longer then Pauls Deen ever thought of.

A Gradual Decline
I went a few years ago to "The Lady.." and loved it. The service was great, the lines manageable, the food excellent and the whole attitude was positive. I recently returned from a trip to Savannah and another visit to "The Lady..." and it was ver disappointing! This was like going to an entirely different place that a few years back. After waiting in line outside, the greeter did anything but greet. When we were finally seated, the food on the buffet wouldnt have passed Health Department temperature ratings. It was lukewarm at best and seemed to have been made several hours earlier. The staff just seemed overworked and unhappy. We no longer received a warm greeting by any of the staff, our waiter included. The whole attitude of the restaurant was just depressing. The waiter did keep our glasses of tea filled but when asked how the dessert was, she said "It is pretty good. I have never had any of it, though. But the people seem to like it'. The Lady and Sons is suffering from Paula selling her wares on Food Network. Instead of hawking bacon and ham in commercials, and doing multiple television shows, she should pay some attention to her restaurant. I have been expecting her to franchise the place out in different locations. However, if the quality and service continues to suffer, no one will want to risk a franchise. When the locals try to talk you out of a visit to this place, LISTEN!

Talk about the emperors clothes syndrome!! Savannah owes Paula a debt of gratitude for putting the city's restaurants on the map BUT it is very obvious that Paula is involved in so many other things that she is totally neglecting The Lady and Sons to the point that it has become a joke. The truth is the food is poor the service is mediocre and the wait ridiculous. I think that good reviews for the restaurant are now based on reputation rather than fact.

Disappointing Mother's Day
My Wife and I were so excited to get in to "Lady and Sons" for a Mother's Day dinner. My wife is a huge Paula fan and watches her on Food network every chance she gets. Well I think that Paula Lost a fan yesterday. We weren't told by the woman on the phone (I guess were were supposed to know) that the only choice you have on a Sunday is the Buffet. We waited almost no time at all and I had booked our reservation via phone, so I thought this was our lucky day. We were dismayed about not being able to order off the menu but decided to forge on and give it a try. It reminded me of the little buffet line you see in a cheap chinese restaurant. It was so small and choices were limited. It is apparent that they are not much concerned about your choice of food. Well the Fried Chicken was ok but slightly dry, but frankly I much prefer the spicing in KFC's chicken. The Oven Roasted Chicken was strangly spiced, I didn't care for it. The Lima Beans were ok but they were laced with stringy overcooked ham(?). The Green Beans were also stringy? I guess to match the Lima Beans. My wife had a serving of the Mac'n Cheese which was grainy like it was overcooked or they used cheap cheese. I don't know about you but for $25 + tax + drink (should have been included) I expect just a bit more. There was nothing spectacular about this buffet. I'd much rather go to Ryans and have a much better selection and the quality is virtually the same. Plus I'd spend half that much. Actually the food at Ryans is generally warmer. Most of our food at "Paula's Place" was luke warm at best. Well I was not done yet. I am a huge dessert fan and I thought maybe a good Peach Cobbler would save the meal for me. My wife wouldn't even attempt a dessert. Well I was served up a kid-size portion of Peach Cobbler that was probably the worst cobbler I have ever tasted. The filling contained so much corn starch (and very little peach flavor). I didn't even finish it, it just wasn't worth it. Just awful. Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me. We will NEVER go back it was an all around miserable Mother's Day thanks to Lady and Sons. Gee ever wonder why she doesn't put her name on this place, now I know. Seems like their goal is to run a many fans through this place as they can to maximize their profits.

Take reviews with a grain of salt
After reading so many negative reviews on the web, I was not looking forward to dining here. I went along with a friend who insisted this was a "must do" on our vacation to Savannah. I was pleastantly surprised. Maybe because it was a Thursday, but there was no line to make a reservation when we arrived at 9:30 a.m. We decided to come back for lunch, and had several times to choose from. Upon our return, we had a short wait for our table. The server was very attentive. We did not feel pressured to go with buffet, but ordered from the menu. Sevaral different servers stopped to make sure our tea and lemonade glasses were always refilled. I wouldn't say it was the best food I ever had. But it certainly was good and there was plenty of it. My companion and I couldn't even eat dinner that evening, we were still so full from lunch at 1:30. If you want to check out Lady & Sons, don't let the Debbie Downers talk you out of it.

The food was good downhome cooking. I wont go back because the company uses Twelve Tribes Cult members for their floor finishing and construction. You should know who you are hiring in your town!

Decent value for the historic district, but just ok -- nothing special. I went at lunch and had the buffet. The salad bar part had limited toppings; the fried chicken was good; the sides were disappointing (I get better sides at my neighborhood Roasters). The food ordered off the menu might be better, and that is what I would suggest to anyone reading this. Note: I was in line about 30-45 minutes before they started taking reservations in the morning and it was already quite long. Go early.

We had a great dinner and excellent service! We really wanted to try this restaraunt, due to the celebrity status of Paula Dean. We started reading some of the negative reviews, and we were getting a little apprehensive.I finally talked my other half into it. As we were exiting our car, I overheard a couple that had just dined there talking on their cell phone and saying what a great meal they had.Things started looking up, and the entire dining experience went up from there.Our food was excellent and we completed our dining experience with a sampling of desserts which included a pumpkin butter cake and banana pudding which were delicious.Our server Samantha was the most gracious and professional we've encountered in a while. Highly reccomended!

If you are in the mood for been taken for a fool, then go to this restaurant.Otherwise for a far better experience you might as well go to Denny's.The food is terrible, the service goes along with the food. The wine list is very limited to a handful of cheap wines. Real,real ,real way overrated. Awful!!!!

We love Paula and had so looked forward to eating at both Lady and Sons and Uncle Bubba's when we were in Savannah. The food at Lady and Sons was just so-so but Uncle Bubba's was first rate!

Ate here with much anticipation but found that the food is like any other Southern buffet you may find in any town. The place is way over priced for what you get. The staff was hard to find and they actually do not have to do much. You go to the buffet, fix your own plate. They just bring your drink and you hope that you can get them to refill it. It is also hard to eat with all those people standing outside waiting and watching you. I wish I had come up with the idea for this restaurant. All the Paula groupies shovel out the money for average food. What a scam.

The first time we went to the restaurant, we had to sit in the "bar" area and althought the food was good, the place was very crowded. The second time we went, we waited (at about noon) in the rain, in line to MAKE reservations . We were met by this very rude young lady who did not appreciate our enthusiam for going to the restaurant. Then that night we were brought to a basement to WAIT for our reservation! We sat there just looking at all the other people waiting! It was awkward, annoying and the wait was not worth it. Paula and sons need to share their tv personalities with the restaurant. The experience was not fun.

Although Paula & her husband are great people, her restaurant is extremely overrated & the food is bad. We live here & will never bring any more guests to Lady & Sons. I am sure that the restaurant could be much better, but Paula would have to be there every day to oversee the operation & she is just too busy for this small place. If you really have to go, plan on waiting in line for 2 hours just to get a reservation. Once you have the reservation, plan on waiting about 1 hour past your designated time. The wait staff is totally useless and you will feel like part of cattle that they are trying to get you through your meal & gone. Not a good atmosphere. Her brother's place is much better.

I did not enjoy my meal or experience at Lady & Sons, the menu is limited and over priced. Also, the wait and the means to make a reservation are ridiculous. They even hoard the waiting diners into a gift shop with random sauces, books, and knick knacks plastered with Paula's face on it all sold for way over market value. the service was friendly and the chicken was good but for $20 a pop you're better off eating like a local and one of the many tasty restaurants on the river

We were so excited to be going to Savannah and since we love Paula's show we had to go to Lady & Sons. Everyone we talked to tried to talk us out of going and suggested other restaurants. We should have listened! The service was atrocious, there was a gale force wind on our shoulders and when we asked the waiter for suggestions for dessert, he said the key lime pie is ok. Although other waiters appeared to be very helpful & friendly. The only superb thing was her she crab soup. Truly disappointing!

Over rated.. Just like any other buffet food.. Much better places on River Street!!

I love Ms. Paula to death and I love the resturaunt, I've ate there for lunch everytime I go Savannah, approx. twicw a year. The food is wonderful, but I guess it's become too popular. I tried 4 different time to get in there on my last trip., and couldn't nor could I get in Bubba's because of private parties. I will not try again. But good luck to everyone else.........

We've watched their show before, the recipes they give are excellent. But the restaurant was good too, except that they sat us on the first floor next to the door and every time they opened the door we would freeze. Also the menu had nothing for children and my child doesn't eat most of that food, but over all it was average.

Just experienced my 2nd visit to Lady and Sons.... It is my favorite place to go. My husband surprised me for Valentines with this trip to Savannah just to go to the resturant again. Every time I have been the wait staff has been the best... They are nice and polite, very attentive. I was even looking at a map for Uncle Bubba's Oyster House and they helped give us directions and that is where we went for supper. The wait at Lady and Sons was almost 2 hours, but that was ok, because we just walked around for awhile and came back, so it wasn't like you were waiting.

For those looking for REAL Southern cooking from someone who knows how it's done, this is the place to go. Nevermind the fact that the owner is a celebrity from The Food Network. This lady and her staff KNOW how to cook. We make this a regular stop despite the fact that they are 4 hours from our home in Charlotte.

Great place for lunch or dinner

took my mom, who is not a picky eater but does not like eating out a lot.... LOVED everything about the restaurant.... we have gone back to Savannah 4 times because she loves the city - but loves Lady Andy and Son