14 Award-Winning Southern Restaurants Worth The Waitlist

Excellent movies are rewarded with Oscars. Gripping TV series win Emmy Awards. As for truly exceptional restaurants, they're frequently cited for culinary excellence in various local and international publications and nab prestigious designations from reputable and respected institutions.

The AAA Diamond-Rating Program, for instance, carefully evaluates hotels and eateries located in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean based on cleanliness, comfort, and hospitality. For its part, the international Michelin Guide, published annually by the titular French tire company, honors establishments with one, two, or three stars, using criteria like consistency, quality of ingredients, flavor, and technique. As for the James Beard Foundation, it exclusively awards American restaurants, chefs (restaurant-owning Food Network stars included), authors, broadcasters, and journalists. The categories in question include Emerging Chef, Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program, Best New Bar, and America's Classics.

While visiting the Southern U.S. states, you'll come across many widely acclaimed, highly coveted establishments that offer reservations. From Alabama to Virginia, from the freshest seafood to Creole fine dining and seasonal tasting menus, here's a curated list of tempting, award-winning venues that represent different concepts and cuisines, propose standout items, and are recognized by industry experts and amateur foodies alike.

Established in 1907, The Bright Star is an unmissable culinary destination frequented by patrons from Bessemer, Birmingham, and beyond. Not only is it considered Alabama's oldest family-owned establishment, but in 2010, it also became the first restaurant in the state to be named an America's Classic by the James Beard Foundation.

This regional institution offers Greek-style steak and seafood, Southern favorites, and decadent desserts, from the fried snapper throats to the ham steak with a side of candied yams or fried green tomatoes; the breaded pork chop; the gumbo bowl; and the sweet potato pie. Thanks to its prompt and courteous service, it's no wonder The Bright Star is so coveted, even for an early lunch on a weekday. Keep in mind that reservations are available on Resy 120 days in advance and that tables for more than eight guests can only be booked over the phone. 

thebrightstar.com

(205) 426-1861

304 19th St N, Bessemer, AL 35020

There's no doubt that Phuc Yea is noticeably different from Miami's other Upper East Side restaurants. Pronounced "fook," phuc actually means "blessings" in Vietnamese. Indeed, this widely acclaimed restaurant with a playful name offers delectable modern Vietnamese dishes with Cajun and Latin influences, and as of this writing, it has earned the Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand Award for four consecutive years since 2022. That particular honor is bestowed upon places offering exceptional three-course meals at reasonable prices — at least according to the local cost of living. 

Per the Michelin Guide, "The restaurant is practically a club with its sultry lighting, cavernous interior, and full-time DJ. Yet, none of it gets in the way of the food, which is boldly seasoned and generously portioned." The Summertime Pre-fixe Experience, for one, will get you edamame hummus, noodles with lemongrass garlic butter, five-spiced chicken, and the chef's choice of dessert. Meanwhile, Happy Hour means half-priced cocktails, and the brunch specials include fried chicken banh mi and smoked short rib and meatball pho.

You'd do well to secure a reservation on OpenTable ahead of time, but be warned that the rules are quite strict. For instance, tables can only be held for 15 minutes, and incomplete parties won't be seated. Groups of five or more require a minimum of $75 per person, while tables of 10 or more should be booked over the phone.

phucyea.com

(305) 602-3710

7100 Biscayne Blvd, Miami, FL 33138

Offering New American fare, Victoria & Albert's is a Victorian-style establishment located at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Since 2000, this elegant venue has consistently won the AAA Five Diamond Award, and in 2024, Maître d'Hôtel Israel Pérez was bestowed the Michelin Guide Florida Service Award.

So, what makes this place so romantic and fashionable, besides its crystal chandeliers, lace details, exquisite murals, and pastoral-themed ceiling? The acclaimed wine list, for one, proposes more than 500 wines from 35 regions. Guests can enjoy three different experiences: the Dining Room, which proposes two tasting menus prepared with seasonal ingredients; the romantic Queen Victoria's Room, which offers a fireplace, European royalty artwork, and a live harpist; and the much-coveted Chef's Table, which can only accommodate six guests.

Given the limited space and seating, advance booking is required, and a $100 cancellation fee per person will apply for cancellations within five days of the reservation. Despite the hassle and the hefty price tag, enchanted customers think Victoria & Albert's is worth their while, if only for the expert drinks pairing, engaging and attentive staff, and personalized menus on special occasions.

disneyworld.disney.go.com/dining/victoria-and-alberts-overview

(407) 939-5277

4401 Floridian Way, Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

First established as a lunch counter by Hungarian-born Joseph Weiss in 1913, Joe's Stone Crab has welcomed many famous visitors over the years, from U.S. presidents like J. Edgar Hoover to British royals, Amelia Earhart, Gloria Swanson, Elton John, Tom Cruise, and Barbra Streisand. Naturally, this Miami Beach hotspot is renowned for its Florida stone crab claws, served with a signature mustard sauce, but also for its chilled seafood tower, fried chicken, lobster roll, Key lime and apple pies, and specialty cocktails. It's no wonder, then, that this enduring institution nabbed the 1998 James Beard America's Classics Award and is highly recommended by the Michelin Guide.

Though walk-ins are graciously accepted, securing reservations on OpenTable up to 14 days in advance is preferred. Customers don't seem to mind the wait time and splurge, as they're generally impressed with the spotless space, professional waitstaff, and of course, the irresistibly fresh and meaty crabs.

joesstonecrab.com

(305) 673-0365

11 Washington Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Located within the St. Regis Atlanta hotel in the chic Buckhead neighborhood, Atlas is a New American venue that showcases award-winning guest chefs as well as an impressive 20th-century art collection. This iconic hotspot has received numerous praises and accolades over the years, from winning the Forbes Travel Guide Star Award in 2022 to becoming the first restaurant in the city to earn a Michelin star in 2023. In 2024, Atlas was awarded its second one-star rating from the Michelin Guide. Plus, as of this writing, its 800+ wines have been nabbing the Best of Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator since 2018.

Yes, the wait to be seated may be long, even with a reservation on OpenTable, but at least you'll get to share a fresh seafood platter and an entrée for two from the tavern's menu. Or enjoy the finest caviar and cheese selection and then conclude with the crème brûlée or the vanilla parfait with raspberry sorbet and liquid nitrogen rose. If you can't decide between all those tempting a la carte items, though, you could always opt for one of the creative tasting menus: chef's, vegan, or vegetarian.

atlasrestaurant.com

(404) 600-6471

88 W Paces Ferry Rd NW, Atlanta, GA 30305

Savannah is so much more than a charming Southern historical city with cobblestone streets and antebellum architecture. It also boasts a thriving culinary scene with many award-winning restaurants, such as Hotel Bardo's Saint Bibiana. Housed in a Victorian-Romanesque mansion, this elegant yet welcoming space offers coastal Italian fare and charms connoisseurs and amateurs alike with its house-made pasta, al fresco dining, and cooking workshops. As such, it was designated a AAA Four Diamond restaurant in 2024; i.e., "a culinary experience to savor and enjoy," per the official rating system.

Whether for brunch, a sophisticated bachelorette dinner, a business lunch, or a wedding anniversary, Saint Bibiana draws different types of clientele to its soft aesthetic, which is characterized by arched windows, pink chandeliers, white marble tables, and cozy bar area nooks. Book your seats on Resy for a chance to enjoy the saffron and Berkshire pork arancini, the braised rabbit pasta, the roasted lamb medallions, or the salted caramel tiramisu.

saint-bibiana.com

(912) 721-5002

700 Drayton St, Savannah, GA 31401

Established in 1933, Jack Fry's is a high-end bistro that offers classic American, Southern, and European fare as well as craft cocktails to the sultry sound of live jazz music. It's the place to be in Louisville if you're craving not only escargots broiled in garlic butter, but also Yorkshire pudding, spicy fried oysters, shrimp and grits, bourbon-braised short rib, and toasted marshmallow ice cream.

As such, this bustling venue has been collecting Best of Louisville Awards from the Best of Louisville Voting Academy (formerly Louisville Magazine) since 1998, including Best Romantic Restaurant, Fine Dining, Restaurant to Take a Client, and Place to Go on a First Date. It goes without saying, then, that Jack Fry's caters to a wide range of clients and occasions, which makes it all the more challenging to book on OpenTable during peak times. Overall, if customers keep returning, it's because of the nostalgic mood, rich flavors, curated drinks, and courteous staff.

jackfrys.com

(502) 452-9244

1007 Bardstown Rd, Louisville, KY 40204

Blending Creole and Cajun cuisines, New Orleans is a foodie's dream, boasting numerous places to sample gumbo, jambalaya, beignets, and other classics. For Bananas Foster lovers, specifically, a visit to Brennan's, the very place that is credited with the invention of this beloved dessert in 1951, is warranted. Originally established on Bourbon Street in 1946, this contemporary Creole restaurant moved to a historic mansion on Royal Street 10 years later.

Brennan's is also celebrated for its eggs Hussarde (eggs Benedict with house-made English muffins and coffee-cured Canadian bacon), turtle soup, and extensive collection of vintage wines. It's no wonder, then, that it has received a Four Diamond rating and the Inspector's Best of Romantic Badge from AAA, among other accolades. Naturally, whether you're aiming for one of the swanky eight dining rooms or the courtyard, reservations on OpenTable are required to access this glamorous NOLA institution.

brennansneworleans.com

(504) 525-9711

417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130

Located in a restored 19th-century building in NOLA's Warehouse/Central Business District, Pêche — meaning "catch" in French — is a rustic-style seafood restaurant with an oyster bar. It opened in 2014 and garnered so much attention that it won two James Beard Foundation Awards that year: Best New Restaurant in America and Best Chef: South for co-owner and executive chef Ryan Prewitt. 

So, what makes Pêche so special? For one, it offers a contemporary take on Gulf Coast, Spanish, and South American fare, with a strong focus on sustainable and locally sourced ingredients. It's also celebrated for its classic cocktails, accommodating staff, and smooth service. You can reserve your table on Resy for a chance to sample favorites bursting with flavor, like the smoked tuna dip, smoked drum, whole grilled fish, roasted pumpkin with shiitake mushrooms, carrot sticky toffee pudding, and salted peanut pie.

pecherestaurant.com

(504) 522-1744

800 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70130

If you miss Spain's lively and cozy tapas bars, there's a trendy and highly acclaimed alternative in historic and vibrant Asheville called Cúrate — Spanish for "heal yourself." Established in 2011 in a 1920s bus depot, this Mediterranean restaurant and bar comes with a well-stocked wine cellar and offers farm‑to-table ingredients, an Iberian ham carving service, an online gourmet marketplace, wine club memberships, and an olive tree adoption program. Its warm, electric atmosphere and impeccable service have earned it the James Beard Foundation Award for Outstanding Hospitality in 2022.

Reservations drop on Resy 90 days in advance, but don't fret if you're unable to secure a table for your desired time slot: Walk-ins are welcome, and the bar area has the full menu. To ensure freshness, the latter changes seasonally. At the time of this writing, tapas highlights include fried eggplant, spicy octopus, chilled salt-cured trout, and Spanish omelet, one of Spain's most revered egg dishes.

curatetapasbar.com

(828) 239-2946

13 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801

Located in Cary, Herons is the Umstead Hotel and Spa's signature restaurant. It proposes New American fare, a seasonal tasting menu, weekend brunch, and an extensive wine list, which have earned it many honors over years. Indeed, this upscale establishment has won the AAA Five Diamond Award multiple times since 2011, and the chef became a James Beard Semifinalist in 2019. It also prides itself on being one of only five Forbes Five-Star Restaurants in the U.S. (and one of 79 restaurants in the world).

From the private art collection in the 98-seat dining room to the full-view kitchen, floor-to-ceiling windows, lush gardens, and complimentary valet parking, Herons provides an exceptional dining experience. Reservations are available on OpenTable; although not required, they're highly recommended for a place of this caliber. Menu highlights include the freshly pressed turmeric pineapple juice, the crab cake Benedict, the smash burger, the pork shoulder and kimchi hotpot, and the toffee date cake.

theumstead.com/dining/herons

(919) 447-4200

The Umstead Hotel and Spa, 100 Woodland Pond Dr, Cary, NC 27513

Nashville is the world-famous home of country music, but it also boasts numerous award-winning restaurants and chefs, including Peninsula. Indeed, this cozy, Iberian-Peninsula-inspired establishment was named Nashville's number one restaurant by The Tennessean in 2024, and its executive chef, Jake Howell, earned the 2025 James Beard Foundation Best Chef: Southeast Award.

Since Peninsula can only accommodate 38 customers and is only open for dinner from Thursday to Saturday, make sure your secure those seats on OpenTable first. As for parties of seven or eight guests, they'll be offered a family-style, fixed-price menu, but they can only book the 5 p.m. or 8:45 p.m. slot. The menu is limited, too, and it changes frequently. As of this writing, the current one, for instance, is rather limited for vegan diners. It proposes items like lemon squash broth, Spanish tortilla, wasabi shrimp, smoked Hamachi with trout roe, and Iberian pork tenderloin.

peninsulanashville.com

(615) 924-1906

1035 W Eastland Ave, Nashville, TN 37206

Mixtli, which roughly translates to "cloud" in Aztec, is a modern Mexican restaurant in historic San Antonio that transports you through its exquisite, ever-evolving tasting menu to the various regions of Mexico and their culinary specialties. Prepaid reservations are required via Tock, and the dishes can be personalized as per your gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian needs. At the time of this writing, for instance, the current menu showcases Mexico's Pacific Coast, such as Sinaloa-style chicken and peach, clam and swordfish ham from Baja California, and a chocolate, tamarind, and avocado dessert inspired by exquisite Oaxacan treats. This acclaimed venue also houses a cellar stocked with over 1,200 fine wines from all over the world.

The beautifully crafted food, accommodating kitchen, knowledgeable staff, and impeccable service have earned Mixtli a top place on many foodies' bucket lists, not to mention the local Top 50 Restaurants list published by the San Antonio Express News. If it didn't live up to the hype, it wouldn't have won a Michelin star and the Outstanding Service Award by the Texas Michelin Guide in 2024, or the AAA Four Diamond designation. The latter was even upgraded to Five Diamonds in 2025, making Mixtli the only establishment in the state to receive this honor that year.

restaurantmixtli.com

(210) 338-0746

812 S Alamo St, Ste 103, San Antonio, TX 78210

Located in a rustic-chic, five-star hotel with historic cottages, The Inn at Little Washington offers modern American fare with a French twist prepared from seasonal ingredients sourced from local farmers. The property as a whole boasts the longest-held Forbes Five-Star rating in the world — 37 consecutive years, as of 2025. Plus, the main dining room and its executive chef and owner, Patrick O'Connell, have collectively received six James Beard Foundation Awards, including Restaurant of the Year, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, and the Lifetime Achievement Award. O'Connell, who once cooked for Queen Elizabeth II, was even decorated with the National Humanities Medal in 2020. Finally, the restaurant earned three Michelin Stars in 2019 as well as the Michelin Green Star for sustainability in 2021.

Enchanted customers have compared The Inn at Little Washington to a fairytale, where dishes are presented like works of art and paired with the finest wines from Virginia, Oregon, California, and Europe. Securing a table on Resy may prove difficult (and pricey), though. So, to accommodate semi-casual diners, O'Connell has also established a cozy café and bakery, Patty O's, in a 1950s garage.

theinnatlittlewashington.com

(540) 675-3800

309 Middle St, Washington, VA 22747

How does one determine which award-winning restaurants in the Southern U.S. states are truly worth your time and dime? There are several factors to consider, starting with making sure the venues in question boast highly sought-after tables and have consistently received positive reviews from diners on various platforms, like Tripadvisor, Yelp, Google, and OpenTable.

From Vietnamese fare with Cajun and Latin influences to New American cuisine with a French twist, the establishments on this list span various concepts, sizes, and budgets, enough to cater to different tastes and demographics. They're all located in well-known Southern cities. They've all received at least one prestigious award and have been frequently cited for culinary excellence and outstanding service. Finally, these restaurants offer creative menus and specialty items. They definitely stand out from the lot, and many of them are suitable for both date nights and friendly gatherings.