Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Baltimore by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Baltimore using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#18. Celestial Cafe
- Rating: 2.9/5 (11 reviews)
- Address: 5707 Belair Road Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: american, southern, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Louisiana Restaurant
- Rating: 3.0/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1708 Aliceanna St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: cajun/creole, southern, french
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Glo's Soul Kitchen
- Rating: 3.3/5 (18 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5656 The Alameda Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: soul food, southern, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Cindy Lou's Fish House
- Rating: 3.4/5 (167 reviews)
- Address: 1215 Wills St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: southern, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Garden & Grounds Bistro
- Rating: 3.4/5 (37 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1407 Clarkview Road Ste 600 Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, coffee & tea
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Southern Provisions
- Rating: 3.6/5 (128 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3000 O'Donnell St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: southern, whiskey bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Vasachy's
- Rating: 3.8/5 (11 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 428 East 25th St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: soul food, southern, sports bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Jumpin Out The Pot
- Rating: 3.9/5 (38 reviews)
- Address: 3605 West Rogers Ave. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: southern, american
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Creole Soul Restaurant
- Rating: 3.9/5 (159 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 301 West 29th St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: cajun/creole, soul food, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Miss Shirley's Cafe
- Rating: 4.0/5 (68 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: Bwi Airport Concourse A Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: new american, southern, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Next Phaze Cafe
- Rating: 4.0/5 (141 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 112 East Lexington St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: cafes, southern, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Connie's Chicken and Waffles
- Rating: 4.0/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 222 North Charles St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: waffles, breakfast & brunch, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Serengeti
- Rating: 4.2/5 (38 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2839M Smith Ave. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: southern, african, kosher
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Chaps Pit Beef
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1469 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 720 Mapleton Ave. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: southern, barbeque, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Blacksauce Kitchen
- Rating: 4.4/5 (108 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 401 West 29th St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: caribbean, smokehouse, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Connie's Chicken and Waffles
- Rating: 4.4/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 112 North Eutaw St. Lexington Market Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: southern, chicken wings, waffles
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Charleston
- Rating: 4.5/5 (688 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1000 Lancaster St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: new american, southern, french
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Water for Chocolate
- Rating: 4.5/5 (975 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1841 East Lombard St. Baltimore, Maryland
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, cafes
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.
