Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Washington, D.C. 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 Washington, D.C. 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.
#15. Langston Bar & Grille
- Rating: 2.5/5 (222 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1831 Benning Road Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, american, sports bars
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Kinfolk Southern Kitchen
- Rating: 3.5/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 685 Wharf St. Southwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, barbeque
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Kitchen + Kocktails
- Rating: 3.6/5 (457 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1300 I St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Georgia Brown's
- Rating: 3.6/5 (1915 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 950 15th St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, soul food, bars
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Miss Toya's Southern Kitchen
- Rating: 3.6/5 (33 reviews)
- Address: 3216 Pennsylvania Ave. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: cocktail bars, southern, cajun/creole
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Due South
- Rating: 3.7/5 (761 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 301 Water St. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, bars, venues & event spaces
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Addie Love's Soul Food Cafe
- Rating: 3.7/5 (65 reviews)
- Address: 410 61st St. Northeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Macon Bistro & Larder
- Rating: 3.8/5 (226 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5520 Connecticut Ave. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, bars
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Moi Moi
- Rating: 3.9/5 (88 reviews)
- Address: 1627 K St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: african, southern, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Henry's Soul Cafe
- Rating: 3.9/5 (256 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1704 U St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#5. The Players Lounge
- Rating: 3.9/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2737 Martin Luther King Jr Ave. Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: dive bars, southern, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Kitchen Savages
- Rating: 3.9/5 (140 reviews)
- Address: Kitchen Savages 1211 Good Hope Road Southeast Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: cajun/creole, seafood, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#3. The Hitching Post Restaurant
- Rating: 4.0/5 (357 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 200 Upshur St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, soul food, tapas/small plates
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Andrene's Soul Food & Caribbean Cafe
- Rating: 4.0/5 (324 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 308 Kennedy St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: caribbean, southern, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Succotash Prime
- Rating: 4.1/5 (1242 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 915 F St. Northwest Washington, Washington, D.C.
- Categories: southern, american, steakhouses
- 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.
