9 Nostalgic Georgia Soul Food Plates You’ll Only Find In The Peach State
Georgia isn’t just a state, it’s a feeling, one that’s best experienced through the soulful flavors passed down from generation to generation.
Growing up here, Sunday afternoons meant kitchens filled with the scent of simmering stews, cornbread fresh from the oven, and family stories told over heaping plates.
Georgia soul food isn’t simply about eating—it’s about tradition, resilience, and hospitality that warms you from the inside out.
Blending African, European, and Native American influences, these nostalgic dishes embody the very heart of the Peach State and remind us why coming home always tastes so good.
1. Brunswick Stew With Cornbread Triangles
Lord have mercy, nothing takes me back to childhood like a steaming bowl of Brunswick stew! My grandpa claimed this hearty mixture was invented right here in Brunswick, Georgia, though Virginia folks might argue that point till kingdom come.
The magic happens when tender pulled pork, lima beans, corn, and tomatoes simmer together for hours, creating a thick, smoky concoction that sticks to your ribs. Every family recipe differs slightly – some add chicken, others swear by squirrel meat (yes, really!).
In true Georgia fashion, we serve it with golden cornbread triangles for dipping. The sweet cornbread balances the tangy tomato base perfectly. When the temperature drops below 70 degrees (that’s winter for us Southerners), this stew appears on dinner tables across the state.
2. Fried Green Tomatoes With Remoulade
Y’all ain’t had a proper Georgia experience without sampling our fried green tomatoes! These crispy delights made me the most popular potluck guest in my neighborhood, though I’ll never reveal my great-aunt Mabel’s secret to that perfect cornmeal crust.
We start with firm, unripe tomatoes sliced thick enough to hold their shape but thin enough to cook through. After a dip in buttermilk and a coating of cornmeal mixed with secret spices, they sizzle in cast iron until golden and crispy outside while remaining tangy inside.
The remoulade sauce – a creamy, spicy blend with Cajun influences – elevates these from side dish to main attraction. Found everywhere from upscale Atlanta eateries to roadside diners along I-75, this dish transforms a humble unripe tomato into something transcendent.
3. Chicken And Dumplings From Mary Mac’s Tea Room
Honey, I once drove three hours through a thunderstorm just to get my fix of Mary Mac’s chicken and dumplings! This Atlanta institution has been serving up this cloud-like comfort food since 1945, and the recipe hasn’t changed one blessed bit.
Unlike the dropped dumplings you’ll find elsewhere, Georgia-style features thin, flat strips of dough that float in rich chicken broth alongside tender pulled chicken. The dumplings absorb the savory broth while maintaining their distinct texture – not too firm, not too mushy.
What makes Mary Mac’s version legendary is their perfectly seasoned broth, simmered for hours with herbs and vegetables. When I’m feeling homesick, I close my eyes and can almost taste those pillowy dumplings melting on my tongue. This dish has sustained generations through heartbreaks, celebrations, and everything in between.
4. Peach Cobbler With Red Cinnamon Candy
Sweet mercy, my grandma’s peach cobbler would make you slap your mama! The secret ingredient that sets Georgia peach cobbler apart? Those little red cinnamon candies melted right into the filling – a trick I’ve never seen outside our state lines.
Georgia peaches, harvested at peak ripeness, get tossed with sugar, butter, and those magical red candies that create pockets of spicy-sweet goodness throughout. The crust isn’t your typical lattice affair; we make a sweet biscuit-like topping that soaks up all that peachy syrup while staying crisp on top.
Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting into all those nooks and crannies, this dessert appears at every church social, family reunion, and holiday gathering across the state. The combination of our famous peaches with that surprise cinnamon kick creates a flavor profile that’s uniquely Georgian.
5. Pork Neck Bones With Collard Greens
First time my city slicker college roommate saw me cooking neck bones, she nearly fainted! But bless her heart, by the end of the semester, she was fighting me for the last bite of this humble dish that represents the soul of Georgia cooking.
Neck bones – those often-discarded cuts – transform into something magical after hours of slow simmering. The meat becomes fall-off-the-bone tender while creating a rich pot likker (that’s the flavorful cooking liquid, for you non-Southerners). This liquid gold then becomes the cooking medium for collard greens.
The bitter greens absorb all that porky goodness, creating a harmony of flavors that speaks to our waste-not-want-not heritage. Served with a chunk of cornbread for sopping up that precious pot likker, this dish represents the ingenuity of Southern cooks who turned necessity into delicious tradition.
6. Shrimp And Grits From Weaver D’s
“Automatic for the People!” That’s what Mr. Dexter Weaver shouts when you order his legendary shrimp and grits at his Athens institution. I spent four years at UGA eating there so often the waitstaff knew my order before I sat down.
Georgia coastal shrimp – plump and sweet – get sautéed with bacon, garlic, and a splash of lemon before being nestled atop a creamy bed of stone-ground grits. These aren’t just any grits; they’re slow-cooked with cream and cheese until they reach a consistency that walks the line between hearty and heavenly.
What makes Weaver D’s version special is the unexpected hint of heat from his secret spice blend. While shrimp and grits appears on menus nationwide now, this Athens interpretation captures Georgia’s perfect marriage of coastal and farmland flavors. R.E.M. loved this place so much they named an album after Weaver’s catchphrase!
7. Buttermilk Pie From H&H Restaurant
My first bite of Mama Louise Hudson’s buttermilk pie at H&H in Macon nearly brought tears to my eyes! This simple custard pie – made from pantry staples – somehow transforms into something ethereal in Georgia hands.
The filling features tangy buttermilk (the real kind, left over from butter-making), eggs, sugar, and just a whisper of vanilla and nutmeg. When baked, it develops a caramelized top that cracks satisfyingly under your fork while revealing a silky, slightly tangy interior that’s neither too sweet nor too rich.
H&H Restaurant became famous when they fed the Allman Brothers Band for free before they made it big, and their buttermilk pie recipe hasn’t changed since those days. Unlike its flashier cousin chess pie, buttermilk pie represents Georgia’s understated elegance – simple ingredients elevated through perfect technique and served with genuine hospitality.
8. Country Captain Chicken From Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room
The first time I joined the famous line outside Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room in Savannah, I had no idea I was about to taste a piece of Georgia history! Country Captain Chicken – a curried chicken dish with almonds and currants – tells the story of Georgia’s coastal trading past in every aromatic bite.
Legend has it this dish arrived with British sea captains trading with Savannah in the 1800s, bringing curry spices from their travels to India. The Georgia twist? Adding local vegetables and serving it over Carolina Gold rice, grown in the lowcountry for centuries.
Mrs. Wilkes’ version features tender chicken pieces in a tomato-based sauce fragrant with curry powder, bell peppers, and those sweet little currants that burst in your mouth. It’s the perfect example of how Georgia cuisine absorbed influences from around the world while maintaining its distinctive character – sophisticated yet deeply comforting.
9. Hoecakes With Sorghum Syrup From Paschal’s
“Are those pancakes?” my Northern cousin asked when I ordered hoecakes at Paschal’s in Atlanta. I nearly fell out of my chair! These crispy-edged cornmeal delights – originally cooked on the blade of a garden hoe over an open fire – are to pancakes what champagne is to grape juice.
At Paschal’s, a restaurant steeped in Civil Rights history, they make them the old way – with white cornmeal, a touch of flour, and buttermilk, resulting in a texture that’s simultaneously crisp outside and tender inside. What makes the Georgia version special is the sorghum syrup drizzled overtop.
This amber-colored sweetener, made from sorghum cane grown in North Georgia, has a complex, slightly earthy flavor that store-bought maple syrup can’t touch. During the Civil Rights Movement, leaders like Dr. King gathered at Paschal’s over plates of hoecakes to plan strategy – sustenance for both body and soul.