Southern Bites: Exploring the Flavours of Atlanta, Nashville & New Orleans

If you’ve never been to the American South then you are in for a treat! From Atlanta to Nashville to New Orleans, Southern cuisine is a rich tapestry of flavours, blending traditional recipes with French, Creole, and regional influences. Each city offers its own culinary treasures, from smoky barbecue to sweet, indulgent desserts. Read on to discover iconic dishes, local favourites, and the perfect spots to enjoy them on your next fly-drive adventure.

Beignets

Barbecue

Tennessee is renowned for its low-and-slow BBQ, and Nashville is no exception, offering a vibrant scene that highlights various styles and flavours. Savour classic pulled pork, juicy brisket, and mouthwatering ribs, often paired with sides like tangy coleslaw and sweet cornbread. Many local joints such as Martin’s BBQ Joint and Peg Leg Porker put unique spins on the traditional barbecue, featuring house-made sauces that range from sweet to spicy, and some incorporate local hot chicken spices for a Nashville twist. With a focus on quality ingredients and slow cooking techniques, Nashville is a must-visit for anyone craving authentic Southern barbecue, whether at a family-owned eatery or a food truck.

Atlanta has at least 350 barbecue eateries—not just stand-alone restaurants, but food trucks and pop-ups and kiosks and lots of places doing things that don't fit the standard definition of Southern barbecue. Georgia’s barbecue style is its own and favours a heavy smoke and a simple rub. Try Atlanta’s popular barbecue restaurant Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q in the city’s Candler Park neighbourhood which offers signature smoked brisket, pulled pork, wings, and unique sides or head to Community Q in Decatur for tender rib meat, juicy, smokey pulled pork and chicken piled high on Texas toast with sides of . molasses-rich baked beans, crunchy slaw, and tangy pickled beets.

Fried Chicken

Fried chicken is a Southern institution, with each city offering its own take. Hot Chicken is a Nashville original, invented by a scorned lover seeking revenge nearly 100 years ago and first served at the famed Prince’s Hot Chicken. Today, the fried chicken dish doused in fiery spices and served on a bed of white bread with a pickle can be found at restaurants throughout the city, with heat levels ranging from mild to XXX Hot.

Atlanta’s love for this hot and tasty legacy can be experienced at some of the city’s iconic restaurants such as Paschal’s in Castleberry Hill and The Busy Bee where Civil rights leaders including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr have dined.

Indulge your taste buds at Taste of Soul Atlanta 2025, the city’s ultimate celebration of soul food and culture which takes place every August.  From sizzling fried chicken to creamy mac and cheese and homemade desserts; TOSA brings you the best soul food from Atlanta’s top restaurants, vendors and chefs. 



Shrimp and Grits

Shrimp and grits is a Southern staple, with grits being a classic comfort food made from ground corn that is slowly cooked until soft and creamy (think Italian polenta). This dish is interpreted differently in each city. In Atlanta, try rich, smooth versions at Flying Biscuit or extra-cheesy takes at South City Kitchen. Head to the roof top of Ponce City Market, one of the hottest locations in Atlanta, to sample a playful take on shrimp and grits with added popcorn!

Nashville serves its own twist with hearty, spiced versions at The Marsh House and The Southern Steak & Oyster, reflecting the city’s love of Southern seafood. For a version with blackened shrimp, head to Puckett’s Restaurant, a Southern bar and grill with an old-general-store feel and a large stage for live music acts.

Biscuits

Biscuits is a breakfast favourite with local variations across the South. Southern biscuits are a type of fluffy, flaky large scone made from flour, buttermilk, lard, and baking powder. Traditionally, southern biscuits are prepared using a special variety of flour known as soft wheat flour, and they generally include lard or shortening rather than butter.

In Nashville, they often feature fried chicken with a hint of hot spice, paired with cheese or sausage gravy. Be sure to visit the Loveless Café, a true Nashville icon. Atlanta favours classic versions, such as those at Bomb Biscuit Co. or Home Grown GA, highlighting flaky, buttery biscuits and crispy chicken. New Orleans adds Creole-inspired flavours, sometimes including remoulade or Cajun spices, served at spots such as Willa Jean and Bearcat Café. This combination of biscuit and chicken remains a symbol of Southern ingenuity and comfort.

Peach Cobbler

Peach cobbler is a beloved Southern dessert, and each city has its own twist. Originally created by settlers when they first arrived in the US, it is called cobbler because the lumpy, haphazardly placed biscuit dough resembles the appearance of a cobbled stone pathway when baked.

In Atlanta, Georgia’s Peach State pride shines with rich, buttery cobblers at restaurants such as Mary Mac’s Tea Room or the Peach Cobbler Café. Nashville offers both classic and modern versions, including caramelised or spiced peach fillings at  the Southern. New Orleans introduces French-Creole influences, with cobblers featuring liqueurs or crisp pastry toppings at establishments like Café du Monde and Commander’s Palace. The dish captures the South’s warmth, comfort, and tradition.

Photo Credit: Todd Coleman

Gumbo

Gumbo is a thick, flavoursome stew that varies widely across the South. In New Orleans, the iconic version often combines chicken, sausage, seafood, okra, and a dark roux. Classic examples can be found at homes and restaurants such as Commander’s Palace.

Po’boys

Piled with lettuce, tomato and pickles and typically filled with roast beef, fried shrimp, oysters, po-boys are stuffed and slathered with sauce or mayonnaise, and then served between two long pieces of French stick. There are many types of po-boy sandwiches from a combo of oyster and shrimp to a surf and turf and beyond.

The annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival in November highlights not only the importance of the po-boy itself, but also the rebirth of a once-thriving shopping district with roots as deep as the neighbourhood itself. Carrollton was a separate city until it was annexed by New Orleans in 1874, and Oak Street was its commercial hub. At Oak Street Po-Boy Fest, try dozens of varieties of po-boys whilst you listen to live music, explore the arts market, and sample lots of other foods, too. Expect to sample everything from oysters Rockefeller po-boys to smoked beef cheek po-boys to deep fried buffalo shrimp banh mi and vegan oyster mushroom po-boys.



Photo Credit: Joyce Bracey

Jambalaya

Jambalaya is both a culinary staple and a storied dish in New Orleans. It has been part of the city’s cuisine since Colonial Spanish settlers attempted to recreate their native paella with locally sourced ingredients. Today, jambalaya typically combines chicken, seafood, sausage, or all three, along with peppers, onions, spices, and rice. Originally a Creole dish influenced by both French and Spanish traditions, it has become hugely popular throughout Louisiana.

Versions include seasoned sausages and fresh regional seafood, with rice as the foundation. Spicy variations with chicken, andouille sausage, rice, and Cajun seasonings are also common. Try Napoleon House, Gumbo Shop or French Market Restaurant in New Orleans.