My two daughters and I recently returned home from our first trip to Savannah. We all loved it. We stayed at the Kimpton Brice Hotel on East Bay Street. Everything was simply amazing. City Market, River Street, Forsyth Park, and the Maritime Museum were all wonderful! I will definitely be going back!
Mark is like the uncle we all never had. The man who gave us wisdom so we could have the best time possible in life. Thank you Mark, you are a true gentleman and expert!
We love Savannah. Back in 2008 my husband asked, where are we going for vacation this year. I looked at a map for a while and said Savannah, Ga. He said ok. Don't have any idea why I chose it, but him, our daughter and I went. Loved every minute. We did a Ghost tour, a Trolley Tour and basically explored this beautiful place. When our trip was over and we were at the airport to fly home, I started crying. I didn't want to leave this beautiful place. We ended up going there every year until 2017 when my husband passed away. My daughter and I went back to Savannah in 2019 and will be going again this year. Some places we enjoy eating at are The Ordinary Pub, Seafood Shack, Treylor Park, Clary's Cafe. There are many places to choose from. If you run into a local, just ask them where they like to eat. I worked in the Hospitality Industry for many years and asking locals is a good way to find places. Just remember the hotel staff are sometimes given incentives to recommended their places. Ask at a local store such as a bookstore or other type place. Enjoy Savannah. It's worth the trip.
I meant to change my review a bit. My daughter had the STEAMED seafood that came in a large bad which was featured on a show at Food Netwrk and she loved it. I had the fried oyster meal and I knew after 1st bite of my oyster that it WAS NOT FRESH. The absolute best fried oysters are at the Cotton Exchange on River Street. These fried oysters are so good. We eat there every time we visit Savannah . You can tell these oysters are fresh. Ate there 3 times and I had the fried oysters every time.
As a Savannah Native born and raised. I agree with everything you said. Only thing I disagree with is Paula Deens has never been good., It was always kinda gross, salty food and just boring. Speaking of boring. Pretty much all of downtown restaurants are boring and same ole same ole. There's a couple that stand out that I go to a few times a month. One would be Crystal Beer parlour, pretty good been around for ever. Sister's of the new south has great soul food, Vic's, treylor park, Hitch, shucks, 98% of downtown restaurants are boring., Basically the entirety of downtown is a tourist trap. Savannah is a big city, see your sights, grab your beers, see your ghosts, then venture out past Broughton..but only during the day cause if you enjoy being mugged, savannah's your spot at night 😂
I do love this, because when I started living there as a student, It took me a while to realize the tourist traps are never really worth it compared to the more hidden options you can find simply exploring xx
As a local who lived downtown, every time a tourist asked me where to eat I told them Betty Bombers. It’s way better a much more cost effective than everything else. Plus, it’s cool and has a very nostalgic vibe.
Why? The way I see it you’re helping someone who can’t make money any other way. What’s five dollars to people? They’re not being sold as a rose. They’re being asked for a donation.😊
oh my goodness, Dad...... those boys are so grown. When I had stopped in Savannah, my sons and I went to a big old house that was the Maritime Museum. I didn't know if they would like it or think it was boring...but they loved it.
I am a Savannah local, in fact, I am THE Savannah local. I have to give it to ole Wolter here, he nails it. Every single one of his tourist trap observations is exactly on point. Leopold's is great (as he mentions, Savannah Socialite is the go-to flavor) but don't stand in line. Other than the airport, as he mentions, you can get pints at a lot of the Enmarket gas stations around town. Nobody who lives here eats on River Street, or at Lady and Sons, and yeah, the food at Moon River isn't worth it. If you must do a ghost tour, do the walking one that is also a pub crawl. Anybody who wants legit recommendations though, I'm happy to lob them your way--though you might have to venture a bit to get the goods (e.g. Auspicious Bakery and Finches.)
I wouldn’t say nobody who live here eats on River Street. I’m a local and eat at Tubby’s when I have the opportunity. I prefer the one on River street over the one in Thunderbolt.
We go regularly. The one food place that I tell people to skip is Vinnie Van GoGos. It's "fine", I guess, but there are WAY better places to eat. I'd argue that you can skip City Market entirely and not be missing anything. River Street, while touristy, is the good kind of touristy.
We visited Savannah in 1994 right after the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was published. Every local we met said they were someone mentioned in the book, but maybe under a different name! And we toured a mansion only to find out later that the people living in it weren't actually the owners. The owners were living in Europe and these folks were squatters not only living for free but making money on a house tour scam!
OMG! I can’t believe Savannah has become a tourist hot spot with all the attendant trash that goes with it. When I was there back in the 80’s it was a normal city which I really enjoyed] and have great memories.
My wife and I found Savannah to be quite walkable when we visited. Except for the construction going on in the downtown area at the time. Plus due to Covid and its after effects many restaurants were limited hours due to being short staffed. And when walking the squares in the older part of the city offer a cool place to chill out for a while.
Savannah is one of our favorite cities to visit. We've done a few vlogs there and can't wait to go back someday. Ghost Tours are for sure all over the place. Ghosts are money makers. If ticket prices were right, my house could be haunted! We did a Touring the Square of Savannah vlog and it still to this day was one of my favorite vlogs to make. We walked it all too!
At Tybee, check out HuckaPoo's! It's a little pizza join tucked in a little alcove with some of the coolest shops out there. Really cheap, and really good food, slices are huge for $5 and perfect for when you're starving after the beach.
I travel to Savannah as often as I can, and my wife and I moved there for a summer for our honeymoon a few years back. That being said, I always tell people that the traditional museums in town (with the exception of Telfair) are to be avoided. Not that they are "bad" or "lame", but they are just underwhelming compared to house tours in the city. The Railroad museum is a good option for people with kids, though.
Buff’s cookies is a must! So good! And Savannah Seafood Shack is pretty good. Crab Shack is overpriced and overrated IMO. Bonaventure is beautiful and interesting. City Market is nice when love music is playing. At John the Baptist Cathedral is a must see. Breathtakingly beautiful inside!
As a former Leopold’s Employee (and I’m actually one of the ones in the first interior shot of the store), the line moves much faster than you’d expect. If you can handle a 30-45 minute wait (our usual wait time), then it’s well worth the wait Edit: Also, we do send someone to give water and menus to the people in the line. Edit 2: Also, as a local, to those of you thinking of moving here, please be mindful of your driving habits. It’s gotten a bit rough here.
Paula Dean’s place was horrible - mostly salt and fat! Too crowded, rude staff, poor service = never again. We loved Molly McPherson’s Scottish pub - good food from family recipes and great service. The architecture and history alone are worth a visit to Savannah.
Estes Park co Stanley Hotel a great place to go. You should take your family. Not a bad drive. Stop in Q city on way out and back. Stanley Hotel nice but Solitude cabins great but if Stanley stay across street in new AC rooms. Be sure to go trout fishing with a guide. Kids would enjoy. Great booze
I remember in the 80 s we went to the hotel on river street. Sent my son in and they upgraded us to a suite. That was the start. Then we went on a horse and buggy ghost tour. My my things have changed. Well of course
I feel like you don't quite understand the meaning of the word "trap." It's pretty much like any destination city, State Fair, theme park, movie theater concession stand, etc. People come for an experience. They are not victims. They know the funnel cakes are going to be outrageously priced and the line is going to be all the way to the parking lot. Only if they were being scammed into spending money and getting **nothing** in return would it be, to my understanding, a trap. 😊❤⛲
Good list. Ghost tours are meh, Leopoldo always has a line ALWAYS and like... the ice cream is good but not that good. So so so many great restaurants to go to. I actually like some of the plant riverside places for sure. But man.. most of the popular places are def not worth it. I think the best thing to do is go near victory or Forsyth eat around there then walk all the squares and Jones street. Lots to see.
can somebody recommend a good ghost tour in Savannah where one can see REAL ghosts? Not these goofy ones where they have some guy wearing a sheet jump out and yell "boo!" at you for $50, what a rip-off.
Hell no don’t go to tybee unless you have a car even then, please don’t go to tybee. It’s a trashy beach and a lot of the locals are rude as well abd a lot of druggies like to hang out there too. If you take an Uber there good luck getting back because no Uber will pick you up there and a shuttle back will charge you up to $100+ just to take you back to the mainland not even to your hotel. I am a local, PLEASE go to Hilton head, Tybee sucks
you don't know anything about history if you think Savannah is not haunted. I am here now and the corporate hotel I am in is super haunted. Including: My ghost equipment going nuts, my ovillus going off, and responses i've never seen in any city either. This city is FULL of spirits
I like your videos. You are very informative and generally spot on. I will, however, take issue with your use of the phrase tourist trap. More specifically, trap. You are describing many great tourist spots or tourist destinations. But you are calling them traps. I disagree. There are tourist traps (tourist specific shops that charge higher than appropriate fees for less than desirable goods. But you have been, in my opinion, unfair in your descriptions. Otherwise, good video. Very informative.
One of the things my wife and I have done regarding places to eat is follow DDD. Sadly, thanks to the "situation" and now our awesome economy, many of those places no longer exist, so you have to do your homework. But we have found some really great places we probably never would have found if it were not for that show. They've become are must-hit's when we're in town.
Kind of hard to experience the yum of Leopold's if you don't stand in line. It's about visiting in a less crowded time and bringing your patience (they also were offering cups of water when we stood in line for an hour). And. yes, travel can be all about tourist traps which to us tourists is some of the reason we visit a highly acclaimed city like Savannah. I am a tourist, trap me please.
So, are these "tourist traps", or "tourist scams" -like your click bait title says. And hilarious that you call Leopold's a tourist trap because people have to stand in line, but praise Mrs Wikes - where you stand in line up to two hours sometimes.
My two daughters and I recently returned home from our first trip to Savannah. We all loved it. We stayed at the Kimpton Brice Hotel on East Bay Street. Everything was simply amazing. City Market, River Street, Forsyth Park, and the Maritime Museum were all wonderful! I will definitely be going back!
Mark is like the uncle we all never had. The man who gave us wisdom so we could have the best time possible in life. Thank you Mark, you are a true gentleman and expert!
There is no place better to stroll with a drink and people watch than River St. We live about 30 minutes away, we absolutely love it.
awesome!
We love Savannah. Back in 2008 my husband asked, where are we going for vacation this year. I looked at a map for a while and said Savannah, Ga. He said ok. Don't have any idea why I chose it, but him, our daughter and I went. Loved every minute. We did a Ghost tour, a Trolley Tour and basically explored this beautiful place. When our trip was over and we were at the airport to fly home, I started crying. I didn't want to leave this beautiful place. We ended up going there every year until 2017 when my husband passed away.
My daughter and I went back to Savannah in 2019 and will be going again this year. Some places we enjoy eating at are The Ordinary Pub, Seafood Shack, Treylor Park, Clary's Cafe. There are many places to choose from. If you run into a local, just ask them where they like to eat. I worked in the Hospitality Industry for many years and asking locals is a good way to find places. Just remember the hotel staff are sometimes given incentives to recommended their places. Ask at a local store such as a bookstore or other type place.
Enjoy Savannah. It's worth the trip.
I meant to change my review a bit. My daughter had the STEAMED seafood that came in a large bad which was featured on a show at Food Netwrk and she loved it. I had the fried oyster meal and I knew after 1st bite of my oyster that it WAS NOT FRESH.
The absolute best fried oysters are at the Cotton Exchange on River Street. These fried oysters are so good. We eat there every time we visit Savannah . You can tell these oysters are fresh. Ate there 3 times and I had the fried oysters every time.
As a Savannah Native born and raised. I agree with everything you said. Only thing I disagree with is Paula Deens has never been good., It was always kinda gross, salty food and just boring.
Speaking of boring. Pretty much all of downtown restaurants are boring and same ole same ole. There's a couple that stand out that I go to a few times a month. One would be Crystal Beer parlour, pretty good been around for ever. Sister's of the new south has great soul food, Vic's, treylor park, Hitch, shucks, 98% of downtown restaurants are boring.,
Basically the entirety of downtown is a tourist trap. Savannah is a big city, see your sights, grab your beers, see your ghosts, then venture out past Broughton..but only during the day cause if you enjoy being mugged, savannah's your spot at night 😂
We found this to be true of her restaurant in Pigeon Forge. Might have been the worst place we ate at the entire trip.
I do love this, because when I started living there as a student, It took me a while to realize the tourist traps are never really worth it compared to the more hidden options you can find simply exploring xx
As a local who lived downtown, every time a tourist asked me where to eat I told them Betty Bombers. It’s way better a much more cost effective than everything else. Plus, it’s cool and has a very nostalgic vibe.
lives along the georgia coast all my life, this guy nails it.
Moon River closed 1 week ago also my friend that worked there said it had ghosts
should have mentioned the palm roses. You buy one and you're a mark for the rest of the trip.
Nobody goes to Tybee island on the weekend. It’s too crowded. Got stuck in the loop around.
Leopalds sounds like Voodoo Donuts in PDX.
When at Tybee try Bubba Gumbo's. Little shack on the creek,the fish is local and very good.
Local to Savannah here! Do not buy the palm roses! They’ll say it’s free then ask for $5.
And then they don't get $5.... whats the problem?
Why? The way I see it you’re helping someone who can’t make money any other way. What’s five dollars to people? They’re not being sold as a rose. They’re being asked for a donation.😊
Go to City Market and pop over to that Byrd's location if you're going to go to Byrd's. We've been to several locations, that's our favorite.
oh my goodness, Dad...... those boys are so grown. When I had stopped in Savannah, my sons and I went to a big old house that was the Maritime Museum. I didn't know if they would like it or think it was boring...but they loved it.
When I was at SCAD Chucks Bar was my favorite dive bar, unfortunately I think its closed now.
I am a Savannah local, in fact, I am THE Savannah local. I have to give it to ole Wolter here, he nails it. Every single one of his tourist trap observations is exactly on point. Leopold's is great (as he mentions, Savannah Socialite is the go-to flavor) but don't stand in line. Other than the airport, as he mentions, you can get pints at a lot of the Enmarket gas stations around town. Nobody who lives here eats on River Street, or at Lady and Sons, and yeah, the food at Moon River isn't worth it. If you must do a ghost tour, do the walking one that is also a pub crawl. Anybody who wants legit recommendations though, I'm happy to lob them your way--though you might have to venture a bit to get the goods (e.g. Auspicious Bakery and Finches.)
I wouldn’t say nobody who live here eats on River Street. I’m a local and eat at Tubby’s when I have the opportunity. I prefer the one on River street over the one in Thunderbolt.
Normally I wouldn't stand in line, but I love Leopold's, and the line moves really fast.
Would love food recommendations from a local.
I love your Georgia videos.
We go regularly. The one food place that I tell people to skip is Vinnie Van GoGos. It's "fine", I guess, but there are WAY better places to eat. I'd argue that you can skip City Market entirely and not be missing anything. River Street, while touristy, is the good kind of touristy.
But Vinnie's is a really great pizza place if that's what u want. It's definitely not chain pizza
We visited Savannah in 1994 right after the book "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" was published. Every local we met said they were someone mentioned in the book, but maybe under a different name! And we toured a mansion only to find out later that the people living in it weren't actually the owners. The owners were living in Europe and these folks were squatters not only living for free but making money on a house tour scam!
Pretty ironic considering that’s what Joe Odom does in the book 😂
@@Frost-ze6rw yep!
Last time I was in Savannah(5years ago). We went to the pink house for lunch. Is that still there?
Yep. It's still there :)
OMG! I can’t believe Savannah has become a tourist hot spot with all the attendant trash that goes with it. When I was there back in the 80’s it was a normal city which I really enjoyed] and have great memories.
My wife and I found Savannah to be quite walkable when we visited. Except for the construction going on in the downtown area at the time. Plus due to Covid and its after effects many restaurants were limited hours due to being short staffed. And when walking the squares in the older part of the city offer a cool place to chill out for a while.
Savannah is one of our favorite cities to visit. We've done a few vlogs there and can't wait to go back someday. Ghost Tours are for sure all over the place. Ghosts are money makers. If ticket prices were right, my house could be haunted! We did a Touring the Square of Savannah vlog and it still to this day was one of my favorite vlogs to make. We walked it all too!
Wow great sharing 👍
thank you!
Many thanks for sharing, dude….
you are very welcome!
Are there sites to look up best local non touristy restaurants?
Yeah, the ones with the hokey ghost apps, naw. The real weird history of Savannah is spooky enough!
At Tybee, check out HuckaPoo's! It's a little pizza join tucked in a little alcove with some of the coolest shops out there. Really cheap, and really good food, slices are huge for $5 and perfect for when you're starving after the beach.
Jocelyn looks really pretty in the thumbnail for this video ^.^
thank you
When does she not?
Woud be cool if you did a video about fueraventura in the canary islands, going to travel there and woud like to know what there is to do...
Hi Wolter, we’d love to show you around San Luis Obispo, CA - the happiest city in America!
Thank you! Hopefully we will get your way one of these days!
@@WoltersWorldShorts you’re the best!
I’d love to say hi if you’re still in the Savannah area! Moving to Savannah was an amazing decision and I love my home
I travel to Savannah as often as I can, and my wife and I moved there for a summer for our honeymoon a few years back. That being said, I always tell people that the traditional museums in town (with the exception of Telfair) are to be avoided. Not that they are "bad" or "lame", but they are just underwhelming compared to house tours in the city. The Railroad museum is a good option for people with kids, though.
Leopold icecream was mid. I would rather have ice cream from the supermarket.
Pedicab tourist trap? Clearly you’ve never been drunk downtown Savannah 😂
Buff’s cookies is a must! So good! And Savannah Seafood Shack is pretty good. Crab Shack is overpriced and overrated IMO. Bonaventure is beautiful and interesting. City Market is nice when love music is playing. At John the Baptist Cathedral is a must see. Breathtakingly beautiful inside!
Just subscribed, like your realness! Ps- I love ghost devices ghost hunting! Lol
Thank you Julia
U can buy a pint of ice cream from the cooler inside. Bypass the line
As a former Leopold’s Employee (and I’m actually one of the ones in the first interior shot of the store), the line moves much faster than you’d expect. If you can handle a 30-45 minute wait (our usual wait time), then it’s well worth the wait
Edit: Also, we do send someone to give water and menus to the people in the line.
Edit 2: Also, as a local, to those of you thinking of moving here, please be mindful of your driving habits. It’s gotten a bit rough here.
Paula Dean’s place, Lady & Sons, is now family style only😮. They used to have a really good crab cake sandwich.
Best way is just take us 17 head north to Charleston and enjoy the ride.
Where is the regular town. Like where the locals live grocery stores Walmart target home Depot the no tourist part of town?
Paula Dean’s place was horrible - mostly salt and fat! Too crowded, rude staff, poor service = never again. We loved Molly McPherson’s Scottish pub - good food from family recipes and great service. The architecture and history alone are worth a visit to Savannah.
Estes Park co Stanley Hotel a great place to go. You should take your family. Not a bad drive. Stop in Q city on way out and back. Stanley Hotel nice but Solitude cabins great but if Stanley stay across street in new AC rooms. Be sure to go trout fishing with a guide. Kids would enjoy. Great booze
Friend of ours stayed there and want us to go as well :)
I remember in the 80 s we went to the hotel on river street. Sent my son in and they upgraded us to a suite. That was the start. Then we went on a horse and buggy ghost tour. My my things have changed. Well of course
Buena comida rico saludos 🤗
There are so many good places to eat and drink in Savannah there is no reason to go to the tourist traps.
I feel like you don't quite understand the meaning of the word "trap."
It's pretty much like any destination city, State Fair, theme park, movie theater concession stand, etc.
People come for an experience.
They are not victims.
They know the funnel cakes are going to be outrageously priced and the line is going to be all the way to the parking lot.
Only if they were being scammed into spending money and getting **nothing** in return would it be, to my understanding, a trap.
😊❤⛲
❤❤❤❤❤
I’m going finally lol 😂
have fun!
Two Tides is better than Moon River for beer but I like the Moon River food
Good list. Ghost tours are meh, Leopoldo always has a line ALWAYS and like... the ice cream is good but not that good. So so so many great restaurants to go to. I actually like some of the plant riverside places for sure. But man.. most of the popular places are def not worth it. I think the best thing to do is go near victory or Forsyth eat around there then walk all the squares and Jones street. Lots to see.
can somebody recommend a good ghost tour in Savannah where one can see REAL ghosts? Not these goofy ones where they have some guy wearing a sheet jump out and yell "boo!" at you for $50, what a rip-off.
Hell no don’t go to tybee unless you have a car even then, please don’t go to tybee.
It’s a trashy beach and a lot of the locals are rude as well abd a lot of druggies like to hang out there too.
If you take an Uber there good luck getting back because no Uber will pick you up there and a shuttle back will charge you up to $100+ just to take you back to the mainland not even to your hotel.
I am a local, PLEASE go to Hilton head, Tybee sucks
Savannah is my hometown as an African American young person it was very racist!
Are you getting hate from the businesses you mentioned in this video?
you don't know anything about history if you think Savannah is not haunted. I am here now and the corporate hotel I am in is super haunted. Including: My ghost equipment going nuts, my ovillus going off, and responses i've never seen in any city either. This city is FULL of spirits
I like your videos. You are very informative and generally spot on. I will, however, take issue with your use of the phrase tourist trap. More specifically, trap. You are describing many great tourist spots or tourist destinations. But you are calling them traps. I disagree. There are tourist traps (tourist specific shops that charge higher than appropriate fees for less than desirable goods. But you have been, in my opinion, unfair in your descriptions. Otherwise, good video. Very informative.
One of the things my wife and I have done regarding places to eat is follow DDD. Sadly, thanks to the "situation" and now our awesome economy, many of those places no longer exist, so you have to do your homework. But we have found some really great places we probably never would have found if it were not for that show. They've become are must-hit's when we're in town.
There are real ghosts there believe it or not
Kind of hard to experience the yum of Leopold's if you don't stand in line. It's about visiting in a less crowded time and bringing your patience (they also were offering cups of water when we stood in line for an hour). And. yes, travel can be all about tourist traps which to us tourists is some of the reason we visit a highly acclaimed city like Savannah. I am a tourist, trap me please.
Chris Wessling
Tourist Trap ... and DRINK
So basically all the city is a tourist scam ?🙄
So, are these "tourist traps", or "tourist scams" -like your click bait title says.
And hilarious that you call Leopold's a tourist trap because people have to stand in line, but praise Mrs Wikes - where you stand in line up to two hours sometimes.
Tybee is fighting Mrytle Beach for first place of garbage
Wow it very good video , I am very like your review. ❤❤❤❤