31 Best Southern Restaurants near National Harbor

“Think of the cool vibe and lighting of a classic New Orleans restaurant and mix it with the eclectic mix of American southern and Korean cuisine. Especially great for vegetarians and gluten intolerant folks. The deviled eggs, crispy Korean cauliflower and fried pickles were particularly tasty.“

“Went to Kitchen +Kocktails for the first time last night. The decor was very nice, and the music was good and not obnoxious. Our server Ally was terrific! I’m not a drinker, so when I asked her if there were any cocktails that didn’t taste like alcohol, I thought she would look at me like I was crazy, but she didn’t! She seemed to know exactly what I was talking about and immediately had a couple of suggestions. I went with the mixed berry lemon drop and it was perfect for me. The crab cake appetizers and shrimp and grits with lobster tail entree were amazing. We had a great time and we’ll be back!“

“went this weekend for a birthday lunch and the food is amazing! Courtney was an awesome server. Did not disappoint!“

“Love love love Succotash. We had Taste of the South and was BLOWN AWAY by the food. Come with a group so you can really share. Must get steak, greens, pickled okra, shrimp and grits, and the cornbread.

Service from Jeizon D was chef's kiss! Met our every need, cleared and cleaned our tables like a 5-star french restaurants. Drinks flowing all night.

And who doesn't love this ambiance!?!?“

“This was a fabulous find. Being the Southern inspired menu, we opted for the fried green tomato appetizer, panko breaded deviled eggs were an unexpected and unusual offering that was phenomenally delicious. We also enjoyed their cajun pasta to round out the meal. We had courteous service from staff that were friendly, responsive and informative and efficient and fun. Very reasonable priced for quality and quantity of food. Highly recommend.“

“Milk & Honey really impressed me today!
From the front staff to the cook, everyone was pleasant and welcoming. You can tell they genuinely love what they do—nothing but smiles all around.

I placed my order online, and unfortunately one item didn’t show up on their end. Even so, they took the time to try figure out the confusion and made sure I received my missing item without any issues.

Customer service like this is hard to find these days. Location was clean and the ambience was everything.
Everyone was kind, patient, and professional.
I’ll definitely be back!

Thank you,
From CT“

“Honestly, this was the best and most unique meal I've had in a long time. We shared the Pimento cheese which was wonderful. I had the Pennsylvania Pekin Duck. I had never had duck before and this dish had duck breast and a fried leg. Both were amazing. It was impossible to choose a favorite. I'm sure duck is ruined for me now. Oh and for desert we had Coffee and Cigarettes, which was served in an ash tray. I've never had an experience like that with something I was eating. I was honestly blown away. That's just the food. The staff was extremely friendly and helpful. I can't wait to go back.“

“Hen Quarter Prime was AMAZING! And our server Regina made it even more AMAZING!!!!! This was the first experience for my wife and I and we will be back ! Regina was very attentive, responsive, and personable. She made a 10/10 experience 100/10 and I will definitely be back to Hen Quarter Prime because“

“Great service, delicious food, and an amazing atmosphere!“

“My family and I were in dc about 2 weeks ago and found this gem of an eatery at the Union Market and it was DELICIOUS 🤤 By far the absolute BEST bread puddin I have ever had in my life and we are from the south and I have eaten a lot of bread puddin. Please let me know when you start shipping because u have a huge fan base in Texas 😊 Katrina Briggs - Dallas, TX“

“The overall experience was amazing, the food was great, and the service was perfect. The only item that I would offer a recommendation on is the kids' menu. It offered only 2 items, leaving most kids without something simple like eggs. The menu offered bacon or French toast, but no eggs, which seemed really interesting. Overall, my food and drinks were great. We would most likely go again in the near future.“

“Our organization had an after Capital Hill dinner at the Milk & Honey Restaurant last night and the Atmosphere, Food, and Staff were all exceptional. They had a DJ playing music and everyone was up dancing and had a great time.

I highly recommend the staff, food, and the restaurant, for your next visit, party or organizational event to be held here.“

“Hometown Hitter! This place has been around since before I was born. However since I am new to the chicken on the bone crew and have entered the group chat let me let y'all know about this Alexandria City staple! First of all 530-230 Monday-Friday DASSIT. Don't try to go on Saturday or Sunday, you've been warned. Now...you must get a chicken breast sandwich, whatever way they suggest it to you, get it! (Hot sauce white bread etc) Now my hometown hitter has some new stuff on the menu that I have not tried personally but my friends/family have let us know on social media that the new dishes are a hit. We're talking about shrimp/grits to chicken/waffles. Check em out you won't be disappointed!

PS if you are ever driving around a neighborhood and a food spot has all the delivery folks...FedEx, UPS, City workers, construction workers etc that is a spot you want to try. Most of the lil small mom/pop spots are where it's at as far as good food. Just look for the blue collar workers who pull up to grab breakfast/lunch!

Wait was less than 5 minutes and this is a grab and go spot so no table! Check out the menu online. I am proud of them for branching outside of their comfort zone!

Also, growing up I got the Hamburger steak with cheese sandwich, pork chop, bean soup, bologna/egg/cheese or the good old scrapple/egg/cheese!“

“best sweet potato pie ever. all the food, drink, and service was excellent“

“Miss Toya’s didn’t disappoint. We had jerk chicken rolls, fried green tomatoes, fried deviled eggs with crab meat for appetizers. For dinner we had lamb chops, spinach, mashed potatoes, Mac and cheese, oxtails, sweet potatoes, porch chops, fried cabbage, and sweet potatoes. We had bignets, and bread pudding. The food was amazing! Very flavorful! Customer service was excellent. Marquis didn’t disappoint. He was amazing! As a matter of fact several servers checked on us throughout our time there. The atmosphere was nice. We enjoyed the music. We will return.“

“This was a fabulous find. Being the Southern inspired menu, we opted for the fried green tomato appetizer, panko breaded deviled eggs were an unexpected and unusual offering that was phenomenally delicious. We also enjoyed their cajun pasta to round out the meal. We had courteous service from staff that were friendly, responsive and informative and efficient and fun. Very reasonable priced for quality and quantity of food. Highly recommend.“

“Great location in Clinton! Good sized menu! I loved the hibiscus pineapple juice; very refreshing! The tuna was good, a little pricey though. Im not vegan and ordered the black bean chili, it would have been nice to actually have meat in it. Lol. I added raw onion and hot sauce and it was better tasting IMO. The whiting nuggets were cool, the sauce was superb. I also ordered the salmon salad but haven’t eaten it yet. The presentation is chefs kiss! So much color in the dish. I want to comeback and try the bean pie and the hibiscus ginger pineapple juice.“

“I’m not a southern food expert, but the sweet & spicy chicken and Mac-n-cheese waffles were delicious. The pimento cheese dip was delicious too.“

“Pulled pork Mac and cheese and Brussel sprouts is what I had. It was seasoned just right!!! We had a sweet waitress as well. Highly recommend this gem!“

“l had a good time..luv the ambience..awsome barmaid..would love to come back to celebrate my bday there this month“

“Amazing! We spent Christmas Eve dinner at King & Rye and the staff was incredible so attentive even though they were incredibly busy, and the food was perfectly done. Everything came out in a timely manner without feeling too rushed, the ambience was fabulous, we can not wait to come back!“

“I recently visited Marcus DC with one of my close friends and honestly could not have asked for a better experience. From the moment we walked in, the vibe was incredible and the service matched it perfectly.
We decided to go the small plates route and I'm glad we did. We started off with the oysters. The oysters paired the prickly pear piri piri and habanero sauce were absolutely delicious... bold, unique flavors that I was not expecting but loved every bite of. We also had the snapper crudo which was so well balanced and flavorful without being overdone. Just really well executed.
Now let me talk about the adobo cauliflower because it may genuinely be the best seasoned cauliflower I have ever had in my entire life. I would go back to this restaurant just for that dish alone!! Lastly, the crispy potato was also a great addition and rounded out the meal perfectly.
Everything about this visit was top tier. The food, the atmosphere, and especially the service. If you have not been to Marcus at the Morrow Hotel yet, you are truly missing out.“

“I had the best experience here at Addie‘s. The owner was amazing and super accommodating with what our request were for our order and allow us to try a variety of things on their menu. I highly recommend their turkey, yams, mac & cheese, green beans, and mashed potatoes while these are our favorite everything was well seasoned, including the cornbread, which is to die for. The staff is incredibly kind and I knew I was taken care of here at this establishment. Even though parking was slightly challenging, I most definitely will be back.“

“Loved our experience at Mt Vernon Restaurant. The restaurant fits the aesthetic of the rest of the property and feels like a step in the past. Has proper southern fare at a good price. Only disappointment was the wine selection. Even though Virginia has a great wine selection, there was only 1 bottle on the menu.“

“Honestly, this was the best service I’ve ever received! Our server/waiter was Nick and he truly made our day. So much so that we decided to leave him a substantial tip. Nick is very social aware, knowledgeable about their restaurant and items, and he thouroghly explains the highlights of their menu and a brief history of their establishment. He regularly checked in during our dinner but what really sets him apart is his high charismatic and warming energy. This was not only for our table but the surrounding tables as well. Extremely respectful and kind, and a prior service member !

All the best to Nick and we wish him and his establishment all the best. Give that man a promotion !“

“The food was very good, especially for a busy Valentine's Day. However, an automatic 18% gratuity was added for our table of three and wasn't mentioned by our server — we nearly tipped twice before noticing. I'm someone who routinely tips 20%, so clearer communication would have been appreciated. The service was also inattentive, which made the automatic charge frustrating.“

“Came here maybe 15 years ago. And it was bang in then. Came back to dc got a fish platter Mac and cheese and sweet potatoes with a slice of sweet potato pie. There might be actual narcotics in the recipe. Absolutely smashed this plate that could have fed 2. Try it. Period. Thank me later“

“FOOD IS VERY GOOD AND I LOVE STEVE AND GEORGINA“

“We absolutely love the food here. My God daughter and I really enjoyed everything about this restaurant. We will definitely be back soon 🤩“

“Went by there today (3/31/25) at 7 am and they were closed.
Mr Young and his wonderful wife are in South Korea and the business has been sold (handed off) to the same owners are the tobacco shop next store. The same workers still work at Youngs (as of 2 weeks ago when I was last in there); but the hours of operation may need to be updated.“