Boar's Head in Savannah

Since 1959

​Here is the impressive wooden door where we entered Boar's Head Tavern, last January.

The building was just a minute walk from our hotel, which was also in a restored cotton warehouse on the Savannah Riverfront.

From Low to High

We walked by the corner restaurant a number of times during our stay. The stone path from the river, took us right by the green and white awning each time we headed towards the main road above the bluff. 

The Name

It was hard not to think of deli meats with a name like Boar's Head, but we were eager to give the place a try.

Interior

The place may have been a tavern since the fifties, but the brick walls and beamed ceilings brought back the feel of the cotton warehouse days, many years before.

I was glad to see there was a boar mounted on the wall.  There was a reason for the name... besides deli meats.

The Bar

It was too dark to see the view of the river out the windows, but we were entertained by our bartender and the other guests instead.  The couple beside us, told us about recently seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland and some other travel stories.  We had nothing to top that, so we asked our bartender about some history. As she cupped her hands around a mug of tea, she actually did have quite a bit of history to share.

A Drink and History

Our bartender fixed Don this retro looking drink and told us about Chef Philip Branan, who bought Boar's Head some years back. She explained how the building (a portion of it was built in 1780) used to be owned by many different businesses, which can get pretty complicated.  Chef Philip started his career working in Savannah restaurants at age 15. Evidently he was trained at The Culinary Institute in NY, before returning to his roots in Savannah.

One of 3 Rooms

The tavern dining room had a view of the kitchen, but I didn't get a good glimpse of the chef.  It was an odd arrangement with tables and captain's chairs that could have come from a 1970's Red Lobster.  And then there was the chandelier hanging from exposed beams.

Back Room

The back room was the coziest, but a large party was filling it for a while. After they departed, we got to roam around and study the view of the river and ballast stone and brick walls.

​Ship Ladies

Don found some decor he liked.  Lots of reminders of the ships that once carried the cotton away from Savannah.

Our Meal

So we got to find out if the food was as good as we'd heard.  It actually was pretty amazing. Our very sweet server, Daniel gave us lots of suggestions.  We ended up with chicken Caesar salad, incredibly rich spinach salad and the most amazing platter of grilled mushrooms.  

Great Food & Curious Atmosphere

I will always, remember the excellent food and the somewhat quirky atmosphere.  I'm actually glad it hasn't been spiffed up with trendy tables to accent the stone and brick.  I'm glad it felt low key and comfortable... of course we were there off season.  

Mostly I'm glad we traveled the stone path to reach the stairway to the street ... or we might not have come across the cozy place!  Gotta love Old Savannah!