THE BLUE WILLOW INN
294 N. Cherokee Road, Hwy 11
Social Circle, Georgia
(770) 464-2131

A select few restaurants on our list may rival The Blue Willow Inn, but there are none that we know of that will surpass this Georgia culinary landmark. The Blue Willow is located about 35 miles east of Atlanta in a sleepy Southern town that was incorporated in 1832. Located in a beautifully restored Neo-Classical Greek Revival mansion built in 1917, this restaurant is perhaps best known for its’ Fried Green Tomatoes. This is thanks in large part to the late, great Dixie humorist, Lewis Grizzard. Grizzard just raved about this classic Southern delicacy as prepared by The Blue Willow Inn, giving them his highest rating of “five bowls of Turnip Greens.” Fried Green Tomatoes at the Willow are perhaps best enjoyed with a spoonful of their tangy Tomato Chutney.

Proprietors Louis and Billie Van Dyke opened The Blue Willow Inn on Thanksgiving Day in 1991. It was an immediate success and they now host between 4,000-5,000 diners weekly. After entering a grand hallway adorned with crystal chandeliers, you will be seated in one of the Blue Willow’s many colorful dining rooms. These rooms include the Savannah Room (featuring a cozy fireplace), the Garden Room, the Charleston Room, the Lewis Grizzard Room, and the Walton Room (the largest). Guests then proceed to the buffet tables, where they choose from 4-5 delicious meats, 9-10 Southern-style veggie dishes, soups, and salad fixings, as well as homemade biscuits, muffins and cornbread. I especially enjoyed the unusual Baked Pineapple Casserole. Everything is first rate … but be careful not to over-indulge. You’ll definitely want to save room for their incredible daily spread of desserts, including pies, cobblers, puddings, and cakes. If you’re lucky they’ll be offering their heavenly Peanut Butter Pie. The Blue Willow has now served satisfied diners from all 50 states and over 150 foreign countries. The readers of Southern Living magazine consistently rate them the Best Small Town Restaurant in the South. Please don’t leave this restaurant without a copy of their excellent “Blue Willow Inn Cookbook” (published by St. Simons Press). No lover of authentic home cooking should be without this volume!

The Blue Willow Inn is located at 294 N. Cherokee Road, GA Hwy 11 in Social Circle. From Atlanta take I-20 east, get off at Exit 47 (Highway 11), turn left and the restaurant is four miles down on the right. You can reach The Blue Willow Inn by phone at 770 464-2131. Be sure to tell them that DixieDining.com sent you!

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