Eat at Paula Deen's Restaurant in Savannah Without Gaining 5 Pounds

Paula Deen fans come to Savannah, Georgia, from all over the world, lining up to get a table at her flagship restaurant, The Lady and Sons (the sons, of course, referring to her handsome offspring Jamie and Bobby Deen). A trip to Paula's restaurant is exhilarating (will she be there?) and comforting. The culinary offerings at The Lady and Sons represent comfort food at its best, featuring the very finest Southern soul cuisine: traditional barbeque, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, sweet potatoes, and fried chicken. It is familiar fare for those who grew up south of the Mason-Dixon line and prepared with care and love. And butter, lots and lots of butter and other fats.

So, if you're coming to Paula Deen's restaurant and are trying to eat healthy, how do you manage it? As someone who eats at the restaurant several times a week, I have had to develop strategies to lower the fat intake while still enjoying the best that Paula has to offer.

The Buffet

Paula Deen's buffet offers not only the best value but the best variety of Southern classics. The menu rotates but always includes favorites like fried chicken, sweet potatoes, collards and butter beans. For calorie-conscious patrons, the buffet always includes baked chicken alongside the fried. Paula's baked chicken is magnificent, rubbed with herbs and spices and very tender and juicy. If you want to reduce fat even more, you can remove the skin from the chicken and the flavors still permeate the meat. Include a generous serving of collard greens to get a lot of vitamin B with only a little extra fat and you are well on your way to a reasonably healthy meal. The restaurant also has a salad bar, so you can build your own salad and have as much or as little veggies as you like.

The Menu