At the table · September 2026
A good plate with an expensive lunch tab
Perfectly cooked shrimp and a delicious tasso gravy made this an enjoyable plate, despite heavy garlic, slightly underdone grits, and too much scallion garnish. At $32.90, value was the biggest criticism.
- Visited
- September 2026
- Price
- $32.90
- Poor: The price outran the plate.Value is the sixth taste: our own judgment of what arrived for what it cost. It stands apart from the grade.How we review
- Poor
- A really solid dish, with some minor complaints.Our overall call on the plate, from A+ to F.How we review
- B+
- Lowcountry Score
- 80/100
The shrimp and grits at Ardsley Station made for an enjoyable lunch. Eight medium shrimp, smoked gouda grits, and a delicious tasso gravy gave me plenty to like. But at $32.90 for the plate, there was also plenty to expect.
The shrimp were perfect in texture and cook. The garlic was heavy enough to cost them a few points, though. The grits were coarse and stone-ground, with good flavor and an adequate portion, but the preparation was underwhelming. They were a little underdone and not as creamy as stone-ground grits should be, especially after adding cheese.
The roux-based tasso gravy was pretty darn delicious. It had good flavor and complexity, and its traditional foundation suited the dish. The Aleppo pepper worked well, too. I love Aleppo pepper; its presence cost a little on the Lowcountry side because it is a nontraditional ingredient here, but it tasted right at home.
The garnish was a stranger problem. Shredded scallion tops are a traditional enough addition, but there were simply too many of them. They overwhelmed the other components and upset the proportions of a plate that otherwise worked well together. I could have kicked them off, but I shouldn’t have to as the garnish should finish the dish, not change it.
The biggest criticism, unfortunately, is value. With one drink and tip, this lunch came to over $50 per person. For lunch. Value is the sixth taste, and at $32.90, the shrimp and grits needed to do more to justify the price. I enjoyed the dish, but that is poor value in Savannah. B+.