The Swanson - Perry, Georgia

Shannon M.

They were busy, and we had about a 30-45 minute wait before we were seated. Our waitress was prompt in taking our drink and meal order. Our food came out in a timely manner and looked delicious. I ordered the salmon croquettes, which came with two sides. I chose collard greens and baby lima beans. I did indulge and ordered a third side and ordered the pear salad. Everything was as delicious as it looked and seasoned perfectly. They serve little biscuits to the table that are not only cute but delicious and buttery! I truly enjoyed my experience and hope to come back and try another entree.

Scott B.

Tucked in a cozy little town stands a beautiful historic home with the claim of great food. Some things are true, others are rumors.

The home is very nice, with impressive ceilings and well cared for floors, tables are covered in pristine white table cloth. The chairs solid wood, comfortable but not cozy.

We arrived at 7ish, waited 20 minutes for a table of three.

The menu consists of traditional southern cooking and we ordered with gusto. The appetizers are small biscuits and they do start off the meal well, but for this family, the balance was frankly disappointing.

We ordered a round of deviled eggs, exceptionally bland, the pickles provided the only flavor.

Then we waited for nearly 30 minutes for our meal which we expected to be grand, it fell short.

I got the baked chicken with mashed potatoes and stuffing. My chicken was cooked perfectly, but without any flavor, literally it was if they forgot any spices, salt, anything. The scoop of potatoes was just above room temperature and the gravy had started to congeal. I hoped the cornbread stuffing would make up for this but again no. It was loose, very grainy and lacked flavor.

This was also true for her boneless chicken breast covered in cheese and bacon. Cooked very well, lacking any additional flavor.

Our daughter got the chicken and dumplings where the chicken was cooked but again surprisingly flavorless.

This felt like the best senior citizen food ever. But sadly very slow service, bland food. This was not worth the drive.

Leighann C.

My family and I had the best experience at this cozy restaurant! As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with a friendly smile and seated. The service was on point, food was delicious and hot, and none of our drinks ever fell below halfway. They definitely have set the standard of what kind of service you should be able to expect from any restaurant you visit. We will definitely be dining at The Swanson again!

5 M. T. G.

Here for 2 hours with over half the tables empty and still no food. I get southern style service, but waitress has only been by twice in 2 hours so we'll just take food to go. Super fun. Food is good but so is all the other southern food around perry.

Mitchell T.

A true gem of a restaurant and staff, we plan to come back here as often as possible. We were in town for a friends wedding and The Swanson was recommended by the bride and groom. It was so good the first morning we went back the second morning before leaving Perry. If you enjoy southern comfort food, nothing disappoints. We tried probably 10 different items in the two visits and they were all wonderful. The staff is kind, attentive, and professional.

Since it was so impressive, we asked to compliment the manager personally who was present and personally checking on the entire restaurant himself during our visit. I’m paraphrasing, but he said that they’ve worked hard to create a friendly and professional family environment that’s great to work in, which translates to a better experience for the customer.

It worked, they work, love this place!

Brittany B.

The Swanson is a solid "go-to" restaurant when you want good, southern fried chicken! I'm sure there are other great options as well but, I definitely recommend you try the fried chicken! The little biscuits are amazing. I like to buy extra to take home for later. Service is always great, and of course the history of the old school house turned home turned restaurant makes for a very cozy and interesting dining atmosphere.

Kent J. W.

We can't say enough about our experience at the Swanson. We ate dinner there two nights. The food was excellent. Staff was super good. I had chicken fried chicken the first night and my wife had fried chicken. The second visit, I tried the meatloaf and my wife had prime rib. Again, both were excellent. Plenty of choices for sides. I recommend sweet potato soufflé. Prices are very reasonable. Nice atmosphere and a wide variety of choices. Full bar too. You can't go wrong eating there.

Kristina

This restaurant is OUTSTANDING! Met my sister-in-law for lunch and had a lovely meal.

Beautiful old farmhouse on a corner in downtown Perry. Parking was a challenge at lunch on a Wednesday, but doable. Be prepared to wait at least 20 minutes for a table as they do not take reservations. They do have a large patio to sit down and wait, however before 2pm it's in full sun.

I had the deviled eggs and candied pickles which were a little sweet for my taste. The tiny biscuits were firm but flaky and delicious. I had the baked chicken & cornbread dressing (choice of dark vs white) with giblet gravy, rice with brown gravy, and mashed potatoes with white gravy. Yes I love gravy and I wanted to try it all!

I felt like I'd been transported to Thanksgiving all over again. Huge portions of each, and it was ridiculously good.

I can't believe I lived in Perry 8 years and it took me living in this area over 20 to make it back down here but I will definitely be back.