The Café Tripadvisor Users Named The Best 'Hidden Gem' In The US For 2022

Travelers and locals alike love hidden gems. Whether it be a restaurant, a beach, or a hotel, people love to be in the know about spots that haven't been thrust into the spotlight just yet, and the U.S. has no shortage of under-the-radar spots just waiting to be discovered. 

Although some may prefer if the locals-only spots stayed in the shadows, travel website Tripadvisor releases its Best of the Best Travelers' Choice Awards in several categories each year. The categories include best destinations, things to do, hotels, and restaurants across the globe, or you can narrow it down to regions or within the U.S. The restaurant awards are further broken down into several types of eateries including fine dining, picture-perfect, and hidden gems, and the winners in each category are chosen by people who have visited and reviewed the establishments (per Tripadvisor). 

This year, 25 of America's best-hidden gem restaurants were ranked by travelers. The restaurants ranged from hole-in-the-wall pizza joints to barbecue served up in a country store, but a restaurant in a uniquely artsy location secured the top spot.

Tripadvisor's best-hidden gem restaurant of 2022 is Joe's at the Jepson in Savannah, Georgia. Joe's is a café housed inside the Telfair Museums' Jepson Center, which is a modern museum located in the heart of downtown Savannah that educates visitors about the city's art, history, and architecture. The restaurant opened in 2019 and is helmed by famed chef Theodore Paskevich and partner Donald Holland. 

The café offers daily lunch, weekly afternoon tea, and Sunday brunch, per their official website. The menu includes elevated café food with familiar items like tomato basil soup, Cobb salad, and ham and tuna sandwiches. The menu is constantly evolving and new menu items often draw inspiration from the museum's exhibits (per the restaurant's page on Tripadvisor).

It's no surprise that this Southern hidden gem won this coveted award because Tripadvisor reviewers gave Joe's 892 "excellent" reviews. "If you like fresh ingredients and consider yourself a foodie, you need to stop in for lunch," one fan wrote in their review. Unfortunately, according to Joe's Facebook page, the restaurant will be closing in mid-October for Paskevich and Holland to focus their full attention on their product line, The Southern Conserve. The good news is the restaurant will continue to accept reservations through October.