Savannah is famous for Southern comfort food, but one of its most memorable sandwiches comes with a distinctly international backstory. Zunzi’s began as a tiny takeout shop serving South African-inspired food, and its enormous sandwiches soon became a local obsession.
The most famous of them all, the Conquistador, even earned national recognition.
More than two decades after opening, the restaurant has evolved into Zunzibar, a lively downtown destination with a full bar, outdoor seating, and an expanded menu. Yet the sandwiches that started it all are still there.
From its unusual cultural influences to its famous sauces, here’s what makes this Savannah institution worth discovering.
1. The Conquistador Is The Sandwich That Started It All
A generous helping of chicken, melted provolone, crisp lettuce, parmesan, and two signature sauces makes the Conquistador anything but an ordinary chicken sandwich.
It’s the creation that put Zunzi’s on the map, turning a modest Savannah takeout shop into a destination for visitors who had heard about its enormous sandwiches. The combination is straightforward enough to recognize, but the sauces give it a flavor that sets it apart from a typical deli order.
The Conquistador also attracted national attention. In 2012, Adam Richman of the Travel Channel named it the best sandwich in the South during his Best Sandwich in America competition, helping introduce Zunzi’s to an audience far beyond Georgia.
Today, the Conquistador remains on the menu at Zunzibar Savannah, served with French fries. For anyone visiting the restaurant for the first time, it’s the clearest introduction to the food that built its reputation.
2. Its Famous Sauces Make All The Difference
Ask longtime Zunzi’s fans what makes the sandwiches special, and the conversation will almost certainly turn to the sauces.
The restaurant developed a devoted following around its distinctive condiments, particularly the sauce once known as Shit Yeah! Sauce, which became closely associated with the brand’s irreverent personality.
The current Savannah menu lists an OG sauce and drizzle dressing on the Conquistador, preserving the idea that the finishing touches are just as important as the fillings.
Other sauces reveal the kitchen’s international influences. Sheba sauce accompanies the Godfather sandwich, while the menu also features peri-peri seasonings, curry preparations, and spicy dressings.
These additions help explain why Zunzi’s sandwiches feel different from conventional American subs. Rather than relying solely on meat and cheese, the kitchen builds flavor through combinations of herbs, spices, and sauces inspired by several culinary traditions.
It’s a small detail with an outsized impact on the restaurant’s identity.
3. The Restaurant Began With A South African And Swiss Couple
Zunzi’s story begins in 2005 with Johnny and Gabriella DeBeer, a married couple whose different cultural backgrounds inspired the original menu.
Johnny came from South Africa, while Gabriella grew up in Switzerland with Italian family influences. The two met while working at Olympia Café, a Greek restaurant on Savannah’s River Street, before deciding to open a place of their own.
Their cooking brought together South African, Swiss, Italian, and Dutch influences, creating a menu that didn’t fit neatly into a single category. The sandwiches were generous, the flavors were bold, and the tiny East York Street storefront quickly attracted loyal customers.
The restaurant’s name also has a personal connection. Johnny chose Zunzi’s as a reference to Zanzibar, one of his favorite vacation destinations.
What started as a small family venture eventually grew into a recognizable Savannah food institution. Its international identity wasn’t a marketing concept added later; it came directly from the lives and backgrounds of the people who founded it.
4. The Godfather Brings South African Sausage Into The Mix
If the Conquistador is Zunzi’s most recognizable creation, the Godfather might be its most distinctive expression of South African influence.
This substantial sandwich combines chicken with boerewors, a traditional South African sausage known for its richly seasoned flavor. The current version also includes provolone, lettuce, parmesan, Sheba sauce, OG sauce, and drizzle dressing.
Boerewors is an important part of South African food culture, particularly at a braai, the country’s tradition of outdoor grilling. Its name comes from Afrikaans words associated with farmers and sausage, and its characteristic seasoning often includes coriander and other warm spices.
Adding boerewors to a chicken sandwich creates a combination that’s unlikely to appear at an ordinary American deli. It also gives diners a direct connection to the restaurant’s South African roots.
Served with French fries at the Savannah location, the Godfather is a substantial alternative for anyone who wants to explore beyond the Conquistador.
5. Zunzi’s Grew From A Tiny Shop Into A Savannah Institution
The original Zunzi’s at 108 East York Street was hardly a spacious restaurant. Its compact storefront was designed primarily for takeout, and customers regularly lined up outside to order sandwiches.
The location became especially popular with Savannah College of Art and Design students, who helped turn the business into a neighborhood favorite. Its casual atmosphere and oversized sandwiches gave it a personality that stood apart from Savannah’s more traditional dining establishments.
In 2014, Johnny and Gabriella DeBeer sold the business to Chris Smith and his partners. The new ownership team expanded the brand while maintaining the signature dishes that customers associated with Zunzi’s.
The restaurant eventually opened an Atlanta location, bringing its South African-inspired sandwiches to a wider audience.
Despite that growth, Savannah remains central to the story. The city is where the recipes first attracted attention, where the long lines became part of local food lore, and where Zunzi’s established its reputation as something more than a conventional sandwich shop.
6. Its New Home Has A Story Of Its Own
Zunzi’s didn’t simply move into another ordinary storefront when it relocated to 236 Drayton Street. The current restaurant occupies a historic building that originally served as a Texaco gas station.
Constructed in the 1930s, the building features Art Deco elements and forms part of Savannah’s historic downtown district. Its transformation into a restaurant and bar gave the property a completely different purpose while preserving a connection to the city’s architectural past.
The expanded location allowed Zunzi’s to evolve into Zunzibar, with a more substantial dining area, outdoor patio, and a beverage program that goes well beyond the original takeout operation.
The setting reflects a different stage in the restaurant’s history. Where the first location was known for customers lining up at a small counter, the Drayton Street address offers room to settle in, share food, and enjoy a longer visit.
For returning fans, the new space represents a noticeable change. For first-time visitors, it offers a lively introduction to one of Savannah’s best-known local food brands.
7. The Menu Now Goes Far Beyond Sandwiches
The Conquistador and Godfather remain the anchors of Zunzibar’s menu, but the modern restaurant offers considerably more than its original sandwich-focused concept.
Seafood has become an important part of the selection. The Fire Island sandwich features blackened mahi seasoned with peri-peri spice, cucumber salad, mango slaw, and spicy mayonnaise on an Amoroso roll.
Tropical ceviche combines shrimp and fish with ají amarillo, coconut water, and leche de tigre.
Other choices include a lobster roll with tarragon aioli, shrimp tacos, and a chickpea shawarma wrap filled with vegetables, hummus, and crispy chickpeas.
The menu also includes wings with flavors such as peri-peri Buffalo, Mustafa Curry, and tropical barbecue, giving diners another way to explore the kitchen’s fondness for bold sauces.
This broader selection reflects Zunzibar’s shift from a quick sandwich stop to a restaurant where guests can build an entire meal around several different dishes.
8. Zunzibar Has Become A Lively Downtown Hangout
The original Zunzi’s was all about grabbing a sandwich. Its modern counterpart encourages customers to stay a little longer.
Zunzibar Savannah combines a full-service bar with outdoor patio seating, live music, and a relaxed atmosphere. The restaurant’s location in the Historic District makes it a natural stop for visitors exploring downtown Savannah, while the expanded food and drink menu gives locals reasons to return beyond lunchtime.
Cocktails, beer, and wine now share the spotlight with the food. The restaurant also offers a daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m., creating a different experience from the fast-moving takeout lines that once defined the brand.
The outdoor patio is dog-friendly, adding to the casual atmosphere.
It’s an evolution that makes sense for a restaurant with such a loyal following. Customers can still stop in for the sandwich that made Zunzi’s famous, but the space now works equally well for a relaxed afternoon or an evening out with friends.
9. The Savannah Location Keeps The Original Spirit Alive
More than twenty years after its founding, Zunzi’s has changed ownership, expanded beyond its first location, and developed a new identity as Zunzibar. Through all those changes, the Conquistador and Godfather have remained central to its appeal.
The Savannah restaurant is located at 236 Drayton Street, in the city’s Historic District. Its published hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday through Wednesday and 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday through Saturday, with takeout and online ordering available.
What makes Zunzi’s memorable isn’t just the size of its sandwiches. It’s the combination of a South African-inspired culinary identity, a family-founded history, sauces that developed their own following, and a restaurant personality that has never taken itself too seriously.
Savannah has plenty of places to find a good lunch, but relatively few can tell a story quite like this one. From a tiny shop on East York Street to a bustling restaurant and bar on Drayton, Zunzi’s has found a way to grow without forgetting the sandwiches that made it famous.
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