Enjoy Fresh Seafood and Georgia Golden Isles Ambience Overlooking the Atlantic at Blackbeards RestaurantBlackbeards Restaurant saved our lives... Well, not literally. But it seemed so at the time. Josh and I had just finished a round of golf at Great Dunes. The temperature was pushing 100, and we were tired, hot, hungry, and thirsty. We were ready to get out of the sun and eat! Trouble was, Martha and Scott had the car. They'd gone to South Dunes Picnic area to feed the squirrels. To make matters worse, my wallet was in the car. "Dad, I'm starving!", Josh said, and I dug deep in my pockets and found about $6.00 in damp bills and loose change. "Okay, boy," I said. "Let's hoof it over to Blackbeards." Blackbeards Restaurant - A Perfect Oasis Out of the Sun We started walking. By the time we reached Blackbeards, we were ready to drop (and it wasn't very far, just up the road from the golf course). Blackbeards Restaurant is the only eatery on Jekyll Island overlooking the ocean. When we arrived, sweat covered and tired, it looked like an oasis in the desert. The restaurants is tucked just back of the dunes, and the palm trees and lush landscaping added to the oasis look. The entrance is on the ocean side, so we followed a concrete walkway to the back. Blackbeards has a deck here that is the perfect spot for eating out and enjoying the ocean view. Many times we've enjoyed seafood on the deck, or sat outside sipping tea or a margarita - when it's evening, or cool. Now it was a furnace out, and we only wanted to get inside, where it was air-conditioned and shaded. Blackbeards Bountiful Menu - We stormed the door and gasped with relief when that first air-conditioned breeze caressed our overheated bodies. The hostess was nice, and very graciously seated us at a window overlooking the view towards the Atlantic. She didn't even comment on how sweaty and stinky we were. The restaurant is decorated in a nautical theme, not surprisingly. Kids will love the pirate ship centerpiece, situated in the center of the dining area. The waitress brought our menu and we immediately ordered water and asked her to just leave a pitcher. We both downed 2 or 3 glasses while looking over the menu. Now Blackbeards Restaurant is not necessarily one of Jekyll Island's cheap restaurants. And $6.00 dollars won't get you much, especially if you have to share with a ravenous 12 year old. So all we could do was salivate at Blackbeards many scrumptious offerings while we tried to find something cheap we could share. We settled on a hamburger. Our waitress brought it pretty fast (I think she was afraid we'd start chewing on the furniture if she didn't), and when it arrived, I cut it in half, Josh watching suspiciously all the time. Blackbeards has pretty good food, but let me tell you - this was about the best hamburger we'd ever had. The Island Restaurant for Hungry Folks - If you're hungry, Blackbeards Restaurant is the place to be. You get generous portions of food. If you're a seafood junky like me, dive into their seafood platter. You can also get surf and turf. Or try their all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. One good thing about Blackbeards Restaurant - they only serve fresh wild Georgia Shrimp, caught in the Atlantic basically right outside their door. No farm raised foreign shrimp here! If you eat lunch at Blackbeards, sit next to the windows, or on the deck. You might see shrimp boats plying the waters, netting your next meal. Blackbeards serves seafood-based appetizers, fresh fish-of-the-day, and a complement of salads and sandwiches. Their Seafood Platter features shrimp, scallops, flounder, oysters and deviled crab, prepared in several different ways. Really hungry? Go for the Seafood Buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. It costs $24.95 for adults (which is not especially cheap to me), but for kids it's less expensive. Martha likes their Pan Seared Crab Cakes. Don't want seafood? Try entrees from the grill, like Rib Eye or Fillet Mignon. Or order Surf and Turf, for the best of both worlds. If you're coming for dinner, call ahead. Although they don't require reservations, sometimes there can be quiet a crowd waiting for tables. You might want to plan accordingly. We've had a few bones to pick with Blackbeards, but not many. At times their servers can be slow to respond. And once, during an October stay, Martha ordered a salad and found mold on a tomato. The manager replaced it promptly with apologies. All in all, however, the service and food have been above average. We hope you get a chance to visit Blackbeards Restaurant. It's been a while since you could get a $6.00 hamburger there. But we can still recommend the burgers. So head on out, get their early, and eat on the deck while you enjoy the sea breeze. And maybe bring a sweater. Sometimes it gets cool inside - especially if you've been broiling on the golf course for a while! Jekyll Island Family Adventures "Wow!" Rating:
|
