I've been to this location several times, and have always enjoyed the experience. Tonight my wife and I ordered drinks, an app, an entree and a dessert. The small house salad is $6.99 and was pathetic. It was a small plate of iceberg lettuce, one cherry tomato, shredded cheese and croutons. The menu says veggies, but they were no where to be found. Think Wendy's side salad. We also had the crab cakes, and the key lime tart. Both were delicious. We were charged $3 because we shared the crab cakes entree. The entree was $23.99 and included two sides. If we come back next time we are on St. Simons Island, I'll be ordering the salad as my entree. read more

Some of the best southern-style food you will eat. Barbara Jean's offers friendly service right in the busy village area of St. Simons Island. Because of its location - and its great food - it can often be busy, with a line outside. The food is outstanding and the desserts - especially the "chocolate stuff" - will have you on a sugar high for days. The staff is always super friendly. The atmosphere is as if your southern grandma opened a restaurant - which is a good atmosphere. read more

I agree with the other reviewers. It's crowded, noisy, and casual. But in a good way. If it were bigger I still think it would be crowded. It's so good, lots of fried items, vegetables and large generous portions. Every local we spoke to nodded thier head with a smile when we told them we had eaten there. To start with, there's a basket of fantastic bread. Corn bread, pumpkin bread and a dinner roll. I wish I'd had room for key lime pie but we couldn't finish what we had. Yum! Delicious! read more

Delicious! It is top notch southern comfort food. The portions are large and the prices are very reasonable. Every time I have gone to this place I have been satisfied. Highly recommend Barbara Jean's. read more

Do not skip the cheese grits- they are to die for! Just wanted to make sure you got that... the seafood is excellent, especially the crab cakes. read more

During my 6 month tour of duty in Georgia I can honestly say that Barbara Jean's was the best eatery I visited. Incredibly, my five-star rating is based on the one and only thing I ever ordered, the chicken fried chicken, which was just as delicious all 8 times I ordered it. Barbara Jeans is located on Saint Simon's Island, a trendy little vacation spot that tends to get infested with yuppies in the Summers. In fact, the restaurant is right down the road from the beach. One of my favorite aspects of this place occurs right after you place your order, when they bring the bread basket, which gives you the option of pumpkin bread (amazing) jalapeno, and a roll. It was not uncommon for our group to down 3 baskets of bread before the food arrived. As for the chicken fried chicken, it really is incredible. Topped with a creamy gravy the crispy texture of the skin and the moist meat underneath is just perfect. Along with the main course, you have a choice of side. The fully loaded baked potato is equally mouth watering and is loaded with bacon... my personal kryptonite. According to friend's the crab cakes are the best they have ever had out of the northeast and even rival those of Maryland and the rest of the New England area. Oh Babs, how I miss you and your delicious fried chicken. I will find an excuse to return some day... just not during the horrid Summer months. read more

Had dinner for a fan of 5 tonight. Everyone enjoyed their meal. Even started great with pumpkin bread, jalapeño corn bread and rolls. Crab cakes were delish. Shrimp and grits were good too. read more

After stuffing myself silly with seafood all vacation long, what could be better than stuffing myself further?! That's where Barbara Jeans comes into play. The locals we were staying with told us BJ's was known for crab cakes and upon arrival it was apparent it was a popular place. We waited about 15 minutes, which was no biggie. I can't say too much for the ambiance. I mean, it was an average looking place in a quaint shopping center with slightly dated decor. Maybe what you'd expect for a down-home southern style lunch with the family. The cookbook on the table was a nice touch and made for some interesting conversation. The food is where it's at! For starters, the bread basket was a treat with cornbread, pumpkin bread, and rolls. I ordered a 5oz. crab cake, as did most of my dining companions. Our plates came with two sides- all completely down home, southern, and probably super unhealthy! YUM! My squash casserole was killer... and my cheese grits were darn tasty! As for the crab cake, it was made with succulent chunks of crab and was quite delicious. The tartar sauce was your standard. I noticed the menu quoted Southern Living magazine regarding the quality of crab cakes and I can see why. I just wish I had ordered the larger crab cake. I'd definitely go back if craving something delicious! Not necessarily for the ambiance. read more

Look at the menu and you have a hard time deciding what to eat for dinner or lunch. We went here for lunch and enjoyed every bit of it. It is truly awesome down-home Southern cooking. Our group shared the appetizer and dessert and then we had our own entrees with leftovers that we enjoyed the day after for a second lunch. On top of the taste, quantity and quality of the food, the service was incredible. The appetizer was cheese fries - but these aren't just ordinary ones. These fries are covered in real cheese and loads of it. It definitely plays up to the old (likely trite) saying "would you like fries with your cheese?" Just awesome. Onto the entree, in the spirit of not having to pick, I had the half and half. A crab cake and catfish with white cheddar grits. Order it all - it's awesome. I also had the green beans, but they tasted a bit salty. Growing up in one of the rare houses in Virginia with limited salt, I never gained an appreciation for heavily salted veggies. Dessert, again we shared a Chocolate Stuff which is incredible although very glad we shared it six ways. The cup (size) is a generous portion and is all made from scratch. Go. Now. If they're not open, go when they open tomorrow. read more

You can't go wrong with these famous crab cakes! This was my second time here on a vacation trip. On a Thursday night we got seated immediately at a spacious booth. My husband and I both knew we would choose the crab cakes...that's why we went. With the 5oz cake I chose two sides: grits and broccoli and rice casserole. The grits were not quite flavorful enough for my taste. However, I didn't grow up eating grits so I could be wrong. The casserole was good but I wished it had more broccoli florets rather than mostly stems. The service was great and timely. Our server was new but very friendly and made sure to clear our table before bringing out the check. Overall, good visit and a must for crab cakes! read more

I have so much to say about this restaurant!!! This restaurant represents what the island used to be like before it became a tourist attraction (ask the locals if you don't believe me.) The menu has mostly remained the same for decades because they know what they're doing. Expect a 2 hour maximum wait spring-fall. It's worth it though. The mac and cheese (only served on Friday's) is to die for, and certainly worth the wait. If you're a ranch or honey mustard fan, they make it in house and it's top notch! They may be known for their crab cakes, but the meatloaf, pecan crusted chicken fingers, and the shrimp and grits is just as good. There's something for everyone. The bread basket too with that sweet butter will fill you up!! DON'T LET IT! You can order it for carry out 25 cents a piece. Give this gem a shot. You won't regret it. read more

I enjoyed Barbara Jean's twice on a recent family vacation to the St. Simons area. A cousin who lives in the Brunswick area has talked about this place for years. My first visit was on a Monday evening and the place was packed, we waited about 30 minutes for a table and there was a line out the door. After a long drive from Ohio some good old comfort food sounded great and I went with the meatloaf with tomato sauce with two sides, I chose mashed potatoes and broccoli & rice casserole Mmm good. Plus an icy cold New Belgian Brewing Company Fat Tire in a frosted glass hit the spot. Our server was great, taking care of everything we needed throughout our visit. We returned for a late lunch visit later in the week and I tried the BJ's Blue Salad, mixture of blue cheese, romaine and iceberg lettuce, mandarin oranges, red bell peppers, honey-basil vinaigrette, and topped with grilled chicken and crumbled bacon. I loved this salad, one of the best salads I've had in some time and then I had to finish off my lunch with the dessert everyone raves about the Chocolate Stuff. Wow chocolate stuff heaven to any chocoholic a must for when you visit Barbara Jean's! read more

Highly recommend Barbara Jean's! Everyone was very friendly and checked on us throughout our meal. Food was delicious and there was plenty of it! Highly recommend the Mac n cheese they serve on Friday's! Four of us ordered entrees and we left with 2 entrees of leftovers! We could have easily shared! read more

Soul Food done right. I came to SSI for a friend's wedding and of course I looked to my Yelp friends to tell me where to go. Thank goodness I did otherwise I would have missed out on this amazingness. I got the crabcakes with cheesy grits and fried okra with my heaping tall glass of pink lemonade. My husband got the shrimp n'grits with andouille sausage, side of coleslaw and side of fried okra with some good 'ole Southern tea. We were both bummed that we couldn't finish our plates. I wanted to lick every single crab meat left on my plate. Definintely stop in here. I was a fan of the bread basket, pumpkin rolls and jalapeno corn bread. Yum! read more

OMG Barbra Jeans..... the food was great... the service was on point the food came out of the kitchen faster than any fast food joint out there. Looking at the price ya may think it's pricey until you get your plate. If you leave out there and you are still hungry you need to make some life style changes... thank ya barbra jeans we will be back next year read more

This was our favorite meal during our week in St. Simons. The breads are a wonderful start, everyone enjoyed every bite. The "chocolate stuff" was delicious. read more

We always enjoy eating at Barbara Jeans. There is a wide selection of southern style vegetables that you don't find in many restaurants. The entrees are always good, and we love the pumpkin bread. in fact, we take the leftover pumpkin bread home and eat it with ice cream as a dessert. Yummie! Service is always pleasant and the atmosphere is nice. A very nice family restaurant all around. read more

The 3'rd best Crab-cakes I ever had, the other two were in Delaware, and Chesapeake area of Maryland. No fillers, lotsa lump crab-meat & at least 8 oz cake. Appetizers are excellent as well. Also try their 'She Crab' soup! Great bartender (Michael), fast, efficient, and good conversationalist as well. Price was reasonable, and restaurant is very clean. Caution; Do not ware any Gator shirts, or hats in St. Simons island! read more

Crab cakes were just that! Crab meat was sweet and the cakes were crispy. We had the fried cod, catfish and if course the shrimp -delightful Get the dirty rice too! Save room for the apple pecan Brown Betty and of course the chocolate stuff! Best home cooking read more

Food was generally okay. waiter was literally the worst I have seen in over 20 years service was terribly slow and the restaurant was not busy. I ordered a bowl of soup As well as an entree. So they bring all the other appetizers as they should but my soup comes with dinner. Then the waiter says well you never told me you wanted it before the main course...seriously? The kid delivering food had a serious attitude and when I asked for extra napkins was ignored. He looked at me, acknowledged me and walked away. And, how do you overcook grits? Seriously? the pathetic nature of the employees ruined this dinner. I will not be returning and will be recommending other Establishments in town that actually want your business then he brings the check puts it down Amal's walks away. Does not offer dessert, coffee... nothing. Never asked if we wanted refills of our sweet tea, water or beer. Did not even card my son who is 22 but looks young. pathetic experience. We will NOT be back read more

Echoing the sentiments of other Yelpers, Barbara Jean's is the real deal. Everything we ate was amazing: Pumpkin Bread (5/5) - was not expecting it to be so unbelievably good Jalapeno Corn-Bread (3/5) - a little disappointing, needs more jalapeno, a tad dry Dirty Rice (5/5) Turnip Greens (5/5) Coleslaw (5/5) Squash Casserole (5/5) Chicken Fried Chicken (5/5) - good (comes with a little too much gravy but still good) Our server was also excellent, friendly and attentive. I would definitely come back again! read more

This place was an all around 5. The hostess was incredibly friendly and seated us right away. The homemade bread came out right away and was unbelievable - corn bread, pumpkin bread and sweet roll- we couldn't stop eating them. We had a crab cake for an appetizer and it was easily the best crab cake we have had. For entrees we had the tuna steak- cooked and seasoned perfectly, and the shrimp scampi. On the scampi the sauce was good though a bit oily and shrimp were plentiful but not as good as everything else. We were stuffed so had to come come back for dessert the next day. The chocolate stuff for which they are known is unbelievable. Do not leave here without eating it! It's the perfect balance of sweet, salty, and creamy and the juxtaposition of the warm chocolate and cool whipped cream is unbeatable. Side note, decor is a bit outdated but that almost lends to the authentic and homey charm. read more

A very nice old fashion family restaurant. The server was sweet and helpful, and the food very good, overall. The bread basket they brought before the meal was wonderful with warm pumpkin bread, jalapeño corn bread and yeast rolls that are meal in themselves. Perfectly cooked onions rings with crunchy and flavorful batter were also delicious. After that it was hard to focus on the rest of our meal. A nicely pan fried crab cake on a "big" salad was very good- the crab and texture - lovely and without unneeded junk, but it lacked a bit of seasoning. The citrus salad dressing was tasty and served on the side as requested. All of the sides we good, with the mac and cheese being a favorite. Plus the pretzel roll on the shrimp burger was a nice addition. All servings were ample and we enjoyed a lovely family meal at Barbara Jean's. We will be back. read more

Such a cute homey feel to this restaurant. Our waitress was so kind and professional. She served us bread before the meal. Pumpkin bread, jalapeño cornbread, and rolls. All were delicious. I got fried shrimp as my main course and it was hands down the best fried shrimp I've ever had. They use a buttermilk batter and it was amazing. Can't wait to come back for more delicious shrimp in the future! read more

This absolute gem of a restaurant serves classic southern fare that just about transports you back to a different time. The crab cakes are divine, as is the dirty rice and pretty much everything else on the menu. After you finish, take a stroll to St Simons Pier or enjoy the shops. read more

I really didn't have a bad item on my plate. The coastal platter was good, and the Lima beans and red beans and rice were both well seasoned. I sampled my wife's pot roast and it too was delectable. Even the deserts were special, with me having the cobbler and my wife the bread pudding. I will absolutely revisit this place the next time I am on the Island! Oh, lest I forget the bread sampler basket, OoooooWeeeee! Carb heaven baby! read more

Service was the worst we've had so far while on the island. We waited over an hour for our food, and it was cold when it was brought out. I'm sure if the service were better and the food served hot, it would be a good spot. read more

We went to Barbara Jean's based on some Facebook friend referrals when we new we were coming to SSI. The food was delicious! I had the meatloaf...better than mom's!! Oh, and the chocolate stuff was sublime!! But, the best part was Andre, our server! He was very knowledgeable and personable. He kept us laughing! Thanks for a GREAT experience Andre!! read more

Food is great, but a 70 minute wait is excessive. Lose the legal pads and give your front of house folks ipads!

The best crab cakes I ever have had. The ambience is crowded and cramped, however, food is very yummy.

The best meal we had this vacation visit! The She Crab Soup was superb as were the Shrimp & Grits entree. My wife loved her Crab Cake. We were too full to get the famous "Chocolate Stuff" so we also bought the Cook Book with that recipe and tried it at home the next week and it was also wonderful. This place will definitely be on my revisit list the next time we come to visit. 2018 UPDATE: Four years later revisited it with four adults and a couple of grand children and everyone loved their meal. For an appetizer we had the "More Than Onion Rings" which is served with a couple of dipping sauces. The bacon and cheese covering was generous and we couldn't quite finish it off. The bread basket was a delight to re-experience and their pumpkin bread has just the right balance of sweet and pumpkin. The cornbread and rolls are also good. Service was great, too. I tried the Key Lime tarts, and the burnt flavoring of molasses in the crust wasn't to my liking nor did the filling have much of a Key Lime flavor -- but the Chocolate Stuff was as great as ever. read more

Not flashy but it delivers. Everything I ordered was made perfectly. The bread basket was like an assortment from a bakery. The crab cake had just enough binding ingredients to let the crab shine. The squash casserole was one of the best. I plan to return. read more

Really fast service. Was a 20 minute wait for the table, but the bar was empty so had a drink the bartender recommended the Sea Island Punch, cool and refreshening. They sat us within 10 minutes. Food really good. Had the she crab soup. Slightly different taste, but a few bites you were used to it and craving more. Ordered the crab cake dinner, crab cake really good! you get two sides with it I got the Dirty rice which is rice with sauage and a few other ingredients and the white cheddar grits, so not used to grits, tasted ok, reminded me of cream of wheat. So I added some sugar and delicious. Of course adding sugar to grits resulted in some comnents. I believe grits is like a sacred food and adding sugar was considered sacrilegious. But made them delicious. They give you a bread basket with your meal it had the corn bread and the pumpkin bread in it. That was the best corn bread and pumkin bread I ever had. But from California so not much to compare it too. read more

Barbara Jean's Restaurants - Bread basket - Southern Near Me - St. Simons, Georgia

Delicious country fried steak, squash casserole and well seasoned cabbage! The service was prompt and courteous, even during a busy lunch hour. Don't miss the southern sweet tea. read more

Waste of money for crappy food poor service and waitresses have an iq lower than gas prices when trump was president

Liked the Rubin and their bread pudding was delicious. A little pricey but had great waiter.

Fairly long wait to get in. Had heard good things about Barbara Jeans and the food was good but the wait time and time for food delivery was more than expected. read more

Crab cakes were so delicious, we came here twice over a three day weekend. Granted, one of those times was on Labor Day (when many of our other options were closed), but it was still so good! The sidewalk seating has overhead fans, which kept us comfortable and provided for great people watching. Service was friendly both nights. We got the chocolate stuff for dessert - very good but too rich for us to finish (and we only ordered the cup size). Vegetarian warning though - I ordered a veggie (I believe peas but I'm not entirely sure) and it had ham pieces in it although that wasn't clearly stated on the menu. If you're vegetarian, make sure you ask your server about those "vegetable" sides. read more

Barbara jeans is one of my favorite places to stop on Saint Simons Island. I also like that they have outdoor seating so when I have my dog with me she can eat with us. They are known for their crab cakes which are very good. They also have several all you can eat breads. One is jalapeno cornbread , a sweet bread, and regular wheat rolls. I got the pot roast which was very good. They have many veggie sides the that are true southern style. These include squash casserole, broccoli and rice casserole, cheddar cheese grits and many others. Service was very professional and frIendly. My only complaint was that it was a little bit slow. read more

Barbara Jean's Restaurants - Southern Near Me - St. Simons, Georgia

What a nice hometown southern goodness. The owners and workers are so nice. My framily and I visited on a Sunday morning. All the brunch spots were all crowded but Barbara Jean's was just opening. Barbara Jean doesn't sell breakfast but we were able to make a breakfast. The portions are huge. I got the coconut shrimp, she crab soup and grits. All were so good. Don't forget to get the bread!! The rolls, cinnamon bread and cornbread were all delicious. SSI always has the gems. read more