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Barbara Jean's Restaurants

4.0 (679 reviews)
Closed • 11:00 am - 8:30 pm

Barbara Jean's Restaurants Photos

Business Info

BARBARA JEAN'S RESTAURANTS ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Barbara Jean's Restaurants

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Katie W.

This is a solid choice when dining in the area. Prices are very reasonable, although I noticed about 2% increase from the menu to the bill, but it's still a good value. Don't get me started on the bread basket, which is like coming to grandma's Thanksgiving dinner. The food came out very fast and the service was good.

7oz crab cake with side of dirty rice and squash casserole
Emmi A.

Food worth trying, but cleanliness needs attention When we first walked into Barbara Jean's, we were immediately hit with a non-food smell that was honestly off-putting -- even our 7-year-old commented that "it smelled awful." The menus were sticky too, which didn't give us the best impression of the overall cleanliness. That said, once the food came out, things improved quickly. The bread basket alone was a highlight -- pumpkin bread, jalapeño cornbread, and rolls, all warm and comforting. Honestly, you could make a meal just out of the bread. We ordered the shrimp & grits (upgraded to include the she crab soup instead of sides) and the crab cake entrée with dirty rice and squash casserole. The crab cake had zero filler -- all crab, just how it should be. The soup and sides were super rich but flavorful. Everything had a real Southern comfort food feel. We left full and happy with the food, but the initial experience took away from it. If they addressed the cleanliness and atmosphere, this would easily be a 4 or 5-star spot.

Menu
Gemice W.

Our server was an amazing! The ambiance was great! I didn't enjoy my fried fish but other than that our food was good!

Jenn C.

A quaint restaurant at the St Simons Island Pier. Dark inside, full bar, nothing fancy. Went in for a small nibble & cool off a little. I got a jumbo baked potato, mom got a cup of shrimp stew & small salad. 1 Diet Coke & 1 Iced Tea. $40 PLUS tip. Apparently if you pay with a card they UPCHARGE your food cost. My baked potato ended up $6.40, etc. WHAT THE HECK?! NEVER heard of this before. If you pay CASH, the food costs what is listed on the menu. ABSURD!!!!! Food was good, but we did get basic. Service was very kind. They need to rethink their charges- caught us completely off guard without warning when we sat down. Would have been nice to know upfront.

Shrimp and grits.
Jeffrey G.

I would have given this place 5 because everything was great from service to food. The only thing that kind of ruined the experience was, I ordered a beer and never received it.

Crab soup
Valerie M.

This is a old restaurant . Could use some updating Food was ok Waitress was wonderful

Crab cake dinner
Virginia B.

Located on the Main Street in St Simons that leads to the pier. Parking is up and down the street and in a lot near the water that is free. I was seated quickly and had a very comfortable , clean booth . The menu is huge with many different seafood and country cooking dishes and lots of vegetables. The sweet tea is awesome and comes in a huge glass. I chose a crab cake, spinach and squash casserole. The crab cake was delicious and filled with crab. The squash was excellent too and was homemade for sure. The spinach came out of a can I think so was disappointing. Love the bread basket that was brought with some butter. The pumpkin bread was my favorite. My server was wonderful and checked on me several times with a big smile and great attitude. Will visit again next time!

She Crab Soup and bread basket
Mike G.

We were visiting Saint Simons Island, and we were hungry so decided to try Barbara Jeans. Our raider was cordial and conversational however, he did not mention any of the specials. I ordered the She Crab Soup bowl and meatloaf platter and my wife ordered half-and-half, which was a crabcake and catfish. They boast an all crab meat crabcake with little fillers. The waiter brought out a nice basket of bread, including cornbread and pumpkin bread and a standard roll. I can say all of the bread items were excellent. The She Crab soup was thick and lumpy like a white gravy with bits of crab. The taste was fine but U would have preferred a more creamy smooth consistency. I found the crabcake to be tasty, however not to the level of a lump crabcake with better quality crab. Nowadays, it is rare to find a really good crabcake. I would rate the crabcake a B at best but definitely ok. The catfish was average and fine and the side dishes of grits and squash casserole were fine. The meatloaf was a nice portion, however it was covered with a tomato sauce and green peppers. I like a brown gravy style meatloaf so it wasn't for me. I had to remove most of the topping and what I could of the meatloaf. My sides were sautéed zucchini and mashed potatoes, both we're fine as well. Not sure if I would go back as it was unremarkable at best.

Potato soup and chicken fingers
Jason C.

This place was recommended to us for the crab cakes. Very convenient to downtown shopping with a good variety for everyone. The crab cake was quite good with very little filler. Mac n cheese and onion rings were great!! Quiet spot, good food. I do wish the customer service was better and would have gotten Barbara Jeans 5 stars

Ana S.

Look no further, this is the place. Delicious food, big portions. Violet was our waitress and she has an excellent attitude and disposition. Great restaurant.

Auto tip charge ...we are a party of 2 not 6+.  Beware.

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

Incredible food...attentive service...love the ambiance complete with walls of history. Must have a window seat!

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

We sat outside on a sunny day. The waitress was great. She was very attentive! The food was good! Tried the crab cake and it was excellent.

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

Omg the bread basket . Cornbread, pumpkin bread and rolls sooo yummy! I had a crab cake and coconut shrimp, recommend!

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8 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Food and service was amazing!!! We were looking for somewhere to have lunch and we were not disappointed!!!

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6 years ago

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

Dirty, lost its southern charm, food was good, waiter charming, but no longer rememberable

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4 years ago

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Ask the Community - Barbara Jean's Restaurants

Cleanliness of restaurant?

Yes. We dined there for lunch amid Hurricane Debby (rain, gusts). It is old but that adds to the yesteryear charm. Clean and great food and incredible service. We'll go back next trip.

Can I make Reservations?

No. First come, first served only.

Are well behaved dogs welcome on the outside area currently?

Call the restaurant and ask first. It is a very highly trafficked area.

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Bennie's Red Barn

Bennie's Red Barn

3.3
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5.1 mi
•$$

Attended Bennie's Christmas Eve dinner which was complete with Santa in attendance for the kids…read more What a fantastic time! Gordon who was our server did an excellent job! Just the right amount of attention and making sure our appetizers, meal &, beverages were received in a timely manner and met our expectations. The NY Strip, Filet & Salmon were all excellent! Compliments to the chef's! The Christmas Tree that was inside was decorated nicely and gave the restaurant very nice holiday feel as well as a nice photo op with Santa! Thank you Ali for providing us with a reservation on what turned out to be a nice evening for my wife's mother which brightened her Christmas! Merry Christmas!

I am givng 3 stars because we were seated without a reservation but I have to add that I checked…read moretheir website to make a reservation and reservations were not mentioned anywhere so I assumed that meant they did not take them. Maybe they only take reservations by phone, even though it is 2026, but it should say something to that effect on their website. It was evident they preferred reservations and said they were packed but there were plenty of tables unseated. The table we were seated at, was very wobbly. Which is an annoying thing that is easily fixed. I will say that the bread and the marinated saladswere both very good and our baked potatoes were perfect but that's where it ends. My son got the filet and my husband got the ribeye. They both ordered medium rare but both were well done and chewy. We did not say anything to our waitress or complain bc we are just not those kind people but it was disappointing to say the least. A steak place that has been in business for as long a they have should have perfected their steaks, I got the grilled chicken and when it came, I thought they had brought me fried chicken by mistake. I was expecting a grilled chicken breast (my mistake for assuming) but it was 4 pieces of what appeared to be smoked chicken on the bone. They were pretty tasty but felt like something I would get at a bbq restaurant, not a steak house. Needless to say, we will not be back.

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Barbara Jean's Restaurants - southern - Updated June 2026

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