This was our first visit to Barbara Jean's from many recommendations and we were so pleased! The crab cakes and she crab soup were amazing. The mashed potatoes are almost like a southern dressing in their texture and were so tasty. Fish and shrimp were great - wish I knew how that fish was breaded! Pete was our server and he was prompt and efficient and friendly while he talked football with us. A great visit, thank you! oh and the bread was so good too! read more

Well as first timers to St. Simon Island we were clueless where to eat. Of course, we turned to Yelp. At least fellow Yelpians helped narrow down the possibilities. As fans of the Reba show, we couldn't resist Barbara Jean's. If you know you know. We visited on Saturday evening. Parking was an issue so I dropped Angela off to get our name on the wait. Before I even found a parking space, she called and said, "I am already seated. The menu was basically southern cooking or seafood. Neither of which are my favorites. I am not a big fan of fried or cooked with fatback. And unfortunately I now have a shellfish allergy. However, Angela wanted to stay. We decided to split an entree, we selected the pot roast, squash casserole and mashed potatoes. There are a couple of southern staples I do love including banana pudding and sweet tea. I turned to our server and asked "is the sweet tea real southern sweet tea?" She laughed and said "of course honey!" We added a side salad and settled in. I really had low expectations at that point. The salad arrived and was simply spectacular. I know right, how can a salad be spectacular. Well it was! The salad was fresh with a variety of items and an amazing honey vinegarette dressing. Then a plate of bread arrived. Yes, I am a weirdo but bread is nothing special to me--until now. The bread selections included a pumpkin bread and some sort of whole wheat roll. My taste buds jumped with joy. Their homemade breads produced a reaction in me never before felt. The main course was not bad either. The pot roast was better than some grandmas make. My own grandmother is probably rolling in her grace but Barbara Jeans' pot-roast tasted better! We took a box of the bread back to our suite. I almost forgot, our server was simply fantastic. She could not have been friendlier. She was so good I over-tipped (by a lot) but don't tell my wife. Would I go back? Why, yes I would. In fact, we got another fantastic meal there Sunday night! And I would be remiss if I failed to mention the "Chocolate Stuff"--literally what they call it. I am not a chocolate fan (did I already mention that I am a weirdo), but the Chocolate Stuff is so decadent. It is a decadent chocolate pudding and brownie concoction served with homemade whipped cream. Eating it felt so sinful I had to ask for forgiveness at Christ Church... read more

We had read about the reviews on this place and decided to give it a try. I am glad we did. A nice friendly environment with really good food. I started out with the crab soup which was quite delicious. I followed this up with a Caesar salad with grilled tuna. Another good choice. My other half got the chicken fried steak with white gravy. They do a really good job with the southern comfort food. A great choice if you're visiting the St. Simons Island area. read more

Food is delicious! Even though it is expensive, the amount of food that you get is absolutely worth it! You will not leave Barbara Jean's hungry! read more

I agree with a viewer's comment below. Our family has loved Barbara jeans for years. The pumpkin bread & corn bread is always consistently good! Our waitress was great but the main food quality was not the best. Green beans & squash was over cooked. My husband's Caesar salad was wet and overly dressed by a ton!! However, the most disgusting and disappointing part of our dining experience was that the booth we got sat in STUNK to the high heavens like human urine! Some person or child had previously urinated under our table!! I did inform the waitress and hope she did tell the restaurant to address it. read more

The food is great here and the service is exceptional. What I love most about this place is that on top of the wonderful food, and reasonably priced drinks, the staff are so nice. Both times I went I sat at the bar and they allowed me to sit and work for quite a while undisturbed. When I was done, I had some great conversations with both patrons and bar staff. The first time I went I had the coconut shrimp appetizer which was great! They gave me plenty of sauce to go with it too! The second time I went I had Shrimp 'n' Grits which was also very good! On top of that it is just a short walk from the pier where the views are awesome. If you are in town visiting this is just a great spot to chill and get some good eats! I highly recommend stopping by! read more

Barbara Jean's Restaurants - Shrimp 'n' Grits! - Southern Near Me - St. Simons, Georgia

See all

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

The service was great and I don't want my review to reflect on that AT ALL...the food however...no. I was excited to try out the crab cakes which had a nice flavor but I encountered quite a few shells that shouldn't have been there. Kind of broke my heart, but it is what it is. The grits were over cooked but butter helped. I used the butter from the bread basket - that bread basket was the best part of my meal. The real deal breaker for me was the spinach. It was slop. It shouldn't have been served. I know this is an institution in the area, but my standards are a bit higher. A side note: I ordered a Makers neat. Pretty standard I thought, but was told that it's called "up" here. Up is used when something is placed on ice and then the ice is strained. I had to explain it a bit more than I'd expect, but the server was kind about it. read more

See all

My daughter and I ate lunch here. Portions are enough we took home dinner. Absolutely fabulous food. Loved their shrimp salad and the buns they bring out, you want the assortment, each one is better then the last, could not even say I had a favorite they were all so good. Waitress we had was so good. The restaurant as a whole is one I would go back to. So glad we are there. read more

The food was beyond delicious. I ordered the shrimp & gritts with a side of cabbage (so yummy). Oh do i wish i could have some right now lol. It was definitely the best food I had while visiting brunswick. Seasoned well and great portions. Our server was amazing. OVERALL great experience read more

Barbara Jean's Restaurants - Shrimp and grits, cabbage , and beans - Southern Near Me - St. Simons, Georgia

Stopped into Barbara Jeans for dinner with the family and it was very good! The food was very good and there was alot of it! The ambiance is a little dated, which we did not expect based on the looks of the outside of the restaurant. It was very clean inside, and the service was awesome - pleasant and very attentive. The portions were large and so flavorful. Our server brought out a basket of bread that had pumpkin, cornbread and regular bread and it was soft, hot and tasty! The prices were affordable too! I would definitely recommend! read more

I wish I had taken a picture of my food, but it didn't make it that far. My family and I are visiting and decided to stop by. I being a lover of tuna decided to get the tuna sandwich and what I got was not what I was expecting. On my bun was a MASSIVE piece of tuna, seared and marinated to perfection. It came with some kind of sauce that put me in heaven when I ate it. Service was great, quick and friendly, and helpful. The building is what I'd consider small-medium sized but is so cute and homie. Would 100% recommend and get the tuna! read more

The food & service has always been very good! It usually doesn't take long for them to prepare it and it's served fresh and hot. The breads and/or appetizers are nice to nibble on while you're waiting. Prices are reasonable compared to other restaurants in the area. read more

My family has loved Barbara Jean's for years! We were a little sad this year as we felt the food was not up to what we remember, but it was still good and enjoyable. The jalapeño cornbread and spiced cornbread is always a must read more

I went with my mom, my wife and my wife's parents. They sat us in the table for 5 in the back corner. It's kind of an odd table but it seats 5 and there were 5 of us so that's where they put us. I had a Sweetwater IPA and the single 7oz crab cake dinner with the broccoli casserole and cheese grits. I wasn't sure if that was going to be enough food when I ordered but definitely was. My wife ordered the potato cheese soup to start and she didn't like it so I finished that off. The soup had a heavy onion flavor and I think that's what she didn't like. I thought it's what made it good. My crab cake was excellent. The sides were really good too. If you are looking for healthy options, casserole and grits are not the way to good. You've been warned. My mom got a caesar salad with a crab cake on top. She liked her crab cake but couldn't finish the salad. I tried some of the salad. The lettuce was crisp but the dressing was very light. I think the light dressing is probably good for not overpowering a crab cake. If you got a caesar by itself the dressing might be a little disappointing. I didn't hear any complaints from anyone else so I assumed the pot roast and then chicken fried steak were good. read more

Floors extremely dirty- needs maintenance Food good but not outstanding Service average Place is loud and congested Very average Crab cake was good read more

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.

Wow, doing a great job of social distancing tables, great food, super fast, and good service! Admittedly we were here on a weekday for an early dinner, but the food service was beyond fast food fast! The meal starts with the best breadbasket anywhere, and makes it hard to finish your entree. ( tip: save the warm pumpkin bread for dessert) The crab cake is what I come here for, and I was not disappointed, just pure crab & seasoning, & no filler. I also recommend the BJ's blue salad, substituted in place of two veggies, absolutely delicious with a citrus dressing. My husband had the fried fish, and the two pieces of fish were so huge, he had to take one "to go". Right in downtown St. Simons, walkable to the lighthouse, all the little shops, and right now, the best view of the salvage operation of the capsized freighter the Golden Ray,right at the end of the street. read more

See all

A friend and I enjoyed lunch here on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. We both ordered crab cakes which are solid crabmeat. There's no filler or weird fancy flavors. Just the taste of delicious crab. Definitely the best crab cakes I've ever had other than my moms. Our sides included spinach, white cheddar grits, red beans and rice and stewed tomatoes. The white cheddar grits and red beans and rice were fantastic. The bread our server, Beverly, brought to the table was also amazing. Pumpkin, jalapeño cornbread, and rolls. For dessert, we had the key lime tart which is pure perfection. Beverly provided excellent service. I'm hoping to go back to Barbara Jeans before we leave the island. read more

Barbara Jean's Restaurants - Crab cake, spinach and white cheddar grits. - Southern Near Me - St. Simons, Georgia

Always has the BEST crab cakes! I really haven't had any other crab cakes that compare. They have the best consistency and taste by far. I've been going for years and the staff is always so kind and down to earth. Great people and great food! read more

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

Tons of food with a complimentary bread basket, normal beach prices. The waitress was a gem-- super personable and helpful, and a sense of humor. This was a nice little respite from the heat and shopping crowds of the St Simon's pier. read more

See all

Good southern comfort food with a seafood flair. Seating inside and out. Full bar. Quick seating. Brought selection of breads, yeast rolls, jalapeño cornbread, pumpkin bread. Wife's burger looked excellent. I had the 7 ounce crab cake. I had heard good things about the crab cakes and I was not disappointed. April took excellent care of us. We also had these large baked potatoes with real bacon , cheese and butter, the perfect side. I would go again. read more

Dropped in after gentleman outside told me about the crab cakes served there. The place was packed but I found a small booth by the back wall.. server was spot on quick with my order of 7 oz crab cakes.. bread was fantastic only to be outdone with the best crab cakes which was the best probably better than anyplace in ga or surrounding states. Very little filling and stuffed with lump meat to the likes I have never seen. Not overcooked but seared to profection. I shall return read more

Food is really delicious, tap was down tonight so no beer unless in a bottle. Crab cakes were 100% crab and were wonderful! Waitress was very attentive read more

Barbara Jean's Restaurants - Crab cake &onion rings - Southern Near Me - St. Simons, Georgia

Very disappointing. Very short staffed. Servers could not keep up with the customers. Barely got our drinks. It was hot and the manager said it was because of the weather.. you live on a beach dude!! What do you expect. Other restaurants we went to were almost too cold. There was a Roach on the floor, my son's salad was watered down, and I didn't order my favorite dessert because I didn't want to wait anymore. Unfortunately, this place has gone down in quality from when I went there 13 years ago. So many places to choose from in St Simon's. Skip this one. read more

Lunch at the bar-$30 (including tip) for 3 appetizers. loved the flavors and portion size. Was traveling alone enjoyed interacting with bartender. Service was fast. Food hot and fresh. Recommend! read more

Barbara Jean's Restaurants - Dirty Rice, Coconut Shrimp, grit bomb appetizer, pink lemonade served at the Bar. - Southern Near Me - St. Simons, Georgia

Awesome food, the pumpkin bread you have to take it home. Jalapeño cheese cornbread and honey wheat rolls are very good. I had catfish and a crab cake very delicious. Hubby had chicken tenders which are huge & delicious. Sweet tea actually tasted like tea! Took that home too. Awesome waitress and service! Def will be back please go & support local businesses! read more

See all

We got seated after a few minutes, and our server was very attentive and efficient even though he had many other tables to attend to. We ordered the chicken fried chicken sandwich and two fish sandwiches, all were amazing! The sandwiches were huge! Totally recommend this place. read more

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

The service, the value for the money and the home cooking CAN NOT be beat!! One of my favorites read more

See all

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

I came here for the crab cakes of course, after all "this is where they started! The original and always the same"... well admittedly I must be the harshest crab cake critic in the world. I ordered the half and half - fried shrimp and of course the crab cake, the fried shrimp were amazing the crab cake needed something, it's definitely loaded with crab meat and it was cooked to perfection but with each bites I felt it lack that finish. It needs a "Remoulade" but not just any Remoulade it needs that kick that only a Louisiana Remoulade can bring, in my opinion it's not optional it's a requirement. I understand the idea here is not to mask the flavor of this infamous crab cake and I somewhat agree but sometimes a condiment enhances and adds some complexity when used in moderation but that's just me but definitely not a deal breaker. We also had the crispy fried catfish now this, is a real winner for anyone that enjoys this beautiful fresh water bottom feeder, it's probably one of the purest of any fish ever farmed and when done right it's a true southern delight. The sides are solid as well, the coleslaw although mayonnaise base represented the slaw category well, the finely shredded cabbage is such a winner just pour on the black pepper and enjoy. The green beans were cooked perfectly, great texture, the dirty rice I can't comment on I honestly didn't taste it, I guess my Louisiana roots are just too deep and most times prevents me from trying certain foods that I grew up eating and that I feel is impossible to replicate I'm sure this has caused me to miss out on a few amazing experiences and from what I was told this may certainly have been the case. Finally I must say there were two things here that were just off the charts, that was the peach cobbler with fresh whipped cream and our server Kareema both were exceptional, such personality and both extra special. As far as the 25 cent Land Trust charge that is automatically add to the bill unless you choose to opt out is tacky - as much as I appreciate the passion the owners show for the environment and land use on this little island I was a little taken back that anyone would assume everyone shares their passion. I am a strong advocate of protecting this precious ecosystem and for living green and I certainly do my part by my own choosing and I chose not to opt out but still think it's unprofessional... but that won't keep me from returning by any means. read more

See all

Definitely not the place for anyone allergic to dairy products! They already have a lot of the food pre- cooked and the rice , spinach and vegetables etc are all prepared in butter. I ended up having the salmon over salad - the salmon was so so. My wife had the crab cake and she said it was excellent. read more

We stopped by Barbara Jeans on the way back to ATL on Labor Day. Our friends had raved about their crab cakes but I was skeptical bc i've never been fond of most crab cakes. Well apparently Barbara Jean's is an exception; it's all crab without any filler. Their fried shrimp was also delicious as was the corn bread. SSI has a fairly decent number of good restaurants but Barbara Jean def should be on your list. read more

See all

We came here Sunday afternoon after our bike ride. I was slightly disappointed because I had my mouth set on Palmer's but they were closed. My second choice was barbecue but I think they were closed too so I wasn't really feeling the menu at Barbara Jean's but my husband wanted to try it. Plus, many restaurants were closing by 2 and didn't open til 5 so I went with it. I live bread so this quickly won me over: They bring out a variety basket of good bread- soft roll, pumpkin, both delicious and a jalapeño cornbread I passed on. It's served w/ a honey butter that's very good. Of the 3 crab stews we ate, this was my least favorite. It really had no seasoning and had little flavor. It had some crab and more vegetables to make it a stew than the other places we tried. Definitely get the one at Catch 228. If you like it think like the one at Barbara Jeans, try the one at Skipper's Fish Camp. I ordered the half & half platter $ picked the fried shrimp and crab cake. I asked for buttermilk fried but definitely tasted and saw some coconut pieces on the shrimp but the waitress told me they were the buttermilk fried. They tasted sweet and again had a bit of coconut flavor so maybe they dip both shrimp in the same batter? I'm not sure but I know what I tasted and saw. The crab cake was good. It is all crab and no fillers. It's different from Maryland style crab cakes in that it's cooked on the cook top and flattened. They could've probably cooked it a little less so it wasn't so browned and slightly crusty on the outside, but it was good. I'd order it again. I'm hesitant to order crab cakes depending on where I am as they may claim to have little to no fillers but that's rarely the case. Barbara Jeans delivers on the description of their crab cakes and I can see why this is what they're known for. My sides of the cabbage and broccoli and rice cheese casserole were both good. I'd order them again. My husband didn't like the salmon he ordered and stated it lacked flavor. He ordered the squash casserole and green beans as sides and was pleased with these. The Arnold Palmer was good; southern sweet tea based like it's supposed to be The staff wore masks. I think they were tying to enforce limited capacity but the traffic in and out the door because it's narrow could be better enforced. The bar area was closed and some people sat there to wait for their table as it was extremely hot outside. read more

See all

If you're ever in St. Simons Island, GA, this is a must stop. Great service and food, just a perfect way to enjoy the peer and historic community. read more

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

Local gem with friendly and safety focused service (sanitizers at entrance, all staff masked, seating properly social distanced), and on cute block of local shops and restaurants. My favorite was the She Crab Soup, super creamy with generous lumps of crab and perfect level of spiciness, and the jalapeño cornbread baked fresh in house. My server Connie was super friendly and not only brought all three types of housemade bread for me to try (loved the pumpkin and whole wheat too in addition to the cornbread) and even offered diners who were there at closing time some extra bread of our choice to go! Also got the tasty crab cake(5oz) with two sides: white cheddar grits and daily special of Lima beans with ham. Would definitely go back next time I'm in town! read more

See all

We hadn't been to this, the original, Barbara Jeans in years! It's pretty much the same though prices have gone up $2-3 per item. This restaurant is on the Main Street, the village area,that goes down to the bay in St. Simon Island. It is not fancy food...just good old fashioned meals like meatloaf/mashed potatoes, Turkey, stuffing and gravy; then it moves up to she-crab soup (famous for), fried shrimps and crab cakes, etc. Most meals you can pick from about 15 veggies. I got 8 fried shrimps, red beans/rice, turnips with the free bread they give when you sit down( yeast roll, pumpkin bread and corn bread). I thought the beans/rice was the best, believe it or not; greens needed seasoned snd shrimp coating fell off?!? My husband got Turkey/stuffing/gravy and it was more then he could eat but he did get a big, bowl of she-crab soup too (up charge of $2 and no veggies). Soup was rich hence filling. We are sorry Barbara Jeans closed on Ameliai Island, the server said because owners live here and was too much to run both. The Barbara Jeans in Jax on the inter-coastal, was sold and is run by someone else; not the same! read more

See all

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

Food was good. We got coffee and desserts. The 2 stars is for the smell of the place. It smelled like moth balls, mold and urine. The coffee cups were chipped and my knife had dried food on it. Very unappetizing. The server was very kind. This location just needs a little help. read more

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