What a fun find! My BF and I went to dinner here. Stepping inside, it looks like your traditional seafood restaurant. The hostess said it would be about 10 minutes before we could be sat inside or 20+ minutes outside. She also offered us to see if we could find a seat at the bar. We looked outside and landed two seats at the bar. Triple bonus- there was a band playing, drinks flowing, and a sun setting high in the sky. Everyone like to be smiling and having a great time, even the staff. He ordered the Ahi tuna, I ordered the Thai chili shrimp. Both were amazing and we would absolutely order again. Both plates were well presented, and came out in a fair amount of time. I can't wait to go back! read more

10/10 Happy hour deal everyday at reasonable time? Some of our food didn't make the cut because they lasted on the table for maybe 5 minutes. The blackened shrimp amazing along with the hush puppies. The oysters that had crab on top, absolutely delicious and had a ton of flavor. The staff is SO nice and knew a lot about the menu. She crab soup is a solid 6.5/10 their house salad is very fresh. I'll be back for sure! read more

Down Under Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

Another visit to Amelia Island and another five star trip to Down Under! Love the nautical decor/theme. Staff is engaging and comes around regularly to check in for any needs. The fish tacos are still great and pleased with the shrimp tacos as well, but the star was the shrimp and cheesy grits. So much flavor! Shrimp cooked perfectly. Nice portion size. read more

Down Under Restaurant - Shrimp and cheesy grits - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

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Fun eating experience! The fried shrimp is delicious! Make sure and get the Chefs dessert as well because it is worth every bite!

The biggest draw of this restaurant is the view - can't be beat! The outdoor seating on the water is a fabulous setting. Service is great, and our food was prepared at the perfect pace. Blue cheese chips with blue cheese appetizer is phenomenal. Meals were all fresh and portions were really nice. read more

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The location is very interesting. It's literally under a bridge which explains the name. I enjoyed the fresh oysters, seared scallops, and cheese grits. We were able to get in at the bar immediately, otherwise it would've been a 45 minute wait. I think this place earned the spot for the best food on my trip. read more

This was the first time eating here and it did not disappoint. We ate everything that we ordered. Cole, our server was absolutely fantastic and made our experience even better. Can't wait to go back. read more

All of the food is DELICIOUS and such a fun atmosphere. Destiny is the most incredible waitress. She was so kind, welcoming, helpful, and amazing!!! read more

Good food good service good deal. Eat here. Everything brought out promptly and hot. Good drinking water.

Amazing food! First time back in over a decade and it was even better than I remembered!

Always love Down Under! Service and food is great. We visit here every year when we come to Amelia.

My wife and I drove up to Fernandina Bch for our 38 year wedding anniversary and stopped into the Down Under Restaurant for dinner. I ordered the fried shrimp dinner and it was delicious. I also loved the hush puppies! These were the best hush puppies I've ever had. The shrimp and hush puppies were cooked just right. I also had a cup of clam chowder. This was also delicious and had great flavor. My wife ordered the crab legs and cheese grits. She hers was very good and cooked just right! Honestly; everything was perfect with our dinner. Our waiter was great as well and was super friendly. The restaurant is on the water. Some tables have good views and others don't. They do have outdoor seating. We definitely recommend you try the Down Under Restaurant! We will definitely be back in the future! read more

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This was my first time here. It WAS Father's Day so I'm sure they were exhausted. The raw oysters and warm crab dip were both very good. However, the fried portions seemed very soft, like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for quite a while. The server was polite but you could tell she was tired! She had several large tables all at once and that just added to the stress. If I go again, it would be mid-week and not on a holiday period! read more

Started out good and went downhill. Ordered the grilled captains platter. Everything came out cold. They forgot the oysters and said they were cooking. They came out cold too. Sent back the baked potato with had apparently been done since lunch. Cold also. Brought another out slightly better but had been nuked for a minute. Totally disappointed in a restaurant I usually enjoy. No offer to bring another platter. BTW the menu description says a heaping amount. What a joke. 3 scallop, 5 shrimp and oysters and a piece of fish about the size of a cupcake all for 32.00 Taking them off the list. Certainly there are better dining choices around. Do better Down Under. read more

Love this place!!! Such a hole in the wall! It's right on the water, got the coolest decor & great staff! The food is always AMAZING! Today we ordered the fried shrimp, Thai shrimp, fresh catch sandwich and a grilled chicken sandwich. Their hush puppies are possibly the best i've ever had, they're cooked to perfection! If you ever want good seafood, good music and good views hit this place up! read more

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Food was great! Staff was friendly and the atmosphere was top notch! I would highly recommend.

The food just wasn't good. Fried too hard. Small portions. Wasted $100!! Will not be back. Our waitress was awesome though.

TLDR: If you want SAVORY shrimp and grits, look elsewhere because this dish at Down Under is drowning in sweet cream. Sat outdoors to enjoy the view, and it was enjoyable, but the table was sandy. Server was attentive and courteous, but the food was not good. Clam chowder was way salty, and the shrimp and grits were just bad. The shrimp were locally sourced and good, but you couldn't even see/appreciate the grits and their texture because they were swimming in too much cream sauce that was sweet instead of savory. Fresh chives and cherry tomatoes were a nice touch but couldn't make up for that sauce... Nothing like any other shrimp and grits I've had elsewhere in the south and southeast. Very disappointed. Smoked paprika flavor could not come through - only sugar and shrimp surrounded by soup. read more

What a hidden gem. I was having trouble finding the place and even went to a VFW hall by mistake and then kept going and found this wonderful cozy outdoor spot. My server was lovely and recommended the grouper. It did not disappoint. read more

Nice establishment, friendly people, neat location ... down under! Food was decent; however, catch of the day was this, not flaky, disappointing. Shrimp and scallops and oysters were delicious. read more

6/14/25 great local restaurant with mostly fresh seafood. We came the night before Father's Day to avoid crowds. They do not take reservations so when we entered and sign up, we went outside to listen to the live music on the deck on the river. We were texted our table was ready and they took us upstairs. We had never been upstairs so it was a nice treat. The food is still fantastic-she crab soup ...the best! Hubby had fried shrimp-local and I had shrimp and grits-delicious! Great even great meal! read more

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We always like to try a different restaurant aside of our favorites when we vacation here in Fernandina Beach. We needed to find an alternate fishing spot due to the high winds on the beach not being ideal for surf fishing. Our search took us under the bridge and straight to Down Under . Perfect, we will fish a bit and walk over for a late lunch afterwards. We sat at the bar, nice lady bartending. I had the fish and chips (fries) with cheese grits. I must say every restaurant we have ate cheese grits in the area do them very well. The fish was maybe a bit on the dark (over fried) side but it was delicious. My Fiancé got the fried shrimp and oyster platter. The oysters were about the size of a thumbnail and the seasoning on both the shrimp and oysters totally ruined the whole dish. Not sure what they use in the batter but it is not necessary. His plate was left uneaten except for a few of the fries which were the battered kind and again unnecessary. Our travel buddy had the lunch shrimp and agreed that we three deemed this restaurant not even t-shirt worthy! (They have cute down under t-shirts for sale). I did however enjoy my fish. read more

Down Under Restaurant - Shrimp and oysters platter. Thumbnail size oysters and both had an inedible seasoning in the batter. - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

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Menu said large portions and when I got the meal it was very small. It was also very over cooked.

Food and service were good. We ate outside which was nice to be able to do. I had the shrimp and grits. I recommend this dish. Wedge salad was amazing. read more

Went to DU again yesterday as my good friends wanted to treat me to a birthday lunch. Not crowded on a Friday at lunchtime. Great service. Between the three of use we had steamed oysters, ahi tuna and jalapeno popper appetizers. I had the fish tacos which were very good. I also had a bloody Mary and another person had one as an afterthought and when theirs came I noticed the three olives and realized I didn't get any olives with mine. So I went back to the bar and told the (lovely) bartender and she said "I told her wait! You forget his olives!" when our server grabbed my drink. I said "The olives are..." and before I could finish she said "...the best part of a bloody Mary!" LOL. Cool girl. Have always loved going to Down Under. read more

Down Under Restaurant - Fish tacos - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

This was...not good. Not sure how they have a rating more than 4 on yelp. Let's start with the smell. It had just rained but I'm not sure that was the reason. My two daughters complained the whole time about the smell. My oldest also said the water "tastes like the ocean" though she still drank it. I love oysters, but these were...well, bad. They tasted old and musky (not like usual gulf coast oysters) and two that I had were literally chewy - like jerky texture. The server was nice and attentive, but she was coughing the whole time. We used the hand sanitizer at the front multiple times for extra precautions but I still think I'm gonna come down with Covid in 3 days from now since she was serving us our food and drinks. What was good? The grouper, the catch of the day, the salad, the she crab soup. The exterior of the place is cute too under a bridge. Our server was also really nice and attentive, albeit coughing. There's your 3 stars. Still, we came out fearing we had food poisoning from the oysters and Covid from the waitress. read more

Nice lunch outside. Good choices. Tacos- flounder& shrimp- delicious , and good crab stew. Fun to watch the boats read more

Down Under Restaurant - Flounder taco, shrimp taco, crab stew - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

Seafood was fresh and tasty. Salads were boring and expensive for four slices of chicken. The quality of the lettuce wasn't as fresh as I'd like. Overall if you want seafood then give it a try. read more

Looking for a fantastic seafood restaurant? Look no further! This spot boasts an excellent location with convenient parking. The food is exceptional, and the service is truly remarkable. You won't be disappointed. Also being under the Bridge just makes the place even more interesting and fun. Inside is well appointed with Nautical and beach decor. read more

Down Under Restaurant - The outside view. - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

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Came to check this place out while I was in the area. Stumbled upon this cute little mom and pop waterfront restaurant. Indoor and outdoor seating decided to eat out on the deck. Even though it was a hot day they had umbrellas and fans so you can sit comfortably and enjoy your lunch or dinner. We mainly came here for apps not really dinner and drinks. We chose the crab dip, wedge salad, down under oysters, crab cake and wings. Overall the crab dip came in first place, following by the wedge salad, and crab cake. The crab dip was so good, it had more crab meat than sauce which is just how I like it. The sauce itself is also delish but I would have went with bread instead of potato chips. No offense but I am a bread girly. The wedge salad was unlike other wedge salads because they had caramelized onions that gave a hint of sweetness which made it different. Crab cake was really good however kind of skinny and needed some thickness lol. The oysters and the wings were ok. I had went with down under oyster since they were out of raw ones. Wasn't a huge fan and changed it for wings instead. I love wings and have to say these just didn't put a touch to my heart. Service was great, and over all I would definitely to try different items on the menu . read more

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Grilled shrimp... yummy! Makenna was a great server. Sat inside so I couldn't see the water, but that's ok.

We Love the food at Down Under!! The Seafood is Always Fresh, Salads, Soups and Steak is also great!! read more

Burgers were ok (probably wouldn't get again. Ordered medium well, but they were a little charred on the outside). Fries and hush puppies were really good. Poppers were decent. Potato fries were soso. Fried oysters were meh. Down under tacos were meh. Mule was not great. Service was fantastic. read more

Stopped for a few beers & some delicious crab dip with yummy homemade chips. Location is great! Right on the intercostal. Will definitely return. read more

Greeted warmly by the hostess and seated immediately on an early Sunday evening. Chose indoors by a window because it was still hot outside. Our server Hanna was delightful and efficient. My wife loved the blood orange cosmo that Hanna recommended. I went a Murphy Goode Chardonnay. I ordered the pan seared scallops which came with choice of one side. I chose collards which were delicious. My wife ordered grilled shrimp which came with hush puppies plus an additional side. Our meals came out in a reasonable amount of time. There were only six scallops which were tasty but not enough for the $28 price. I had to order an additional side of hush puppies because I was still hungry. The grilled shrimp were small but delicious. Came with two hush puppies. The extra side was a sweet potato. At $20 it was the better value. read more

Down Under Restaurant - Seared scallops - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

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Super disappointing, essentially sums up our visit here. With 4+ reviews here and on Google, we were looking forward to an exceptional experience. Our server was aloof, a young woman whose persona expressed her less-than-desirable interests in being at work. Peel and eat shrimp. If you like ice-cold, unseasoned shrimp, these are for you. Many reviews raved about the shrimp and grits, so I chose them. Although I have had many varieties of this dish, none were served with the shrimp's tails attached. It made for a very awkward eating experience. Grilled Halibut is supposed to be a clean-tasting fish that adapts to the seasoning unless cross-contamination occurs during the cooking process or is prepared on a dirty surface. Ours tasted like it was cooked next to a hamburger. read more

We'd heard a lot about this place and finally stopped in on a Friday morning. Everything we heard was true. Good service, great environment and VERY good food. We were supposed by how busy it got right after opening on a Friday, but the service didn't slow down even though they got busy quickly. We tried a couple of lunch specials and we were both surprised at how big the portions were. We would stop in here again anytime we're in the area. read more

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Stopped on the way home after visiting a client in Jacksonville. The food was good, service was good and the ambiance was good. I thought it was going to be louder, being under the bridge but it wasn't. I enjoyed the shrimp curry dish and the oysters were also good. I wouldn't say it's the best ever but a solid spot to visit. read more

I wished we'd gotten the name of our server because she was lovely, informative, and attentive! The food was great...as usual but the scallops had a little less of the salt and pepper which made it seasoned perfectly! We also had the peel and eat shrimp which is a must have in our opinion. Love the casual vibe, too. read more

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Good seafood spot in Fernandina that's worth the try! Standard service, and casual dining experience. It's interesting driving up to the restaurant because it's under a bridge, kind of in the cut. But there's plenty of parking and seating. We came for lunch on a Saturday, so they were busy but not jam packed. We were seated right away. While we chose to sit inside, there was plenty of outdoor seating available and there was even a live performer with a guitar. Even though we didn't hear him, that's always a nice touch during a dine-in experience. The decor is very woody and rustic and gives a very old lake house or fish house feel. The service was standard. The hostess didn't greet us coming in or out, but our server was friendly. The food was good! We started with appetizers, ordering the crab dip and jalapeño poppers. The crab dip was phenomenal, with both the chips and dip being seasoned to the gods! The jalapeño poppers were fried perfectly, but I didn't really like the raspberry soy dip. I could have did without the soy part. My sister ordered the chicken tenders and fries and my mom ordered the iron seared ahi tuna sandwich. They both enjoyed their meals. I had the house salad and added blackened shrimp with the roasted shallot herb vinaigrette. It was so fresh and tasty with all the mix of greens from arugula to spinach, so good! I also ordered a side of baked potato with butter and some cream. I added some crab dip on top of that, and wow, delicious. All-in-all it was a pleasant experience and yummy seafood lunch. I'd recommend this place and will hopefully be back for more! read more

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