The food is very good! The wait is insane. A lot of the other restaurants will at least take reservations for those staying at the attached hotels/condos, but the bistro does not! They also did not tell people where to line up so that made for some frustrated guests. I could have overlooked the wait if the staff had been friendlier...Mark was GREAT, he was assisting our server. But everyone else seemed blah. read more

Driftwood Bistro - Shrimp Creole (GF)with OG-s Fried Okra (VGT/VGN/GF)* - Cafes Near Me - Island, Georgia

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We were greeted by exiting customers who told us it was amazing. Great way to start! The staff were friendly, and our waiter, Greg, made us feel quite at home. Casual attire on a Saturday night is perfectly fine. We started with a sampler basket of fried okra, green tomatoes and mushrooms. The breading was light and crisp, with whole mushrooms and the okra was whole and flayed instead of sliced which was very good! My husband and I both ordered the stuffed flounder. I had the collards and broccoli, while my husband had the mashed potatoes and a salad. There is an upcharge for the salad which seemed odd to me, but okay. The broccoli and collards were cooked perfectly. Service was quick, and the wait staff superb despite their advertised request for patience due to understaffing. This was our first visit to Driftwood Bistro, but definitely won't be our last. read more

Hands down the BEST food on the island. I have a deep history of sweet potato hatred, and even those were great. (GF got some and I tried them) Best service too. Every other place felt like they were just going though the motions to provide service and get the paycheck/tip. Not this place. They are all hustling, and seem genuine. Amanda was pretty much the perfect server. Chef came out at the end of the night and not just chatted with us but gave us a little history lesson. Everyone here just exudes this 'real' attitude and professionalism. Desserts and drinks are top notch as well. Light years better than any other place on the island. After the first trip there we knew this was our dinner spot for the rest of the vacation. If you have to wait, it's 100% worth it. 5 stars all the way. This would 100% be my go to dinner spot if it weren't 14 hours from home. read more

The absolute best food on Jekyll! It's classic Southern dishes cooked to perfection. I recommend arriving at 5pm to guarantee seating. The mac n' cheese and cheese grits are excellent. 5/5 read more

Probably one of the best places I've had the pleasure of dining in in a very long time. The food was excellent. The wait, though, to get a seat COULD HAVE been really bad, but that's a testament to their food and friendly attitude. We had only gone there twice, but they remembered our names and treated us like long lost friends. I HIGHLY recommend this place. read more

This place does not take reservations. We made sure to show up about 10 minutes before they opened at 5. There was already about a dozen people lined up ahead of us. More people were lined up shortly after we arrived. The doors did not open right at 5, but about 5 minutes after the hour. We started with the key lime pie ($5.95) which was good. It was bright out on a chilled metal plate. It was good. My husband chose to get the special ($21.95). He enjoyed the scallops, but was not impressed with the salad. The slices of cucumber were very thick and he wasn't a fan of the tomato wedges. He thought it was odd that they were like that. He had to cut up the tomato and cucumber so the salad was more to his liking. He chose Gorgonzola for his dressing and said it all tasted very bland. He liked the Mac and cheese ($2.95). He tried their brand of hot sauce on it and said it was nothing special. I chose the meatloaf and you choose two sides ($11.95). I asked for the gravy on the side as well. I'm glad I did because the meatloaf tasted good without the gravy. I was ousted when the bread arrived because I don't remember it being mentioned in the menu. It was fresh and delicious. We brought a deck of cards to play gin rummy while we waited, but it wasn't long until started receiving our food. Our total including ice tea ($2.50) with my husband meal came to $48.02 Our advice is to arrive early or be prepared to wait. They have both indoor and outdoor seating, but do not offer take out. read more

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Good food good service but get there early just as they open! Very happy and pleasing weight staff, eager to make things as the best as they can, you will enjoy this place read more

We chose this primarily because we were nearby at the Driftwood Beach and were hungry after walking around. They are following Covid guidelines at this time. Our server, Breta, was wonderful. We chatted with her throughout the meal. The rest of the staff is awesome too.. super attentive refilling drinks and taking away plates when necessary. I ordered the pot roast and my boyfriend got the roast beef sandwich. The pot roast is super tender and tasty and the gravy is perfect. I opted for the house salad for a $2.75 up charge which I didn't enjoy and didn't think it was worth it. It basically 2 pieces each of tomato and cucumber and"scratchy " lettuce. I would order a different side next time. The roll i got wth my meal was warm and crispy. My boyfriend loved his sandwich. My Cosmo and Chocolate Martini for dessert were prepared great. The prices are very reasonable. I highly recommend this gem in Jekyll Island. We might be doing a repeat performance tonight. read more

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Crappy. Do. Not. Eat. Here. No flavor. Hard bread. No seasoning, and how do you possibly mess up pot roast?!? Tasted like it was straight from fancy feast cat buffet... read more

Pot roast was delicious. Squash casserole AMAZING! Harvard beets and okra good. The bread pudding is a combination egg custard/bread pudding it was delicious. My husband had the grilled catfish and he said it was very good. read more

Excellent server, very attentive. Food was good. Long wait but worth it on a chilly night. Price was reasonable; I was expecting more on a resort island. read more

The prices are reasonable and the food pretty good. My complaint is that the waitstaff was clearly doing their best to get you fed and out ASAP. Since all the waitstaff were doing this, it must be a management policy. Pretty much everyone who eats at this restaurant is on vacation. While I understand the need to turn over tables at a reasonable pace, the pressure to order quickly, and the speed at which appetizers and dinners were delivered is not consistent with the mood of the restaurant's clientele. If we visit the island again, we'll look for other options for dinner. read more

Southern Coastal Seafood right on Jekyll Island. Favorite items are okra and friend shrimp.

Came to Jekyll for our 25th anniversary getaway and was looking for somewhere on the island to eat and stumbled on Driftwood Bistro. We had about a 15 minute wait which wasn't bad and even with this social distancing I felt very comfortable once inside. The food was delicious and our server was the best. We had a great anniversary dinner. read more

Driftwood Bistro - Fried green tomatoes - Cafes Near Me - Island, Georgia

I'm going to start by saying high hopes but underwhelmed. The grilled shrimp platter was not very tasty, bland at best. Service was attentive and good. Shrimp and grits were tasty. Would have liked more seafood options. read more

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I have such mixed feelings about this restaurant. The food has been excellent in the past but I feel they are cutting a lot of corners these days and simply giving up on delivering quality. We had two shrimp platters and the shrimp were small and dried out. I had the broccoli and green bean sides and they were obviously frozen, not fresh. They were hot (good) but mushy (bad). I cannot understand why they wouldn't serve fresh. The prep for fresh veggies is not that hard or time consuming. They were understaffed and obviously feeling a lot of pressure to get people in and out quickly (wait time to get in was about half an hour 15 minutes after opening, despite the wait list saying 45 minutes). Our waitress became less and less pleasant as time went on, despite us ensuring we ordered quickly and didn't dither, us hoping to ease her obvious distress at the situation. Guess that didn't work. So, we've enjoyed Driftwood in the past but are dismayed at how much they've given up on delivering good food in a nice environment. It's a real shame and I hope they bounce back. Also, it's ridiculous to only be open 20 hours a week (closed Sunday and Monday, open 5-9 for the rest of the week). Maybe if they were open longer/more days they wouldn't be so swamped on the days they are open! read more

Hey Yelp- is it possible I can get like a hundred more stars??? This is the absolute Diamond of Jekyll Island. I don't know that my vocabulary has enough descriptive adjectives to tell you how fabulous this place is. It's very unassuming when you pull in. We were able to be sat right away. The menu is clear and concise. The hardest part is deciding what you're going to eat because it all sounds good. Let's Talk About Kevin, he was our server. I spent my entire life in the Foodservice industry and I am probably a little more critical than the average bear. I absolutely love when a server knows their menu, and is willing to offer recommendations with conviction. Don't just tell me the most expensive thing on the menu is your favorite nope-nope that doesn't work for me. He even explained that he didn't like okra but how it was cooked and that it was very popular. Well go ahead and sign me up for a bowl of that! we will get back to that okra in a minute. So Kevin never once let our drinks go empty. He was extremely kind. He cleared plates and checked on us. I couldn't have asked for a better server. Now let's talk about this meal. Holy crap the okra is like slap your mama in her face good. I have never had okra made like this before. It is a full okra pod sliced and deep-fried and smashed? It almost resembles octopus the way it curls up. It wasn't slimy, it was tender and had just the right amount of cornmeal breading. I could eat my weight in that. So on to our meal, I ordered blackened shrimp with macaroni and cheese and squash casserole. I don't know who's granny is in the back cooking but I wanted to sneak back there and hug them. The macaroni and cheese was delicious southern style with the topping on it. The shrimp was so good , the flavor the cook everything. The star of the show......SQUASH CASSEROLE. I don't even know where to begin it was so decadent and delicious. I didn't even feel worthy to eat it. It is like nothing I have ever tasted before and trust me I know squash casserole. My wife thoroughly enjoyed her meal and her cocktail. On to Desert. *** I'm hesitant to even say anything about it but I am a true yelper so you get 100% from me... We ordered the lava cake with ice cream and next time we know that we will skip that. It was basically a chocolate bundt cake with chocolate sauce in the center. Nothing to write home about. Here's a thing after you eat a meal like that I could give A hoot about the desert. So that's my five star review. If you will remember I started this by saying I needed a hundred more stars let me tell you why.... DAN THE MAN is why. This lovely gentleman walked around checking on every single table. He sparked conversation and was genuinely interested in what every single table had to say. He checked on us when the okra came out and after our meal. I asked him if he was the manager or the owner... he's the owner! I love him like love love. There is nothing better than an owner taking interest and their patrons and their business. He was so delightful to talk to we even found out that his daughter lives here in Chattanooga really close to where I grew up. He was absolutely the sweetest man I've spoken to in Jekyll Island. I could eat it his Place everyday and never get sick of it. I wish that I could talk him into his squash casserole and fried okra recipe. But I guess that's for another trip. If you have taken the time to read this super long review, thank you. If you're considering having dinner Anywhere But Here, while you're in Jekyll Island- you need your head checked. read more

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Driftwood Bistro is often the highlight of our dining experience during our annual trips to Jekyll. Tonight, we arrived at 5pm in order to get a table without a wait. In spite of a long line of of other parties waiting for a table, we got in quickly and efficiently. Thunder, our server, was an absolute rock star. She anticipated our needs easily and naturally and took great care of us. Another great Driftwood Bistro experience. Thanks to the management and thanks to Thunder. We couldn't have had a better dining experience. read more

Cheerful, well-run restaurant. Very good shrimp and grits. Reasonable prices. Great service

Ok, here goes. We ate here in the summer of 2019, and I only gave them 3 stars. Mostly because of being shortchanged on the Fried Green Tomatoes and bad attitude, the food was good. This being 2020, with all its extra complications, you could tell they were making every effort to give good service. Our party of 4 ordered To Go. We all got different items, Catfish, FGT sandwich, Cuban sandwich, & Shrimp and Grits. We only had to wait about 15 minutes for our food. Very well done, it was all delicious. And I see now they are more generous with the Fried Green Tomatoes. read more

Very popular place so the wait was around an hour, which we expected. The mahi mahi sandwich was very good and so was the fried green tomato sandwich. The fried mushrooms were ok. The best part was the desserts! We had the key lime pie, peach cobbler, and the bread pudding. All were delicious :) read more

Great home cooking! They served our big group quickly knowing we needed to leave for a dolphin tour. Everyone loved the fried shrimp and southern sides. Great margaritas too!!! read more

It is a class act! Food presentation is wonderful, love the menu and the staff is outstanding. Even when busy we are checked on & feel special. Dan is wonderful about coming around & greeting his guests, making them feel welcome satisfied with their experience. The restaurant and bar have so many unique features, the wines, pictures of the local area and ocean senes painted by local artists. Wood carvings also by a local artist. Best of all they are available for sale. I can't resist!!Georgia Wild Shrimp, Pot Roast, Shrimp Creole, Wild Georgia Shrimp Platter are some of our favorites. read more

The food deserves 10 Stars.... Seafood and sides cooked and seasoned to perfection. Super hard working staff and massively busy restaurant. No reservations so go early:-). read more

The food was good. But they literally charge $5 to change out your side. It's an up charge which normally costs $2. $5 to change a side dish?? Crazy. read more

Great veggies great service. Didn't care for the pot roast gravy but the squash casserole made up for it. Thank you for taking such great care of us !!! read more

What the heck? How does this place have 4.5 star rating at the time of my review? Okay, the wait was expected. But the wait once we sat, unacceptable at over 40 minutes before we received our food. I was starved and at the 20 minute mark asked the server for some bread. She informed it would come with the dinner and she would not bring some even at request. The food taste...akin to TV dinners from my childhood. I would have rather saved myself the evening and had a protein bar, or bag of chips. The reason for 2 stars vs 1...you can buy a bottle of wine for less than $20. A table next to us had waited over an hour for their food. When we left, they were still waiting. read more

I am embarrassed to say that I actually had a hard time finding this place. But once I arrived I was happy that I did. I got the blackened shrimp and grits, the petit portion, and the serving size was more than enough to fill me up. The food was delicious and the service was good. I would have given 5 stars but I was originally given the wrong order and I had to keep reminding the waitress to refill my glass. We will return on our next trip to the island! read more

Driftwood Bistro - Cafes Near Me - Island, Georgia

We ate here last night they had a sign on the door letting you know they were short staffed. We waited over an hour for our table which we understand and quickly told our kids to be patient even once we got seated we would need to wait for our food. Marcus was our server there was only two other servers working the tables with him. These guys were hustling especially Marcus the kitchen was fast too. We sat ordered and next thing we knew our food was on its way out! I wanted to make sure they got recognized for all the hard work they did and we were not disappointed in our food at all! We eat here every time we come to the Island. read more

The food was very mediocre,service was good. I had the shrimp and grits, the grits were very gelatinous, seemed like they had been sitting for awhile and the shrimp still had the shell on some. Then, as Gordon Ramsey says... it was Bland! My wife had the fried shrimp, with fried okra and black eyed peas. Well the shrimp were great, but the okra and black eyed peas were very....bland. So overall, disappointed being that Yelp had 4.5 stars. read more

The food here was awesome! The shrimp was perfectly cooked and had an awesome spicy tomato sauce. The rice it comes with was not pescatarian (cooked with chicken stock apparently) so the waitress let me exchange that for another side dish. The squash casserole was FANTASTIC. It was flavored perfectly without being too creamy/heavy. Dinged a star because the place was so busy and we were forgotten about for a little bit. The food was definitely 5 stars though! read more

Driftwood Bistro - Shrimp with squash casserole and beats - Cafes Near Me - Island, Georgia

Wow! What a wonderful experience! Even though we had to wait an hour and 20 minutes to be seated, we met some lovely people who recommended the rum punch for a drink. I got one and enjoyed it which made the wait go by a little faster. Once we were seated, our orders were promptly taken. I enjoyed the stuffed collard greens and absolutely loved the squash casserole! Definitely get the squash casserole when you're there, you won't regret it. The fried green tomatoes weren't bad either. My friend got the stuffed flounder with Mac n cheese and okra and really enjoyed her food too. Then the lovely people we met earlier ended up picking up our tab (if you end up reading this thanks again so much! We really appreciated it! :) and Guiedo the host was super friendly and gave us a breakfast recommendation for our stay here. We just had such a wonderful experience here with real southern hospitality! We will definitely be back when back in the area! read more

Driftwood Bistro - Stuffed Collard Greens, Squash Casserole, Fried Green Tomatoes Stuffed Flounder, Macaroni and Cheese, OG-s Fried Okra - Cafes Near Me - Island, Georgia

Yelp and website say carry out is available. IT IS NOT. After driving out there on a weekend night we were told no carry out and offered a clearly not social distanced inside table. These non Covid compliant businesses should be cited by the state of Georgia. Especially since so many restaurants and businesses in Jekyll are compliant and careful. We will not forget the inconvenience caused. read more

Very good food. Small place so gets busy quickly. No reservations accepted, but virtual queue available. Would go back again. read more

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This restaurant was recommended to us by a shop owner in the village. I wish it had lived up to the hype in comparison to other local restaurants. Overall, the food was very processed with everything having a heavy sauce of some sort. I was hoping the shrimp cakes would deliver but the odd texture was too much to overcome with flavor. Same with the squash casserole. The shrimp and grits were flavorful but lacked in quantity. Quality restaurant choices are very lacking on this island. read more

An awesome and clean bistro that is next to the beach in Jekyll Island. Mark is a greatly attentive and energetic server, who made it a point to ensure we were not missing anything at our table. I had the catfish fillet with the OG fried okra and the sweet potato soufflé. My wife had the stuffed collard green platter and it was delicious. The food was pretty good but frankly, the service we received from Mark our waiter, is what moved me to write a review. read more

This restaurant was recommended by a resident of The Cottages. He said they have the best Shrimp and Grits he had ever had, he had retired and moved here from Charleston...I agree. We had a party of 6. Everyone enjoyed their meals and the atmosphere...we had a great evening out. read more

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Absolute favorite place to eat on Jeckyll Island and we eat at least once every time we make the trip to Jeckyll. The food, atmosphere and service are all great! I highly recommend the friend okra. Everything we've ever had is wonderful from the drinks through dessert. Make sure to visit Driftwood Beach while you are in this side of the island! read more

Eh. It's ok. My wife and her family love it. I always come away disappointed. But I can't eat shrimp. They race over the shrimp and I suspect if I could eat shrimp (or crab) Id love this place. But I can't, and the few non-shellfish items have always left me wanting more. read more

Imagine sitting in your sSouthern gGrandma's kitchen waiting on a big helping of homemade dinner. This is exactly how this dinner made me feel. The service was great and the food was even better. My family of 7 got a variety of items and everyone raved about their dish. Would definitely recommend but come hungry! read more

Driftwood Bistro - Vegetable plate entree - Cafes Near Me - Island, Georgia