Eat Like a Local on St. Simons Island: Insider Picks

Favorite local breakfast spots on St. Simons

We do have an entire article dedicated to Breakfast on St. Simons with a more extensive list of choices. If you’re going to be here for an extended stay you’ll want to check them all out!

If we have visitors staying for the weekend or just a few days this is where we’ll take them:

Sweet Mama’s

An unassuming little place in an outparcel strip of the Winn-Dixie shopping center (officially known as Retreat Village), Sweet Mama’s is a great place for breakfast. You’ll go through the line to order and the food is brought to your table.

Don’t miss the pork pops! Bite-sized morsels of cheesy delicious-ness also have bits of bacon and sausage. If you wait until 11:00 for breakfast you’re taking a chance on the pork pops being sold out for the day.

Dulce Dough

inside of a bakery on st. simons island.

If homemade doughnuts are your thing Dulce Dough is the place to be. Yes, the tourists have found out too, and yes, a line forms on weekends. But the line moves quickly and it’s worth the wait.

There are a few flavors made every day and a few that are made on a rotating basis. Every day at 4pm the menu for the next day comes available on their website. You can place your order in advance and have no worries that your favorites are in your box!

For those preferring savory options for breakfast, Dulce Dough has lots of great options too.

Café Frederica

This little spot is off the beaten path. In fact, it’s about a mile from our house and we eat there often. They’re open until 2pm and breakfast is available until closing time.

Put the address in your GPS or mapping system (110 Sylvan Blvd.) because you won’t find it otherwise. Know that the parking in front is limited but you can drive around back for more spaces.

Palmer’s Village Café

photo of chalkboard sign in restaurants on St. Simons Island.

If you’re staying in the village (also known as the Pier Village) Palmer’s will be a walkable option. Like Café Fred they’re open every day until 2pm and serve lunch also, but breakfast is always available.

Palmer’s does a great job with basics like eggs, biscuits and pancakes. But, they can get a little fancy too. Check out the omelet called “The Local”.

Yes, the tourists know about this place. On weekends and during the busy season there will be a line. But, that’s part of the fun. Everyone hangs out on the sidewalks and shoots the breeze until they’re called for a table.

Local lunch spots at St. Simons Island

What follows are our go-to lunch places and where we take visitors. There is some overlap with breakfast because the island has quite a few excellent places that are open from early morning until around 2:00pm.

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Beachcomber BBQ

Truly a favorite of ours, Beachcomber has a funky vibe with a small bar (with virtually always a few regulars), live music most weekends and outstanding ‘que! If you’re staying at the King & Prince or Hotel Simone Beachcomber will be an easy walk for you.

Porch

Owned by the same folks as Palmers (see above) Porch is the place for Nashville hot chicken right here on St. Simons. True to the name they have a great wraparound porch and a fenced in yard with cornhole games on the weekends. The chicken is outstanding and they also serve Georgia wild caught shrimp (the only kind we recommend).

Cafe’ Frederica

Yes, this is the same spot we recommended above for breakfast, which you can get at lunchtime too. They also have great sandwiches, salads and homemade soups which are often made with local seafood.

Southern Soul Barbeque

This one is no secret here in the Golden Isles, but it is good. There is almost always a line on the weekends at this little St. Simons Island spot in a former gas station, but it’s worth the wait. Besides the barbecue they have fantastic sides and a small bar off to the side called the Channel Marker. Southern Living Magazine, Drive-Ins Diners & Dives – they’ve all been here and the recognition is well deserved.

Happy Hour

If we’ve met you know that we consider this an important part of the day. Looking for a happy hour spot at st. Simons Island? We’ve got that covered.

For the full lineup of our favorite bars at St. Simons you’ll want to check this article. It includes our choice for late night drinks.

Wolf Island Oyster Company

Marsh view from happy hour spot on St. Simons Island.

There’s a lot to love about this spot in Redfern Village. For starters, check out that stunning marsh view! Besides that there is an expansive bar with friendly bartenders, great happy hour specials (like really good deals) and you can buy oysters by the singles. Sometimes you just want 2 or 3 and sometimes you want to try several varieties.

Catch 228

Tucked in the back right of Redfern Village, you’ll find what locals call “the Catch”. It’s not fancy, but they have oyster specials (shucked to order), some of the best peel-and-eat Georgia shrimp on the island, and great happy hour drinks. You’ll probably walk out of the Catch having made a couple of new friends. Look for us there!

Echo at the King & Prince Hotel

A comfy but elegant spot as you would expect from the King & Prince. They do have happy hour specials, but the real draw here is the view. It’s the island’s only beachfront bar and restaurant.

Mullet Bay

Located right in the village (the Pier Village if you’re not from around here) is Mullet Bay. The tourists mostly know it as a restaurant for lunch and dinner, but they have awesome daily happy hours with specials on drinks and a few appetizers. You’ll know it’s the real deal when you see the locals lined up to jockey for their spot at the bar starting at 4:00.

people at bar in St. Simons Island restaurant.

Insider picks for dinner on St. Simons

Again, you’ll find some overlap here. And do keep in mind that there are a TON of great restaurants at St. Simons Island. These just happen to be our go-to’s that we’ve found to have consistenly good food and service.

Fiddlers

Popular with locals and tourists Fiddlers doesn’t take reservations and the wait can be long, but there’s a great outdoor area to hang out until you’re called. The view is beautiful, there is indoor and outdoor seating and best of all the food is amazing.

Tramici

A bit off the beaten path due to its mid-island location you’ll find one of our very favorites. Tramici has amazing Italian food, friendly service, a good wine selection and an outdoor courtyard if you have to wait for your table. We love this place!

Del Sur

Our only pick for the dinner line up in this article that is right in the village is Del Sur. It’s a fusion of an Argentine steak house and Italian. The owners are always around making sure everyone is happy. The place is pretty small, but they do take reservations.

Catch 228

Already mentioned in the happy hour section, Catch 228 is a regular spot for seafood and we’ve never been disappointed. It’s just good local, fresh food in a simple atmosphere. This is one of the spots on the island where they’ll cook what you caught on your fishing trip. Does that sound fun?

Book a fishing trip here. There’s a wide variety to choose from.

Gnats Landing

Also in Redfern Village you’ll find Gnats. It’s a casual, fun place with a lot of outside seating and good beach vibe seafood. There are plenty of great choices for those in your group who don’t eat seafood too. It’s the perfect place to watch the football games, and they often have entertainment like music bingo, trivia and live music.

Before You Go…

Don’t miss these other articles about St. Simons Island to help you plan your trip!

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Eat Like a Local on St. Simons Island: Insider Picks