Barbara Jean’s
960030 Gateway Blvd, Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034
Barbara Jean’s Menu
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Address :
960030 Gateway Blvd
Fernandina Beach, FL, 32034 - Phone (904) 277-3700
- Website https://www.barbarajeans.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 8:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Dogs Allowed : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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JS M.
Dinner spot after the 2014 Shrimp Festival. Food was delicious, friendly service and pretty atmosphere (we sat in the 8 person booth near the view). They accommodated my gluten sensitive need with a double lettuce wrapped burger. Dinner size of the dirty rice is very big, lots of chicken and sausage and not too spicy. Others had the coconut shrimp and haddock..gave thumbs up. One native Mainer said the crab cake was the best he's had. Average meal is $10.
(4)Debbie P.
Thanks you Mrs . Barbara , for calling , That was so nice , we love the food ! Thank you for taking the time , to make things right . Debbie Poole
(3)Alex C.
Crab cakes were wet, rather than flaky. This will probably be the last time we come here since the chicken has been cooked beyond dry everytime we've come. It's not worth sending back since it seems they simply don't care about the quality of the food that leaves the kitchen.
(2)Mark R.
Been here many times! Casual and good food! Probably the best bread basket I've had! My favorites are the pot roast and the chicken fingers. Bread pudding and Peach cobbler are great choices for dessert when they have them!
(5)Joe C.
Great meal. I had the chicken finger plate with white cheddar cheese grits. Chicken was great. Juicy and was a large serving. Pumpkin bread is excellent. Sometimes service here is not always great but have had a great waitress the past few times. Would also highly recommend the crab cakes.
(4)Ray F.
Ok so the food is decent, not worth the price but good. Not a huge fan of pumpkin but the bread sample was pretty good. GF liked jalapeño sweet bread. Waitress was horrible and they were not super busy. Never got a drink refill and my drink was empty when we got our food. First time my Gf didn't leave a tip. Chicken fried chicken 3.5 Fries 2 Dirty rice 3.5 Saledo Salad 3
(3)Scott W.
This place is excellent. Haven't had a complaint. A good hangover remedy is: The back porch. (make sure it's cool outside) Two to three pints of 420. Bowl of she crab soup with crackers and franks hot sauce.. Jalapeño corn bread and pumpkin bread. If you are still hungry go with a 7oz crab cake. Service is always friendly
(4)A.L. S.
Coconut shrimp- Great size!, She Crab soup- delicious!! We enjoyed Grilled Tuna sandwiches that were cooled to perfection!What a great find! The view was wonderful of the local marshes! Service was awesome just like the prices!
(5)Denise L.
Has a nice atmosphere and very southern menu. Had breakfast for 2 @ $22, so reasonable. Service was a bit slow getting coffee refills and the check. A loud crash of dishes when server dropped tray. Nice deck outside with spectacular views. Food was great, could not finish it all.
(3)Dave L.
Actually, I am a 3.5 on this establishment but I will go to a 4. Nice Low Country, what I call Florida type diner setting. Arrived for a nice quiet meal with the wife, not uppity, no suits, etc., just shorts, shirt, and flip flop meal. That is exactly what we received at Barbara Jean's. Arrived at 6pm, was sat outside on the porch, pictures attached. Nice quiet table, good old chairs looking over the marsh. Cannot get any better than that. Both my wife and I ordered the "Half and Half" she the crab and shrimp, me the crab and grilled cat fish. Veg orders were squash casserole with beans and rice with my wife having the slaw and that weird stuff with marshmallows and grapefruit. All were good, well she liked the marshmallow thing, I will take her word for it :-) Where do I get the diner thing from? Portions. Good lord! Out comes this plate with a 7oz crab cake that was vast crab itty bitty filling. Next was the catfish fillets. Try two coming in at about 12 total oz's.! Wife had the same with well over a dozen shrimp. Beans and Rice? That was a bowl. So there, you have your diner review. Desert we tried the key lime tart. Good but not the great key lime pie. A little too much sugar for my taste. My wife had a mixed berry turnover. It was good, again a little too much sugar. So, with this and the view topped off by what seemed to be a half gallon glass of tea, the night was a comfortable, satisfying, success! Give them a shot but ask for outside. Warning though on outside for any city slickers. Once the evening cool comes in, the sun begins to subside, the skeeters will be out for blood. So outside is the early bird time for dinner. After about 7:30 you will be skeeter smackin' as you are in the marsh. Enjoy!
(4)Bill K.
We ate dinner here tonight and decided that while it's an OK restaurant, it's not as good as the one located in Ponte Vedra. The Tuna was really good but the steak was almost all fat and gristle.
(3)James C.
This place is excellent - great location too! The original location is on St. Simons Island, GA. They just started serving breakfast Sat and Sun 8am - 11am - HIGHLY recommended.
(5)Emily P.
This place used to be great. I've heard it was recently shut down by the health department. Daringly, I have given it the benefit of the doubt and ate there after the fact. Terrible, just awful. Feels like a sinking ship and everyone associated has given up.
(1)Lynne B.
Chocolate stuff!!! Need I say more? We visit this place every year on vacation. The staff is extremely helpful with my son and his severe peanut/tree nut allergy.
(4)Ann-Michel K.
Food was great! Service was excellent. Staff was very friendly. There was an extensive kids menu and the kids portions were big. None of my kids could finish their meal. The restaurant was clean and nice. There was a very nice porch with a great view of the marsh/ pond maybe? Either way it was really nice looking.
(4)Ron W.
On a chilly night Wen n I stopped for dessert Their Chocolate stuff and Bread pudding Delicious!!
(3)Shay H.
Best seafood all week...and I went looking for good seafood all week. Crab cake and tuna loved at our table. Servers are excellent.
(5)Mike B.
Pumpkin Bread is to die for, of course they give you that for free just for sitting at the table! Win! For lunch I had the chicken BLT sandwich, it came out fast and was exactly what I was hoping for. Great southern food here, if you want a good meal, you will find something on the menu you like here.
(4)Frank G.
Poor service (which is rare of Amelia Island, everyone is so nice), food is bland diner food. Good bread, but man cannot live on bread alone. We tried this place several times, each time wishing for a good meal.. Never had good food there yet. Very small portions too.
(2)Whitney P.
We were on our way home from our wonderful Vaca in amelia island. I Google home cooking because that's is what we wanted. This resteraunt came up and after looking at the menu we decided to try it out. First of all when we walked in right away we were greeted with a frown. Hostess threw our menus on the table and said here ya go. We sat there for about 5-8 minutes before our waiter came. He took our orders I had pot roast with squash casserole and rice and my boyfriend had the meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Food was decent although our waiter didn't offer my boyfriend brown gravy on his meatloaf and he was disappointed hearing a server next to us offer it to his guest ( after we had our food) Before we went to leave we got a to go box because I didn't finish. We went to the restroom right before we left and when my boyfried walked out (we were in the restroom maybe two mins) The hostess sees him come out the restroom and says oh did yall want your to go box? My boyfriend thinking yea that's the whole point of a to go box and I was going to get it after using the restroom was going back to get it and she said oh I'm so sorry I threw it away. So my boyfriend replies oh well nothing we can do about it now and she literally had the nerve to reply she could go get it out the trash can. Are you kidding me? I am not trying to be negative and I usually don't write bad reviews. We always tip well and don't complain. Still today we tipped 12 dollars on a 42 dollar tab but I am a huge Google review and yelp review reader and I couldn't believe this experience and had to share.
(1)Lorine W.
Crabcake was good, no filler as promised! Fish sandwich was light and did not taste fishy. Would go back and try different sides!
(3)Jen D.
The reviews were so mixed and we were nervous. We'd just been burned by a popular seafood place but a choice was made. Our group sat on the porch, lovely view of the marsh...we even met a little raccoon friend that was looking for handouts. He wasn't bothersome but don't sit outside if you fear wildlife. It's true, The Pumpkin Bread was probably the best I have had and the rest of the beach gang agreed. Shrimp fritter apps had good flavor and were not too dense. Everyone had some combo of shrimp, tuna and crab cakes. The shrimp were huge, sweet and fresh...which is harder to find than one would imagine on the island, despite shrimping being a local occupation. The veggie sides all had that fresh from the garden taste, especially my squash. The Chocolate Stuff: it's hard to describe but so worth sharing with the table. Get extra homemade whipped cream because Leslie Knope demands it. Then enjoy your chocolate bliss coma. Our experience was so good, we returned for breakfast on the way home. Cat head biscuits, Belgian waffles done right and interesting twists on breakfast standards. We left just as pleased as we did after dinner. My one and only complaint? They don't offer the pumpkin bread at breakfast, which is like a cruel joke.
(4)Kate S.
Here today. Good food-- person i was with loved the crab cakes and dirty rice. I got the grilled chicken sandwich with a side of carrots. The chicken sandwich was good--nothing special but done well. Bun was the slightest bit stale. Carrots were a bit mushy. Good, attentive waiters. A fun place.
(4)Marshall F.
Bad service, bad food, bad management. Even though there were lots of open tables and lots of wait staff, it took them over 15 minutes to seat us when they told us it would only take 3 minutes. Once we were seated, it took over 5 minutes to place our drink order and another 5 minutes to place our food orders. After waiting 30 minutes, the waitress came out and told two of us that they were out of the food we ordered. We declined to order anything else and asked for our small children's food to be brought out as quickly as possible. After waiting another 10 minutes, I spoke with the manager who told me that it wasn't their fault. The food finally came to the table 1 hour after sitting down. The chicken fingers were hot and juicy, but flavorless. The creamed spinach has a very strange after-taste. The drinks all taste of sulfur (they do not filter their water). The manager did discount our ticket. I did appreciate that, but at that point, it was too little, too late. We won't go back again!
(1)Mark B.
We have been to Barbara Jean's a few times now. I always give a restaurant a few tries before I write anything. Now on this visit we were seated along with another group. So we ordered I had the burger (just because their seafood menu is very limited) and wanted it med rare. The wife ordered the tuna. Well the food arrived and to our disappointment the fish was way over and this cook is pretty good cause my burger was half medium the other half was crispy well done. Now being a pretty good cook myself this is not an easy thing to pull off. Now when it came to the sides I had the red beans n rice or maybe I should say red rocks for the beans didn't seem to be cooked enough. As for the wife's greens they were pretty darn good an tasty. So Barbara Jean's is a pretty place and the location is quite beautiful the food lacks a lot of help. I guess this is why we return every few years.
(1)Charles L.
Our family decided to try Barbara Jean's Restaurant for dinner during the first evening of vacation on Amelia Island. We spent a bit of time reading the reviews for Barbara Jean's, the Crab Trap, and Sliders on Yelp and Urbanspoon, since these 3 restaurants seemed to garner the most reviews. As the reviews for each of these restaurants were mixed, we ended up picking one at random - Barbara Jean's. We arrived at the restaurant at around 7:30pm, and it was very empty, though I figure that it was probably because it was a Sunday night in mid December. The pumpkin bread was okay, though as one other Yelp reviewer mentioned, it was quite sweet. In hindsight, it probably should've been called pumpkin cake. Anyways, two of us settled on the "Half and Half Platter," and we both selected the crab cake and tuna steak (medium rare). I frankly can't remember the last time I was so disappointed in a seafood restaurant. The tuna steak was so salty that it was practically inedible. It quite literally tasted like the tuna had been soaked in soy sauce for a couple of minutes before it was served. Considering how salty the tuna was, I'm certain they'll be able to serve it again in a year and it still won't have spoiled. I took 2 bites of the tuna and could not bring myself to take a third bite, even though I was pretty hungry. The crab cake was also quite salty, though not quite so bad as the tuna... just very average. The mashed potatoes that I got as one of my sides was okay though. All told, after including tip, our family of 3 spent almost $80 for a meal that was quite below average with pretty average service to boot (people mopping and sweeping around us while we were still eating). We all felt pretty disappointed and a bit taken while walking in the parking lot to our car. If you're a tourist visiting Amelia Island, you're only here for a few evenings - don't spend one at this restaurant. P.S. Spoke to a local later on in the evening who told us that Lulu's offers the best seafood on the island. Seems like we missed this restaurant on our Yelp search before dinner. Reviews seem pretty positive... I think we'll probably try it tomorrow night!
(1)Michael L.
The airport folks sent us here. It wasn't a great experience at all. We sat down and waited for 15 minutes until someone stopped by table. Our food took 30 minutes to arrive at the table, and it was hardly appetizing. Once was enough for me.
(2)Nick A.
Very good food, great service and large portions. We got our food very fast and it was still good. I was very happy
(5)Josh B.
I wasn't completely sure if this place when my sister suggested it but I ended up being wonderfully surprised. We went in with a rather large party of 6 adults and 2 small kids. We were seated promptly an had our drinks before we knew it. Lets just start with the breads. They bring out three types, yeast rolls that my 4 year old kept devouring. Corn bread, which I thought was probably the most amazing ever, full of corn chunks and jalapenos. The big star however was the pumpkin bread. i must say, i've never had pumpkin bread with so much pumpkin-ness and spice. Totally wonderful. I've been told that they ship their crab cakes all over the world so i knew i had to try them. Being that i was in Florida (if only just barely) I knew i also wanted fish so i went with the Coastal Platter. Warning... Do not order this if you have eaten in the previous 24 hours because it will be too much food. I had Cod and Coconut shrimp (4) to compliment my 7oz crab cake. The crab cake was less a crab cake and more a patty of compressed crab with a tiny bit of breading on the outside so that it would hold together, which it did awesomely. The Cod was crunch on the outside and white, moist and flaky on the inside. The coconut shrimp...... perfection. The service. What can i say about the service. Our waitress, Heather, never let our drinks get half empty. Whatever we needed, she already had waiting. I can't say enough how much i enjoyed this place.
(5)JaneAnne F.
My family and I have loved Barbara Jeans for years. The southern comfort food menu never disappoints! From the basket of fresh made whole wheat yeast rolls,corn bread and pumpkin bread put on the table when you arrive to the amazing she crab soup and crab cakes. We also love the onion rings, dirty rice, BJ's blue salad, meat loaf and bread pudding! Really, we have never been disappointed with anything we have ordered. The service is good too. Usually very friendly. My only complaint about the Amelia Island Restaurant is that sometimes it has a very powerful fish smell inside the restaurant. When the weather is nice we enjoy sitting on the back porch but you might need bug spray depending on the season.
(5)T M.
Barbara Jean's has become a favorite when visiting Amelia Island. A non-pretentious place don't be discouraged by the furniture that could use some updates, the food is just amazing: simple southern cooking, fresh fish and shrimp, and crab cakes are perhaps the best around a few hundred miles. Quality continues to be consistent after a half a dozen visits. Oh the pumpkin bread... They will let you take some home
(5)Mike C.
We tried this place after many recommendations however it was disappointing and nothing special.
(2)Deborah P.
The food was really enjoyable and the price was right. The she-crab soup is fantastic - with just a little bite to cut through the creaminess. The soup du jour was a seafood and sausage chowder with tomatoes - also fantastic. The crab cakes had a lot of flavor and were not bready. The fish and chips were perfectly fried. The blackened fish was also good - the seafood is all extremely fresh. The grits were so-so but we enjoyed the other vegetable sides - the squash casserole and the beans. Too bad we didn't have room for dessert!
(4)Stephanie M.
This is a great restaurant with an at home feel. The staff is very friendly. The food was fresh and served hot. I had she crab soup and the fried fish sandwich. The fish sandwich was made with a very light fish and lightly battered, not that fake crap you usually get at restaurants. My companion had the tab cakes and dirty rice and stated he loved his meal. The pumpkin bread is a must have. We also had a bowl of peach cobbler, only wished it came with ice cream instead of whip cream which we did not try. Yes we ate a lot and could not eat another thing all day afterward, but it was so worth it! This restaurant is worth a visit if you are ever in the area.
(4)Justin B.
Awful, awful food. This place is always packed when we drive past it, so we decided to try it. I ordered meatloaf, and my partner ordered a turkey dinner. Okay I ordered the meatloaf, I set the bar low, I wasn't expecting filet mignmeatloaf , but I was expecting hot food. After waiting for a long time, and being waited on by a slow and unfriendly waiter, the meatloaf came out luke warm and covered in some sort of brownish tomato sauce, with salty vegetables along the sides. My partners turkey looked like thickly sliced lunch meat with canned gravy poured on top, and the same salty vegetables on the side. We paid for our meal and left. Never again.
(1)David F.
I would not recommend this place. I've had way better in No. FL. The crab cakes are bland as they don't spice them with anything. Too mayonnaisey. Why do people mail order these? Just because you can? The fried scallops were too oily and over thymed. The stewed tomatoes were the worst offenders - way too sugary. The squash casserole had a dirt taste - not Earthy, more like fresh compost. The green beans were over cooked. Bread was OK. I'll give 'em more than 1 star for trying to present a facsimile of good southern cooking. The service was a little laking. That guy was having a bad day because the AC was not working hard enough for him. If you cain't staind the heat, get out of this business, bub.
(2)Jeff M.
We visited on 6/29/12. We ordered the Shrimp fritters, shrimp and grits, and the crabcakes. The crabcakes had a great balance of flavor, just the right amount of spice and crab meat. Overall, a good experience with good service to match. We'll definitely put this place on our list for future visits
(4)Marie B.
My mom and I discovered this restaurant about 15 years ago in St. Simons after a golf tournament at Sea Island. I will never forget my first experience - the corn and pumpkin bread, coconut shrimp, vegetables and chocolate "stuff." I loved it all. So, I was stoked when I found out that there was a Babs in Amelia Island. My sidekick, the boyfriend, and I went after golf and indulged ourselves in the bread basket, crab cakes, shrimp fritters, and fried catfish. All were delicious and just as I remembered. But after we saw that Babs served brunch, we were NOT satisfied and came the following day bright and early (before golf, of course.) I had the malted pancakes and he had the french toast. I am still thinking about the pancakes - they were THAT good! Barbara Jeans is a great place to visit for country home cooked meals. We just came back to NYC, and I miss it already.
(4)Jack H.
Made the mistake of not listening to the other reviews that said the management and service was poor due to a family member who was vacationing with us wanting to go here. I lived in the area for 7 years while stationed nearby. I had eaten there once prior and could not remember anything special about the place. I knew it was more of a tourist destination than a local place for good seafood. Saturday night we pulled in to the parking lot at ~6pm. My first warning light should have been that the lot was not even half full. We stepped inside as a party of approximately 8 people were leaving because they were disgusted about how long they had waited to be seated and were going somewhere else (they warned us). We looked around the restaurant and only about half of the tables were occupied (we did note that half of the "empty" tables actually contained dirty dishes). My mother-in-law let the hostess know we had a party of 11 and this woman was less than hospitable (repeatable theme as we began dealing with staff). Come to find out the woman who to the party reservation was the manager that night I think. In watching her, she was not a very pleasant woman to be around. I figured a complaint then would be worthless with the way she was storming around the place. (I will look up the website and send an email to them as well) After waiting about 25-30 minutes we were shown to our table where we met our waitress for the evening who definitely was not happy to be there (repeatable theme for all the staff who we watched and noticed from that point on). We ordered drinks and even requested the much heralded pumpkin bread. When the breads were brought out our waitress informed us that there "were not enough bread plates so you will have to use napkins"... {Let me see if I have this right: half capacity restaurant and we have to eat bread off the napkins because there are not enough plates} We then proceed to order some appetizers. We tried the shrimp fritters which were pretty decent all-in-all, but guess what? Still no plates to have appetizers on. We also had the cheesy fries, but sharing them around the table was extremely difficult ON NAPKINS... Dinner orders were placed and I decided to test out the Shrimp and Grits which were favorably reviewed here. They were okay, but nothing I would place on a a must eat list. My wife ordered the grilled salmon which was way over cooked, bland, and devoid of any flavor. So to summarize: Unhappy staff, insufficient serving plates, and nothing to write home about food wise with the exception of the pumpkin bread. Take your money and head downtown to a bunch of good restaurants or to the beach for Sliders or The Surf.
(1)Dan R.
I really like this place and make it a point to stop here every time whiel at Amelia Island. But, my ratings have dropped over the years as the prices crept up and the quality (very good) and service (marginal) have remained the same. She-Crab soup and crab cakes are very good. The fresh made breads they bring to the tables is also very good. What I like about Barbara Jean's is that it is a unique low country dining experience. Not touristy. Not gimmicky. Just good food. Though, I wish I could say good food at good prices. Worth a one-time splurge.
(3)Pascal Z.
A nice enough place with good crabcakes. Shrimp was good also, and it's an authentic southern restaurant. Not flashy, not a "special night out" type of place.
(3)Claire S.
This place is like a diner/seafood type of place. I came here for lunch. It is pricey for the quality which is stupid. I had a caesar salad which was good and a crab cake which was good but they do go heavy on the celery. Probably would not revisit.
(3)Kathy C.
My friend and her husband came to visit us over the weekend and we all decided to go to Barbara Jean's for dinner. There were six of us and it was a Sunday night. The place was pretty full, but the server was able to seat us at a large booth without a wait. My husband and I ordered the usual, Tuna Steaks Dinner for me and 7oz Jumbo Crab Cake Dinner for him. This way, we can share each other's dish and get the best of both worlds, in our opinion. Since there were six of us, we decided to also try the dirty rice for appetizer and share a bowl of she-crab soup. Everything was delicious. From the bread basket (the wonderful pumpkin bread and corn bread), to the appetizer, to the meal itself. Barbara Jean's never disappoint. They serve great food for reasonable price, and the quality is always consistently good. I have not had a bad experience whatsoever at any of the Barbara Jean's location.
(4)Tanya L.
Pumpkin. Bread. I. Miss. You. The pumpkin bread was the best, BEST thing about this place. The view was nice. The service was ok. The sodas tasted wonderfully marshy. The crabcakes have a wonderful flavor and are a good price point. BUT...they are mixed together so much that they lack that wonderful lump crabmeat aspect. We loved the heart attack in a basket...the cheese fries...mmmmm. Weird thing this foodie and mom of two loved about this place (beside the pumpkin bread...you HAVE to request for JUST pumpkin bread...and enjoy heaven in a basket)....the chicken tenders. Homemade, hand-breaded, juicy goodness. Yes...the chicken tenders. You can get the platter which comes with regular, pecan-crusted, and buffalo tenders...yay!
(4)Meghan M.
We ate here recently and weren't impressed. The bread they bring to the table before the meal was some sort of spice bread, a piece of cornbread, & a whole wheat roll. I ordered the baked potato soup, it was good but nothing special. My husband ordered the Caesar salad and it was served with no croutons. They did however bring some out upon request. The bigger issue was that there was so much dressing on the salad that it was nearly inedible. It looked pretty gross and from his description didn't sound much better. He considered sending it back had it not taken so long to get it.
(3)Adam S.
This place is ok. I had the fried shrimp with the squash casserole and corn as my sides. The corn was a throw away. Just corn niblets in a bowl. Same as you get out of a can. The squash casserole was decent, but not amazing by any stretch. The shrimps were actually pretty good. Definitely fresh and not too greasy. The better half had a ceasar and a crab cake. Both were what I would describe as adequate. My beef with this place was the price. Nearly $40 for a salad and a shrimp plate for lunch is steep. I wouldn't come back.
(2)Peter C.
I'm not a big seafood guy, but having lived in Texas for eight months now, I miss the Tuna steaks (one blackened, one grilled) that I would get at Barbara Jean's. In fact, before I moved from Jacksonville I made sure that I visited one more time. Before I mention the food, I've got to say that the wait staff has always been top notch. It was good to get to know the staff and I don't know that I've had that experience elsewhere. Perhaps adding to the allure of Barbara Jean's for a city-dweller like me was the drive up A1A, passing by miles of open marsh, catching a glimpse of the ocean at Huguenot, seeing the shipping traffic miles offshore, driving under tree-vaulted passageways... Upon arrival, the scenery didn't end. A step on the back patio is a step into a view of the marsh bordering the Intracoastal Waterway. The food is also always been top notch. I don't think I've ever been dissatisfied. Even the sides are great. For you Jacksonville folk, take a drive for about an hour and you'll not be disappointed. Stop by a Fernandina antiques shop. Walk the old Nassau Sound Bridge once the sun sets and catch a few stars. Make an evening out of Barbara Jean's. She's worth it. Sea food with a side of Beauty.
(5)Paula M.
Great atmosphere on the patio--with cool view of salt marsh. Pumpkin bread and cobbler were super delicious. Entrees were just okay and overpriced (common for the area). Service was fantastic!
(3)Charles C.
Great southern food. The shrimp and grits and the chicken fried chicken were outstanding!!! Definitely will go back.
(4)Beverly K.
Friendly atmosphere, broad menu, and great vegetables! We'll be back.... Probably for breakfast on the weekend before we leave the island.
(4)Steve D.
We eat here a couple of times every time we visit Amelia Island. They have a large selection of vegetables to choose from and all are good. We had red beans and rice, cabbage, green beans, carrots, baked potato, broccoli casserole, squash casserole and spinach this week and all were very good. Our favorite seafood is the crab cake, which we think is the best on the island and we have had crab cakes all over the island. Their breads are good too, especially the pumpkin bread.
(5)David D.
We ate dinner here while vacationing at Amelia Island Plantation. Barbara Jeans is a Southern chain that mainly serves southern comfort food. We sat outside with a great view of the salt marsh. Service was good but did not smother us with attention. The restaurant was not busy when we arrived (about 5:15) but was pretty busy when we left about 6pm. As a family we like Barbara Jeans and will continue to go there when we are at the beach
(4)dave j.
Good southern food. Great rolls!
(4)Herman W.
Best crabcakes. Server did a great job with food allergies/gluten issues at our table, but the menu was tough for this individual. We really like this place!
(5)S And B D.
This place is busy for three reasons we could see; food, service and price. We went on a Sunday evening around 6:30 and it was mobbed. We sat in the bar and had a drink and were seated before we could finish it. Service was nice, but you do have to be patient, food comes out kinda slow, but worth the wait. We had a large dinner salad with grilled shrimp and a platter with crab cakes and blackened tuna. All were good, but our favorite by far was the blackened tuna. The sides are nothing special, but who cares? Would definitely recommend and will probably go back one more time to try breakfast since we'll be here for a week. Thanks Yelpers, you were right on.
(4)Cynthia P.
Loved this restaurant!! The bread basket was phenomenal. Anyone who serves pumpkin bread all year long is all right in my book. The sweet jalapeno corn bread was the perfect mixture of sweet and spicy. The pumpkin was very light and fluffy and not overly sweet. The whole wheat rolls were tasty as well. My husband and I ordered the cheese fries to start. They came out piping hot and did not skimp on the cheese! I ordered the meatloaf and rice and beans as a side. I chose the brown gravy to top my meatloaf and they gave me plenty of it. It looks like it is a heavy gravy, but it isn't. Comfort food at its best. The rice and beans were delicious and I look forward to getting a big bowl of them next time I visit. The portions were huge, so I ended up with lots of leftovers. No problem, because they tasted even better the next day. This place has a wide variety of options and I can't wait to go back to try some of their other items.
(5)Cecile R.
Good, inexpensive food. Hearty portions of home Cooked meals.
(4)Craig H.
Ok. Service was lacking.
(3)Sid V.
This is a popular place, but just did not work for me. Ordered the She-Crab soup, very lumpy, and extremely thick - real fishy, not crab, taste. Basket of bread came - corn bread tasted like a sugar cookie, pumpkin bread tasted like a sugar cookie, yeast rolls tasted like a sugar cookie, butter that came with the rolls tasted like sugar - if I was a diabetic, I would have been in a coma! Buttermilk shrimp was very good - everything else was fairly forgettable.
(2)Tim C.
Barbara Jeans is one of our favorites for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Everything I've had off the menu is very good. Prices are fair too.
(5)Nicole F.
My family enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Barbara Jean's. We thoroughly enjoyed the crab cakes!!! Their crabs cakes are all crab...no filler! In addition we LOVED their pumpkin bread and corn bread - we bought some pumpkin bread to take back to the house afterwards which we enjoyed throughout our week at the beach. Great family atmosphere with good food at decent prices.
(4)Johnny M.
If you like crab cakes and southern recipes, Barbara Jeans should be on your go to list. Their prices are a bit higher than other places, but the restaurant location looks over the marshes in Fernandina Beach so they have to amortize the cost of construction some way. I like the pumpkin bread and corn muffins.
(4)Tom H.
Nice place. Very good crab cakes...No real fillers. Excellent pumpkin bread! Our hostess and server were very polite and prompt.
(4)Gary R.
I had to go back a second time. This place is awesome. The crab cakes are to die for. Of course I accidentally rec'd two by mistake. Drats. I went back for the pot roast and it was so very tender. The brown gravy, onions, carrots in the pot roast. Ahhh! And the pumpkin bread. Oh so good. This place is as good as advertised by the yelpers.
(5)John B.
I ate here with some friends last week and loved it. I don't eat a lot of seafood, but if more of it tasted like this, I probably would. I've already decided after one visit that this is where I want to take my mom for Mother's Day.
(5)Aaron D.
The other night, my wife and I ate out at Barbara Jean's. It's kind of ironic that we stumbled upon this restaurant since we live here and the place was referred to us by a friend. Anyways, when we arrived the service was amazing and the restaurant was very calm; unlike some of the other franchise steak houses near the island. I ordered the pork chops and my wife ordered the chicken tenders; both were absolutely amazing! I can honestly say, if you enjoy good country style food, this is the place to go. I STRONGLY recommend this restaurant to anyone who lives here or is coming here for vacation. you will not be disappointed!
(5)Reid B.
Good atmosphere and food. The staff was friendly, but our waiter was a bit stuck up. This is by far the best place I have eaten in Fernandina Beach so far. This is not one of the corny themed restaurants like 90% of the other beach spots. The vegetables are a welcome change from the greasy wings and burgers at those other places. Both the inside and outside seating is great. Highly recommended.
(4)Sherri S.
Being a vegetarian, it is hard to find good food in the state of Florida, to name a few. Barabara Jeans offered a veggie plate so we went for it. The mashed potatoes are good, still with skins on, but the rest of the veggies had to be canned. Tasted good, filled us up, but not really "home cookin".
(3)Chris C.
Barbara Jeans offers a great assortment of classic southern dishes. The food is prepared traditionally, closer to home cooking than couture cuisine. The restaurant has a deceivingly good location. It sits amid a cluster of retail shops, but the dining area sits along the edge of the marsh with terrific views of it and the river. The thing to know about Barbara Jens is its popular - really popular. Parking can be a challenge, especially on weekends. Wait times can be long. " The service is normally very good, but at peak times the servers can be overwhelmed. It's certainly a great place for brunch, but be warned the bread basket they serve is *really* good.
(4)Richard P.
My wife and I have been a fan of Barbara Jean's for years. We usually stop in for lunch or dinner when we visit relatives living in Fernandina Beach. Most of the time, we would order their crab cakes and tuna steak dishes. We've also tried other menu items from she-crab soup to dirty rice to pork chops. I have to say, we've always enjoyed their food. Yesterday, our party of six decided to dine at Barbara Jean's for lunch. Again, the food was great, service was friendly, and we all had a great time.
(4)David T.
Okay, updating my review after a couple of re-visits to Babara Jean's, trying something other that the crab cakes and really paying attention to the staff, the atmosphere and so on. After almost exactly a year since my first review, I'm downgrading my review to a "three star", only because there's not a "two 1/2 star". The first thing that struck me is how warm, almost uncomfortable it was inside. In hind sight, it's like that every time I've gone there. It appears that nearly all of the wait staff are "twenty-somethings" and some acted as if they'd really rather be out doing anything else other than being at work. Our server, Lindsey, while polite, wasn't overly friendly and seldom returned a "you're welcome" to our "thank you". I ordered the 10 piece, buttermilk fried shrimp, with cheese grits and coleslaw as my side. It seemed a little odd ordering a 10 piece shrimp dinner (most places are 12, 18 and 24) but MAN those things were huge!! Each one, for me at least, were "three biters". Trying to eat one in just two bites is a choking hazard. As big as they were, I thought they were kind of bland tasting. The coleslaw was disappointing as well. The cheese grits were good, creamy, no lumps and just enough cheese to give it flavor. There was a bit of "sticker shock" to go along with this.....three meals(two seafood, one chicken), two waters, a tea and one glass of wine = $72 On the plus side....the portions are big and the pumpkin bread is outstanding!
(3)Guy A.
My group ate their twice so far. The first time I had the meatloaf dinner and it was good. I didn't get the crab cakes the first time since I had some awful crab cakes the night before at another restaurant. They were mostly bread - ugh! I had Barbara Jean's crab cakes (two large 7 oz. patties )the second night. This place serves REAL crab cakes! Not the mostly breading type that others serve. They are full of crab meat and delicious. A great place to eat.
(5)Anna F.
On our visit to Amelia Island, we decided to yelp our way through the island by finding top restaurants based on rating. I must say, Barbara Jean's gets five stars on food and service. Food choices are great, I felt like I was eating authentic southern food. The waitress was knowledgeable about the menu which made the selection easier for a first timer. We ordered the shrimp and grits dish....delicious!! I so wanted to try the tempting bread pudding, but was so stuffed after the table bread ( all very tasty) and main course. I did order a side of ambrosia ... Can I say DELICIOUS. Would definitely come back a second time. A must visit in my opinion.
(5)Shannon D.
This is not my first trip here. The service is always fantastic. The portions are huge. (If you go home hungry it is your fault). They start you out with a basket of Pumpkin bread, Jalapeño Bread, & Wheat Rolls. (The pumpkin bread is to die for). They have great Southern Food. (Ie. Chicken Fried Steak, Chicken Fried Chicken) Seafood, Salads, Sandwiches, etc. I have ordered the chicken fingers in the past and you got four of them and they were the size of chicken breast cut in half and fried plus you get two sides. I have never got to the desserts but heard they are really good too.
(5)Nella R.
So disappointed! We expected this to be a fantastic experience for Thanksgiving. I called three days in advance to ask best time for seating since no reservations where allowed, asked if we should arrive early to ensure available menu and was assured all wld be available. Traditional holiday sides were already sold out to arriving guests but available to take out orders.The wait was not to bad, better than expected. But the service and the food was a huge disappointment!! We had dirty silverware, main entree arrived prior to drinks, bread basket, and salad. By time I got to my turkey it was a congealed cold slab of what was equal to a cheap frozen TV dinner. Normally the food is amazing so this was a real disappointment. The servers were overwhelmed and snippy. This is a wonderful place to eat on a slow day, but avoid if crowded. The bartender quickly told us he was off clock 3hrs prior and certainly wasn't going to assist us and referred us by pointing to the front door stating a hostess cld help us- the hostess is one who directed us to bar for Cocktails while we waited. It was an epic disappointment. My star count was adjusted from four to three. Hope they can improve because I'd hate to lose such a normally great regular diner, sadly each visit seems to be more disappointing.
(3)Karen D.
The service was good. We went to the restaurant late but that didn't matter. The waiter was so nice and the food came quickly. It was our first time there. We had she crab soup (excellent), shrimp creole (pretty good) and chicken fingers that are the size of a full chicken breast fillet. The price is decent for the amount of food you get. I would definitely go back and I recommend a visit.
(4)Jillian W.
Good food and good service. Their homemade breads are spectacular. I had the shrimp salad sandwich and my mother had the sliced turkey meal. Reasonably priced as well. Get the butternut squash as a side. Would definitely go back. Shout out to Cheyenne!
(5)Petrina P.
Who wouldn't try a restaurant named after their mother? And the reviews boasted awesome home cooking so I figured it to be a win win situation. The service was good and the various menu items had my mouth watering. For appetizers we had the Shrimp fritters, a spin off of hush puppies. I so wanted these to be scrumptious but they were saturated with salt. One bite was all I could take. My date finished the rest before our drinks arrived. He had the house margarita and I had the Amelia Island punch, it was a fruity concoction. Strong but delicious. I made it a point to finish it because of the flavor. For dinner I chose the Turkey and dressing with kernel corn and squash casserole. He ordered a fried shrimp dinner. Mine wasn't a bad choice but it certainly not as good a my mothers. His was nothing to holler about either. But we did enjoy the the pumpkin spice bread. It was delicious, so much so, we asked for more for take out. The bread and drinks made it worth our while. but not enough to dine in again but it was a decent choice nonetheless. Just goes to show my mother, Barbara Jean is still the best cook around.
(3)Bill S.
Pumpkin bread is awesome. Key Lime Martini is really good. Amelia Island Punch is good, but a little sweet for me. Wife loves it though. Coconut shrimp were really good. Crab cakes were good - no filler. She crab soup was really good per wife with chunks of crab. Sides were tasty as well. Service was good and they were pretty busy. We intend to eat here whenever possible
(5)Frank A.
Solid meal. Big portions. Fast service. Family like place. I can't say why many reviews were marginal Our family experience was great. Chicken fingers are real chicken made in house. My son got cheese on his fries and he had 4 choices of cheese. I really try to give small business a shot and our family was satisfied. It's not 5 star high end but rather 5 star value with casual atmosphere. We would come back for the pumpkin bread, broccoli n cheese rice and service!
(5)Nichole C.
The food looks better here. No taste very bland. Needs to be updated in the inside. Meatloaf was OK but the sauce on the top was nasty. Broccoli casserole was good but warm only when it got to the table. Mashed potatoes were bland also.
(2)Brendan M.
Great View on that porch. Friendly staff, more than satisfying food. I went for breakfast and left fatter and happier. Giraffe friendly.
(4)Amy S.
The only restaurant we ate at twice. Love, love, love the pumpkin bread! Crab cakes are the best! We had the chicken fried chicken, turkey and dressing, (better than Thanksgiving) chicken fingers and Mac and cheese. Lots of seating inside and out and very laid back. Excellent sweet tea as well.
(5)David B.
The best food around! Chicken fingers are huge! Fish sandwich was excellent! The chicken fried chicken was also excellent!
(5)Ken B.
Went for dinner last Friday night and it was really disappointing again. Floor between tables nasty, table was so sticky that we had them come back twice to reclean it, but was still unclean. My shrimp were tough, batter falling off and tasteless - tasted and appeared as if they could have been frozen. Then table check had my shrimp listed at a dollar more than menu price! But it took so long to get check we caved and payed the extra buck. Disappointing and certainly last strike for us going to BJ's.
(1)Terry N.
decided to try it since we were going right by it. We heard the food was very good! The wife did the one of the noodle dishes and I had the blackened fish. Both entre's were well prepared and came in a timely manner. The service was right on time. Great place for an after church lunch!
(4)