Crabdaddy’s Seafood Bar & Grill

Single worst thing this place did was tell us waits for a table could be up to 30 min. during prime dinner rush. Turned out to be more like two minutes. Oh well.
Located smack on Ocean Blvd. it is nondescript from the outside and all warm, homey wood on the inside. Call it humble beach colonial.
To get a little fried seafood on we started with an order of the grouper fingers ($ 9) and man was that smart. Very dense bites of fish with just enough batter for a little crunch, but not greasy. Parties of six or more might want to consider two orders to avoid fish-​fights. (!)
Next the house salad served family style. Just a nice simple salad with enough bacon on the side for the next day’s breakfast. Really good ranch, too.
Entrees sounded simple and they were. But with some surprises. The blue crab cakes ($ 18) were firm, meaty, and not over buttered, as can happen when they are sauteed. Instead the sweet crab meat was allowed to shine. Next a salmon on pasta deal ($ 22) that was scarfed down by our resident salmon fiend. Not exciting, but well done. Finally, a red snapper filet ($ 26) whose roasted red pepper and jalapeño cream sauce was far more deep (and warmly spicy) than expected. Paired with a side of cheese grits, a stupid good combo. I mean lick the plate good.
Bonus points for a hustle, hustle wait staff and an interesting draft menu, which included Palm pints, only one of the best food beers in the world.
Already missing this place.

The salad and bread was good but my crab was over boiled and parts of the meat were inedible. A sorry excuse for Oceanside seafood!

Whenever we go to St. Simon’s Island, our family has to eat at Crab Daddy’s (hopefully more than once)!! The whole family loves it, from the youngest member (7 years) to the oldest (75 years)! Their fish is fresh & has tantalizing sauces (that can easily be ordered on the side). The blackened shrimp is perfectly seasoned and always delicious! I love their new potato side dish, & there is always plenty of salad for all! The bread pudding dessert is incredible. I highly recommend eating at Crab Daddy’s!

Got crablegs with steamed vegetables on the side. The crackers given was rusty like it was found in Crabdaddy grand daddy’s basement when he first bought the place. I couldn’t eat it so I just took it back to my hotel room. I end up just finishing my side of steamed vegetables instead. The vegetables were overcooked-​they were about to fall apart when I poked it. The pre-​course salad was fresh and definitely good, the crabs were pretty juicy and sweet the next day and the service was good.

Service was great but the crab legs were boiled, full of water and rather tasteless — not good …

The food is consistently good and the service is always good. Nicer clean restaurant with the best crab soup. The only downside is they are really pricey for their limited portions. Not the best pace to take kids, even the kids menu is high.

I had the mussels as an app and the shrimp and grits main course. One of the ten mussels was closed after cooking. This usually means the thing was dead, spoiled and inedible. They served it anyway and had no compulsion to correct it. Makes me seriously wonder about their food safety. I would not return on that account. The shrimp and grits were haphazardly thrown together with poor proportions to the ingredients. Way too much gravy covering a small number of shrimp and a very, very small portion of grits. I felt like I was treated like a tourist that was never expected to return, so I definitely won’t.

We have eaten here for years! 11 to be exact! Always had wonderful food and service. Sad to report that both the food and service have deteriorated. We tried to eat here this evening. No wait, not busy. Service was horrible — she may have had way too many tables. God came out cold. Maybe just a fluke as we have always loved Crabdaddys. Heard the beach is not very good– perhaps a reflection of the overall condition of the island.

Not only is the customer service outstanding but the food is amazing. I’m a hard judge when it comes to bread pudding but their bread pudding is my new favorite! My favorite sides are the green bean casserole and cheese grits. I like spicy, so I choose the grouper which was cooked just right and had the right amount of kick. I left this restaurant feeling like I just got done eating a thanksgiving meal! This is my favorite restaurant on the island !

We went in on a Friday evening and they told us it would be a 30 minute wait, but they got us in in about 5! We got the snow crab legs and they were perfect. We got full and our waitress was knowledgable and the atmosphere was welcoming. Highly recommended to try this restaurant if you are in the area.

An island tradition for our family when we visit. Great service — Our waitress was very patient and attentive with kids in a party of 12. Accommodated special requests in the kitchen.

Absolutely wonderful! Every dish was delicious and the service was great! We will definitely be returning soon! The bread pudding is also a must!

Excellent seafood, warm bread comes with fresh salad and yummy salad dressing. Service very fast… maybe too fast. Like that they take a reservation. Atmosphere dated

One of our favorite restaurants on the island! You will need reservations on the weekends because it is always busy. We had the mussels as an appetizer and they were not bad. The table bread was a little doughy but the cinnamon butter made up for it. The Shrimp and sausage fettuccine was very good. Crabcakes with rice and beans was very good. The bread pudding is amazing but you might want to put the caramel sauce on the side since it is so rich. Overall we were pretty happy with our dinner. Service was great. Would recommend this place to anyone.

Two days in St. Simons, and I’ve eaten here twice.
The first night I chose it because of its proximity to the King and Prince and Unilocal ranking. I had the mahi in vodka cream sauce. It was rich but delicious. The bread pudding was fantastic! The service was excellent, my table by the fire cozy, and good blues playing over the stereo. Easy five-​star kind of night.
My second night I took some friends from our conference back with me. Again, the service was excellent and my fireside table comfortable. However, my spicy shrimp with linguine was just ok. I mean, I ate the whole thing, of course, but it just wasn’t on the same level as the mahi. And I found a floating Splenda packet in my water glass when the waitress brought it, which was an unpleasant surprise. Day 2 of the bread pudding — this time with, yes, vanilla ice cream — was amazing.
If I could go with four and a half stars, I would. It’s definitely worth trying, especially with few quality options on this end of the island.

Without a doubt Crabdaddys was our best dining experience on the island. The grilled grouper over crab bisque was amazing. The blackened scallops were huge, tender and great as well. Sides consisted of green bean casserole made from fresh green beans and cheese grits. They were both really well done. The bread pudding was a great way to end an amazing meal. Service was pretty good as well. This restaurant is not to be missed on St. Simons.

Worst experience ever! I’ve been to Crabdaddy’s multiple times over the years, but this time was the worst. Ordered the shrimp and grits, a cup of crab soup, and the snow crab. The salad was great as usual, as was the complimentary bread with yummy prepackaged cinnamon butter. The she crab soup was also very delicious, minus being over-​salted. My wife and I like salty food, so it wasn’t bad, but to others it would have been too salty. The draft beers we had paired nicely.
Here’s where it gets bad. THE CRAB AT CRABDADDY’S WAS OVERCOOKED. I’m sorry, but if you put CRAB in your name, it better be ON POINT. This was worse than frozen crab legs I microwaved from the grocery store. At least those, when I crack them open, the meat stays together. This was not like that. The meat cracked in half with the gummy, soft shell. I did not complain, but the waitress didn’t even question the fact that we barely touched them. Speaking of her, I audibly heard her say, «let me get rid of them (meaning us) so we can close.» They claim to close at 10pm. This was said at 9pm.
Another gripe about the service: I asked for the bread pudding, which was OK at best, TO GO. I was shocked to see it brought out on a plate, but assumed she did not hear me. I asked for a to go box for it, and she hastily tossed the box on the table. Didn’t even offer to box it for us. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a grown man and I can box things all by myself! BUT this was after I heard her say she was trying to «get rid» of us so they could close early, so she was under a microscope. She did not get a 20% tip, that’s for sure.
All in all, this place has gone downhill since my first experience 5 years ago. Back then, they had three types of crab: Dungeness, King, and snow. Now they only have snow, which was worse than frozen grocery store quality. They certainly have «gotten rid of us» since I will not be returning.
EDIT: After talking with my wife some more, I remembered that with the salad, the server brought out a caddy that held three different kinds of dressing: ranch, bleu cheese, and vinaigrette. They must have thought I wouldn’t notice that it’s a communal dressing since the vinaigrette was almost gone, and the other two showed signs of use. Lowering my rating to a 2 star.

What a wonderful place to eat on the island !
Like the food, fun staffs, and great atmosphere.

Crabdaddy’s Seafood is a three star restaurant with five star service. The location is close to the shore, and the building is fitting for the style. It is extremely laid back, and the ambiance is loud. The service is excellent. The staff is friendly. The drinks are good.
The food is not to die for, nor is it anything special. It is average. I ordered shrimp and grits. The shrimp was well prepared, and I enjoyed the total flavor. The sausage overpowered the other seasons, which detracted from the other flavors.
Here is the problem: The fish selections come out looking similar and tasting (save the sauce) the exact same. Red snapper and grouper should not taste the same. I cannot say with absolute certainty that these orders were the same fish. What I can say is that something here is a bit fishy.
Crabdaddy’s Seafood is three stars save this one issue. The service definitely makes up for it, but in the end you go a restaurant for the food.

It’s not often that I underestimate a venue, but I am certainly guilty as charged. I’ve driven by crabdaddy’s for years and always assumed it was a greasy spork kind of place with plenty of fried creatures.
Not true.
We walk in there and I am seeing some authentic southern cuisine with terrific prices and a wonderful atmosphere. Service (thanks Maria) was very good and we were readily served a great family style salad with home made dressings. I enjoyed the teriyaki steak and scallops which was expertly executed. Everything well prepared and balanced on the plate and palette. Even was treated to the ‘melt in your mouth’ house bread pudding based on Maria’s insistence. She wasn’t kidding.
Very unassuming exterior belays some serious culinary skills. Very, very pleased with our first dining experience tonight.