The delightful food of Savannah isn't confined within the city limits. Think Hilton Head, but more Jimmy Buffet. Laid back, friendly, affordable, and exceptionally delicious. This island rests a short drive from Savannah down Hwy 80 and is well worth checking out. We spent three days here and could have easily lingered much longer. Here are just a few of Tybee's gastronomical highlights.
The Crab Shack
This joint is enormous. Tons of seating, both indoor and outdoor. We ate out on a huge patio with a wooden floor constructed surrounding gorgeous mature trees, right on the banks of the water. The wind blew across the deck, causing the lanterns to gently sway from the trees. Be sure to walk around The Crab Shack and really explore all it has to offer; maybe even say hello to the several cats wandering around the parking lot. Live alligators (yes, you can feed 'em!) add the final touch to this tourist stop, but all the over-the-top decor would be useless without good food. And believe me, the food is GOOD.
We saw this on another table as we were being led to our seat and immediately we knew it was what we wanted. This is the sampler platter for two people. It has crab, crawfish, shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn, and mussels. We didn't use forks. Like, at all.
This was the first time I had crawfish and it was a teeny bit of a learning experience. I tried that whole "suck the head" thing for a whole instant and immediately regretted it, but I can vouch for the tastiness of the tail! The rest of the platter was killer. My hands were coated in crab shells and butter by the end of it and I walked away a very happy woman.
The Breakfast Club
Don't miss out on grabbing a great diner breakfast at this spot on Hwy 80. Drive toward the beach and look for the line of people waiting to get in. We waited about 20 minutes to be seated and it was well worth it. My favorite part was when our server made sure to clarify for us that our grits and toast would come with butter. It was clear that the butter was not optional and it made me smile.
Evan got the shrimp 'n grits with sauteed spinach. At first, he couldn't even get his head around the fact that this meal could even be considered breakfast, but after he took a couple bites there was little convincing needed.
As for me, I went with the mahi mahi with grits and eggs simply because this is not a meal I would ever see on a menu in Wisconsin. I skipped the toast and tartar sauce (ain't nobody got time for that) and still only managed to put down about half of this colossal plate of food.
Tybee Island Social Club
I'm going to make this simple - Social Club had me from the first sip of the mojito. Evan got a traditional and I went for the strawberry version. The food came very quickly and we were swiftly transported to Food Heaven.
Pictured here is the Chorizo Burger (with chipotle mayo and bacon), crab stew (heavenly!!!), black beans, and fish tacos (OMG). Part of me wishes we would have gone back here for a second meal because there were so many other things on the menu I wanted to try, especially the shrimp and crab nachos. Don't skip this one!
Sting Ray's Seafood
I know it probably sounds like I have nothing bad to say about any of the places we ate and that everything was too delicious for words, but that's actually the truth. Sting Ray's was no exception.
Evan got the crab and shrimp platter and I got the low country boil. For the record, he happily gave up that enormous stack of crab legs there because he loves me so much. (Whatever, I totally stole them, but I definitely gave him a handful of the sausage you see there.) The margaritas here are RIDICULOUS. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw a photo I took after more than a couple of them and for that.....I apologize. :)
If you stop in to Sting Ray's, try to sit outside and ask for Marissa. Thank me later.
There are plenty more options out on Tybee Island for your tummy to enjoy, but these are the ones we are able to hit in our limited time there. I'd love to hear your feedback, experiences, and comments! If you are planning a trip down to Tybee, I'd love for you to pin this post on Pinterest and check out them out for yourself.
