Kitchen 251 — Restaurant in Fernandina Beach

In a sentence, Its a hidden Jewel , it was a wonderful experience and would recommend Kitchen 251 to anyone... On vacation:: To start let me say My last two dinning experiences on Amelia island were one and dones. The first restaurant will remain nameless:: from the start, our server greeted us (after being sat for 12 minutes) looking as if he had not slept or shaved in 48 hours, shirt obviously dirty, and anoid me amediatly. Did not know the menu. We had to listen to the server next to us give the specials to another table. Wine list was terrible. Me and my fiance shared an entree and left. Never to return. The second restaurant, will also remain nameless-no ambiance. They sat us staring at a painted brick wall next to a table of 10 or 12 people , quite festive enjoying a birthday..... Which neither of those would constitute a no return . Our service was fine food was good. But as the evening grew late the staff almost seemed annoyed we were there.... sharing a dessert, The big table had left, they were amusing, but now we had a little peace, and We were rushed , was not offered coffee, and it was almost obvious to my fiance that they dropped the air conditioner it must have been 12° cooler in a matter of 10-15 minutes. it was a struggle to like the place to begin with, then at the last .. A sour memory sealed there fate . as far as we were concerned. One and Done. Now ive gone into this detail, So you could feel my creased brow judgmental State of mind as we arrived at the marina.... We parked and walked to the entrance. Now amediatly the bathrooms were front and center, (just like I prefer) and were clean, and spacious . Very good there. The only complaint I had was waiting on my fiance for almost 10 minutes. So with her hand in mine we enter the main foyer and almost immediately we are greeted with a smile and welcomed. As we enter the bar-tender actually asked us where we would like to sit since we were early, we practically had our pick of any table, and as i look around,, I noticed the wait staff and how clean and pleasant they all were and my fiance whispers to me Look at that view, as the sky was changing color from sunset, ""The comfortable im on vacation feeling ""we've been longing for as the boats on the docks slowly moved with the wind and tide. So did my frown. First we decided to sit at the bar and have a drink. For lack of a better word , the bartender, I believe her name is Ashley was perfect ,she was prompt ,kind, confident in her recommendation and New the wine list, front to back. Listen to and seemed to genuinely care about our experience there , almost as if she owned the place. We felt right at home. The Dinning room at Kitchen 251 all of the sudden, 'mildly' you could smell fresh pecan-pie,, ... Very nice. So of course my fiance decides she wants to go sit on the deck ,lol. Which was fine. Our server walked us to our table she was kind, pleasant to look at, (and most importantly) For our Dinner, gave us special options and knew the menu well, she was attentive but not a nuisance. Thank you Emily. Our dinner was magnificent. And please when you go save room for the pecan pie. And and as my stuffed belly is forced to make room for pecan pie,my fiance goes to the restroom and is gone for 20 minutes which is normal for her,So it do not surprise me but on her return she tells me that the Owner chef Michael , passes her in the dining room checking making sure that we enjoyed dinner and they strike up a conversation he then escorts her out to the docks right by the restaurant where there are four manatees playing in the freshwater hose, which she thought was amazing , it was the first time she had ever seen a manatee in real life.... Please, don't take my word for it, check it out yourself, while its still a locals secret. When we come back next year. Kitchen 251 will be the first place we go.. a class act. Thank you Chef Micheal, the Islanders you did a gratitude for hitting a grand slam keep up the good...

When I tell you the food was AMAZING, BELIEVE IT! For a moment, I thought I was in Louisiana! The owner, originally from Lafayette, knows how to bring authentic flavors to the table. His staff is super friendly, making the experience even better.

The restaurant itself isn’t very large inside, but they offer a cozy outdoor deck with waterfront views. At first, I was a bit skeptical walking in—it’s located right on the water, and the view of fishing boats outside had me questioning if we’d made the right choice. But all doubts disappeared as soon as we were greeted.

The waitress came over immediately, ready to help. We asked her what was good, and amusingly, she said, “Everything!” We’ve all heard that before, right? But let me tell you, this time, she wasn’t exaggerating.

The menu had a true Louisiana feel, so we started with crab cakes, hush puppies, and a cup of gumbo. From the very first bite, my husband and I looked at each other in awe and said, “Wow!” That was just the beginning. For our main meals, we enjoyed grits, shrimp, rice and beans, fish—everything was absolutely delicious! The portions were so generous that we had to take leftovers with us.

Of course, we couldn’t leave without trying dessert, so we grabbed a piece of bread pudding with bourbon sauce to-go. It was the perfect way to end the meal.

If you’re ever in Amelia Island, Florida, don’t sleep on this restaurant! The food is outstanding, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the owner is just as friendly as his staff. It’s a true mom-and-pop spot where everyone seems to genuinely enjoy what they do—and it shows....

As you walk into Kitchen 251, you aren't expecting much; however, when you walk out, you think, "Wow, that was awesome." We met my kids there and there was something on the menu for everyone. Our server was super friendly and very helpful with suggestions. We started with the blackened scallops, fried zucchini, and caprese salad. The scallops were perfectly seasoned and served with 2 different dipping sauces. The zucchini was sliced in wedges and was a little squishy for my taste but still tasty. The caprese salad was on a bed of spinach and dressed with olive oil and vinegar. I had the fried catfish with crawfish etouffee; there were four large catfish filets and a good-sized portion of the etouffee on a bed of rice. The fish wasn't over-battered, and the crawfish was incredible. My wife had the mahi and shrimp creole, and there was a generous portion with plenty of shrimp. The shrimp were seasoned perfectly, and the flavors were delightful. Two of my kids had the chicken finger basket with fries, and they really enjoyed it. The fries were the small, skinny type that everyone loved. My son tried the blackened shrimp, and he said they were delicious. We were talked into trying the bread pudding with whiskey sauce on top(it didn't take to my talking either). I can honestly say that this bread pudding was #2 on my list of favorite desserts ever. That sauce was incredible. We took a piece of blueberry cheesecake home, which was also delicious. If you get the chance to go to Kitchen 251, do it. We will definitely be heading...