Boathouse Julington Creek — Restaurant in Fruit Cove

⭐☆☆☆☆ Disappointing Experience – Poor Execution of Oyster Special

This is actually the first negative review I’ve written—I typically use this platform to praise great service and experiences. However, I felt compelled to share our recent disappointing visit to The Fish and Oyster House at Julington Creek.

We were excited to try the Wednesday 60-cent oyster special, but unfortunately, it was a letdown from start to finish. I arrived at 6:00 PM—early enough in the evening that there really shouldn't have been any major issues yet—but was surprised by how poorly things were already running. I waited nearly 5 minutes before anyone acknowledged me. A server and then a manager passed by and said someone would be with me shortly. Eventually, a visibly unhappy hostess seated me at the booth I requested.

It then took over 6 minutes for a server to arrive. I let him know I was waiting for my husband but immediately ordered 2 dozen oysters. When my husband arrived, the server returned and took our drink order. He came back more than 5 minutes later to let us know the bar was backed up and apologized—but it still took another 5+ minutes before we received our drinks.

By this point, my oyster order had been in for 15–20 minutes. After dropping off our drinks, the server informed us that the kitchen was backed up and oysters could take up to an hour. When I asked him to check on our order, he said we were fourth in line but couldn’t give an estimate on how long it would take. We decided to just ask for the check—$30 for two drinks—and leave.

What stood out the most was that no manager was present or visible on the floor to communicate with guests. There was zero proactive communication about delays—something that should have been shared upfront, either by the hostess before seating us or by the server before we ordered drinks.

As someone who has worked in the restaurant industry for years, I recognize this as a management issue. The team was clearly overwhelmed and under-supported. Our server did what he could, but it’s unfair to put staff in a position where they’re set up to disappoint guests.

The overall atmosphere was just off—nearly every guest and employee in view looked frustrated or disengaged. If a restaurant can’t deliver on a special, it’s better not to offer it. Doing so only sets up poor experiences for...

Made a reservation for 3 in the Octo room at 5pm. Greeted by a sweet smiling hostess, later to find out her name was Abree. Patrick was our server ..OMG he was patient (first timers here),kind, funny, and knowledgeable about your menu. He never made us feel rushed even though we may have just been the 3 most indecisive women he ever met! He let us sip on our perfectly crafted cocktails while making us feel like his only table. We ordered the calamari appetizer which was tender, light batter & fried perfectly. The bang bang shrimp shocked us, the tender sweetness of the shrimp coupled with the light tang of the Buffalo sauce was a table favorite! Now, on to the entrees.. 1. Scallop & pesto gnocchi was perfect 2. Maine lobster roll..they leave the butter on the side so you can pour to your liking. ZERO filler. I mean it, just lobster. We are Massachusetts natives so we are a bit snobby when it comes to lobster. I added a side of the chimchuri grilled brocolini, best I've ever had! 3. Pick 2- fried shrimp & blackened scallops, with grilled asparagus, fabulous, tender and decadent. I have to give a special thanks to Patrick. He offered to go above & beyond for us. My mom asked if they cracked the lobster, he explained they did not. She told she was going to bring home 1 to my dad (couldn't come to dinner due to his cancer) but said she wished it were cracked. Patrick offered to take that wish on if we decided to order the whole lobster. So, the restaurant started filling up with hungry patrons, we did not want to take up extra time from his tables. (We understand, the 3 of us all in the food industry 1 way or another). We opted for the lobster roll togo since all the work would be done for my dad and all he had to do was enjoy! We spilled drinks and Abree, Audrey & Patrick never skipped a beat, cleaned up the large spill, ice and provided extra napkins. Wow! Those 3 worked like a TEAM! I would say my only complaint, we also ordered peel n eat shrimp to take to my dad and when he tried them, he said they tasted overcooked, very mushy & rubberized. If that was our only complaint; You all are rocking it! We cannot wait eat our way through your menu! Thank you for an amazing birthday...

I went for lunch with my husband around 11:30. Upon entering you truly do get delighted by the decor and esthetics. We waited about 5 minutes before we were seated. There was no hostess on the hostess stand but a waitress attending other patrons did acknowledge us and stated she will be right with us. Our waitress was very personable and attentive. We ordered the fried grouper bites for appetizers. The batter was very light. It didn't provide the crunch I was craving but it definitely did not take away from the freshness of the grouper. I do wish the grouper bites had more flavor and for the price of $18 was expecting a bit more of wow factor. I tasted salt of course but was expecting more a hint of something else. Husband and I just added a dash of hot sauce and black pepper to give us something more in each bite. Husband ordered the Lobster special on Thursday's which comes out to about $20 for a lobster and a side. His side was the truffle fries. He definitely liked the lobster but was a bit frustrated that he had to fight the shell. Most places usually cut the tail and crack the claws a bit to make it easier for people to consume. I ordered the fried red snapper which came with a side of rice and sweet plantains. I was also craving their pimento cheese grits so I ordered that as well. The fried red snapper was delicious and very crispy but still moist and tender on the inside. Definitely was my favorite part of the meal. The rice had the poke bowl rice flavor (poke sauce and spicy mayo) to it which caught me off guard but then again they do have sushi and poke bowl on their menu so I'm sure they use the same rice. The sweet plantains were well cooked and tasted just fine. However, my biggest disappointment was the grits. I don't know if it was the pimento cheese that gave it such a pudding/mousse like textured but I did not feel like I was eating grits at all. The flavor was good but I think the pimento cheese definitely overpowered the whole dish. Service was great! Food was good. And overall quite a nice food experience. I would probably go back with friends to try the lobster roll and lobster bisque but I don't think we'll re-order the same...