Barbara Jean's — Restaurant in Georgia

So to give this place a 4.4 rating is extremely generous. The building is dated and in disrepair. To give an example: I had to use my full body weight to open and close the men's room door due to warping, and I am a large man. There were water puddles on the floor with wet floor signs next to them our entire visit, as if that's a suitable substitute for mopping it up (it was not a busy hour). The employees were allowing favored guests to disregard the "emergency only" sign on the emergency exit door so they could avoid the crowded main door. As for the entry way, the door mechanisms are way too low, nearly catching me in the eye both coming and going. Next on the docket was the food. I had the crab cakes and grilled catfish that made me sick, almost instantly. The crab cakes were bland, mushy, and tasted disgusting and the catfish was majorly undergrilled. My girlfriend had the coconut shrimp and mashed potatoes. If you prefer a ratio of mostly batter to shrimp, you'll love these rubbery things. The potatoes were ice cold and had a gummy texture with an unpleasant "old" flavor. Also, most of the meals come with a bed of rice so just be aware of that before you order dirty rice or broccoli rice casserole as your side dishes. The pumpkin bread, Hans ambrosia salad and "the chocolate stuff" were the highlights of the meal. Finally, the service was subpar. I realize it's the south so there is a certain amount of sass you come to expect but I witnessed my server smacking a fellow employee in the back of the head. Plus, while we were trying to place our order, another table rudely interjected to demand another basket of bread, to which our waiter had no problem acknowledging them. On a positive note, the food did come out relatively fast, but that may be why the food was poorly cooked. In the end, if you're on Saint Simon's Island there are lots of places to eat. Unless Barbara Jean's goes through a major overhaul, do not waste your time...

Disappointing Visit Despite High Hopes

I’m visiting the area with my parents this week, and we decided to try Barbara Jean’s for an early dinner before the evening rush (around 3:45–4:35 PM). We’d heard nothing but great things—both online and from friends—so we were genuinely excited to finally check it out.

Unfortunately, our experience didn’t live up to the hype. From the start, something felt off. We were greeted and seated, but the staff’s demeanor made it seem like our presence was more of a burden than a welcome. Our waitress took our drink and bread basket order, and after we asked for a bit more time to decide on food, she returned to take our dinner orders. After that, she only came by once before the meals arrived.

I ordered the salmon and an XL baked potato—due to medical dietary needs, these are among the few items I can safely eat. Sadly, the salmon was incredibly overcooked, chewy, and nearly flavorless. The single dried-out lemon slice provided didn’t help much. The baked potato was fine, though I wasn’t expecting anything extravagant since I can’t have the usual toppings.

My mom ordered the She Crab Soup and needed more crackers, but the waitress never returned—no crackers, no extra lemons, nothing. I ended up leaving early because the lack of care and attention was just too frustrating. I didn’t want to cause a scene, so I walked across the street for Italian ice and waited for my parents.

They told me that even after I left, the waitress still hadn’t checked in again. They had to flag another server just to speak with her about the salmon. She removed it from the bill, which was appreciated, but even then, when they asked for to-go cups, she never came back.

I really want to believe this was just a fluke. Maybe we came during an off moment or right after a shift change. Hopefully, the food and service are better during busier hours, because our experience didn’t reflect the great reputation Barbara Jean’s...

My waiter couldn't have been more rude and he forgot to bring me almost everything I asked for or needed to eat: napkins, silverware, tea refill, my side he forgot, etc. He seemed more concerned with the two large parties he had. On top of that, he grabbed the potato with his bare hands off my plate when I requested it be heated up as it was ice cold. His fingers also grazed my steak and greens while doing this-hence why you never grab food off someones plate and ask the customer to hand it to you. That's food handling 101. He then forgot to bring it back and I waited nearly 20 mins. I had to flag down another waiter to ask for The Manager at that point , the Manager could have cared less. He stated that my waiter was their "best" server. I'd hate to see their worst. When I explained I didn't want a comp, I just wanted my potato, some napkins, and a different server, he replied: " I'll take care of it" and never returned, nor sent anyone to bring back my food or other items. I had to flag down a bus boy this time to have him come again- he reluctantly came back and exclaimed he thought I understood he'd comp my meal and for me to finish the food and leave. What?!?! I explained again to him I just wanted to eat my meal, have a new server, pay and go home. He said he'd comp it anyway for all the trouble and get me my food/items. Fine. Another 10 mins go by and he has my old server bring it all out and he lays it all on the table with the most condescending attitude and snide remarks under his breath. No thank you- I've worked in restaurants before and I know what that means- I don't want spit in my food!! I gave this man 4 times to make it right,and two times to the Manager to make it right, and they STILL couldn't!!. I was so disgusted-I left all the food there...