OT- Anyone vacation at Tybee Island, Ga?

[disneybound31]

Going to Tybee Island near Savannah, Ga and wondering if anyone has been and has any must see's. Any good restaurant suggestions?

We have planned so far a dolphin cruise... sightseeing at the lighthouse and catching a summer movie on the beach with a picnic. And playing in the ocean, of course!

Any info would be greatly appreciated!

 

[GeorgiaAristocat]

When are you going?

I was there last week (for a conference, never actually made it to the beach . . .) - the smoke still comes and goes from the fires. One day it was so thick I didn't even want to venture outside.

Stingrays (across from the Ocean Plaza) is pretty good. The Crab Shack is not. If you want to veer from seafood, the Pizza place on the "pier" street (I don't remember the actual street) is pretty good - real handtossed crust. The Breakfast club is a traditional diner dive - but yummy for breakfast (if you like eggs and bacon and toast and grits and grease.)

Beyond that, you may want to venture in to Savannah - I know that there is a British pub on Bay Street called "Churchill's Pub" that was recommended to me by someone I trust.

Have a great trip. Watch out for the riptide!

 

[mshawsc]

We did the dolphin cruise last year in August. It was a blast and your are almost guaranteed to see lots of dophins because the touring boats cruise along the same route at the shrimp boats, which the dolphins (smartly) follow. You will love it -I know we did!

I can't recall any restaurants in Tybee - but Savannah is a haven of great restaurants - The Lady & Sons (Paula Deen's restaurant) is great but is a major pain to get into.

Have a great time!

 

[disneybound31]

When are you going?

I was there last week (for a conference, never actually made it to the beach . . .) - the smoke still comes and goes from the fires. One day it was so thick I didn't even want to venture outside.

Stingrays (across from the Ocean Plaza) is pretty good. The Crab Shack is not. If you want to veer from seafood, the Pizza place on the "pier" street (I don't remember the actual street) is pretty good - real handtossed crust. The Breakfast club is a traditional diner dive - but yummy for breakfast (if you like eggs and bacon and toast and grits and grease.)

Beyond that, you may want to venture in to Savannah - I know that there is a British pub on Bay Street called "Churchill's Pub" that was recommended to me by someone I trust.

Have a great trip. Watch out for the riptide!

We are trying to go the third week in June-- found a condo at the Beach and Raquet Club and it looks pretty nice but I haven't booked it yet... This is a family trip with 2 kids- 5 and 8, so there won't be any sort of late nights with pubs or anything. Thanks for the info so far!

 

[minnierocks]

We were there for the 4th of July week last year, and we had a great time! It is really laid back and relaxing...

It's not really "touristy" so most of the things to do on the island are not "high energy"...
Go to the Fort...it was really cool (even the kids liked it)
Go out on the pier
Go to the back river
Don't bother with Savannah...we really didn't enjoy our time there...

Places to eat:
Uncle Bubba's (It is just before you get on the island)...It was the best calamari I have ever had! You have to go there at least once...
The Crab Shack (You can feed the alligators)...

Have fun! It was a great place to visit!

 

[CF'er]

We were just there a month or so ago. Don't eat at "Tybee's Oldest Restaurant". It's Mc...somethings. Very expensive and not worth the $$ IMO. No wonder it was so easy to get in. LOL

You can see the dolphins from the beach. We enjoyed it.

 

[disneybound31]

Where have any of you guys stayed and would you recommend those places?

Also, if we are staying at the north end how far to get to the 'public' beach near the lighthouse? I'm going by a family members info and I don't know if she's giving me accurate info. Thanks...

 

[swilshire]

I own a timeshare there, but haven't seen it yet. It's an early June week, so we already had other vacations booked for that week for the first three years after we bought it. Maybe we'll go there in 2009.

Sheila

 

[minnierocks]

Where have any of you guys stayed and would you recommend those places?

Also, if we are staying at the north end how far to get to the 'public' beach near the lighthouse? I'm going by a family members info and I don't know if she's giving me accurate info. Thanks...

This is where we stayed...
http://agent2.barefoot.com/ilinks/v35/tybee/ListingSheet3.aspx?CO=&uid=0&qry=ListingSheet&tmpl=Standard&strIDs=9172&strWhere0='','',&aDate=&dDate=&tnts=2&adults=2&kids=0&bbs=0&aoa=

This is the link to the property manager's site...
http://www.tybeevacationrentals.com/

We loved this place! The agency was great to work with, so we would rent from them again. This is on the north end of Tybee...we liked it because it's quieter there. We were able to walk down to the main strand with no problem, but we drove to the lighthouse and beach area. Not that it was too far, but just because we happened to be driving around that day.
If you go to Tybee's site...it has a map of the island...Even though it is a relatively small island, it would be difficult to walk everywhere. Now, if you have a bicycle, it might be doable...

Have fun!!!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

We didn't make it to Tybee Island when we went to Savannah in February, but I must say you have to eat at The Lady and Sons (Paula Deen's restaurant). It is well worth the wait. The food (buffet) is out of this world. I can't find another restaurant around that serves food that good. We were able to eat there twice the weekend we were there.

Suzanne

 

[minnierocks]

We didn't make it to Tybee Island when we went to Savannah in February, but I must say you have to eat at The Lady and Sons (Paula Deen's restaurant). It is well worth the wait. The food (buffet) is out of this world. I can't find another restaurant around that serves food that good. We were able to eat there twice the weekend we were there.

Suzanne

I agree that Paula Deen's restaurant was very good...but,
Uncle Bubba's Restaurant (Paula's brother) is right before you go over the bridge to Tybee and serves some of the same dishes (like her chicken). It is less crowded and you don't have to line up hours before it opens. This is also the location that Paula tapes her shows. We were able to go behind the counter and take pictures. We ate at the Lady & Sons once, but we went back to Uncle Bubba's for a second meal! It was awesome!

 

[mshawsc]

Good to know about Uncle Bubba's! Thanks!

 

[Dawgontybee]

Stingrays is great. the fried Grouper plate is my favorite. A.J.s is probably the best restaurant on the island. Everything is great. It is a little pricey but the sunsets are great. Dewy's is very good too. If you like crowds and steamed crabs & shrimp, the Crab Shack is the place for you. Pizza on Wheels is the best Pizza on Tybee. The best lunch is the North Beach Grill, next to the lighthouse. It is very laid back. The Plantains & salsa and Crab Cake sandwich are my choice. The Breakfast Club will get very crowded very early. The Sugar Shack is an alterative.
Sundial Charters has great nature trips. Captain Rene' does a great job.
Bingo at the VFW on Friday nights is kid friendly and fun.
If you are coming this weekend (Memorial Day) it will be crowded.
Have a great time on our island!

 

[disneybound31]

Stingrays is great. the fried Grouper plate is my favorite. A.J.s is probably the best restaurant on the island. Everything is great. It is a little pricey but the sunsets are great. Dewy's is very good too. If you like crowds and steamed crabs & shrimp, the Crab Shack is the place for you. Pizza on Wheels is the best Pizza on Tybee. The best lunch is the North Beach Grill, next to the lighthouse. It is very laid back. The Plantains & salsa and Crab Cake sandwich are my choice. The Breakfast Club will get very crowded very early. The Sugar Shack is an alterative.
Sundial Charters has great nature trips. Captain Rene' does a great job.
Bingo at the VFW on Friday nights is kid friendly and fun.
If you are coming this weekend (Memorial Day) it will be crowded.
Have a great time on our island!

Great info! Thanks!

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I agree that Paula Deen's restaurant was very good...but,
Uncle Bubba's Restaurant (Paula's brother) is right before you go over the bridge to Tybee and serves some of the same dishes (like her chicken). It is less crowded and you don't have to line up hours before it opens. This is also the location that Paula tapes her shows. We were able to go behind the counter and take pictures. We ate at the Lady & Sons once, but we went back to Uncle Bubba's for a second meal! It was awesome!

We went because it was "her" restaurant and for the buffet. I might try Uncle Bubba's some day, but I will wait no matter what. I might try to take my mother to a taping of her show for her birthday next year. We really didn't wait much on Saturday evening, I let my husband off and he got our names on the list and we went back at our appointed time and didn't wait long and we didn't actually wait very long on Sunday either. We got there before the crowd from church got out and there really wasn't a line.

Suzanne

 

[EC0323]

We love Tybee Island. Usually go once a year. We love climbing the lighthouse and the beaches. I agree with the recommendations except for Crab Shack on Tybee. (I think there is one in Savannah owned by someone else>) Labor day weekend, we were at the crab shack and our food was way over cooked and the bread was moldy!!!!!!!!!! As we were leaving we went inside to look around and there were dead palmettos bugs everywhere!!! Manager was rude. Someone said they changed hands and the new ones are not very good. If you go, feed the gators and leave. You do not have to eat there. Ajs' has the best fried grouper!!!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

We love Tybee Island! It's very unpretentious, very laid back. Sort of the anti-St. Simon's Island (which is also cool, but you can't go everywhere in cutoffs, flipflops, beach hair and a bikini top like you can at Tybee)

Another vote for Stingrays.

The restaurant that's out in the swamp, um,
Crab Shack, I think-skip that one; if you don't go deaf from the enormous fans trying to blow the mosquitoes off you, you'll get rocks in your flipflops from the long walk back to the gravel parking lot.

We stayed at the 17th Street Inn Bed and Breakfast. http://tybeeinn.com/It's not fancy, but the rooms are spacious and they have a full sized fridge, and a WONDERFUL breakfast. We'd walk to the beach (at the end of the dead end street-about 100 yards) early in the morning with the kids and then return to find a big spread all laid out.

We parked our car on thursday night and didn't touch it until sunday night to go back home. We're city slickers, so we avoided Savannah completely because we just wanted to decompress on the beach.

 

[tinatark]

One of our really good friends grew up there - her aunt and some of her other family still live there - we were there last week - stayed here ~~~> http://www.tybeecottages.com/viewproperty.aspx?PropertyID=1574

Buy your groceries before you get on the island - there is only one very small, overpriced grocery store there. We bought cereal/breakfast stuff and sandwich stuff for lunch - then ate out in the evenings. Didn't want to leave the island once we got there!

The pizza place on the left on the way into the Island is very good - as is The Crab Shack - it's where "the elite eat in bare feet". Boiled peanuts on the right on your way in are yummy, too. Spanky's has great chicken tenders (other stuff, too).

You can rent bicycles, also there is a science center over near the lighthouse. If you are going to Fort Pulaski, the admission is good for either 5 or 7 days, so go earlier in the week, then if you want to go back your admission is already paid.

Tybee Vacation Rentals (another poster recommended) is a great company - they (sisters who own TVR) also just bought a Tybee Tour Trolley.

It's a very quaint, small, shabby chic type town. Another thing, we noticed a LOT of drinking there - I don't think there is an open container law.

 

[disneybound31]

OP here--- thanks for all the great replies. Can anyone tell me some of the better things you have had to eat at some of these places, like StingRay's and A.J.'s? And also how kid friendly? What's good at Uncle Bubba's? Thanks!

 

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

I think almost the whole island is kid friendly because it's just not a white tablecloth chi chi kind of place.

We brought the kids to stingrays a lot, they loved the live music. We ate about everything on the menu. If you get the crabs, get the ones that have already been prepared or you'll spend hours picking them apart to get the meat.

Basically everywhere we poked our head in was interesting, although a few qualified as biker dive bars so we skipped those. (we own motorcycles, so nothing against them, just wasn't the lunchtime vibe we were looking for)

Lots of places to get ice cream and walk around, too.