Tybee Island, a beautiful island just a short drive from the charming city of Savannah, Georgia, has long been renowned as a coastal vacation paradise with its long sandy beaches, historic lighthouse, and relaxed Southern atmosphere. However, few know that beyond its natural beauty and diverse recreational activities, Tybee Island is also a fantastic seafood culinary destination, especially famous for its fresh seafood caught directly from the vast ocean.
If you are a seafood lover looking for a unique, fresh, and flavorful seafood experience, Tybee Island is the ideal destination. This article will be your comprehensive guide, showing you how to fully enjoy fresh seafood on Tybee Island, from choosing restaurants, selecting dishes, to small tips for a perfect seafood meal.
Discovering the World of Fresh Seafood on Tybee Island
Tybee Island is blessed by nature with a prime location right on the edge of the bountiful Atlantic Ocean. As a result, this island boasts an incredibly rich and diverse source of seafood, from shrimp, crab, and crawfish, to scallops, snails, and fresh, delicious sea fish. Seafood here is not only famous for its freshness but is also caught and processed using traditional methods, preserving its natural, quintessential flavor.
Fresh seafood, a Savannah specialty
When you come to Tybee Island, you will easily find seafood restaurants along the coast, cozy family eateries, or even bustling seafood markets where you can personally choose fresh seafood and have it prepared to your liking.
Popular Fresh Seafood Varieties in Tybee Island
Tybee Island proudly offers diners a diverse and rich world of seafood, each type with its own distinct flavor and characteristics. Here are some popular fresh seafood varieties that you should not miss when visiting this island:
- Tiger shrimp and white shrimp: Tiger shrimp and white shrimp are the most common types of shrimp on Tybee Island. The shrimp meat is firm, sweet, and delicious, and can be prepared into many attractive dishes such as grilled shrimp with salt and chili, steamed shrimp with lemongrass, tamarind shrimp, or hot and sour shrimp soup.
- Sea crab and blue crab: Tybee Island’s sea crab and blue crab are famous for their firm meat and rich, creamy roe. Steamed crab and blue crab are excellent choices to fully enjoy their natural fresh flavor. In addition, you can also try dishes such as salt-roasted crab, tamarind-roasted blue crab, or crab and blue crab hot pot.
- Scallops and snails: Various types of scallops such as scallops, ark clams, blood cockles, and snails such as jade snails, razor clams, and periwinkles are also very popular on Tybee Island. Grilled scallops and snails with scallion oil, grilled plain, or stir-fried with lemongrass and chili are attractive snacks with rich sea flavor.
- Sea fish: Tybee Island has many types of fresh and delicious sea fish such as grouper, pomfret, red snapper, and mackerel. Sea fish can be prepared into many nutritious dishes such as grilled fish, steamed fish, fried fish, or fish hot pot. In particular, the raw herring salad is a local specialty that you should try.
- Oysters: Tybee Island oysters have a sweet, mild taste and soft, creamy meat. Grilled oysters with cheese, grilled oysters with scallion oil, or raw oysters with mustard are excellent appetizers to stimulate your taste buds before enjoying the main seafood dishes.
In addition, depending on the season and fishing time, you can explore more fresh seafood varieties such as squid, octopus, lobster, tuna, swordfish, etc. Ask restaurant staff or vendors for more information and choose the freshest seafood of the day.
Top Seafood Restaurants and Eateries on Tybee Island
Tybee Island has no shortage of great places to enjoy fresh seafood. Here are some highly-rated restaurants and eateries where you can experience authentic seafood cuisine:
- The Crab Shack: This is one of the most famous seafood restaurants on Tybee Island, known for its spacious, airy outdoor space and diverse, fresh seafood menu. The restaurant’s signature dish is “Low Country Boil,” a Southern-style seafood boil with shrimp, crab, sausage, potatoes, and corn.
- Tybee Island Fish Camp: This restaurant offers a cozy, friendly atmosphere, with a menu focused on seafood dishes prepared in a traditional style. Popular dishes here include fried shrimp, grilled fish, and seafood soup.
- A-J’s Dockside Restaurant: Located right on the dock, A-J’s Dockside Restaurant has stunning ocean views. The restaurant is famous for its fresh seafood prepared simply but still retaining its natural flavor. Raw oysters and steamed crab are top choices for diners.
- Benny’s Tybee Tavern: If you are looking for a casual eatery with affordable prices, but still ensuring seafood quality, Benny’s Tybee Tavern is a good suggestion. This eatery serves simple seafood dishes such as boiled shrimp, steamed clams, and fried fish, which are very suitable for family meals or groups of friends.
- Fannie’s on the Beach: With its location right on the beach, Fannie’s on the Beach offers a romantic setting, ideal for date nights or sunset viewing. The restaurant serves high-end seafood dishes, delicately prepared, combining traditional and modern flavors harmoniously.
In addition, you can also explore the local seafood market area, where you can buy fresh seafood directly from fishermen and prepare it yourself at home or have it prepared by small roadside eateries. This is also an interesting experience, helping you explore more about the local culinary culture.
Tips for Choosing and Enjoying Fresh Seafood on Tybee Island
To have a perfect fresh seafood meal on Tybee Island, you need to keep in mind the following tips:
- Choose fresh seafood: Fresh seafood has bright colors, not pale or blackened. Fish eyes are clear, and gills are bright red. Shrimp, crab, and crawfish are still alive or just recently deceased, with firm bodies, not mushy. Scallops and snails have their shells tightly closed or close quickly when touched.
- Choose reputable restaurants: You should choose reputable seafood restaurants that are highly rated on social media or travel websites. Consult local residents or tourists who have been to Tybee Island for more suggestions.
- Choose appropriate dishes: If you want to fully enjoy the natural fresh flavor of seafood, choose steamed, boiled, plain grilled, or salad dishes. If you prefer bold flavors, try salt-roasted, tamarind-roasted, lemongrass and chili stir-fried, or hot pot dishes.
- Enjoy seafood properly: Fresh seafood is best when it is freshly prepared. Eat it hot to fully experience its flavor and freshness. Dip seafood in signature dipping sauces such as salt, pepper, and lemon, sweet and sour fish sauce, or green chili sauce.
- Pair with drinks: Cold beer, white wine, or carbonated soft drinks are suitable drink choices when enjoying seafood.
- Note the price: Fresh seafood prices may vary depending on the season and fishing time. You should ask for the price before ordering to avoid surprises when paying.
- Eat seafood responsibly: Choose restaurants and eateries with clear seafood origins, ensuring sustainable seafood catching and processing, protecting the marine environment.
Combining Seafood Enjoyment with Tybee Island Tourism
Enjoying fresh seafood is an indispensable part of the Tybee Island travel experience. You can combine seafood culinary exploration with other fun and entertainment activities on the island to have a complete and memorable trip.
Beautiful beach in Savannah
Here are some combination suggestions:
- Swim and enjoy seafood: After having fun on the fine white sand beach, you can stop by a seaside seafood restaurant to enjoy a fresh seafood lunch or dinner. Enjoying seafood while watching the sea is truly a wonderful experience.
- Visit the lighthouse and eat seafood: The Tybee Island Lighthouse is a historical symbol of the island. After climbing to the top of the lighthouse to admire the panoramic view of the island, you can find a nearby seafood eatery to recharge and enjoy local specialties.
- Stroll on the pier and eat seafood: Tybee Island Pier is home to many seafood restaurants and eateries. You can stroll along the pier, watch fishing boats return, and then choose a restaurant you like to enjoy fresh seafood.
- Participate in seafood festivals: If you come to Tybee Island during seafood festivals, you will have the opportunity to enjoy fresh seafood in a lively, bustling festival atmosphere.
Tybee Island is not only an attractive beach tourist destination but also a seafood culinary paradise. With the detailed guide above, hopefully you will have wonderful fresh seafood experiences on this beautiful island, and bring back memorable culinary memories from your trip.