Top Places to Eat in Amelia Island with Families
Amelia Island is always on our travel list when we consider beach vacations each year for so many reasons. Their beaches are pristine, the area is very family friendly, and the choice of lodging is diverse. More importantly, the food is a m a z i n g. Some of the best places to eat in Amelia Island are the local food shacks that you might not look twice at.
We love local eateries, especially the ones with fresh caught seafood. Some of the seafood restaurants in Amelia Island are truly unmatched. However, they have some great choices for pizza and burgers also. You really cannot go wrong choosing from any of the unique restaurants on Amelia Island.
We travel with toddlers so you will notice notes about family friendliness for each of the restaurants listed below. We have been lured into restaurants before that our toddlers were obviously not welcome in and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you! It makes sitting down for an entire meal a lot more stressful when you have to keep everyone quiet.
Looking for something to do after your awesome meal? Check out our guide to downtown Amelia Island!
Top Amelia Island Restaurants for Families
Amelia Island has a ton of restaurants so we are here to recommend our favorites in each category. Our list of top Amelia Island restaurants includes seafood, American fare, bbq, and pizza! Breakfast is also included because it’s too good to pass up.
We have been traveling to the island for 15+ years so we have firsthand experience with each of these places. We hope this list helps you decide where to eat!
Seafood Restaurants on Amelia Island
Seafood is very black and white for me. It is either fresh caught and wonderfully prepared or it’s not. My dad’s side of the family is from Savannah, GA so they know good seafood. We grew up eating some of the freshest oysters, shrimp, and local market catches of the day. You really cannot beat a fresh caught meal and Amelia Island has some of best to offer!
–Timoti’s Seafood Shak
Guys. This is, hands down, one of the best seafood restaurants on Amelia Island (especially for families with younger kids). Timoti’s is located on the outer edge of downtown. This means it is walking distance to all of the shopping and ice cream shops, but it is also not in the middle of all of the people.
Timoti’s has a classic menu including seafood baskets, sandwiches, salads, and tacos. They also serve a la carte sides and kids baskets. The seafood baskets and kids baskets are the only “meals” that come with a side. Everything else on the menu is served by itself with the option to add your own sides.
We have never ordered something we did not like from Timoti’s! Our kids loved their baskets but they loved the pirate playground even more. You read that right: there is a playground on site. We ate here twice last time we were on Amelia Island just because it was so convenient with kids and we know the food is great.
Kids’ Menu: Yes! They offer a kid’s shrimp, chicken, or fish basket served with fries and a drink.
Address: 21 N 3rd Street Fernandina Beach, Fl, GA 30546
Days/Hours: Monday – Saturday 11-8pm | Sun 11-3pm
Menu: See image below. I forgot to take a picture while we were there so this one is borrowed from their website.
–Brett’s Waterway Cafe
So many people are looking for Amelia Island restaurants on the water. If that’s you, then you definitely need to check this one out!
Disclaimer: this is one of the nicer restaurants on the island. We felt a little out of place with our toddlers. Some people were dressed very nicely and trying to enjoy a quiet meal while others were there with a larger group and more casually dressed. Either way, there were not many young kids there. If you are planning to bring younger kids I would recommend you ask for outdoor seating.
Brett’s offers a beautiful view of the waterway (opposite the ocean) while dining on some delicious fresh caught seafood. They have a wide variety of seafood dishes that pair with pasta, steaks, and more. They also have a specialty menu that changes nightly and usually ranges from $30-60 per plate. We want you to know that you need to be ready to pay a little more for this dinner. It is one of the more expensive places on the island but our food was wonderful!
Kid’s Menu: Yes! Their kid’s choices include chicken, shrimp, grilled cheese, and pasta. The meals are served with fries but can be substituted for a charge.
Address/Phone: 1 S Front St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 ••• (904) 261-2660
Days/Hours: Tues.-Sat. 11:30 AM-8: 30PM
Menu: Check out the picture above for some of their menu options.
–The Salty Pelican
The Salty Pelican is a great choice is you are looking for a low key atmosphere where everyone can enjoy their food. Bonus: the food is great! This is also another one of Amelia Island’s restaurants on the water that offers a great view. Okay, technically it is across the street from the waterway but the view from upstairs is wonderful!
The Salty Pelican can really float between American cuisine and Seafood. They have some specialty seafood items but also have a decent burger menu. They serve chicken tenders, wraps/sandwiches, and salads as well.
Kid’s Menu: Yes! Their kid’s menu includes chicken tenders, burger, cheese quesadilla, mac and cheese, fish and fried shrimp.
Address/Phone: 12 N Front St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 ••• (904) 277-3811
Days/Hours: Mon.-Fri. 11AM-11PM & Sat.-Sun. 10AM-11PM
Menu: You can check out their menu here.
American/BBQ/Pizza Restaurants on Amelia Island
We always start and end our trip with fresh seafood from one of the restaurants listed above. However, it is nice to be able to break it up a little bit with some fresh pizza, a juicy burger, or even a southern style buffet. All of these choices (and more) can be found at the restaurants below.
Truthfully, this section should probably just be titled “non seafood” but I really like for people to know what they are getting into. These restaurants are local, kid friendly, and absolutely worth your time!
–T Ray’s Burger Station
When I say we found a local gem, I mean a local gem. This is a restaurant than you cannot judge from the outside. After all, it is a converted gas station. But aren’t some of the best local spots in weird converted buildings??
T-Ray’s is one of our favorite places to eat in Amelia Island. They serve breakfast (see below) and lunch six days a week. Each day has an assigned daily special for lunch as well as a running menu.
Your specials include fried fish and hush puppies, fried chicken and vegetables, meatloaf, crab cakes, and more. We settled for a burger because of the national press stories published about them. They are absolutely worth the hype!
In addition to burgers and daily specials, they also serve fresh fish sandwiches, salads, and traditional lunch menu items. This place is always busy so be ready to wait for a minute while your food is prepared by hand! Again, it is definitely worth it.
Kid’s Menu: Yes! They offer chicken tenders, hot dog and grilled cheese, all of which are served with fries.
Address: 202 S 8th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Days/Hours: Mon.-Fri.. 7AM-2PM, Sat. 8AM-3PM
Menu: Check out their website for a full menu.
–Island Bar-B-Q
Island Bar-B-Q is a very low key restaurant located in a shopping center. We love restaurants like this for two reasons: the first is that the food is usually surprisingly good and the second is that there is a lot less pressure for our kids to behave well. Because inevitably they won’t inside a restaurant.
Anyways. Island Bar-B-Q offers a more traditional BBQ menu in addition to a southern style buffet. We haven’t had very many varieties of fried chicken on the island but, of the few we have had, this is the best for sure! They have something for everyone (if everyone is a fan of traditional southern food).
Kid’s Menu: Yes! They include kids pork sandwich, hot dog, or corn dog. Each is served with french fries, applesauce, and a drink.
Address/Phone: 1925 S 14th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 ••• (904) 624-7811
Days/Hours: Mon.-Fri. 7AM-8PM, Sat. 7AM-2PM
Menu: They currently do not have a website but ZMenu has their menu posted. Check it out here.
–Townies Pizzeria
We have tried a few different pizza places on Amelia island and this one takes the cake (or pie) for sure! It is the only pizza recommendation on our list for a reason. Townies’ pizza tastes fresher than other pizzas because it actually is.
They use fresh cheeses, locally grown produce, and fresh made dough/sauces. They pride themselves on not even owning a freezer!
We built our own pizza last time we were there and then ordered a small cheese pizza for the kids. Our order was cooked perfectly and tasted so wonderfully fresh. The couple sitting next to us orders calzones and they also looked amazing!
Kid’s Menu: Yes! If your kids are not interested in pizza or need an alternative, they also offer puffin pops (oven-baked chicken nuggets) with apple juice.
Address/Phone: 819 T.J. Courson Rd, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034 ••• (904) 277-4755
Days/Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 11AM-8PM, Fri.-Sat. 11AM-9PM
Menu: Check out the menu on their website!
–Captain Jack’s Smokehouse
Captain Jack’s is one of the newest places to eat in Amelia Island and still one of the best! They offer hand pulled pork, slow cooked meats, and hand crafted side dishes.
The owners of Captain Jack’s competed in the Pro BBQ Circuit for years before settling on the island and opening Captain Jack’s. They are also super nice!
My husband preferred the tangy sauce (mustard based) and I loved the sweet! I truly don’t think you can go wrong. The meat holds its own and can be eaten without sauce anyway.
Kid’s Menu: Yes! Their kid’s choices include pulled pork slider, cheeseburger slider, kids mini dawg (2), chicken tenders mac n cheese, and grilled cheese. Each is served with one side and a drink.
Address/Phone: 960030 Gateway Blvd, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Days/Hours: Sun.-Thurs. 11AM-8PM & Fri.-Sat. 11AM-9:30PM
Menu: Check out their website for their full menu.
–The Happy Tomato Courtyard Cafe & BBQ
The Happy Tomato kind of surprised us. Okay, it really surprised us! For some reason it just did not feel like a lunch spot for families at first glance (or maybe just not our family with our two toddlers).
It felt too trendy for us. We also thought their BBQ would be just okay. We were so wrong!
This awesome little cafe has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating and a variety of lunch options available. They specialize in BBQ and sandwiches.
Important note: they close at 4:30pm so this is not a dinner option! We had planned to eat BBQ here for dinner one night and had to quickly make other plans.
We can personally recommend their BBQ, chicken salad sandwich, and monster club sandwiches. Our kids also really enjoyed the PB&J but I feel like those are harder to mess up. The Happy Tomato is a perfect local spot for a quick, light lunch or a to-go order of BBQ to be saved for dinner.
Kid’s Menu: Yes! Their kid’s choices include PB&J or grilled cheese. Each is served with chips.
Address: 7 S 3rd St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Days/Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11AM-4:30PM
Menu: Check out their website for their full menu and daily specials.
–Beach Diner Fernandina Beach
Beach Diner is exactly what it sounds like: an awesome old school diner. They serve up large portions of diner-style foods, including breakfast (see below for more details on that). They have daily specials that are offered for breakfast and a comfort food lunch menu.
This is a very popular spot with locals and there is usually a wait if you arrive during peak breakfast/lunch times. All of the usual diner food is offered plus some fun new menu items that we were not bold enough to try. We have only eaten breakfast here but I can tell you it was delicious!
Kid’s Menu: Yes! Available for breakfast and lunch.
Address: 2006 S 8th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Days/Hours: 7 days a week from 6AM-2PM
Menu: Check out their facebook page for their full menu and to order online.
Breakfast Restaurants on Amelia Island
We like to eat out for breakfast at least once while we are on vacation, mostly because our kids really enjoy having pancakes in a restaurant. The breakfast restaurants on Amelia Island have pancakes and so much more! These are our favorites that we would highly recommend you try.
–Garden Street Bistro
Garden Street Bistro serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch but we have only eaten there for breakfast. I am here to tell you that the french toast and chocolate chip pancakes are both wonderful. Obviously they scramble a mean egg as well but I feel like that’s less impressive for some reason. We actually learned after the fact that they are famous for their omelettes and we now wish we had tried one.
All four of us loved our breakfast and left nothing behind. The grits, biscuits, and bacon were all fantastic as well. Don’t let the building fool you. It’s a little underwhelming but the food and staff are truly delightful. We will definitely be back to Garden Street Bistro!
Kid’s Menu: No but there are plenty of choices on the menu for kids to choose from, especially on the breakfast menu.
Address: 105 S 3rd St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Days/Hours: Wed.-Mon. 8AM-3PM (closed Tuesday)
Menu: Check out their website for pictures of each page of their menu.
–T Ray’s Burger Station
T-Ray’s serves amazing food all day long so they get to be featured twice! Their biscuits are a perfect, southern, home-cooked variety that are fluffy and wonderful.
We also tried the grits, eggs, and pancakes which were all cooked to perfection. Apparently they are famous for their breakfast omelettes but neither of us thought to try one.
Breakfast is cooked to order and so reasonably priced that we have actually eaten here more than once. You can have a full breakfast for $8! We actually ordered one breakfast plate and shared it with our two kids to be even more cost efficient. Their favorite part? The pancakes. Always.
Kid’s Menu: Not for breakfast but you can order an easy eggs, bacon, and pancake plate that is sure to be a hit.
Address: 202 S 8th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Days/Hours: Mon.-Fri.. 7AM-2PM, Sat. 8AM-3PM
Menu: Check out their website for a full menu.
–Beach Diner Fernandina Beach
When I think of a local breakfast I always think of a diner. I do not know why. Maybe because I grew up in Atlanta and we frequented the Luckie St. Diner for breakfast. Or maybe I just love diner-style food. Either way, Beach Diner at Fernandina Beach is one of the locals’ favorite places to eat in Amelia Island, especially for breakfast.
There is usually a wait and you can expect your traditional diner fare served hot. They actually serve breakfast all day so you can come back later if the wait is too long! We have definitely eaten breakfast for dinner a time or two, which our kids think is wonderful.
Beach Diner offers a specialty breakfast menu the usually consists of 2-3 items that are more “top notch.” You can expect to see things like unique omelettes, eggs benedict, crab quiche, etc.
Address/Phone: 2006 S 8th St, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034
Days/Hours: 7 days a week from 6AM-2PM
Menu: Check out their facebook page for pictures of each page of their menu.
–Ms. Carolyn’s Restaurant
Ms. Carolyn’s has been in business as long as we have been coming to the island. The restaurant is not trendy or modern and the food choices aren’t either. However, if you’re looking for a good breakfast that the locals would recommend then look no further!
They offer everything classic: omelettes, pancakes the size of your head, biscuits and gravy, a variety of breakfast meats, has browns, grits, eggs any way you want them, etc.
Ms. Carolyn’s also serves lunch but I have not personally had it so I hesitate to include it in my list above. There have been some mixed reviews posted since the start of the pandemic about availability of ingredients and staffing shortages. So, put on your patient hat before you head out to this (or any) restaurant.
Address/Phone: 147 S Main St, Hiawassee, GA 30546 ••• (706) 970-3799
Days/Hours: Tues.-Sat. 7AM-2PM & Sun. 8AM-2PM
Looking for local spots in downtown Amelia Island?
We absolutely love downtown Amelia Island and have listed our favorite spots in a separate blog post. If you are look for something to do, somewhere to eat, or even just a local ice cream shop, check out our post! We would also love to hear your recommendations if you’re an island traveler or native!
Resources to make your ride with children more pleasant
Amelia Island is one of the farthest beaches we travel to so we always make sure we have enough “stuff” in the car to entertain our toddlers on the way down. If you need some fresh new ideas, check out our posts for travel toys or a fun gift idea for one of your older kids.
Final Thoughts: Places to eat in Amelia Island
We tried very hard to keep this list family friendly for everyone. Ultimately it depends on the age of your kids and what they are used to. There are many wonderful restaurants on the island that are geared more towards adults/couples so we did not include them here. If you know of a great local spot that is kid-friendly, please leave a comment!
