The 15 best bars with live music in Fernandina Beach

Visited the Palace Saloon, known as the oldest bar in Florida, and while the historic, woody atmosphere and live music were definitely charming, the experience didn’t live up to the hype. We sat at the bar and asked the bartender for their signature cocktail — hoping to try the best of what they offer. Unfortunately, the drink was disappointing and overpriced. It lacked flavor and balance, especially for a place with so much history and reputation. Cool vibe and worth a quick look if you’re into history, but we won’t be coming back. There are better spots on the island for cocktails and overall experience.

Drinks ok, service ok, place was lively and fun! There are three rooms you can maze through both with their own vibe. The live music is fun and they have Pool tables etc. Cool place! I like it. Fun place to hang out with a group of friends.

Love this place, we came in for drinks on a weekend during a car show. Great location! Leslie was phenomenal. Super quick service, she obviously loves her job! She is a keeper and definitely deserves a raise. Don’t let this gem go. We will definitely be back.

Fun little place with a cool atmosphere and live music that seems to be the place in downtown Fernandina that stays open latest. I'd say it's divey in the sense that it's not pretentious, but the decor is very unique and historic, not "divey" in that sense at all.

Stopped by for a drink with friends. They had live music, great atmosphere the bartender that was working named Leslie was fantastic. Very attentive thanks for the quick service Leslie! We will definitely come back great service because bar tenders like you are worth their weight in gold!

Love coming here. In laws moved here. Leslie has been amazing. Always so wonderful to get to spend some time with her! It’s a wonderful bar. Great music and amazing customers. Leslie pours a great Guinness!!!!!!

I have to admit. I meant to leave this Google Review in 1992 but I got busy and forgot. I'm only delayed by THIRTY THREE YEARS! :-) Better late than never right??? It was a Tuesday morning in the fall 1992. 3rd Section was assuming the guard for the ship in Kings Bay and there were no “movements” scheduled, so us 2nd Section slackers had a couple days off. George xxxxxx looks at me and says, “Hey - let’s get some of the guys and do a little “bar hopping campaign” in Fernandina Beach tonight.” Get it? Instead of island hopping campaign… 🤣 Anywho… I respond, “Sure but we have all hands MARDET PT tomorrow morning so I don’t wanna be out late. Famous last words! Turns out the FOURTH establishment of the evening… THE PALACE SALOON in downtown Fernandina… was the charm. Several old retired jarheads we met there were keeping us well hydrated at their expense. We had done some of our best DURAN DURAN and U2 karaoke performances to please the patrons. The only survivors of our initial group were me, George, and Chris xxxxxx. Sometime WAY AFTER the place would normally have closed… I think those old retired jarheads and some other occupants of the building were funding them keeping the doors open a little longer for us 🤣… we decided the time for a tactical regroup had arrived. I made the phone call. It was raining and a WELL PREGNANT Mrs Richard Davis made the early morning 45 minute drive to retrieve us. 😬 FREAKIN NAVY WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. Can’t ever find a taxi when you need one. We made it to the Wednesday all hands MARDET PT session… a softball game… with PLENTY of minutes to spare. Get there and it turns out EVERYBODY had enjoyed that random previous Tuesday evening. When Capt Christopher xxxx of Shreveport LA gave up his previous evening’s meal in center field, he gave Gunnery Sgt Cleocie xxxx of Milledgeville GA a wave and called the game a draw. WHY DOES ANY OF THIS RESURFACE ON A RANDOM FALL WEDNESDAY IN 2025 YOU ASK?? Last night… my son… a midshipman in the JAX area..: sent me a text with a pic. He said they were out roaming around downtown Fernandina… in the background of the pic… THE FREAKIN PALACE SALOON!!! 😂😂😂 I wonder if anyone there still remembers a random Tuesday night in the fall of 1992? 🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣 SEMPER FI and Happy 250th FREAKIN BIRTHDAY Jarheads!!!

Fun live music (unluckily stopped as soon as we sat down) cute fun details throughout the bar. Fun place to meet new people if you’re talkative.

Great music and staff, quintessential Fernadina Beach good times.

Came here on a Friday night. Prices are reasonable, $4 for a Coors Light and there were 3 other beers available for $3. There's limited bar seating, only 2 seats total, which is strange however there is plenty of outdoor seating at picnic tables and such so on a nice night seating isnt an issue. Bathrooms are unisex, there are at least 3, 2 of which are outside. Staff was generally friendly although 1 bartender didn't like to give customers back their change. Overall, preferred this to Palace Saloon.

Great place to hang out with friends and local people. Chill atmosphere and decent beer selection. Good prices

Great drinks, and great music and bartenders very friendly. Did not eat here

Fun place to hang out and listen to live music in the evening. People really filled the outside patio, dancing and drinking. Lots of energy. Not a lot of seating so most of the time we were standing. Wasn't a problem for us but could be for you, if you can't stand a long time. They do have some picnic tables so come a little early to grab one. The band was really great, and the people were friendly. It is hard to miss because the house/business is painted a dark green! 😁 They serve food and drinks, but we had already eaten so we didn't order anything. Good Vibes!!

This place was so much fun! Great bartenders and amazing service! Also live bands which were fabulous. We will be back on our next visit to the island!

My wife and I enjoyed the food that we ordered. We got the chicken wings with mild sauce. The best wings we had in awhile. Of course, the onion rings were great and homemade. Also, the shrimp poboy. The shrimp was so fresh that I could taste the salt from the ocean on it. The Cuban sandwich with bacon jam was so good. I can't wait to go back. The ambiance and the atmosphere of the Salty Pelican is delightful.

This is a very fun restaurant with Key West vibes. We were seated on the lower level and immediately greeted by our waiter. All the food was fresh and tasty. I had the fried oyster and shrimp platter with vegetables- it was very good. My wife had the shrimp tacos and liked them very much. Parking is a bit of a challenge, but it was Friday night so that may have been a part of that. It is free, however.

Not sure why I’ve never checked this place out being that I don’t live far at all, but we finally decided to check it out and it was AMAZING. The food was so good, and our waitress Reeze absolutely deserves to be recognized! She was so nice, and attentive. We ordered fried green tomatoes (fried to perfection) and Philly Egg Rolls (sooo good) for our appetizers. For our meals, my wife ordered the Lobster Roll, our son got the cheeseburger with Mac and cheese, and I ordered steak with shrimp. It was all so good! They were busy (but it is tourist season) however our wait wasn’t too awful long. The inside of the restaurant was clean. We will 100% be back.

Enjoyed the Thursday special of 'Prime Rib Night' with my Mom while visiting the island. The potatoes pair really nicely with the juicy prime rib. The drinks were also very good and made with fresh berries, mint, and lime. All of the waitresses/waiters were attentive and friendly. We sat in the outdoor eating area and enjoyed the view of the water. Inside was a bit hard to hear because it was quite lively, so if you prefer to have a more low-key experience, I would recommend sitting outside

We had the best dinner here while watching the sunset directly in front of us. Sitting upstairs was key for this experience. Large portions so consider sharing. We all had different fish and it was sooo good.

10/10 experience! 1:30 pm on a Sunday and only a 10 minute wait, very prompt service and they do text conformations so you know you’re in line and when your table is ready. Service was great and the server was knowledgeable on the food, catch of the day was red drum and it was amazing! Appetizer of choice was Brussel Sprouts - perfect!!! Drinks were a great price and food came out quickly even though the place was packed. We will be back soon!!

Beautiful place for sunset views! If available, sit upstairs, clear view of the marina and west. As expected/required, excellent seafood options, particularly the crab cakes.

We’ve been coming to the lobby bar for sushi inside the Ritz-Carlton at Amelia Island for the past four years, visiting around the same time each year. Unfortunately, this visit left us deeply disappointed. The quality has noticeably declined compared to previous years. The rice-to-fish ratio in the rolls was off, with far too much rice overwhelming the fish. Additionally, the texture of the rice was mush, rather than sticky rice. The shrimp was overly chewy and lacked the fresh, tender texture we’ve come to expect from a high-end establishment like this. The bao buns were dry and we had to request additional honey hoisin sauce. The drinks and service were average—not bad, but nothing special either, which was surprising given the Ritz-Carlton’s usual standards. On a positive note, the tuna was fresh and flavorful, but it was one of the few highlights of the meal. It’s disappointing to see such a drop in standards, especially at a place we’ve consistently loved. We truly hope they address these issues, as this was far from the exceptional experience we’ve come to associate with the Ritz-Carlton brand.

I have always heard that The Lobby Bar has the best sushi in town. So when my mom and I had a spa day on Mother’s Day, I decided to stop in and finally try some sushi. Firstly, we were given some excellent complimentary snacks of mixed Japanese-inspired snacks, pretzels, and nuts, cheese crisps, and mixed olives and gherkins. We ordered Fernandina Roll, Creamy Crab Roll, and Sashimi Platter. I don’t mind paying top dollars for excellent food, but the sushi was pretty average. The sashimi, on the other hand, tasted pretty clean and fresh. My favorite amongst them was the Hamachi, which was rich, fatty, silky, melt-in-your-mouth goodness. I can probably eat a whole platter of those! I wanted to love this place, but there are so many others to try. Loved the servers’ friendliness and attentiveness!

Needed a night cap while staying at The Ritz Carlton Amelia Island and didn’t feel like going off property at 10 PM. The Lobby Bar was the perfect spot for a late night drink with a relaxed ambiance and great service. I had the Luxardo Margarita and it was an excellent choice. The drink was flavorful and strong and I’d highly recommend it. During my next visit I’ll come hungry to give feedback on the food selection.

We always come for the sushi at the Lobby bar , hubby’s fave if the nigiri platter and I come for the Fernandina roll or the Amelia roll. This is the local favorite. Locally sourced and fresh always . The atmosphere is very relaxing as it is facing the ocean. They have live music playing in the evenings. Our server Jamie is the best . We come for her I should say because she is very pleasant and knowledgeable about the menu, very accurate in taking orders and efficient in delivering our meal . I would ask for her . The manager Kristina is the best ! She stays busy making sure all the guests are in their best comfort and orders are on point . She is very friendly as well and makes you feel right at home . Ambience is amazing from sunrise to sunset as the bar is oceanfront .

Upscale bar inside the Lobby of the prestigious Ritz Carlton Amelia Island! Prices are elevated to Ritz Carlton level prices but the service, food, and atmosphere are elevated as well. From the beautifully elegant lobby, the super friendly service, the amazing drinks, and good sushi...this is an excellent place to start your vacation at the Ritz or meet friends and enjoy some sushi and drinks. Every time we visit family and friends staying at the Ritz or visit friends at Carlton Dunes, it's always nice to just walk over, grab some drinks and sushi and relax in the upscale casual atmosphere!

Friday happy hour at bar and lobby with wonderful, professional and friendly staff. Great drinks & tasty apps. Will be back!

All around exactly what you expect from the Ritz. Some of the best sushi I’ve eaten. Kevin and his staff are amazing. The bartenders, Jill, Sigrid, Cody, Gena, and Julie are all great!

Had an excellent breakfast and lunch here on our first visits. The Oyster Po-Boy was delicious with fresh bread and an abundance of fried oysters. Service was excellent. The location is great, being on the beach. And, it was nice dining on the covered balcony with a nice view of the ocean.

The best experience on our trip to the area. The food was phenomenal. My creole flounder topped with a crab cake over potatoes and andouille sausage was amazing. A great value anywhere at $26, yet alone an oceanfront restaurant. The fried shrimp, fried chicken tenders, and hush puppies are exactly what a true north Floridian would want. It’s as true to southern seafood as it gets anywhere in the south. The owners recipe for the pineapple cream cheese side is out of this world. Our server Erin was awesome. She was attentive and made us feel right at home. Every recommendation she made was spot on. Most importantly, she made sure our daughter’s allergies were avoided while still having a great experience. This place is a true gem. The kids had a blast on the playground and we enjoyed the live music even more. My only regret is I wish we had more time to stay.

Great spot for dinner. Are out back and enjoyed the weather. The service was quick and courteous. The food was amazing. I had the Ahi Tuna tacos which were amazing. Food came out quick and correct. Highly recommend this spot for good eats on a beach day.

We enjoyed this place. Oysters were a little small and not particularly well shucked. Fried shrimp platter was perfect. We had great service with a large party (6+2 kids). The add 20% gratuities for parties of 6 or more.

We are so happy that this restaurant is dog, friendly! Our server Gannon, was a pure delight. She helped us navigate the menu and kept us supplied with cold drinks, all while simultaneously giving our big dog Hampton, lots of love and attention, as well as his own bowl of ice cold water. Thanks for making our dinner on the beach absolutely perfect.

Touristy spot (complete with all sorts of souvenir drink cups). Location and views cannot be beat, true oceanfront location. Some tasty food options, crab cakes and just puppies. Service while generally efficient, isn’t always that friendly, a little over stretched.

This spot exceeded expectations!! We are in the area just overnight and stopped here for a bite with the kids. Náutica took care of us and I’ll tell you what, we haven’t had such great service anywhere on the East Coast like we did with Náutica in many years!! She literally took our order with appetizers for a family of 5 all by memory, blew my mind! So kind, so accommodating and very attentive. The food…amazing and so full of flavor. Hands down an amazing experience the whole way around. Kudos!!! 🎉

This place was wonderful! The fried shrimp meal was absolutely delicious. They had tasty hush puppies, with good appetizer and soup selections as well. The portion sizes were more than enough, with fair prices. There's great outdoor seating options near the beach, with a lovely view included. The service was fast, and everyone was super kind. In addition, they were more than happy to move us when we requested a table change as well. Finally, our server Matthew was very attentive. As someone who has worked in the food service industry, I would highly recommend this place. My family and I will definitely be back! Thanks everyone!

Lots of deep fried foods. My son ordered fish and chips while my husband chicken wings and chips. I stayed with cocktails; well a martini. They have a decent cocktail list and beers. Nothing fancy. Sports bar with sports TVs at different angles. Service was good, ambience was sport on, right on the beach with the sound of the sea waves. college football was on and fans like my husband had a great evening I did not like my cocktail served in a plastic cup. But that's just me.

What a cool place to eat right on the beach! We wanted a pet friendly place because we had our dog with us. They treated our dog just as good as us. They brought her fresh water and dog treats in whip cream. The service was 12 out of 10, the food was 12 out of 10, and we couldn't have had a better dining experience. We had pizza, a shirp platter, and a chicken sandwich enough for four and still had leftovers! We had a cocktail, and it was really good as well! We will probably end up there again!

This place is cool and on the beach. The food is delicious! I had the candied pecan and apple salad. It was amazing, I wish I got the full salad. Unfortunately, I was directed to get the half. The waiter was kind of snooty. Silly me, when I told him I wanted the salad,.but not sure what size I wanted, he snidley said "half". I naively thought he was hinting it was big...but here he was treating me as if that's what was affordable for me. Grr. The "half" WAS TINY! It was SO good, I would have ate a full salad. We were just getting something to hold us over until our supper time. My.partner got the nachos. I guess we seemed cheap or something. He barely waited on us, and we felt rushed, until we were actually ready to go. Granted this is a tourist type restaurant, the prices are ridiculous, but again, what we got was delicious! The waiter,.not so great.

Enjoyed a wonderful late birthday lunch with my husband and couldn’t have asked for a better venue with fantastic beach and water views. Laura was our server and she was both welcoming and attentive. Our celebration consisted of calamari, fish and chips, and grilled Shrimp platter. My husband mentioned it’s my birthday today and not only was our raspberry cheesecake on the house but I was serenaded by the staff too! Fun place.

I love the view from the outside covered patio. Feeling the ocean breeze while I have dinner is amazing! The food is consistently good here, aside from some overcooked and cold hush puppies at times. It happens. I had the coconut shrimp and a blackened grouper sandwich today, which was delicious. Denise was my server and she was attentive and helpful. They have live music in the afternoon from the beach, which is something I enjoy. I’ll be back!

Came late on Sunday night with a table of four so glad we had our waitress Cheyenne because you never would have known the restaurant was as busy as it was-We had great service! We got a margarita, pizza, nachos, fish, and chips and the coconut shrimp. We were surprised on the portion of the fish and chips and the coconut shrimp. It was quite meager for the price.

My wife and her son and I came only to eat here. Ava was our server and she did a great job. The food was good and we enjoyed the experience. We were fortunate to speak with Ellie, the manager on duty, and felt she had a good crew with her. All the staff seemed friendly, even the bartender who thanked us for coming. We had the good fortune to be there when the air conditioner was getting service and we could enjoy eating with cooler temperatures as the temperature outside was into the mid-90s. I want to send appreciated kudos to the owners for having ketchup available with NO high fructose corn syrup. Thank you so much! The whole meal for the three of us average came to $30 each. There seemed to be ample parking spots directly in front of the restaurant. I hope more restaurants follow your lead. Until next time!

Our waitress was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. The food was fresh, but it wasnt proportional to the price. The atmosphere was amazing. I would've given it a 5 star. However, the pricing on the menu was different that what we were charged. For instance, fish tacos state $11 on the menu. We were charged $18. I do understand prices change on occasion. For that drastic, it shouldve been made known. I felt like it was false advertising. Other than this, our experience was great.

We had a party of 4 that went in a little after 7pm on a weeknight. We chose to be seated inside due to the heat/humidity. They cleaned off a table for us but it didn't feel clean as napkins were still sticking to the table top and there were dirty napkins on the floor under the table. It took a while for a server to take our drink order but the drinks came out fairly quickly. We placed our order for an appetizer and 4 entrees. Thirty minutes later and still no appetizer; every time our server walked by the table she avoided making eye contact with us. Finally got the appetizer after 45-ish minutes, we asked how much longer for the meals and she told us there was one order ahead of us and it would be 2-3 minutes. We finally got our entrees an hour after we ordered. I had the salmon with rice pilaf and mixed veggies; while the salmon was hot, the veggies were not and the rice had hard/crunchy pieces in it. The 2 people who had fried baskets said none of the food (fish, shrimp and fries) was hot. We definitely felt that our server was avoiding us. When they brought the bill, they had given us 10% off the check, which was a complete insult after waiting an hour for cold food. We ended up getting the bill refunded after speaking to the manager but we will definitely not be going back.

This is a great place and the love music is very entertaining. They have a small hotel attached and we didnt stay there but we have had friends that have, based on them I give it 4 stars. They do get busy, staff seem to get overwhelmed and you may not see your waitress for 15 minutes, but I can look past that seeing how busy it was. We have eaten here no less than 20 times. This trip, the food was good, not great. The salmon was disappointing. Being on the beach you expect good seafood, the Salmon was as thin as a flank steak cooked on a cedar "plank" that was about so thin that it curled under heat, maybe as thick as pop top lid to open a beer. But, it was good, the environment is always good, there's shade and cold drinks

Jackie our waitress was the best. She was sat 3 tables at once and everyone had drinks and food in a timely manner. I don't understand why this place has a 4.1 rating? Good location, house salad with housemade dressings, awesome blackened redfish sandwich with hot crispy fries. Happy hour started at 2pm so we lucked out! $3 yuenglings!! We are so happy we stopped, because we almost passed it by. Restrooms were spotless as well.

We arrived to see Vox, a local band, and were seated immediately. The crowd filled quickly and the staff was hustling! Jacob was our server and did an absolutely amazing job. Our guests were talking about how he was handling all his tables and really enjoyed the attention to detail, attentiveness and great attitude. Excellent job, Surf!

We just came for some shrimp and chips and we were not let down. Ronee M was our excellent server and our food was great! Great place to pop in and out.

Friendly and laid back with great music. Huge beer selection. Friendly staff. The owner and his dog (Dave and KK) are very welcoming.

Stayed at hotel across the street and thought this looked like a nice place to sit and enjoy. Walked in sat at the bar and zero service. I stayed there looked at the menu and waited. Knew exactly what I wanted to order but after sitting there with absolutely zero acknowledgment that I was even there I left. No one ever even showed up behind the bar. There were 5 other patrons with drinks but I was never able to enjoy the place. It’s sad

Super cool dive bar. We met Dave years ago while sailing the Atlantic. 😂

Dave And his staff are just a blast. Such a fun place to hang out! He has such a fun taste is decorations. Love it!

Amazing staff and service. Don't pay attention to any negative reviews as this place is worth the visit over and over again! More beers than you could ever imagine! Don't miss out on a hidden gem in the historic district!

Mel and Kaeleen bartenders are amazing just to start.. So fun! Dog friendly! Good music on the reg. Amazing bathroom art.

Stumbled upon PJD’s while walking around downtown with our pup. Not only is it a great local spot to grab a beer but is definitely the most dog friendly establishment downtown. Dave and his staff were so friendly. We will definitely be stopping back in! Thanks for the delirium glasses and a great night!

Brewery: Mocana Brewery City: Fernandina Beach, FL Brewed on premise: Yes Number of house beer taps: 15 Guest Beer:Yes, ciders and NA Bar seating: 10 Table seating: Yes Patio: No Beer garden: No Food: Yes Food Trucks: No Dogs Allowed: No Televisions: 2 Beer to go: Yes Liquor: No Wine: Yes Tony: Yes Why would I come back: Mocaha Brewery has roots that run deep into the sands on the Pacific coast. The brewery is named in honor of the Mocama, the indigenous people who first thrived here. This connection to the land and water inspires everything they do. ​Every beer we brew is crafted with passion and tradition, but Mocana continues exploring modern flavors and styles. With 15 beers on tap, there's so much amazing beer to try. The Cosmico is great, but popular on tap at many local pubs, go for Cabana Coast SIPA or Fuso Imperial Milk Stout while you're here. Beautiful tap room is open and airy with tons of natural light. Beertender is super friendly and knowledgeable. The bar has really amazing tile work and the golden tap handles stand out. Offering small bites, salads and pizzas to nosh on. @brewersassoc @homebrewassoc @touchdownbrewery #ParkerPose #BeerLife #BeerLove .

The Ruby Rosa was delicious, but the real star was the tiramisu. It's the best we ever had! It was the dessert of the day, but I hope they put it on the menu.

We came here for the coffee side of the facility and it was great! All the drinks that we ordered tasted good and were freshly made by the barista. There is plenty of seating and the place is very airy. We did park across the street because the main lot was filled. I also tried one of the IPAs and they had and it was really good. Half the building is the brewery and the other is the coffee shop, but it is open between the two so patrons can go to any part of the facility.

I love visiting this area and enjoy trying new breweries so I was ecstatic to come across Mocama Beer Company. I was amazed at the decor and atmosphere upon first stepping foot in the door and everything seemed very clean and tidy. The beer list isn't terribly large and there weren't a ton of dark beer options for a porter & stout lover such as myself so I tried the only two on the menu. I can tell dark beers aren't there bread and butter but they were drinkable. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that my visit was during the hotter summer months so I'll pop in another time in the cooler months and see if there is any more variety of my liking. There was a neat looking coffee bar here but there was no one manning the counter so I suppose that has it's own set of hours and I'll have to give that a try another time as well.

The beer was delicious and the brewery was really nice. We ordered the beer cheese and that left us disappointed. It was very watery. Would still come back for the beer.

Stopped by on a Saturday for a drink. Friendly service and nice list of beers on tap. There was a cover band playing some songs from the 70’s, they did a great job. Going back for sure.

This place was the absolute highlight of our visit to Amelia Island. The space is beautiful, and the beers are FANTASTIC. Absolute hats off to the brewers. The parking is great and the food trucks that visit are awesome as well. Returned many times during our trip, and will go back specifically for Mocama.

Great location! Excellent views, good drink selection and excellent food menu! What more could one want in a seaside 2 story restaurant with ocean views? Live music? Yep! Plenty of parking? Yessir! Friendly staff? Absolutely! Great breeze from the outside second floor deck? For sure! Enjoyed the food, the ambiance, tge views, the friendly service, and the decor! Told them it was my birthday and the put me in the best seat with awesome views!!

Food, service and ambience were all great. My son and hubby shared the seafood boil, and I had the smoked salmon. Both were delicious and quite filling. Mark ordered a whiskey sour and I decided to go with a beer - Stella, while our son had a Shirley temple. The wind from the ocean chilled us some as we sat upstairs, but they lit the lanterns for warmth. Incredible view of the sea, great seating on the roof top terrance, and our server was such a delightful young lady. Overall, a great experience.

Great location to enjoy your meal. Can hear the waves if you sit in one of the patio areas. Great service live music when we were there just made the experience so much better. Nice lounge area to wait to be seated. All around great spot to come with the family and enjoy a great meal.

The food and atmosphere at this restaurant is just perfect. The seating area inside has stylish and comfortable seating options. The upper balcony offers excellent views of the ocean. I'm still sitting at the restaurant writing this review because my food was so delicious. I got the chili lime mahi with roasted vegetables.

By far my favorite place for food, service, and atmosphere in Fernandina. Love eating by the beach. Their sushi and mahi tacos are always my go to but it was my birthday and I decided to do my favorite food crab legs so I went with the crab boil and it didn’t disappoint! Our server was great & he grabbed the whole team to wish me a birthday! Can’t forget the live bands always adding to the vibes. Keep up the good work!

Love this place so much. Exceptional service and food is incredible. We came in tonight with a very large group (four families with 3+ kids each) and although they were hesitant to seat us - one of the servers got us seated right away and had such a sweet way of taking orders and treated our kids well. Thank you unnamed server, you know who you are!!! God bless 🫶

If the weather is nice, try and get a table outside, upstairs. Beautiful ocean views, excellent atmosphere with some live music. Food was excellent, enjoyable evening.

A great atmosphere with “old Florida” fish camp charm on the Amelia River. The food is good with a simple menu. The appetizer Wings and their homemade sauce blew us away with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with a hint of smoke. The live music was fun and the sets were a win. Shout out to the band for loaning their bug spray, hint hint. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful even when stretched thin, this place is very popular.

We arrived late, 9:00; they close at 10:00 but, we were greeted with open arms. The fried shrimp was so fresh and plump. Crab dip was very good; personally I prefer toast points over the homemade chips. My husband loved the oysters Rockefeller, decent size. The manager checked in with us; everyone was very pleasant, especially our server, Trudy. They made you feel appreciated. The salt water aquarium was amazing and very entertaining. We're from Georgia and we love Fernandina. Down Under is our new favorite seafood restaurant!!

Service was good, prompt and friendly but the food was nothing to write home about. The food came out like luke warm to cold. The fried oysters were cold and the fried breading was soggy. The “heaping seafood platter for 2 was less than heaping, cold, as lack luster a seafood dinner as I have ever had. Not worth the money or time for a nice dinner out. A frozen seafood dinner would have been better. The baked potato and sweet potato side dishes were the stars of the meal and they came out too cold to melt the butter they put on top. Look elsewhere if you don’t want to be disappointed.

Absolutely phenomenal food. Some of the best seafood I've ever had. The fried oysters are good, but the fried scallops are incredible. Catch of the day when I visited was cariba, a sea bass. I got it grilled with lemon butter, and it was honestly unbelievably good.

We ordered the seafood platter for 2. Fried oysters were cold and soggy. Grilled shrimp were ok. Fish was dry and barely warm. Scallops tasted odd and barely warm. Even the hush puppies were overcooked. On a positive note, our server was attentive, but we would not return

Love this place - waterfront location under the bridge makes you feel like you found a private club! very atmospheric waterfront seating indoors and outside! wait staff so helpful and friendly! menu with all types of seafood delights! best of all - the She Crab Soup, full of crab meat, well seasoned, none of that gloppy floury mess that so many places serve. We also had salads that were well made and large - ended up taking some home.

A great place to eat, a little difficult to navigate to as it's under the bridge but worth the trip. We had fish and chips and the crab cake dinner. Both dishes were hot and tasty. I heard someone say the crab cakes were the best she ever tasted. Fish and chips were both crispy, excellent! I got a side of cheese grits, I'm not going to say they were also great but I did lick the bowl clean... Bring your appetite and relax, live band was playing on the dock.

This restaurant is a casual and cozy spot with great lunch and dinner entrees, including a great cocktail list, appetizers and desserts. We arrived between 3 and 6PM, when most appetizers, wines and beers are half price. A must to try is their drunken cheesy bread and tomato bisque soup. Our grouper sandwiches ( blackened) were large and tasty while the crab cakes had plenty of crab and little breading. The berry and beet salads were top notch. This is a popular spot in Amelia Island so don't pass it up when in town.

My husband and I came here based on reviews, and were very happy we did. We arrived just before opening at 11am, and were seated promptly. Our waitress (Kim) immediately gave us her recommendations and we chose one, the CBR flatbread. I was going to choose something else but went with it, and Im so glad I did, becuase it was so delicious. It wasnt greasy and had so much flavor. My husband chose the French Dip, and he was very pleased with his choice. The meatball sharables were very good as well, and again so much flavor! We will definitely be coming back to try the dinner menu! We were very much satisfied with our food, and service!

We will not be back. We had the most confusing experience at this restaurant. Our waitress got our check wrong 4 times. She didn’t know the specials or the prices. When asked if the pesto had tree nuts in it she replied with “no real nuts”. Someone dumped dog water in a plant behind my father and it splashed on him. The crab cakes were subpar at best. The roll with the chicken salad was hard and stale. The meatball sandwich was the only decent meal there. We saw pizza boxes going out constantly with no pizza on the menu. A ladies dog obnoxiously barked at the table next to us for 10 minutes. It was not great.

My husband and I decided to have lunch here based on the online reviews and were so glad that we did! I got the wedge and it was huge with way more toppings than your usual wedge but absolutely delicious! My husband got the garlic muscles and loved them! We sat outside by request and the outdoor area has lots of shade. Would definitely go back!

Top tier choice on Amelia Island. Absolutely lovely outdoor seating (it’s in the name), relaxed & welcoming vibe. Food was terrific, servers couldn’t have been more hospitable. Waits for a table can be long, but it’s popular for good reason.

This place was absolutely amazing, my husband and I went out with some friends to catch up. For a party of 6 on a Saturday night we only waited about 35 minutes for our table. Service was phenomenal and the food was so yummy. I ordered the reddish and my husband got the pork chop. We will definitely be back!

It was still warm outdoors, yet we had dinner with out Black Lab laying down beside us. Had the Cheesy Bread, wife had the Delmonico with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli. I had the Blackened Redfish over Cheese Grits and a Cajun Sauce. Excellent service and fantastic food.

It’s a really nice place and we really enjoyed the first time we went. We ordered the Farmhouse mixed greens and the hanger steak. The chimichurri must’ve had chilies or something in it to make it more spicy than any chimichurri I’ve had in the past, but the hanger steak itself was tasty and done well. The salad on the other hand was one of the best salads I may have ever eaten! There was live music that was not too loud, and our server was fantastic, but sadly, I do not have his name. My photos are from this visit. We were so pleased with our food the first time, we went back again that weekend. I asked our server about a special they had, and she could not give me any kind of description that made any sense whatsoever, so I had to ask what looked like a manager and he explained it and showed me pictures. I ended up just ordering the salad again, but this time instead of the dressing being already mixed in, it was on the side, there was no Gorgonzola or bacon at all. When I finally got the server’s attention, she took the salad back and told him to make it correctly. It took so long, when she came back to check to see if it was right, she noticed I still didn’t get it yet. She went up and tried to get the kitchen to bring it out to me before my husband was finished eating, but he was done before I finally got it. My husband had ordered NC flounder and is was pretty good he thought. Unfortunately, I got no pictures of either of our meals the second time because it was so disjointed. They made no attempt to make up for my husband eating alone because mine was made incorrectly and took forever, then I had to eat alone because he was long done. I don’t remember that server’s name except she had St. Patrick’s Day stickers on her face and streamers in her ponytails.

Food is excellent, particularly like the crab cakes. Plenty of outdoor seating, and live music is a plus. Service is friendly, but can be a bit inconsistent.

If you’re looking for a place to relax, chow down, and soak in good live tunes, The Boat House hits the mark. ⸻ What Makes It Great 1. Food That Delivers • The menu picks are bold enough to be interesting but not pretentious. Things like the BBQ Pork Mac & Cheese Eggrolls and seared tuna burger get you out of the ordinary without going overboard.  • The steaks, especially the hanger steak, are often cooked well and seasoned nicely.  • Even simple dishes like salads, crab cakes, or grouper show attention — crisp textures, thoughtful sides, decent balance.  2. View / Atmosphere • The setting is pleasant. They’ve got a pretty large outdoor/covered deck, patios, bar areas. It gives you space outside, breeze, good people-watching.  • Lighting, décor choices (like Edison bulbs, string lights) add charm — makes the place feel warm and inviting as the sun goes down.  3. Live Music & Vibe • Most nights, there’s live music, and it’s generally the right volume: loud enough to lift the mood, but not so much that you can’t talk.  • The crowd feels casual — jeans, tees, flip-flops are fine. It’s got nightlife energy without the stress.

My wife and I visited The Boat House recently for dinner. We had a very good experience. We were seating quickly with a choice of inside or outside. A live band was playing as we sat outside next to the bar. Our server was very nice and even offered to move our table a bit when it started raining as we were getting a bit of rain on us, but it was nothing. We ordered the fried oysters and shrimp and the short ribs. Both were very good. I would highly recommend this place.

Visiting the historic district for Amelia Island, we happened upon this amazing place. The live music for the evening was an exceptionally gifted musician. She covered classics of James Taylor, Paul Simon, a few among endless greats! We had our two Springer Spaniels with us, which they were easily able to accommodate on the patio. To start the staff brought out a fresh dog bowl of ICE WATER, 😂 that’s right not just water but fresh ICE WATER. The atmosphere, delicious cuisine, and drinks were thoroughly enjoyed. HUGE THANKS TO, Peyton or Payton, our server- SHE IS the absolute best! Her personality and level of superb service truly made our experience top notch! SHE IS A KEEPER!! Thanks again to the Boat House for a great evening spent while traveling for some much needed R&R! WE WILL BE BACK! 🏝️ ☀️ 🏖️ 🛥️ 🚤 🏝️ 💯

Buyer beware if you have a party of 6 or more. My wife and I treated 2 Airforce Pilots and 2 Special Mission Aviators to dinner after they approached us at Fernandina Airport asking us where to eat. One of their Blackhawk helicopters had a mechanical issue during training over the coast forcing an emergency landing. They explained that it would be 6 hours until the maintenance crew would arrive from Moody AFB to make the repair. After the meal, I asked our seemingly very experienced server Cheryl for the check, which was pretty hefty since these guys can eat. She casually handed the check to me. I skimmed over the check, which had no markings, to determine the tip amount. At the last moment, as I was in the process of adding a 25% tip on the tip line, I noticed under the sales tax line that there was another line charging a 20% gratuity. It's my experience at other quality restaurants that the honest server either circles the forced tip line so you are aware of the tip charge, or they mention it when handing over the check. Cheryl did neither and she was about to get herself a total of a 45% tip, by my oversight. I really, really didn't like the experience, so after eating there once a month for the past 2 years, we stopped going.

We enjoyed the Boathouse on a quick weekend trip to Fernandina Beach. The short rib dinner was delicious. The meat was fork tender and juicy, the fresh veggies were steamed to perfection. The atmosphere was enjoyable, we ate outside and. enjoyed a beautiful sunset view.The service was exceptional, we will be back!

Had breakfast with my sister in law this morning. We both had the eggs, sourdough toast, fried brussel sprouts, bacon and potatoes with a balsamic glaze! Fresh fruit on the side. Everyone was so kind and prompt. Came back a cpl of times to check on us. Definitely going back.

As a longtime local, I have slowly come to enjoy The Alley (the Tavern's next door sister venue) since its opening a couple of years ago. The Alley, as its name implies, is reminiscent of a funky street alley one might walk into in a large city. It’s still a bit of a hidden gem currently. (You might just walk right past it!) Inside you can get a wide variety of local beers and alcoholic seltzers made by its own brewery. The Alley also features Trivia every other Wednesday and functions as a live music venue- mainly on the weekends. It can be a bit hot inside during the summer, but that does add to the ambiance of drinking a cold beer on a summer street with tunes wafting on the air. The taproom style food they offer is generally good with interesting flavor combinations such as crispy Brussels Sprouts with a sweet chili glaze, Reuben Spring Rolls with pastrami, swiss, and sauerkraut inside, and flatbread pizza topped with tuna chunks and seaweed salad. You can also get more traditional options like burgers, wings, or a giant pretzel. Nine times out of ten, the pub food at the Alley is respectable, but during busy times, the quality does tend to slip a little (not unexpected.) For best dining (and less wait for a brewski) choose an off-peak time. Overall, worth stopping in for a beer and snack if you are doing some shopping or sightseeing in downtown Fernandina.

I tried breakfast at The Alley this morning and OH MY GOSH. Everything from the service, to the Bloody Mary, and the Bubble and Squeek was absolutely amazing. The flavors were all so perfectly balanced. It was enough food to have leftovers as well and my husband practically fought me for it after he tried a bite. There are so many other unique options on the menu and I’m already looking forward to my next visit. I’m so happy to finally have a solid breakfast spot downtown!

The breakfast is fantastic. The atmosphere feels warm and welcoming. I love the big fans and the fresh air. The service was stellar and you can feel and taste the love in their food. I’ll be back!

Cute little off set to the main brewery on the side. Friendly barkeep and cozy seating along the entrance and further inside. Has a large cathedral ceiling once entering interior with a large fan to keep the air moving making it feel bigger once your inside. Live music played from the balcony. Plenty of brews on tap and food with different options for just about everyone. Worth a stop. Cheers!!!

We are enjoying a few days on Amelia Island for my hubby’s birthday. While here we ate lunch at the Tavern. While eating we noticed that they serve breakfast in their sister restaurant next door - The Alley. The menu looked delicious, so, as we were leaving town on Friday, we decided to make it our last stop before hitting the road. We’re SO GLAD we did. Not only was the food ANAZING, but the ambiance in the Alley was lovely and our server, Eva was the best! We opted to share the Bananas Foster French Toast and The Barrel Rider (two eggs, toast, and a side). The French Toast was scrumptious - lovely thick bread, cooked to toasty perfection, loaded with bananas, and drizzled with caramel sauce. While not as decadent, the Barrel Rider was equally delicious. The scrambled eggs were cooked just as I requested and the cheese grits were probably the best we’ve ever had. They were creamy and cheesy and the bowl was certainly enough to share. I loved that the toast was served with whipped softened butter and that the syrup was warmed. Sometimes it’s the little things as well as the big. The manager/owner (?) came out to speak, which is always a nice touch. The prices were very reasonable, as well. If you live in the area, are passing through, or staying anywhere in the area, put this place (as well as the Tavern next door) on your “must do” list. You won’t regret it! We will most certainly be back next trip!!!

The broadbent sour is amazing. We had fried mac n cheese, mahi tacos, pierogies with sausage, tuna poke bowl, and Reuben with Brussels sprouts, and everything was great including the service.

The blonde girl that was there for Halloween.... didn't event give me a second thought before asking if I needed anything after 20 mins. I let her know that I was a bartender and server for the past 10 years. She offered me a free drink from her negligence, and I accepted it. After I was leaving, she told a bundle of peeps that I was leaving without paying! This, of course embarrassed me and made me come back in as people started stepping in front of me, preventing me from leaving. She made me pay for the drink she insulted me with. I payed. She let me know that no matter how I was in there at The Sadler Rznch... I was nothing but a consumer. I am upset about that, because I was out there to enjoy Halloween. I work 3 jobs. I made time to get this night off to enjoy one of my favorite holidays. I am hispanic and I was the only one that wasn't my race. I am not saying that...that was the reason... but I can talk to other organizations about this, since I have video footage.

BEWARE!!! My wife and I were down for the Memorial Day weekend visiting some friend that live on the island, Sadler Ranch was supposed to have some line dance lessons so we went over, thought it would be fun, we hadn’t been line dancing in years but did a lot back in 90s. We called prior to confirm. We hung out for a hour or so to wait to find they were NOT doing any lessons. So we decided to leave, no problem until I tried to pay the bill. I had started a tab thinking we would be there for a bit but had only had 2 beers and 2 mixed drinks but they took my AMEX to keep behind bar. When the bar tender gave me the bill, she had already run my card and didn’t provide an itemized receipt. I knew it wasn’t right and asked for an itemized receipt. They finally gave me one, but she immediately started involving who I assumed was the manager. They had in fact charged me for quite a few more drinks. The manager did say he would take them off. I again asked for an itemized receipt and he became combative. Said he took the drinks off , threw my AMEX back on the bar and told me to “get the Fu$& out of his bar”, he then came out behind the counter with a couple other thugs and escorted my wife, my friend’s wife and 2 United State Army Veterans out of the bar like we had done something wrong. (9:30) PM. We had had one drink each so none of us were out of line. Memorial Day Weekend. DON’T go there. BTW: I am 62 and have never been asked to leave any place for any reason. I think these guys are just thieves and this is probably their mode of operation. The more I thought about this it seems apparent that the manager must be in on the overcharging of drinks on client’s tabs. I really wish I had video taped this incident but of course I didn't think about it at the moment.

I didn't think this place could go more down hill than it was when we moved here a few years ago but ever since a shift in ownership it's really struggling. We were going for line dancing and two step but now it's a toss up if there's gonna be dancing at all or if there is it's really late and a lot of us come from a decent distance to attend. They can't keep staff, DJ or instructor, lost all the staff that had a loyal following that would show up on the regular. The bathroom they can't even be bothered to refill the soap, paper towels, or toilet paper. If you're looking for line dancing I'd recommend elsewhere unfortunately.

My wife and I visited this venue for a concert of a band we love here! We arrived when the doors opened and were promptly led inside by friendly hostesses. It was a very quick ticket scan for entry. This place is modern with a backwoods kinda vibe! The layout in front isn’t what I would call ideal, but there is plenty of space for the pool tables and dart boards in addition to there being high ceilings so you don’t feel like you’re being suffocated. In the concert area where the main bar is located the floors open up and there is plenty of space! There is a large enough dance floor and plenty of outdoor bench seating for the smokers, which is fairly quiet. The drinks weren’t overly priced, and they were satisfying pours. The sound system seemed to be clear and crisp for the band as well. Great venue

I love this place! I look forward to every Saturday. The culture here is different... it's not people looking to get sloshed and hookup. People come here to genuinely have a good time and dance the night away. Mostly the 20-30s crowd but there are older folks that come and have a great time too. I love that Bethany teaches line dances the first couple hours. And I really do appreciate the rules- no drinks on the dance floor and if you're not dancing don't just stand around on the dance floor. Other places I've been it was a nasty hazard and nuisance. Here it's always clean - even the bathrooms. And no cover charge! And they have the best lemon drop shot I've ordered 😂 Overall a super fun place to spend your Saturday night. Family. ❤️

Great place to hang out needed more tables and chairs. Clean facilities and friendly staff

Went for a big concert, Really like how they are expediting VIP and fast pass tickets, make everything faster for all ticket holders. Great environment and atmosphere for concerts. Looking forward to new and upcoming artists!