We stumbled into Nautica Joe’s for lunch on a Wednesday at the insistence of our friend Shayne from Blacksheep Pickers. Shayne never steers you wrong. It was packed, and for good reason: their food is fresh, creative and delicious and the service is friendly and efficient.
The decor is a thing of beauty. It’s clean and homey but filled with history and character. On this day, The Beard ordered the turkey Rueben, sweet potato fries and baked beans. I also got the beans with a Philly cheesesteak. Their lunch plates are generous and freshly made. The sandwiches are a staple on the menu as is the sweet potato fries side. I recommend all of these as well as their legendary burger, but something special happened that day. Trent was experimenting with a baked beans side not normally on the menu. Watch the video to get the gist of our reaction. I felt the same as The Beard. This alone shows you what a talented and dedicated chef he is.
They have award winning Brunswick Stew that they frequently offer up by the pint, and you should not miss this! It’s some of the best around and usually places or wins the Rockin’ Stewbilee. Their Rueben is one of the best around, rivaled IMHO only by Wee Pub. The Philly Cheese and gyro are packed generously with flavor.
A Family Tradition
Run today by Trent and Hannah Taylor, Nautica Joe’s story starts way back in 2002 on St. Simons Island by Trent’s mom and dad. It was a seafood forward restaurant that served breakfast, lunch and dinner. People raved about their shrimp and grits. Having opened two restaurants (St. Simons Sweets being the other), the couple decided to downsize and move to Darien — sleepier, but close to those amazing Wild Georgia shrimp. There they developed a loyal following as well. We personally have friends who said it was far and away their favorite place to eat in Darien.
But making their home in Brunswick and seeing that downtown Brunswick was on the upswing again, Trent’s dad, Larry made the decision to shorten their commute and open across from the Ritz Theater on Newcastle in the heart of it all. Trent’s parents hung up their aprons a couple of years ago and passed the baton to the next young and vibrant generation. Trent and Hannah met at Glynn Academy back in 2010 and married in 2023. On top of inheriting the family secret spice blend for the mouth-watering burgers (yay us!) the couple are expecting their first baby as well!
NAUTICA JOE’S CAFE
1523 Newcastle St, Brunswick, GA 31520
912-275-8012
Monday – Friday 10:30am – 2:30pm
$10 – 20pp