On our way to Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge, Tom and I stopped at Mudcat Charlies Seafood Restaurant for lunch. Having been denied burgers at Zuzus, we were looking for a good cheeseburger. Several reviews said that Mudcat Charlies had good burgers, although they are better known for their seafood. We decided to check it out.
Mudcat Charlies is in Darien, the town north of Brunswick. When we go to Darien, we usually eat at Skipper’s Fish Camp. We had plenty of time, so we stopped to read the historical markers across the road from Mudcat Charlies. The historical markers talked about the Butler Island plantation. The historical plantation house is still on the property, along with the remains of a chimney and rice building. The Butler Island Plantation was a famous rice and Sea Island cotton plantation. When the owner, Pierce Mease Butler, went $400,000 into debt by gambling in 1859, he auctioned off 436 enslaved people, the largest single auction of enslaved people in the United States. Today the plantation is managed by the Georgia Department of National Resources.
After checking out the historical markers, we headed to Mudcat Charlies for lunch. The restaurant is located at Two Way Fish Camp, a collection of condos with a full-service marina. Mudcat Charlies has been operating since 1993. The restaurant is in the center of the condos with a large porch that borders the marina. From our table on the porch, we could watch the boats coming and going. The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) was having marine training the day we were there. About 30 FLETC men were training and, during their lunch break, they ate at Mudcat Charlies. We felt that was a good recommendation for the restaurant.
We asked our waitress about the burgers and she assured us that they were very good. She told us that they grind their own angus beef, so they are also very fresh. Tom and I both ordered a cheeseburger with a shared order of fries. There were lots of other mouth-watering choices listed on the menu, including hushpuppies and a variety of seafood.
When the food came, it looked great. The burgers were good, although a little dry. The french fries, however, were excellent. They weren’t at all greasy and they were served unsalted. The menu listed several delicious sounding desserts, including homemade blueberry cream cheese pie, but Tom and I were full from our burgers.
Our meal, including drinks, was less than $30, which is a bargain in coastal Georgia. There were only a few patrons in the restaurant until the FLETC guys came in, but we ate early, arriving at 11 a.m. We enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere very much. I would certainly go back to try some of their other offerings.