Blake’s Fresh Local Dining

Bring back blakes pasta!!!
This used to be one of my husband and I favorite restaurants on the island. We went this past Tuesday night for half price pasta night only to find they were closed. We quickly learned they were ’ re vamping ’ their menu and would be opened again the next day… So we returned the next night as I was craving a pasta dish I had gotten there previously (see the title). My husband couldn’t wait to get his hands on their fish and chips.
We were very disappointed when we got there to see a totally different menu, that lacked all focus and was a la carte. Not what I was expecting at all! This farm to table, charming little restaurant went from an incredible well rounded and unique menu to a complete disaster. So much so that we didn’t like the sound of anything on the menu we left. They also aren’t runing any of their nightly specials any longer that still remain on the website.
This is unfortunate, because this was a great place for the people on the islands to go and enjoy an upscale place without trucking all the way downtown. With their new competitor lilis right down the block, I don’t think the menu change was a smart choice. Only time will tell !

My husband and I shared the cheese plate and the spaghetti. Both were incredible! The staff were very friendly and the environment quaint and cozy. I would highly recommend eating here!

This is not the Blake’s you may have visited in the past. While Blake’s was very good then; it is now superb since Simone. proprietor and Executive Chef, is involved. We were there last week. Everything about Blake’s has changed. I’ve known Simone for several years because of his relationship with the Wilmington Island Club. Now, at Blake’s he has the opportunity to employ his talent… and he does with absolute perfection. Blake’s is a true value.

Great décor and comfy seating for a strip mall. There was a lot of new art by local artists being put up which shows nice local ownership.
Host and waiter (Matthew?) showed obvious previous experience as he was very hospitable and prepared for our big group at ten minutes until closing. And the chef (s) were nice enough to stay over for extra lunch requests.
Several of our entrees were tasty, but oddly, most dishes were only protein and starch with little or no vegetables. However, the entrees were tasty. The brussel sprout salad was both good for you and yummy.

Stopped in for a quick bite, great local place. First night with a new menu, food & service were amazing! Chef stopped by to check on us and although we were short on time they made the experience fantastic. We will be back.

We came here for dinner twice. I don’t think we will be going back. They didn’t have many items available that were on the menu. The server was very apologetic for this.

Blake’s continues to serve up fresh delicious dinners using local food providers when possible. Their menu has changed a bit from the very creative choices offered when they first opened to a more traditional list (probably to better accommodate a not very sophisticated or appreciative clientele — they do, after all, have to pay their bills), but they even do traditional well. The ambience is not perfect, but comfortable enough to enjoy a truly wonderful meal. Their burgers are the best ever and fish is prepared to perfection. If the seafood stew is available, order it; it is excellent! The muscles, when, available, are also superb. Wilmington Island is lucky to have this restaurant. We need to support them if we want to continue to have a downtown quality restaurant closer to home.

I was so exited to find out this place existed. Nothing else even close to it exists on «The Islands.» However, I have to say, the execution was a little disappointing to me.
I went for Sunday brunch with my parents. I’m a vegetarian yet there were very few choices on the menu for me, so I did the green tomato cheese dip with a side of grits. The cheese dip was good but the grits were pretty darn bland. Everyone I was with said the same of their own dishes — it was okay, but nothing great. Usually, locally sourced restaurants like this ooze creativity, soulful, and exciting flavors. That piece was just missing from our meal. Maybe it was an off day.
The service, too, is disinterested and not at all customer focus. At one point, my dad was looking for a salt and pepper shaker. He had to get up to find the waitress to ask and she pointed at a table where he could go grab it himself. It’s not like she was busy (as there were only three tables of people, a one-​top, a two-​top, and us.) She was chatting with a co-​worker. Not a huge deal. She wasn’t rude or anything, but just no care about quality of work or providing an experience. Local places like this are supposed to be a little bit more of an atmosphere.
The décor was lovely. I found it unique, tasteful, and comfortable (though the Kenny G was playing WAY too loud for a Sunday morning in a mostly empty restaurant.) I just wish the rest of the meal had matched.

Brunch was delicious — crab cake eggs Benedict and omelette. Prices were reasonable for a nicer brunch. Service was fine. We will be back!

One of the best kept secrets on the island. There were 11 of us and the food, from the Rib Eye steak, Pork Chops, and Seafood were Awesome. We went on a Tuesday evening and they did not have a lot of staff. However, everything was Great. We come every year and this will be an annual stop for sure. May even go again this week it was so good.

Was expecting better based on the reviews. Limited menu, wine and beer selection. Uptight atmosphere and prices in a neighborhood restaurant. Nice presentation of dishes, grits a bit bland, but wonderful cream sauce.

Wow, what a little gem we have on the island! I love when the chef comes out b4 he goes back to the kitchen to whip up some magic. I ordered the Soppressata Chicken with crushed little tomatoes and mozzarella and the chicken was encrusted with panko !! Mmmmm yum.
Due to being on antibiotics I wasn’t able to enjoy the wine, but Disco Di had a nice Pinot Noir and it was only 3.25 for happy hour! Back to that fancy chicken served with a side of pasta! It was so good! Glad I decided to go out on a limb and try this dish over his fish & chips & even better Chef Blake personally served us.
Go! Eat! Drink! And give a shoutout to Chef Blake

What a find! Hidden jewel on the island. An easy driving distance from downtown, this is a non-​tourist-​trap restaurant that is worth a visit. Or two. Or three.
The green tomato cheese dip with toasted bread was an incredible starter. I can’t say enough about it.
PC had the steak with Gorgonzola cheese on it. Wow. This pescatarian took TWO bites. We selected the creamed spinach as a side and it was perfectly prepared. Spinach swimming in a delicious cream. I had the shrimp and grits. This is not your everyday shrimp and grits. The grits were on a yummy block and the shrimp were cooked to a perfect pink and were drenched in a creamy sauce. Altogether succulent.
Key lime tiramisu (what?) was the perfect end to this on point dinner.
The staff was extremely nice and attentive. The atmosphere was intimate and nice without being pretentious.
Support local businesses. Try one dinner here — you will be back!!!

We really enjoyed this place. Very casual, unpretentious with terrific, friendly service and very reasonable prices. We started with their wonderful corn muffins. Then had a salad that was a strange combo of ingredients but was delicious– roasted brussel sprouts, romaine, blueberries, strawberry, and pecans in a light lime vinegrette dressing. One of the best salads we had on our visit.
We both ordered encrusted grouper, a special that night. We recieved a thick piece of grouper, which was fresh, tender, and moist. Cooking fish myself, I know how difficult it is to roast a thick fish so it is cooked all the way through, but not dried out. It is so easy to overcook, but this was really done perfectly.
Only issue was that the dessert selection was limited and uninspired. Only two offered were cheesecake & brownie. May be that they offer better selection when fruit is in season? Would have loved a fruit cobbler or crisp.

Given the great reviews and a very appetizing menu online, we were eager to try Blake’s. The ambiance was nice and we were looking forward to a great night with dinner out. Sadly, it wasn’t to be.
Our choice of wine was sold out. Okay, no biggie. Our first two choices of appetizers were also sold out. Okay, other options looked pretty good as well. When they came to the table, we received one appetizer we had ordered and another that we hadn’t. We made the best of it. We received two slices of bread in the bread basket and another half slice atop the mussels appetizer. We quickly ran out and asked for some additional bread. By the time the waiter showed up with our main course and told us the bread would be «coming shortly» we really only had some broth left from our mussels, and let him know, we were probably fine without additional bread at this time.
We had the shrimp and grits, which were quite delicious, although the tails on the shrimp were a bit of a pain, given the creamy sauce. The grits, however, were very creative and served in a crusted grit cake format, a refreshing change from much of the local fare we had sampled during our stay in Savannah.
My dish, the duck with fingerling potatoes (a change from the posted menu online) and Swiss chard looked quite appealing. However, the duck appeared to be quite undercooked. I tried to eat one piece of duck skin, often the best part if cooked properly, and founded it tough and chewy, clearly undercooked. The duck breast itself was a mixed bag, simply undercooked (and I like most meats rare to medium rare, so for me to pause and not finish a meal for being undercooked is quite an anomaly). As I write this, I’m feeling queasy and regretting not having sent the duck back when it arrived at the table.
The waiter was pleasant enough and even when we called out the issues with the appetizer and the duck, really no accommodations were made. In short, while the menu made Blake’s sound fantastic, the execution fell far short of expectations and given the $ 100 bill, we were quite disappointed. Perhaps we’ll give Blake’s another try on a future visit, but right now it’s among our worst food experiences in Savannah thus far.

My family and I come here after church for breakfast. Not only do the kids eat free on Sunday but everything from my coffee to my omelette was well prepared and delicious. After speaking with our server, we learned that they obtain as many food items as they can from local sources, which says a lot. This results in the menu changing quite often. Being local to Wilmington Island, we will definitely be back soon.

This is a prime example of local sourced farm to table culinary excellence. The ambience is warm and inviting. The food is to die for. The prices are borderline free. This is a restaurant I will most certainly frequent both with and without my kids.

Good food and service. I enjoyed my pasta with gouda alfredo sauce. The breakfast potatoes during brunch were great. Not many restaurants on Wilmington island, but give this place a shot.

Excellent food and excellent service. This is the best restaurant on the islands that I’ve been to thus far. My wife loved the shrimp and grits («best I’ve ever had») and the homemade fries were excellent. The prices are a bit weird (some things are much cheaper than you expect (like the fish and chips), other things way too much (like the burger)), but that’s about it in terms of complaints.

We live on the Island and eat at Blake’s about once a month. We have never had a bad meal. The duck is the best I have ever had. I’m tempted to get it every time but want to try other things.
Give it a try, you will not regret it!