Palmer's Village Cafe

We attended a wedding at Sea Island. While there were many options at The Cloisters, we wanted to try something else, a local joint. Palmer’s came highly recommended by our valet. Palmer’s didn’t disappoint. DO NOT let the long wait bother you nor get offended by the host who will greet you, and perhaps later on become your server. If you’re in the food industry you will understand his demeanor. Otherwise, you will understand later why Palmer and Amanda hired this fella in the first place. This place sits less than 20 tables I think. So efficiency is key. Do not be discourage with the wait, apply patience and you will be rewarded with a very good breakfast and a wonderful experience in St Simons Island.

YUMMMMMMM

Loved the downtown cafe for brunch! So delicious. You should only pray they have the steak omelette special when you're in. Wait is long but it is worth the wait trust me. It didn't get it's reviews of great stars off of imaginary patrons. The banana pudding pancakes my wife got were also mouth watering. Plan for a food coma nap after

Palmer's Village Cafe 223 Mallery St., St. Simons Island, GA

5 Stars

Whenever you have a world-renowned chef manning the kitchen in a restaurant, there is a 99% chance that while the food is going to be outstanding, there will be little quirks elsewhere. A case in point is Palmer's Village Cafe on St. Simons Island, GA. Helmed by Chef JB (John Belechak) of DC, Atlanta, and a three-time invitee to be featured in the James Beard House Foundation, you know the food is going to be an amazing combination of Southern Comfort Foods and Haute Cuisine. Palmer's Village Cafe is another in a long line of restaurants serving 5-star grub while employing nonsensical staff and enforcing whimsical rules. I guess if you're creative you're allowed a few quirks?

Susie was my waitstaff member today, and she is a discombobulated eccentric who, at 7:30 in the morning, comes off as unpleasant. She is so bizarre that I had to ask her is she was the owner. She was not and directed me to the chap at the counter. The owner has a very strict rule that doesn't allow one to pay at the table, rather, you have to stand in line and approach the register one at a time. To make sure you follow the rules there are no prices on the check. That said, let's get into the food!

I did manage to finagle an order for some of Buddy's Banana Pudding Pancakes, a Chicken Pot Pie omelet, and a biscuit out of Susie. While she returned with my order, I snapped some pics and relaxed, enjoying the serene atmosphere that is life on an island. Everything just seems to slow down a tad when living on or visiting an island.

Within a modicum amount of time another gentleman returned with my foodstuffs. I must interject here that the smells were spectacular and the looks enticing. I direct you to the pictures. First up on the Big Boy's palate was a taste of Buddy's Banana Pudding Pancakes. The addition of the crusted 'Nilla wafers to the southern staple of banana pancakes was what set these apart. The pancakes themselves may be no better than average, but the creative use of wafers separated them from the competition.

The Chix Pot Pie was a leap beyond Buddy's Banana Pudding Pancakes. This was truly spectacular. Consisting of a three-egg omelet, white cheddar cheese, crumbled biscuits and chicken pot pie, it brought immense joy to my taste buds. Finding it hard to move on, I snuck one more forkful in and then turned my attention to the biscuit.

While the menu offers you the opportunity to build your own biscuit by adding items such as eggs, sausage, bacon, country ham, etc, I opted for a plain biscuit in order to get an unswayed taste. One bite and you knew it was the real deal. This was no plug-and-play frozen puck warmed in the oven. This was made fresh in the back and was just about the most perfect biscuit I have had. It was a golden brown and so flaky and airy on the inside that I thought I was eating a cloud of pastry deliciousness.

While trying not to commit felicide here, I just have to say, “With Chef JB running the ship, this place is 5-star all day (they are only open for breakfast and lunch). While certainly not the best pancakes in the country, Chef JB's creative use of haute cuisine touches does make them one of a kind.”

This is a cozy little place with amazing breakfast! Sadly, we discovered it on our last morning. Be prepared to wait, but it is so worth it. I had banana pudding pancakes because I am more adventurous and my mom had blueberry pancakes. My pancakes were out of this world! There were fresh banana slices, vanilla, and a Nilla wafer crust on the outside. I thought it was so original and tasty. Mom's were great too. I would like to suggest starting with one then add if you finish it. They are fluffy and plate sized. We will definitely eat here again next time we are in town.

Friendly staff, quick & excellent service, mom ‘n pop atmosphere, great food and reasonably priced for the island. We enjoyed the French toast, blueberry pancakes, and special of the day on September 27th. Definitely coming back!

Hole in the wall hidden gem! What's better than banana pudding? How about banana pudding pancakes! While they did not look the best, they tasted amazing and were huge. My wide and I shared 2 and a biscuit with gravy, then we ordered a sausage biscuit with egg and cheese. Small cozy place with great food! If you are in St. Simmons and need a great breakfast. Give it a try!

Small town cafe with excellent breakfast options.

Wait for 2 on a Sunday at 9 was 10-15 minutes.
We were promptly greeted. While waiting for food we were able to observe a well practiced service.
My GF and I ordered omelettes and they were delicious. Reasonably priced. I had the hooch (less the Onions to meet my dietary needs) and she had the Tuscan.

This place doesn’t look like much, but you’ll leave full and your taste buds delighted.

That was THE best breakfast! The staff was great and the food was phenomenal . My Dad had the omelette with pulled pork and caramelized onions that he kept raving about, and I had the full stack of blueberry pancakes with a side of two sausage patties. They were thick fluffy pancakes with plenty of huge fresh blueberries. The sausage patties were the best I've ever had, such excellent flavor with a nice little heat. I tried to finish all the pancakes off but was unsuccessful, and I can eat 😉.

Amazing food and service! Luckily we arrived shortly before the rush, so we were seated immediately. The morning special was English muffins with scrambled eggs, goat cheese and salmon. Oh my! This was a great hidden gem to find on a Sunday morning.

Great breakfast spot! I really enjoyed my Huevos Rancheros. There was a delicious fried sweet tortilla on the side that was the most pleasant surprise. Grateful they opened at 7 rather than 8 to get an early start. The art gallery is pretty great. There are crayons for kids!

"Buddy's Banana Pudding Pancakes" were out of this world, and "The Hooch" is one of the best omelets I've ever eaten. I highly recommend this place for breakfast.

This place may be small, but the food is big and did not disappoint. I had the Challah French Toast with bacon. It also came with some blackberries and strawberries, which were sweet. The syrup was not too sweet and warm. My husband had some grits with his Virginia ham and cheese omelet, and all was delicious. My youngest had banana pudding pancakes, and they were amazing. My oldest had the French toast with maple bacon and, again, delicious. Highly recommend and worth the 30-minute wait.

This place is amazing! Food came out super quickly and was delicious! If you are visiting from out of town, you have to stop here for breakfast.

Insanely good food and great portion sizes at reasonable prices - this local spot feels like THE place to go when you're wanting a good, hearty breakfast.

Be prepared for a little bit of a wait at peak times - but it's worth the wait for sure.

My wife and I ate here over New Year's weekend in 2022. Service was great, the owner was running around and helping out and we thoroughly enjoyed the food.

Definitely give the omelettes and French Toast a try!

Food was excellent. If you haven't tried the banana pudding pancakes, you need to. They are decadent. The omelets were fantastic. The people were very friendly and attentive. Definitely helped make our Christmas trip more enjoyable.

If you are looking for breakfast or brunch, look no further. We got the chicken pop pie omelet, maple bacon french toast, biscuit and tomato jam, and a mimosa. It was all fantastic, and we will definitely come back. However keep in mind that there might be a 30-45 minute wait, but while you are waiting, you can walk around the pier and chill.

Everyone in my party had something different and it was all delicious. I give it a 10. I have been coming to SS for 35 years and had never eaten here because of wait time. However they told us 30 to 40 minutes and we were seated in 15. Don't let the wait time scare you off. It's worth it for sure.

Absolutely fantastic. Our group got a variety of entrees: “The Local,” Ruben, French toast, pancakes, shrimp and grits, Huevos rancheros, etc. and we all agreed everything was absolutely delicious. Service was great too! We will be back.

Visited the Cloister at Sea Island for an anniversary. Stumbled on this small, quaint gem of a restaurant! Highly recommend! Quality, original food items with great taste and friendly service. Had the Ruben, chili, and chicken salad - all delicious!
Will definitely be back!

Visiting St Simon's and was recommended by local to stop here for breakfast! Everything we had was sooo good and we will be back again for breakfast before we head home! 😊