The Plate
Honest restaurant reviews from across the Golden Isles — published side by side with what the state inspector found.
How The Plate works
If a restaurant gives us a free meal or a discount, we say so in the review. Advertising never buys a review or changes a score, and we disclose it on every review of a restaurant that advertises with us. Every review carries the restaurant's most recent inspection score from the Georgia Department of Public Health, and we publish it whether it flatters the restaurant or not. Our score reflects one meal. Theirs reflects one day in the kitchen. Both are worth knowing.
Zhang Fancy Q Sushi Bar & Grill
Some places surprise you. Zhang Fancy Q Sushi Bar and Grill is one of them.
The crab salad and miso soup make a strong opening, the sushi is very good, and the rolls are the reason to return — the shrimp tempura roll above all. Service was friendly and welcoming throughout.
That is what makes the inspection score so striking. At 75, it is the lowest of the 210 food service permits in Glynn County as of October 26, and we will not leave that out. An inspection grades a kitchen against state rules on a single day; a meal tells you what the food is like. On our visit, the food spoke for itself.
OrderThe shrimp tempura roll and the crab salad.
Mudcat Charlie's
For visitors looking for an authentic local spot, Mudcat Charlie's is the place to start.
The calamari is the finest we have had — light and crisp, exactly as it should be. The entrées matched it. The broiled scallops arrived sweet and cooked to perfection, and the tuna at our table was served rare and full of flavor.
Mudcat Charlie's is not fancy, and it does not pretend to be. The atmosphere is relaxed, the service is outstanding, and the staff make you feel right at home. It is well worth the trip, and we recommend it highly.
The state's most recent inspection, on August 13, scored the kitchen a 77 — among the lowest in Glynn County, and more than two months before our visit. We publish it because that is the standard here: the meal and the record, side by side. On the plate, Mudcat Charlie's delivered.
OrderThe calamari to start, followed by the broiled scallops.
Iguanas Seafood Restaurant
This review comes from longtime customers, which is precisely why this visit was so disappointing.
Iguanas built its reputation on shrimp, and on this visit the shrimp was merely adequate. The portion was small, and the preparation fell well short of what we have come to expect. Across the meal, portions felt small for the price.
The kitchen is not the issue. Iguanas scored a 91 on its October inspection — comfortably an A. The shortfall was on the plate. In our experience the food has declined recently, and it showed.
For a restaurant long known for its shrimp, this visit was a letdown.
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