Location is so unique! We usually get the fish tacos--the fresh catch never disappoints. This time we opted for a shrimp dinner. Service was prompt and helpful and with a smile. Great servers will always ask if their customers want dessert and McKenna is a great server! She brought us real key lime pie AND coffee! A great finish. The wood floors, the mermaids, the aquarium, train bridge and view of the Intracoastal make Down Under one of our local favorites. We can even come by boat! read more

What a fun find! My BF and I went to dinner here. Stepping inside, it looks like your traditional seafood restaurant. The hostess said it would be about 10 minutes before we could be sat inside or 20+ minutes outside. She also offered us to see if we could find a seat at the bar. We looked outside and landed two seats at the bar. Triple bonus- there was a band playing, drinks flowing, and a sun setting high in the sky. Everyone like to be smiling and having a great time, even the staff. He ordered the Ahi tuna, I ordered the Thai chili shrimp. Both were amazing and we would absolutely order again. Both plates were well presented, and came out in a fair amount of time. I can't wait to go back! read more

I came here with friends for a very early dinner on a Friday afternoon and sat outside. In spite of the heat, it was so nice and breezy on the deck. We only noticed the heat just before we left our table. Live music was only just getting started by the time our meal was done, and I wish we were able to hang out more and listen. Wait staff was friendly and prompt. Our food was also delicious. I can't wait to go back! read more

Down Under Restaurant - Smoked Caesar salad with salmon - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

Great food - atmosphere and service - I will definitely go back to this place. Highly recommend the shea crab soup

10/10 Happy hour deal everyday at reasonable time? Some of our food didn't make the cut because they lasted on the table for maybe 5 minutes. The blackened shrimp amazing along with the hush puppies. The oysters that had crab on top, absolutely delicious and had a ton of flavor. The staff is SO nice and knew a lot about the menu. She crab soup is a solid 6.5/10 their house salad is very fresh. I'll be back for sure! read more

Down Under Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

Another visit to Amelia Island and another five star trip to Down Under! Love the nautical decor/theme. Staff is engaging and comes around regularly to check in for any needs. The fish tacos are still great and pleased with the shrimp tacos as well, but the star was the shrimp and cheesy grits. So much flavor! Shrimp cooked perfectly. Nice portion size. read more

Down Under Restaurant - Shrimp and cheesy grits - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

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I will start by saying our waitress was sweet but due to the outcome of the night, I am unable to recommend this establishement. My fellow diners found it great. And I would have said the same if I had actually been able to eat the food. I always call ahead to restaurants to let them know that I have multiple sclerosis and has a result of information issues I have medical intolerances to many foods. We didn't do that this time. But I was clear when we ordered. I said nothing on my grilled Seafood platter. No spices of any kind no pepper some salt and that's it. My food came out and I thought that the drawing on it was just from the grill and the moment that I put pieces of my Scouts into my mouth chewed swallowed, I realized that not only did they have black pepper but they had some red pepper of some kind on it which is something my body is VERY reactive too. I immediately set tjr fork down and flagged out waitress down. I think she was just trying to let me know that she had told them that I couldn't have anything in my food, but when I kept telling her but I tasted, she was a little argumentative saying that it just looked charred to her not seasoned. I told her it was spicy and she argued a bit more saying to look at it because it didn't have spice. I'm already self-conscious enough about having to ask for changes made to my meals because I don't want to put anyone out. So having her be a bit confrontational embarrassef me and I wasn't thrilled. But she did finally admit they might have cooked it on a grill with other seasoned food.. She had them make it over. Now again, I told them I have medical issues with foods, so why would they cook it again on the surface with other foods? It should have been pan-fried from the beginning which is what they did. They pan seared it the second time. Unfortunately by then the damage was done and I was unable to eat the new food that they brought out. I took a bite to make sure that it didn't have any seasoning on it. but my body even as I write, this is completely inflamed and pained. I'm not happy. We are not at the end of our vacation yet and everything has been thrown off. We had an equally poor night at a different local restaurant as well. Similar thing. I understand that my food issues might be an inconvenience, and I understand that some people sometimes use preference as a way to be particular about their meals, but I have a medical disability and this is a true medical issue and I was clear about it. They really need to get more on the ball , because this is an issue . Again I didn't want to make a big deal about it. I was dining with my husband and three male friends, including an older gentleman who's the father of one of the men that we were with. I didn't want to make a scene but I'm the one who suffering for it. So the fact that I had to restate myself several times and was embarrassed by it, gives this a super low rating. I ended up bringing my food home but the way that my stomach and body is right now I'm not going to be able to eat it so my husband will get from what I tasted the food was good. It was just the ignoring a medical imperative that left a poor taste in my mouth. read more

Food is pretty good but the restaurant itself is really old, dingy and sticky. Time to update.

The biggest draw of this restaurant is the view - can't be beat! The outdoor seating on the water is a fabulous setting. Service is great, and our food was prepared at the perfect pace. Blue cheese chips with blue cheese appetizer is phenomenal. Meals were all fresh and portions were really nice. read more

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My wife and I drove up to Fernandina Bch for our 38 year wedding anniversary and stopped into the Down Under Restaurant for dinner. I ordered the fried shrimp dinner and it was delicious. I also loved the hush puppies! These were the best hush puppies I've ever had. The shrimp and hush puppies were cooked just right. I also had a cup of clam chowder. This was also delicious and had great flavor. My wife ordered the crab legs and cheese grits. She hers was very good and cooked just right! Honestly; everything was perfect with our dinner. Our waiter was great as well and was super friendly. The restaurant is on the water. Some tables have good views and others don't. They do have outdoor seating. We definitely recommend you try the Down Under Restaurant! We will definitely be back in the future! read more

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We tried the Down Under yesterday (after a few years frankly), hoping to hear some live music, which was cancelled due to the heat. We decided to just have some snacks and then try another live music venue. We had a couple of beers that were nice and cold, our waitress was attentive and awesome- but the problem came when the grilled cheese my granddaughter ordered came. Completely black on one side (see picture). Why would you serve this? And what child would eat this? The watermelon that came with it was nice- and I didn't feel like sending it back, so we just picked the cheese off the inside for her to eat and she was fine. But seriously. You thought when you took this off the grill it was fine to serve to someone. We won't be back. read more

Down Under Restaurant - This was a child's grilled cheese sandwich. We did not order it blackened. - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

Fun eating experience! The fried shrimp is delicious! Make sure and get the Chefs dessert as well because it is worth every bite!

WE were told if one orders the seafood platter -- ALL food items come one way_ all fried or all blackened.(we picked fried ). I was disappointed by the sight - taste and texture . The staff was friendly enough . One STAR read more

Love this place!!! Such a hole in the wall! It's right on the water, got the coolest decor & great staff! The food is always AMAZING! Today we ordered the fried shrimp, Thai shrimp, fresh catch sandwich and a grilled chicken sandwich. Their hush puppies are possibly the best i've ever had, they're cooked to perfection! If you ever want good seafood, good music and good views hit this place up! read more

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TLDR: If you want SAVORY shrimp and grits, look elsewhere because this dish at Down Under is drowning in sweet cream. Sat outdoors to enjoy the view, and it was enjoyable, but the table was sandy. Server was attentive and courteous, but the food was not good. Clam chowder was way salty, and the shrimp and grits were just bad. The shrimp were locally sourced and good, but you couldn't even see/appreciate the grits and their texture because they were swimming in too much cream sauce that was sweet instead of savory. Fresh chives and cherry tomatoes were a nice touch but couldn't make up for that sauce... Nothing like any other shrimp and grits I've had elsewhere in the south and southeast. Very disappointed. Smoked paprika flavor could not come through - only sugar and shrimp surrounded by soup. read more

The location is very interesting. It's literally under a bridge which explains the name. I enjoyed the fresh oysters, seared scallops, and cheese grits. We were able to get in at the bar immediately, otherwise it would've been a 45 minute wait. I think this place earned the spot for the best food on my trip. read more

Good food good service good deal. Eat here. Everything brought out promptly and hot. Good drinking water.

Always love Down Under! Service and food is great. We visit here every year when we come to Amelia.

This was my first time here. It WAS Father's Day so I'm sure they were exhausted. The raw oysters and warm crab dip were both very good. However, the fried portions seemed very soft, like they had been sitting under a heat lamp for quite a while. The server was polite but you could tell she was tired! She had several large tables all at once and that just added to the stress. If I go again, it would be mid-week and not on a holiday period! read more

6/14/25 great local restaurant with mostly fresh seafood. We came the night before Father's Day to avoid crowds. They do not take reservations so when we entered and sign up, we went outside to listen to the live music on the deck on the river. We were texted our table was ready and they took us upstairs. We had never been upstairs so it was a nice treat. The food is still fantastic-she crab soup ...the best! Hubby had fried shrimp-local and I had shrimp and grits-delicious! Great even great meal! read more

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Started out good and went downhill. Ordered the grilled captains platter. Everything came out cold. They forgot the oysters and said they were cooking. They came out cold too. Sent back the baked potato with had apparently been done since lunch. Cold also. Brought another out slightly better but had been nuked for a minute. Totally disappointed in a restaurant I usually enjoy. No offer to bring another platter. BTW the menu description says a heaping amount. What a joke. 3 scallop, 5 shrimp and oysters and a piece of fish about the size of a cupcake all for 32.00 Taking them off the list. Certainly there are better dining choices around. Do better Down Under. read more

We always like to try a different restaurant aside of our favorites when we vacation here in Fernandina Beach. We needed to find an alternate fishing spot due to the high winds on the beach not being ideal for surf fishing. Our search took us under the bridge and straight to Down Under . Perfect, we will fish a bit and walk over for a late lunch afterwards. We sat at the bar, nice lady bartending. I had the fish and chips (fries) with cheese grits. I must say every restaurant we have ate cheese grits in the area do them very well. The fish was maybe a bit on the dark (over fried) side but it was delicious. My Fiancé got the fried shrimp and oyster platter. The oysters were about the size of a thumbnail and the seasoning on both the shrimp and oysters totally ruined the whole dish. Not sure what they use in the batter but it is not necessary. His plate was left uneaten except for a few of the fries which were the battered kind and again unnecessary. Our travel buddy had the lunch shrimp and agreed that we three deemed this restaurant not even t-shirt worthy! (They have cute down under t-shirts for sale). I did however enjoy my fish. read more

Down Under Restaurant - Shrimp and oysters platter. Thumbnail size oysters and both had an inedible seasoning in the batter. - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

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What a hidden gem. I was having trouble finding the place and even went to a VFW hall by mistake and then kept going and found this wonderful cozy outdoor spot. My server was lovely and recommended the grouper. It did not disappoint. read more

When Grouper and fried oysters are on the menu, I order them. My wife and I stopped here in July of 2026. Service was decent since we got there early ~5:00. As time went on, the staff was less organized and harder to keep up with the new patrons. Started to fell a bit rushed to finish up. The food was hot and the Grouper good but the oysters just OK, not the best I've had. I would give this restaurant a 3.7 rating if possible. We also ate up the hill at Shuckers. Better oysters Grouper slightly less good. read more

Nice establishment, friendly people, neat location ... down under! Food was decent; however, catch of the day was this, not flaky, disappointing. Shrimp and scallops and oysters were delicious. read more

Went to DU again yesterday as my good friends wanted to treat me to a birthday lunch. Not crowded on a Friday at lunchtime. Great service. Between the three of use we had steamed oysters, ahi tuna and jalapeno popper appetizers. I had the fish tacos which were very good. I also had a bloody Mary and another person had one as an afterthought and when theirs came I noticed the three olives and realized I didn't get any olives with mine. So I went back to the bar and told the (lovely) bartender and she said "I told her wait! You forget his olives!" when our server grabbed my drink. I said "The olives are..." and before I could finish she said "...the best part of a bloody Mary!" LOL. Cool girl. Have always loved going to Down Under. read more

Down Under Restaurant - Fish tacos - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

Amazing food! First time back in over a decade and it was even better than I remembered!

This was...not good. Not sure how they have a rating more than 4 on yelp. Let's start with the smell. It had just rained but I'm not sure that was the reason. My two daughters complained the whole time about the smell. My oldest also said the water "tastes like the ocean" though she still drank it. I love oysters, but these were...well, bad. They tasted old and musky (not like usual gulf coast oysters) and two that I had were literally chewy - like jerky texture. The server was nice and attentive, but she was coughing the whole time. We used the hand sanitizer at the front multiple times for extra precautions but I still think I'm gonna come down with Covid in 3 days from now since she was serving us our food and drinks. What was good? The grouper, the catch of the day, the salad, the she crab soup. The exterior of the place is cute too under a bridge. Our server was also really nice and attentive, albeit coughing. There's your 3 stars. Still, we came out fearing we had food poisoning from the oysters and Covid from the waitress. read more

Seafood was fresh and tasty. Salads were boring and expensive for four slices of chicken. The quality of the lettuce wasn't as fresh as I'd like. Overall if you want seafood then give it a try. read more

Looking for a fantastic seafood restaurant? Look no further! This spot boasts an excellent location with convenient parking. The food is exceptional, and the service is truly remarkable. You won't be disappointed. Also being under the Bridge just makes the place even more interesting and fun. Inside is well appointed with Nautical and beach decor. read more

Down Under Restaurant - The outside view. - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

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Food was great! Staff was friendly and the atmosphere was top notch! I would highly recommend.

The food just wasn't good. Fried too hard. Small portions. Wasted $100!! Will not be back. Our waitress was awesome though.

All of the food is DELICIOUS and such a fun atmosphere. Destiny is the most incredible waitress. She was so kind, welcoming, helpful, and amazing!!! read more

Nice lunch outside. Good choices. Tacos- flounder& shrimp- delicious , and good crab stew. Fun to watch the boats read more

Down Under Restaurant - Flounder taco, shrimp taco, crab stew - Seafood Near Me - Fernandina Beach, Florida

Food and service were good. We ate outside which was nice to be able to do. I had the shrimp and grits. I recommend this dish. Wedge salad was amazing. read more

Menu said large portions and when I got the meal it was very small. It was also very over cooked.

Came to check this place out while I was in the area. Stumbled upon this cute little mom and pop waterfront restaurant. Indoor and outdoor seating decided to eat out on the deck. Even though it was a hot day they had umbrellas and fans so you can sit comfortably and enjoy your lunch or dinner. We mainly came here for apps not really dinner and drinks. We chose the crab dip, wedge salad, down under oysters, crab cake and wings. Overall the crab dip came in first place, following by the wedge salad, and crab cake. The crab dip was so good, it had more crab meat than sauce which is just how I like it. The sauce itself is also delish but I would have went with bread instead of potato chips. No offense but I am a bread girly. The wedge salad was unlike other wedge salads because they had caramelized onions that gave a hint of sweetness which made it different. Crab cake was really good however kind of skinny and needed some thickness lol. The oysters and the wings were ok. I had went with down under oyster since they were out of raw ones. Wasn't a huge fan and changed it for wings instead. I love wings and have to say these just didn't put a touch to my heart. Service was great, and over all I would definitely to try different items on the menu . read more

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Grilled shrimp... yummy! Makenna was a great server. Sat inside so I couldn't see the water, but that's ok.

We Love the food at Down Under!! The Seafood is Always Fresh, Salads, Soups and Steak is also great!! read more

Burgers were ok (probably wouldn't get again. Ordered medium well, but they were a little charred on the outside). Fries and hush puppies were really good. Poppers were decent. Potato fries were soso. Fried oysters were meh. Down under tacos were meh. Mule was not great. Service was fantastic. read more