Welcome!
Owner Mike Phillips and daughter Gail extend their hospitality!
Pelican Point Restaurant is a family owned and operated restaurant which has been in operation since 1986. After fishing and shrimping the local waters for nearly 20 years, owner Mike Phillips turned the operation of his shrimp boats and seafood docks over to his son Charlie. Now with daughter Gail, Mike serves seafood fresh from the docks to the tables at Pelican Point.
The restaurant is located on the Sapelo River at the western corner
of Bellville community in McIntosh County. The site was originally the
home of Rosco’s Place in the 1940’s and 50’s. Rosco’s
Cut, the waterway on the west side of the property, was reportedly named
for the owner of that establishment after he dynamited a canal to enlarge
the creek bordering his property. The Cut is now home to Phillips Seafood
Docks, Sapelo Sea Farms, and several other shrimp docks.
After the demise of Rosco’s Place, the property was purchased
by the Barnett family who operated a restaurant called Sandpiper Inn.
The Inn, a two story wood structure, was struck by lightening in the
late 60’s and burned to the ground. The property was purchased
by the Phillips family a few years later for a home site.
Drawn to McIntosh County by an interest in shrimping, Mike has made
a successful transition from operating a Feed and Seed Supply in Wayne
county to providing fresh seafood to crowds from Jacksonville to Savannah
and beyond.
We are often asked about the docks adjacent to the restaurant that serve as home port to about six shrimp boats and several snapper boats. The shrimp boats drag local waters during our season. With boats unloading at Phillips Seafood, run by Charlie Phillips, we are able to select the best size and the highest quality for the dishes we prepare.
Although none of the snapper boats are owned by the Phillips family,
they pack their catch through the docks also. When available you will
find Red Snapper on our buffet directly from these boats as well as
Mahi Mahi and other varieties from deeper waters.
Phillips Seafood also provides the restaurant with fresh little neck
clams from a new venture – Sapelo Sea Farms. Charlie began clam
farming in the Julington River a few years ago and now ships clams to
New York and Canada markets regularly. His clam “nursery”
next to the restaurant is used to bring clam seed the size of grits
to a size that will not fall through the special mesh bags that are
used to “plant” them in the river beds. When the clams have
reached marketable size, they are harvested by hand, bagged and shipped
to fill orders from seafood market and restaurants.
Note: Charlie sells only wholesale through Phillips Seafood. To enjoy
the fresh seafood from the docks, have dinner with us.
Thanks for taking the time to learn a little about us. Hope you will
visit us soon and often.