OUR STORY
STARTED WITH LOVE.
Tim and Melissa met while they were working at the Ritz Carlton Buckhead, in the summer of 1985 in Atlanta, Georgia. They returned to Saint Simons Island one summer before moving to Maryland and ate lunch at Patti’s Pier Café. They joked about how amazing it would be to own a restaurant on the island, like Patti’s. Shortly after, they moved to Annapolis, Maryland where Tim would work as a Sous Chef, at the Maryland Inn. After living in Annapolis for a few years, Tim and Melissa decided they were tired of the snow and wanted to trade their winter coats and ice scrapers for flip flops and sandy toes! So, they packed up and headed south.
They were headed to Orlando, where Tim aspired to work for the Culinary team at the Walt Disney World Resorts, when they stopped on the island to visit Melissa’s family. Like most visitors, it was hard for them to leave. One thing led to another, and they decided they would like to call the island home. Tim accepted a job at Sea Palms, as Sous Chef, and Melissa began working in reception at Sea Island. Then everything changed with one afternoon drive.
FAMILY FIRST
IS OUR PHILOSOPHY.
Tim decided to ride through the village one afternoon, as he did most days, and he saw a for sale sign in the window of that very same restaurant he admired on his first trip to the island. The year was 1989, and without a cell phone, he scribbled the number down in his truck and rushed home to inquire about the business. Bought on a handshake and the promise of hard work, Tim and Melissa’s journey with the Sandcastle and the St. Simons community began. In April of 1989, the doors to Sandcastle Café and Grille opened and their world changed forever.
Excited and eager to be their own bosses, Tim and Melissa would spend the next 29 years dedicating their lives to building an incredible business and legacy. From festivals, cooking shows, to hosting charity events, they have spent their lives serving the community of St. Simons.
In February of 2018, Tim began to prepare his daughter, Catherine, to come home and take the reins of the family business. As a family, they spent several months planning, and discussing ideas for a new exciting breath of fresh air for their beloved Sandcastle. Sadly, our fearless leader, Tim, passed away July of 2018, and was not able to see his daughter step in.
Just as he would have wanted it, the doors to the Castle remain open, and his daughter and lifelong partner, Melissa continue to carry on his legacy.
QUALITY INGREDIENTS
IN EACH AND EVERY DISH.
As a rule, fresh ingredients are processed as little as possible. Why? We want to bring out the natural, wonderful flavors of our food, without stifling any of their taste with additives such as corn syrup or BHA. For many restaurants, it’s tempting to make things convenient by using preserved or frozen foods, but these can lose flavor over time. It’s easy to throw in some kind of sweetener to mask the lost flavor, or to use food coloring to replace the lost color. Perhaps they thrown in some oil to up the fat content, and make the food seem more satisfying—at first.
But, these techniques compromise the innate flavors of the food. When using the freshest ingredients possible, the produce is perfectly ripe and the meats are meat and nothing else. This way, you enjoy the fuller, finer flavors of the food.
BEST BREAKFAST BUFFET ON ST SIMONS
#1 SPOT TO ENJOY A MIMOSA
DELICIOUS
FLUFFY WAFFLES
CRIPSY
GRASSFED BACON
FRESH
GARDEN SALADS
LOCAL
FRESH SEAFOOD
