I was pretty bummed when Cargo closed their doors a few months back. It disturbed me that downtown Brunswick no longer had a true destination restaurant. Little did I realize that the heir apparent to Cargo already existed.

Tucked away on Reynolds street, I stupidly ignored the Indigo Coastal Shanty for the past year. I had heard good things, but never made a point to go try it. Lately even more buzz was floating around and I heard they were serving dinner. OK...no more excuses now.

We arrived for dinner to find every seat inside was taken (I now know why), but luckily there were some seats in the outside deck. The breeze was going and service was immediate, despite being at capacity.

The Shanty has a wonderfully unique fusion menu. Not sure how to describe it -- maybe "Asian, Caribbean, and Mexican elements with a Southern flair?"

The soup of the day was a stew made of zucchini -- I seriously had no idea zucchini could taste so good. Along with that, we tried some fried plantain chips with an avocado dipping sauce. Very nice as well. Dinner was fabulous all around. Everyone gobbled it up so quickly. I had the jerk chicken and it was delightful; as was the Asian slaw served on the side. Just wow.

Chef Kate Buchanan (formerly of Cargo) has that special talent to bring different flavors together in a fun and delightful way. She was very hands on that night presenting the specials, offering help, and greeting the clientele. Toward the end of the night, Chef Kate accidentally knocked over my wife's beer while picking up some plates. The beer was 99% empty, but Chef Kate insisted on a new Corona (on the house). That is just the kind of service you can expect at this great restaurant.

Indigo Coastal Shanty brings the goods in more ways than one. Great service, creative menu, fresh ingredients, and a cozy atmosphere.

Highly recommended across the board!

More Information

Indigo Coastal Shanty
http://indigocoastalshanty.com
1402 Reynolds Street, Brunswick, Georgia 31520
(912) 265-2007

*note that they only serve dinner Friday nights and Saturday nights.