Almost a year ago in my ‘look ahead to 2023’ in food, I wrote that the return of this particular restaurant would likely be the biggest food story of the year in Savannah. Of course, I am referring to the return of Desposito’s Seafood to it’s original location in Thunderbolt. 3501 Macceo Drive, Thunderbolt if you are scoring at home.

On the other side of the Thunderbolt Bridge next to the boat slip.

Formalities out of the way, yes, Desposito’s opened very quietly this week to allow staff to get up to speed with new systems. As the week wore on, the word made its way around town. By Thursday night, they were slammed. The holiday weekend will be plenty busy on the waterfront. Those of you who are planning to visit should keep a few things in mind ahead of that visit, to make your drive down there a little more enjoyable. Here are 5 things you should know about the return of Desposito’s Seafood.

*THEY HAVE OPENED WITH A LIMITED MENU

In an effort to not overwhelm anyone, a limited menu was put together to roll with for the time being. I was amused because the menu I was handed on Thursday night looked big enough to be the full menu at the restaurant. But it will be bigger. Part of the sale of the restaurant to its current ownership included recipes for all of the original classics so many of you enjoyed over the years. Just because they aren’t on the menu day one does not mean they won’t make their way to your table eventually. Day one you can expect their signature smoked fish dip, deviled crabs and chili to give it that old school feel. And yes, they now have tartar sauce. Something they never carried back in the day. And for those wondering, only 3 items on the rather large menu I saw were north of $20. And yes, the shrimp and oysters are local.

*NO RESERVATIONS

Just because the space is bigger and can accommodate more people doesn’t mean they will be accepting reservations. It will remain first come, first served. My advice to you is to allow yourself plenty of time to wait for a table-particularly on the weekends. They did create a waiting area up front, however, that will fill up quickly, I’m sure. The original bar up front is just about the same size as it was, maybe a seat or two bigger. The outdoor bar out back is brand new and massive. 25-30 seats at the bar out there alone. Plus patio seating around it. If you are not feeling a wait, I would suggest you go see them mid-week for lunch, especially during the first month. They will be open for lunch beginning at 11:30am every day except Monday when they will open at 4:00pm. Yes, Desposito’s will be open 7 days a week.

*THERE IS A LOT OF PARKING, BUT….

There is no ‘parking lot’ per se. There are a lot of unpaved roadways and grassy areas where you can park. At peak times, parking may be down the road a bit and a walk up the dirt roads, but there should be plenty of space. Also keep in mind, when it rains that means a lot of parking will be in mud.

*THE BEER BOTTLES LINING THE TOP OF THE FRONT BAR ARE ORIGINAL

I’m including this because while I never visited Desposito’s before it closed a few years ago, I do recognize the fact that one of old school Savannah’s favorite past times back in the day was “Old Man Despo’s Boiled Shrimp and a cold beer.” That’s what Desposito’s was about once upon a time. A tiny black and white TV sitting on the end of the bar for auto race watching and not much else. When the excavation and renovation began a couple of years ago, a lot of bottles turned up. (pictured below) They tried their best to preserve as many as they could. They are now lining the top of the front bar as an homage to what used to be in that front room. Based on the stories I’ve heard, if those walls could talk. That would make for some interesting story time.

*BE PATIENT, BE NICE

I’ve had many conversations with the ownership team at Desposito’s the last 2 years. My biggest take away is how hard they’ve tried to make this everything Savannah wants it to be, but at the same time create a modern casual dining environment for everyone to enjoy. There are going to be some things-maybe a lot of things- that are different than the way they used to be. Re-visiting this restaurant and expecting everything to be just as it was in 1968 is not a good use of your time. That’s not going to happen. I can say that the front room remains a modern version of what it was size wise. There are two large screen TVs above that bar that will still allow you to stop by on weekends and watch your race with some shrimp and beer. The patio in the back will feature live music a few nights a week and a view of the water a hundred or so yards away.

This restaurant has gotten more hype than maybe any in Savannah the last 5 years. The staff is very aware of your expectations. If something doesn’t make you happy, tell them. Don’t run to your keyboard and blast them. That doesn’t help anyone address issues and improve their service. That goes for any dining experience out there, really, but I’m choosing to mention it here because expectations are so high.

Enjoy, I think you will.

# # #