Image courtesy of Coastal Georgia Historical Society
Postcard featuring The Deck circa 1970
After World War II, tourism in the Golden Isles began to flourish as rationing of gasoline and tires became a thing of the past. Traffic increased on Highway 17, the major route along the coast, making the Brunswick corridor a popular location for new businesses. In 1946, The Deck Restaurant and Lounge, specializing in local seafood, opened just east of Highway 17 at the entrance to the Brunswick-St. Simons Causeway. The design of the new restaurant was modern and maritime, with clean lines and a gleaming white exterior. The interior continued this theme, resembling the deck of a ship.
Image courtesy of the Coastal Georgia Historical Society
The Deck brochure circa 1950s
The Deck became a popular dining venue for both visitors and locals. With the motto “Seafood at its Source,” the restaurant was known for menu items such as Shrimp Mull. This recipe called for a tomato-based sauce seasoned with bacon, onion, garlic, celery, curry, sherry, and a generous helping of butter. The sauce was combined with shrimp, thickened with cracker crumbs, and served over rice. The restaurant was also known for its hush puppies. During a time when smoking was popular, this recipe was printed on the inside cover of logo matchbooks, which diners could pick up at the restaurant. Other menu choices included scallops, crab, a variety of fish, oysters in season, as well as frog legs and turtle soup.
An early brochure noted that the restaurant had the “distinct honor” of being listed in Duncan Hines’ Adventures in Good Eating. Hines was a traveling salesman who, as early as the 1920s, began seeking out quality places to dine as he drove across the country on business trips. At that time, there was no rating system for dining in America, and Hines’ friends encouraged him to compile a list of preferred restaurants. His first guide, published in 1936, was an immediate success. Updated annually for the next two decades, the guide became a trusted source for the American traveler. It was not until the 1950s that Hines entered into an agreement to have his name placed on the well-known cake mixes.
The Deck remained in business for several decades before changing times led to its closing and the eventual demolition of the building in 1999.
This month’s image from the Coastal Georgia Historical Society archives is a postcard of The Deck, circa 1970. Also shown is the brochure mentioned above, probably from the 1950s.
Coastal Georgia Historical Society presents this article and images from our archives as part of our mission “to connect people to Coastal Georgia’s dynamic history.” The Society operates the iconic St. Simons Lighthouse Museum and the World War II Home Front Museum, housed in the Historic Coast Guard Station at East Beach. To learn more about the Society, its museums, diverse programs, and membership, please visit coastalgeorgiahistory.org.
