Williams Seafood Sign, Savannah

Vintage restaurant sign for Williams Seafood with an arrow pointing to the entrance, featuring a green and orange color scheme.

Long before Paula Deen, before Elizabeth Terry, even before Mrs. Wilkes, there was Williams Seafood. This rusted old sign is all that remains of a longtime Savannah institution once so regionally famous it sold its deviled crabs and other signature items in grocery stores and supermarkets throughout the South. Many still miss those deviled crabs. The restaurant was destroyed by fire in 2004.

27 thoughts on “Williams Seafood Sign, Savannah

  1. Pingback: Top Ten Posts of 2021 – Vanishing Georgia: Photographs by Brian Brown

  2. LEIGH LAURENZO's avatarLEIGH LAURENZO

    Loved eating there when we would visit our cousins in Savannah. Wish I had their deviled crab recipe, does anyone know where I can find it?

    Reply
  3. Janet Roberts's avatarJanet Roberts

    My grandmother is the one that created the deviled crab recipe and sold it to Williams years ago. I have the recipe and make the deviled crabs for my family and close friends

    Reply
    1. Jim Allen's avatarJim Allen

      You have a treasure hold on to it it was wonderful. I worked out there in the sixties building the new Bull River bridge and helped to demolish the old wooden bridge. Even though the prices were a little over my my head at the time I ate there now and then.

      Reply
    2. Elizabeth Mose's avatarElizabeth Mose

      I grew up in Savannah and now live in Charlotte, NC I ate there often. I would love to have that recipe. I dated Tmmy Williams and since he worked there, he wouldn’t take me there to eat. lol

      Reply
    3. Kaye's avatarKaye

      I’m looking for the Williams Seafood tartar sauce recipe. Do you, or someone you know, have a copy of it?

      Reply
    4. Johnathan Lee Renew's avatarJohnathan Lee Renew

      My father was born (1929) and raised in Savannah and would take us to Williams every Sunday after going to church at Morningside Baptist Church. I loved Williams deviled crab. I live in Greenville, SC and we had a Williams restaurant here for just a little while. I frequently bought the frozen Williams deviled crab in the grocery store whenever they were available. Does anyone still produce them?
      Thanks.
      Johnathan Lee Renew

      johnrenew@hotmail.com

      Reply
  4. Kathy Kidd's avatarKathy Kidd

    Occasionally on Sunday after sunday school
    we would leave Thomson and drive all the way down to Savannah to eat lunch at William’s. It was so wonderful.Nothing will ever be as good to me.

    Reply
    1. KATHRYN J. KIDD's avatarKATHRYN J. KIDD

      You are spot on with that comment!
      I’m 65 and I miss the old days in Savannah. Williams was my all time favorite! I lived in Savannah 10 years.
      Good times! ( this was before “the book”)

      Reply
  5. Dr, Don Leggett's avatarDr, Don Leggett

    I now live in Missouri and this info reminds me why you can not come home again. But memories will always be safe guarded. Me, Larry my brother, Brother Paul Ward such memories. saddened by the news.

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  6. Bill Doty's avatarBill Doty

    Williams originally had a stand at the road where we bought deviled crabs on the way home from the beach. Umm good! This was in the 40’s

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  7. Gary Dorough's avatarGary Dorough

    I ate there every Sunday in the summers of ’72 & 73 when I lived in Savannah working my way through college at Stafford Construction Company out in Garden City. Fried shrimp were cooked to perfection!

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  8. Julia Gilbreth's avatarJulia Gilbreth

    M0ved to Georgia in 1965 never heard of seafood food much less wanted to eat it ,when I first seen shrimp, crab legs, with in a few months a couple took us to Williams Seafood Resturant !! AND OH MY GOD!! IT WAS TO DIE FOR AS THEY SAY HERE IN THE SOUTH!! WENT MANY, MANY TIMES .WOULD DRIVE THE 75 MILES JUST TO EAT THERE. TOOK MANY FAMILY MEMBERS THERE WHEN THEY WOULD COME FROM KY, IN ON VACATION TO OUR HOME. Yes, was so sadden when it burned thought for sure they would build back but I guess they were tried of never being able to close very often to enjoy something besides cooking but oh! How so many missed those crab cakes and the best fried shrimp around!!

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  9. cgmjemus's avatarcgmjemus

    We would get up early on some Sunday mornings to ride all the way there from Fayetteville to eat there. It was THAT GOOD. We were heartbroken when we learned it burned.

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  10. Sheilah Peake's avatarSheilah Peake

    My brother went there with my aunt and Uncle when they came to visit in the early to mid-sixties. Imagine their surprise when he asked for a mustard sandwich!

    Reply
  11. grover chester jr.'s avatargrover chester jr.

    i’ve dined at williams many times since i was a child. i’m now in my sixties; very good memories.

    Reply
  12. Mark's avatarMark

    Love this old sign, I’ve been the the place a few times upon recommendation by a friend who lives on Tybee Island. Their food was the BEST… too bad the place burned down. BTW, I’m from Michigan

    Reply
  13. juliw's avatarjuliw

    Love your photo of the sign. I remember going there as a little girl (we moved away when I was 12) and had hoped to return one day. Thank you for sharing the photo.

    Reply

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