Tubby’s Tankhouse Thunderbolt

2909 River Dr, Thunderbolt, Georgia

(912) 354-9040

When you live close to both a large river and the ocean, fresh seafood becomes a staple in your diet. I have had good fresh seafood before, mostly when I visit the beach, but this is the first time I feel like I can trust the quality seafood local to my home.

Tubby’s Tankhouse has two locations in the Savannah area, one on River Street and one in Thunderbolt, a town on the river at the eastern edge of Savannah. We decided to visit the Thunderbolt location, mainly to stay away from all the touristy spots on River Street. The location in Thunderbolt has an outdoor patio for dog-friendly dining, and offers live music on some nights.

Once the dogs and I arrived in Thunderbolt, we discovered the patio area at Tubby’s Tankhouse is first-come, first-serve. In other words, there was no list on which to put your name. The dogs and I were relegated to sitting on a bench to the side, waiting to swoop in like vultures on the first abandoned table. In the meantime, I procured a beer from the outside bar.

After only about five minutes of waiting, a group of diners exited, leaving us with a high-top table. While I enjoy sitting at taller tables, it creates issues when dining with canines. Hefner and Charlie kept wanting to run around and sniff everyone’s food, as they felt they were just sitting out in the open in the middle of the patio anyway.

The patio at Tubby’s Tankhouse is wooden, surrounding a large tree planted in the center and sprouting through the deck and roof. Though we were sitting as such a tall table, the waitresses seemed to have no problem ignoring our presence. Finally, we were able to flag someone down for some menus.

After we ordered drinks, a low-top table with rocking chairs for seating opened up next to the rail, and the dogs and I were able to relocate to more agreeable accommodations. There is a wooden bench all the way around the patio, which provides a good place to tie the leashes. However, you should still be watchful of sudden dog movement, as the tables aren’t too sturdy and rogue dog could tip over drinks (party foul).

There were several signature drinks on the menu, though I was warned by the bartender that “nothing frozen” would be an option, as the machine was broken. Tubby’s Tankhouse also has a decent list of beers (both on tap and in a bottle/can) and wines, and Happy Hour prices are in effect from 4-7 every day.

Tubby’s Tankhouse seems to be sponsored by Dixie Southern vodka from Charleston, as many of their drinks featured the spirit. I was most intrigued by the “Tankhouse Cooler” ($7), which included Dixie vodka and different fruit juices. It was refreshing, but there was nothing particularly special about it.

The menu mentioned that the bacon-wrapped scallops ($11.99) are a “Tubby’s Original,” and I’m pretty sure I’ve never met a strip of bacon I haven’t liked, so I ordered them. They came with a spicy Thai peanut sauce that they didn’t really need. However, they were pretty tasty, and the dogs enjoyed the bits of bacon I offered.

The Tubby’s Tankhouse menu has a large selection of appetizers, salads, soups (including “Thunderbolt’s best chili bowl” and “award-winning crab stew”), sandwiches, and seafood and steak entrees. Be aware that some items are “market price,” so it isn’t always easy to stay on a budget here.

On our visit, the fish specials included red snapper, yellowfin tuna, and salmon (all market price). I decided to order the grilled fresh fish salad bowl with salmon (market price, which turned out to be $14.99). It comes in a tortilla bowl with a creamy horseradish dressing. The salad was good, but I’m not sure there was any of the dressing on there. By the time I saw the waitress again to ask for some, I was almost done with my food.

The dogs seemed to enjoy Tubby’s Tankhouse, because there were plenty of people to pet them and show them attention. We noticed one other dog on the patio, but he wasn’t in our same area. Be aware, the tables on the patio are pretty close together, so it can be hard to keep dogs contained in your own table area. If you don’t mind the slow service, the patio is a good dog-friendly option for enjoying that fresh catch.