By Alaina Loughridge - Photos by Wen Mcnally
Wet Willie’s
It’s always fun to go do the Food Spy! Especially somewhere that is not
specifically known for their food, but more for their frozen daiquiris. Well, I
am delighted to set the record straight on this daiquiri bar’s kitchen! Once
again, with our intrepid photographer, Wen McNally, and my lovely assistant,
Jimmy Prosser, at my side, we ventured out to Wet Willie’s on Tybrisa to get
the scoop. Manager, Sean Ensign, was prepped and waiting for our arrival,
along with one of the best servers on Tybee, Tonya Lee (and just to take a
moment to wax lyrical about Tonya Lee, this lady was bad ass!!!! She can
literally run food, drinks and balance a Carmen Miranda do on her head while
looking like it’s no problem whatsoever!!). She is amazing!!
As it was still morning,
our first course was
French Toast with
Home Fries. We added
bacon to it because we
could. Their French Toast
will actually make you
like breakfast again. It
was just like Grammy
used to make back in
the day. Their home
fries are cubed, seasoned potatoes and the bacon! That bacon is smoked
cherry wood and they grill fry it. It is simply the best bacon in all of the
14 TYBEE BEACHCOMBER | MAY 2018
land. Very reasonably
priced, you will welcome
breakfast back into your
life happily! Breakfast
is, after all, the most
important meal of the day
(especially if you can get
a daiquiri with it).
One cannot really truly
dine anywhere without
ordering an appetizer. I
mean, if you are going to do it, do it right. We ordered their Giant Onion
Rings and no lie, I could have worn one as a necklace had I wanted to be
chased down the street
by everyone. Dipped in a
Panko batter and served
with a tangy, sweet
Dijon dipping sauce and
a lemon wedge, those
O Rings will get you in
the mood to throw your
diet out the window and
chow down.
Next up was the Willy Philly. This big old sloppy yummy town is served
on a toasted (yet somehow still fluffy) Brioche bun. Tons of meat with both
Provolone and American
cheeses and onions,
it was a mess of good
times! Make sure you
ask for extra napkins
because you are going
to need them. All of the
sandwiches are served
with fries (crispy coat)
or kettle chips. We got
the fries because fries
are good for you. Along with the Willy Philly we had to have a cocktail (hey,
it was five o’clock in my mind). Sex on the Beach was ordered and was a
perfect fit!
Next up was the Chicken Slider. Now, I’m relatively new to this whole
“Slider” experience. What does it mean and why is it called that? No
more. I now know what I have been missing - those Chicken Sliders were
phenomenal!! And there is really nothing to them! Crispy fried chicken with
romaine lettuce, throw in some sliced pickle on a little fluffy bun and you
have solid gold! That slider was the best thing ever!!! It didn’t even need
mayo or mustard. You can add that if you want, but why ruin something so
perfect??? The chicken was crunchy and juicy in all the right places. Wen,
Jimmy and I exchanged eye glances that need no words, but said it all: Can
we get more?
At this point in the game, we were still solid hanging in, although thinking
about fading fast. Another slushy was ordered (The Monster Melon) and the
three of us were getting our second wind and feeling happy and confident and
ready for whatever Sean had lined up for us and oh my! It was a Build Your
Own cheeseburger: A ½ pound of high grade Angus hand-pattied exquisite
shove-into-your-face perfection! We added jalapenos, sautéed onions and
that BACON!! (I wanted to add blue cheese crumbles but was shut down.)
I am hugely biased on my cheeseburger scene, but no lie, the Wet Willie’s
Burger is hands down a five-star daiquiri dining experience!!! That monster
never stood a chance between the three of us! I am so looking forward
to going back
for that bad boy
and this time I
am adding blue
cheese crumbs,
along with
extra bacon,
and I am going
to add some
BBQ sauce
and a necklace
hanging O Ring
too!!! While I
am at it, I am going to order a Call A Cab. I will then order a stretcher to assist
me out of the building, but it is going to be worth every second!!!
Sigh. So happy with everything from breakfast to dinner! Y’all have to go to
Wet Willies for food! The daiquiris for me were simply a happy ending, but
for you they could just be the start to getting your happy on! Wet Willie’s
is located at 16 Tybrisa Street and is open Sunday through Thursday from
9am to 12am, with the kitchen closing at 11pm. Friday and Saturday 9am to
1am, with the kitchen closing at midnight. Breakfast is served daily from 9
to 11am. If you have any questions, feel free to call them at 912-786-5611.
Managers Sean Ensign and Ellie Rosen are always available to assist and
their bartenders and servers are top notch! Now I’m signing out! That bacon
is screaming my name!