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Read our Gulf Shores / Orange Beach Restaurant Reviews:

Big Fish
25814 Canal Rd.
Orange Beach Al 36561
Tel:251-981-5516
Fax:251-981-7186
www.bigfishrestaurantbar.com

Fine dining in Orange Beach...Located near the junction of Canal Rd and 161 in a small strip shop-center. Good food, good atmosphere. Can't go wrong dining here. They are trying hard. We have had two full meals and appetizers & drinks another occasion. Our first meal was on opening night. Can you imagine ! It was packed but they pulled it off. Our food was fantastic. The service was great. This was the former location of the VIP, a drinks and dance spot. Now the former stage is an open kitchen. It is so small I don't know how they do what they do. But they do it great. Try the appetizer mini-ribs. They are oddly black and surprising.

Big Fish has re-vamped the recipe of the crab fritters and now they are wonderful. Like little crisp balls with creamy crab goo inside. Big Fish is experimenting with bringing in these big up north Yankee oysters that they are all so excited about. You may love them. They have a clean, slightly salty taste. These oysters do not have the creamy/buttery taste of our Gulf oysters. Both are good, just know what you are ordering.

Big Fish has a nice bar and you can get any of the great dishes served to you there. Try one of their killer choclate martinis !

At lunch they offer a limited menu, not cheap. No rolls no bread no crackers. My gumbo lacked any seafood and had delicious broth base with mostly celery and onions. My cup of gumbo had one little sliver of sausage. The Gaspacho was chilled and wonderful. Big Fish is great about splitting your dish in the kitchen and bringing out 2 nice plates. We had a split Seafood Fried Rice (great) and a Crabcake Salad (great).

On other occasiona we have had the VIP hamburger...great w/ the super crispy sweet potato French fries. My cup of la-de-da mushroom bisque was good.

If you go, ask for my good buddy... waiter Will and tip BIG please. Print the Coupon.

Niki's Seafood Restaurant
22641 Hwy 180 (Canal Road)
Orange Beach, AL
Ph 251-974-5659

Almost the first thing you see when you take Canal Road from Gulf Shores towards Orange Beach. Been around for 30 years. Sometimes Niki's would close in winter. Now operated by entheuisiastic young folks who --get this--the good news--offer Thai dishes along with the usual fare. We stopped in and were gad we did. Our chicken Pad Thai was delicious and comes with just enough heat to tingle your tongue. It is available as shrimp Pad Thai too. The Tom Yum soup was really great. It too has a bit of heat but you can order it without (but you'll miss out on half the fun) . The Crispy Shrimp Rolls are small egg rolls with shrimp tails peeking out and served with a tangy sauce.

We were told by another customer that the Niki's Special Salad is really good but we have not tried it yet. Will soon. Note:2010-not open for lunch any longer.

Doc's Seafood Shack
1140 Gulf Shores Parkway
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
(251) 967-4800

These folks sure know how tro do some good fryin'. The menu is ole Gulf Shores/Orange Beach fav's, mostly fried, and it was good. The wait staff was hard working and efficient.

One of us had a plate of the friend oysters and thought maybe it was the best friend oysters ever.

I had the Doc's Shrimp Salad w/Grilled Shrimp and it was really good too.

This is a place for tourists, it is close to the beach and it is not a 'fine dining' experience. I don't thnk anyone expects it to be with the name "Shack" ...we have not tried the Orange Beach, Canal Rd. location in about 25 years. It has long served some kind of seafood buffet, I think we took the kids there once for that 25 yrs ago. We all know what to expect from buffets :o(
You get what you pay for...

Go to Doc's for stuff like PoBoys, Fried Shrimp, Fried Oysters, etc..and you won't be dissappointed. Just dont expect fancy-pancy food. The sides include what appeared to be small chunks of previously frozen corn on the cob.

This place has a high "fried quotient" and high "high-chair" quotient but is a family fav from way back..

Ocean's Restaurant

15849 Fort Morgan Road
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
(Next to Chevron)
ph 251-968-5441

Good Food, Nice Atmosphere...

This location on Fort Morgan Rd has been numerous restaurants in last few years but now Oceans has arrived and it is miles above all other attempts in this spot. The new owners have past restaurant experience on Ft. Morgan, they own a pizza place way down near the end, and the wife was restaurant manager for 3 years at the Ocean's location. Ocean's has a sprightly all new interior. The menu has dinner entrees ranging from $11.99 to $38.99 for a surf and turf dish. We tried the Shrimp and Scallops Skewers which came with incredibly delicious pecan topped mashed sweet potatoes and perfectly prepared squash and broccoli.

The "Blackened Snapper Laffite" is a nod to Sun Place Else which occupied the location a while back. This fish fillet covered in a shrimp, onion, pepper cream sauce was always a favorite. It was as good as ever. We hope that they revive the cole slaw and tartar sauce recipes from Sun Place Else 2. Service was excellent.

On another occasion we tried the Ahi Tuna appetizer and it was wonderful. For my entree I ordered the beef filet, Filet Mignon 8 oz. served with mashed potatos and asparagus. When I order it, I asked for their good sweet potatos in place of themashed potatos. The waitress said that the chef wouldn't like that and he might not do it. I thought about it while she took my companion's order. I then told her that for $27 I think we can just tell the chef to give me sweet potatos, like it or not. She agreed. My steak was perfect. Wonderfully rare and tender. The asparagus were cooked perfectly and of course I enjoyed my sweet potatos. My companion's pasta dish was good. Skip the Bread Pudding. Too much stuff added to what should be a simple dish and it was gummy and dry. We like our bread pudding custard-y and moist.

Ocean's Restaurant has poboys, sandwiches and burgers but they only want you to order them from 11 to 4 :o(

We totally enjoyed our dinner at Ocean's and hope you'll give them a try when you want a nite of fine dining.

Owner Jeannette Platt

Always ask what the country of origin of any seafood you order.
Wonder why ? See the video further down on this page.

The problem is more than cheap prices that hurt the US shrimping/fishing industry. Imported seafood can be scary.

Happy Harbour Oyster Bay Restaurant / Bar

I give them a few months. They might even make it thru the summer.

We stopped in for a quick bite and a couple cold beers. Waiter was kind but untrained. Staff seemed a bit wacky. Food prices seemed a bit high considering ht elocation, etc..

Palms Bar & Grille
www.palmsbarandgrille.com
27075 Marina Road
Orange Beach, AL 36561-3557
(251) 981-1416

Located in the old Mango's spot above Calypso Joe. We arrived on a warm Friday night. It was loud inside so we opted to sit on the large breezy porch. The tables and chairs were elegant white aluminum and dirty. No one had cleaned the hand dirt from the chair's arms in forever. There seemed to be one sweet waitress working like crazy to serve the entire restaurant, inside and out. The result, very slow service. The food was ok, the prices on the high side. We really do get so tired of doing negative restaurant reports but why is it that almost no one pays any attention to detail around here but charges like they do.

Palms did cook our steak correctly. It was good. The so-called sweet potato hash that we ordered as a side (it is a listed side on some menu items) was not special at all. We expected the potatoes to be browned (due to the name...hash) but they were not, just a handful of chopped sweet potatoes. The bread that they brought us was warm but pale white, not toasted, no crunch. And to top it all off, there was a family with screaming kids playing on the porch ramp while we dined. The bill was too expensive for this meal IMHO.

The Hangout at Gulf Place
101 East Beach Blvd. Located at Alabama Hwy 59 & U.S. 182.
phone 251.948.3030
fax 251.948.3230
Not sure of hours
See Menu

Named after the old establishment at the same location many, many years ago, the new Hangout is just what we needed right on the Public Beach. It is similar to Lulu's in that it has multiple bars both inside and out, a play area for kids and a retail area in hopes that you will leave w/ non-edible mementos of your visit. The bar is well equipped and my Mojito was very refreshing with its mulled tender green mint sprig.

The Hangout just looks like a place for fun. The 25 ft ceiling fan is a cool piece of hardware ! It has outdoor children's sand pile playground to keep the chullin occupied if the grown-ups just want a cocktail or if there is a wait for a table or your food.  Early on we had some substantial waits for a table/food, but they have prob. ironed out a lot of wrinkles since then.

When the kitchen gets backed-up they have a cute & entertaining tactic of getting the waiters and waitresses to jump up on the tables for a dance number. A reader questioned the hygiene of this which we reported and the management fired off an email to say: "Tables are wiped down after being danced upon and before they get sat with guests."

Expect to pay a bit more for your food here, this restaurant sits on a lot of pricey real estate and has live music a lot of the time. Manager Jim says,"We serve a fresh not frozen burger that is 10oz beef patty, the biggest on the island."

See more Gulf Shores Hangout photos and read more here.

July 07,2008--went for an appetizer and cold beer. The Hangout was pretty busy but we got good service and my $12 order of the signature Shaka-Shaka Shrimp was very good... Delicious in fact.

Many more visits since, we have had good service and good food. They have some fun nights of music and special events, so check their schedule. Always go when the Tips Tops are preforming !

This is our favorite restaurant down here--hands down. Best food, best prices and it is for Grown-Ups !. Attractive and unusual serving pieces compliment the nicely displayed food and drinks. We have made about 6 visits in the first three weeks since it opened and tried different things every time and never been disappointed. The Sesame Seared Tuna Salad served rare is our favorite so far. The crab cakes are the best we have had in the area. Cosmo's appetizer crawfish tails come in a flavorful light sauce with dipping chewy bread--soooo good. The sides are great and so reasonably priced. We think it is wonderful to have all these choices besides french fries. We like to have asparagus or gingered greens as a side dish instead. The Black 'N' Blue Shrimp Wrap is very tasty and one person in our group who has had Calamari all over the world, including Japan, thought Cosmo's was as good and tender as any he had ever had.

Brian Harsany who has opened Cosmo's has done stints at several other local restaurants like Giggling Grouper and Bayside Grill but this restaurant that he has opened, we think, hits the best for providing the type of place we have been missing. Lets just hope he continues to keep low carb, intensely flavorful dishes on the menu and we'll keep coming back. Do everyone a favor and don't tell anyone you know who have the 'high chair' age family members about this place !!! This is grown up food for grown ups.

Not sure of hours, but they are open for lunch and kitchen closes at 10 p.m. on weekend nights this summer but due to excellent customer service, we have been served dinner late on occasion.

Made another trip back after skipping a year or so and everything was still fantastic. We had the Seared Tuna salads and a Seared Salmon salad and those yummy home-made rolls. Wish wine wasn't so pricey there. Bar drinks are not cheap either. Our $27 bottle of wine at dinner was just so-so and we couldnt afford to spend more. Have a drink before you leave home. For a while Cosmo's got so crowded it was always a long wait, now so manyother decent restaurants have opened that it is possible to cruise right in to Cosmo's again--yeah !

Papa Rocco's
Hwy 59 at 6th Ave.
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
(251) 948-7023
www.paparocco.com

Their slogan is 'home of warm beer and lousy pizza'. Well, the beer is actually cold but the food leaves a lot to be desired. Papa Rocco's is a popular hang out that has local musicians oftentimes entertaining the folks who have been coming here for decades. They serve a ton of oysters on the half shell. Also offered are various red sauce pasta type dishes. Originally, Papa Rocco's had only about five items on their menu and some people thought it funny that a restaurant would specialize in pizza and oysters... but Bill knew by the way they laughed that it was going to work. Since Papa's was the first in the area to feature nightly entertainment, there are very few local musicians who haven't played at Papa's.

We do not think the food is the main draw. In our opinion it is so-so.

Nolan's Restaurant and Lounge
1140 Gulf Shores Pkwy
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
(251) 948-2111

Look for this sign.

Joey Patti's Seafood Deli aka Captain Joey's
610 C Street
Pensacola, FL 32502
Tues-Fri 10:30-4:30
Friday 10:30-4:30
Closed Sundays & Mondays
Tel. 850/434-3193

www.captainjoeys.com

If you are making a tripover to Pensacola to get some seafood to cook or ready made delicious deli items from the famous Joe Pattis, then by all means grab yourself some lunch right around the corner. Shopping for seafood at Joe Patti' s is a terrific outing and worthyof an entire web page about it. Trust me, go there. Now for info about the little restaurant nearby.

Buy one dinner and get one half off on Tuesday's or Wednesday's. Boy-oh-boy this brings in the Senior Citizens. They know a bargain ! Around the corner on the right from the Joe Patti's huge 'seafood-a-rama' is a modest sized seafood eatery with quick, friendly service, and great prices. Captain Joey Patti's Seafood Deli is a bright, diner style restaurant very popular with the older set. -The menu offers standards like New England Clam Chowder, Shrimp Creole, Catch of the Day (which may or may not be a local fish, always ask) Oyster, and Chicken Dinners.

Shrimp Salad, Salmon Salad and Taco Salad are among the menu's salad offerings. We have not tried them but you can get a Hamburger or Cheeseburger too.

They say their Gumbo is like no other around and I have to agree that they do include more fish, shrimp, and crab than most restaurant gumbo. A small cup of gumbo is as large as most places's bowl. A real bargain at $4.50. Joe Patti's seafood sandwiches are full-on PoBoys served with lettuce and tomato on a French bread bun with your choice or tartare or cocktail sauce. I had them bring me some fresh onions too. The fried mullet was good but the hushpuppies 'take the cake' ..be sure to try some.

On the back of the menu is a list of items that can be ordered A La Carte. We ordered one Crab Patty just to try it. Nice and hot, it was a surprise to fine a melted white cheese inside along with their finely shredded crab mix. We wished that it had a bit more seasoning, but we tend to like things both spicy and hot.

Joe Patti's Restaurant has a Kid's Katch menu for those under 12 years of age. The under $5 meals include shrimp, corn dog and chicken tenders. They come with french fries or a side of your choice.

If you want a cold beer, bring your own (we saw others doing that), as Joe Patti's serves ice tea and soft drinks only. Check out the attached take-out deli.

Be sure to ck the website for coupon specials.

Ginny Lane Bar & Grill
4780 Wharf Parkway
Orange Beach, AL, USA
(251) 224-6500
http://www.ginnylanebarandgrill.com/

The Ginny Lane Bar and Grill, located in The Wharf shopping complex, is a welcome new addition to the local dining landscape. My recent visit on a weekday night proved to be a delightful mid-week break for my out-of-town guest and me.

Probably the first thing you'll notice when you enter Ginny Lane's is the giant 6' x 8' TV screen located above the Brit-style bar. Several other TVs are located in the dining area, but the mega-TV coupled with the food and selection of beverages is sure to be a hit for local sports enthusiasts. Also reminiscent of a Brit pub is the large chalkboard menu that covers one wall in the dining room. Ginny's has entertainment in Fridays and Saturdays too.

The special cocktail menu is enticing with a large selection of martinis. The Caramel Apple martini, a pleasant relative of the popular was Apple-tini, was tasty and tart with a hint of caramel, but not too sweet. The Lemon Drop martini was delicious and tangy. Large beer and wine selections are available that would compliment any toast of good cheer.

While looking over the menu, a delicious mixture of freshly milled red pepper, parsley and grated Parmesan cheese in oil with warm bread got our taste buds in tune for the salad and main course.

The dinner menus offered a complete selection of appetizers, soup, and salad. Main course dishes of seafood, beef and chicken and sandwiches provide a broad range of selection and price ranges. It's almost bathing suit time here on the Gulf Coast so my guest and I decided to split the meal. It was a good idea too, because the chef served up a generous portion of the dishes we ordered.

We asked our waiter for an extra plate so that we could share two of our dishes. Instead, he surprised us by serving our dinner and salad already divided into two portions, each on its own attractively shaped smaller plate and each artfully presented with garnishes. This gesture, at no added cost, made a big impact on us.

Our meal:
The shrimp and artichoke bisque was creamy and rich tasting. The warm salad with goat cheese served with the Greek salad dressing can be ordered as a main course with the addition of shrimp, grouper or chicken. Created with a wonderful selection of mixed greens and stout goat cheese, the salad alone was satisfying and the Greek oil dressing was distinctive.

Fillet mignon…just the sound of it makes my mouth water. The serving was beautifully prepared – rare; and could have been cut with a butter knife! A side of seasonal veggies, including Jicama, a Mexican root was interesting in taste and consistency resembling water chestnuts.

Dessert? Creme broule and coffee. Wonderful with nicely caramelized sugar tops with just the right amount of crunch. Yum!
Our experience at Ginny Lane's Bar and Grill was soothing and more than satisfying in terms of atmosphere, food and fare. Go for it!!

Another time we had a very filling meal w/ two beers each for a total of $38. Not bad considering the great service & nice atmosphere. The Chinese Chicken salad is wonderful and large. A bargain at 12 bucks. We had that plus a small Caesar salad, and shared a Portabella Stack (which is not really a stack technically) but it was great !!!

North Shore Grill & Deli ~ Hula Hula Tiki Bar
27267 Perdido Beach Blvd.
Orange Beach 36561
251 981 8466
In The San Roc Cay Marina Shopping Village
www.myspace.com/450478307

We have had several lunches at the North Shore Deli. They have a value priced menu which is nice. The sweet potato French fries are wonderful. Just about everything we have eaten there is good. We especially like it that things that are described as spicy are indeed spicy. We like the Shrimp Burger and the plate is usually beautifully garnished. The Sunday Brunch is a musical mid-day experience. We heard some good tunes there while we enjoyed perfectly cooked poached egg dishes like a tropical version of Eggs Benedict and delicious omlets. The $4 bloody mary was very good and pretty too. We wish they offered smaller brunch servings at a lower price. They don't so we usually split a dish. Surprise, you will be charged $2.50 to share. It doesnt seem to matter if you ask for the second plate upon ordering, wherein you may receive generous helpings of sides on both plates, or if you ask for a plate after the fact and just get handed a plate. Expect to be charged.

And speaking of charges, ask for an itemized bill. Each visit we were handed a slip of paper with a total on it, and found that we were overcharged after ck'ing the math. Instead of an apology, the waitress seemed bothered that we totaled up our own ticket and found mistakes. Restaurants just do not seem to be tuned in to the fact that they have an opportunity to make a friend for life if they go overboard to rectify mistakes or reward you for discovering one. Instead they seem to take the opposite approach and what they don't realize is that the negative experience sticks with the diner.

As usual for our area, inconsistency is the one consistent thing. Some times you'll get plates garnished with fresh fruit, other times not, even tho it is mentioned in the description fo the dish. When we asked about it, the waiteress told us it was no big deal and not to worry about it. She may be good at carrying plates to a table but they un-smiling waitress could certainly use some lessons in customer service. (Heard recently that she was gone) Since the fruit was left off all our group's plates, she could have offered us a little carry-out fruit cup or similar gesture and impressed us with her thoughtfullness.

We give them an "A" for good tasting food, nice decor, pleasant music, outdoor seating...and a "C" in customer service. Hopefully they will work on that.

Geno's Fresh Catch Grill
26651 Perdido Beach Blvd.
Orange Beach, AL, USA
(251) 975-1388
Hours:
Open 7 Days
Lunch 11 am - 4 pm
Dinner 5 pm - till

http://www.genosfreshcatchgrill.com

Note:

Moved to upstairs at Zeke's Marina

We have been there several times and always had a nice dining experience with good food. This place can be very busy at popular meal times--plan ahead. Geno's serves PRIME steaks--hard to find now-a-days. We have had Steak Diane, cooked perfectly, twin 4 oz medallions sautéed with Dijon mustard, cream, vegetable and house mashed potato--was very good and the meat was tender, tender, tender. Not cheap tho.. The sea bass with spinach, tomatoes, and capers was very good. Cajun Shrimp and Grits-good. The Creamed Spinach and Artichokes - with asiago cream is large enuf for two or more to share as a side dish--very rich. Orange Beach restaurant with the Island's only exhibition kitchen and the screened outdoor seating area is open seasonally. Can't figure this out: "Memphis Wings - grilled chicken wings served with Carolina BBQ sauce" --why not MEMPHIS BBQ sauce ? Rather loud, busy atmosphere with cheap chairs but attractive plates that compliment the food. . Better gumbo elsewhere, skip the gumbo. The servings are large here, consider sharing. Good wine list.

See our photos of some of our wonderful meals at Geno's Fresh Catch Grill

Fish Camp Restaurant

27121 Canal Road
Orange Beach, AL 36561
Phone: 251-980-2267

Way on down on Canal Road, past Hwy 161, on the north side of the road is the popular Fish Camp Restaurant. Stepping inside is like walking back in to old time Gulf Shores. Very unpretentious. Kinda rough around the edges...bar is filled with chatting locals...definately the no-uniform look for the wait staff...good friendly service...and some good food. One special thing on the menu is the sweet potato fries. Be sure to tell them whether you want them salty like I do or sweet and cinnimon-y. Real good hush puppies. They have turnip greens, but we like Mikees a little better. We ordered the baked fish Italian style and the Sesame Seared Tuna. My companion liked his baked fish. I thought the tuna was pretty good, not as good as the seared tuna at Cosmos. (But who's is). This is not a fancy place, better to stick to the tried and true standards. The sweet potato fries are great.

We started with a dozen fresh oysters on half shell. There was a fellow shucking them at the bar where we had a beer while waiting on our table. Might be fun for kids to watch if they have never seen anyone shuck oysters.

Good prices. Kids menu prices. The menu has advertising for local small businesses on it like cleaning services. Kinda quaint and old timey. We miss the old days in Gulf Shores.

Lunch 11-3., Dinner menu 3 pm to close. They have a buffet but we didnt try it. Sunday brunch buffet is $11.99 in 2009.

You hook 'em, they'll cook'em. $9.99 per person w/ fixins.

Don't get confused by the fact that the building and little development on Canal Rd. where Cosmo's Restaurant is located is called the Fish Camp. The original Fish Camp Restaurant used to be located there...now it is on down the street a'ways.

TipSeas Steam Shack
23479 Perdido Beach Blvd-upstairs ( blue building across from Phoenix West)
Orange Beach
251-981-8477
www.tipseas.com

We went for our first time for supper and to hear some live music. Both were good. The women who opened this small, upstairs eatery have special training in food and it shows. At first glance the menu doesn't look too different from the usual offerings but what we found was that the dishes have a special flair. The Shrimp Loaf is not your usual PoBoy. The tasty gumbo was presented in a delightfully pretty way with toasted bread rounds arranged around the bowl and snipped chives on top. We thought the Nachos were a perfect balance of ingredients and it almost felt like we were eating health food !

Tipseas offers lunch special severy day with a rotating menu at noon. Judging by the number of cars parked outside, their lunch bargains must have a loyal following.

My guess is lunch is a family affair but evenings seem to be a place for grown-ups, not so much a place to take a gaggle of kids.

We have not tried their pulled pork BBQ and are suspicious of any meat called BBQ that is not slow cooked over a real fire. We'll try that next and report.

Give 'em a try. Tipseas is small, reasonably priced, new and we hope they succeed.

Check their website for live music schedule.

El Potro Mexican Restaurant
25637 Canal Road
Orange Beach, AL 36561-5869
(251) 981-3400
Orange Beach, AL

Courtyard Cafe--in the space between Orange Blossom Furniture & other buildings one block S of 98.
251-943-9273
105 W. Orange Ave.
Foley, AL 36535
http://www.courtyardcafefoley.com
Lunch (Mon. - Sat. 11-3) & Dinner Fri. & Sat. (5-until)

I met a friend for a lunch date at Foley's Courtyard Restaurant. The approach is very attractive and has outdoor seating along the brick paved entrance way. I had a glass of very reasonably priced and tasty white wine while waiting on my friend to arrive. It was sunny and hot so we checked out the additional seating options. The cool interior dining room looked calm and inviting but radio was playing rather loudly inside so we opted for the back patio which has 3 or 4 tables. (Note to owners, replace the bendy plastic 'wrought iron' table we sat at w/ a more sturdy metal one). Let me say from the beginning, our waitress could not have been better. She was cheerful and enthusiastic. I asked what they considered the best dish to be. Two employees told me the Catfish Orleans was probably it. That is what I ordered and it was very good. That one dish probably had my entire day's allotment of calories, so if you care about that sort of thing, share one and order some veggies to go with it. Catfish Orleans comes with 2 sides. I ordered the homemade potato salad and 'Home Fries'. The Courtyard's version of home fries are big potato logs that are rather like eating a sliced baked potato...they are not coated and crispy like some gas station-road-food jo-jo's are. They gave me a generous serving. The potato salad (I know , 2 potato dishes !!...but they seemed the most intriguing side items to try) was really uninspired. It had no crunch, no onion or celery or herbs that I could find and at the very least it needed salt and pepper.

While ordering, my friend commented that on menus Mahi is usually written Mahi-mahi and he wondered why that was so. Our cute California waitress replied that if you got two pieces then you could call it Mahi-mahi but since their dish only included one piece, it was called Mahi. Made sense ! For his side orders, he got lack-luster buttered corn and slaw.

My carry-out of Cajun Crawfish Linguine was good but if I had not ordered the add-on veggies ($2 extra), I think it would have been much less tasty. The side Caesar salad was typically so-so. Seems no one knows how to make a real Caesar salad anymore.

Catfish Orleans $12.95 (Sits atop fried Eggplant and topped with Shrimp or Crawfish and Cajun Cream)
Mahi $9.95
Cajun Crawfish Linguine 9.95 with added broccoli, onions and mushrooms, extra $2

Overall we felt the food was somewhat lack-luster and could have been greatly improved by the addition of fresh chopped herbs and more seasoning. Doesn't anyone in our area use fresh herbs ? A small bistro sized restaurant like this has the opportunity to offer some creative cuisine, but we thought everything except the waitress and setting was un-inspired. We also think they could do better w/ the background music ...local radio with its continuous ads and blab on the patio where we dined as well as the interior does not add anything positive. The wait time for our food was quite long even tho there were just a few tables occupied. The Courtyard may be the best place for a leisurely upscale lunch in Foley but we wish they could work towards a more creative menu to bring food that's really fresh, bright and special to the table.

Tequila West Beach
610 W.Beach Blvd.
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
251-540-2588
On ground floor of Beachside HotelAcross from Bahama Bob's

Tequila's motto gave us a smile:

"Our business is your pleasure, because we depend on you, we like to serve you the best"

This restaurant is one of several owned by the same fellow. People around here like the Mexican owner and have encouraged him. The menu is typical Americanized Mexican fare. Good service, interesting locations, but nothing to write home about. Low prices for the beach area which is good. They do offer a large breakfast menu composed of the usual American high calorie stuff. We thought that the salsa dip had a nice rich flavor, so I think if I go there again, I will ask for a pint and pour it over the other things on my plate to jazz it up a bit.

The 'seafood' there is all imported, frozen. I asked and was told that no local Gulf seafood is offered. I asked the name of the fish on the 'Fish Plate' that I ordered, they did not know, only that it is imported. The meal consisted of two rather thin white fish fillets w/ the usual rice and beans. The Steak Fajitas were overcooked pieces of beef (Steak?) w/ limp onions, sliced peppers, a sm dollop of guacamole and some chopped iceberg lettuce and chopped pale tomato. The most interesting dish we ordered was the Carnitas at the suggestion of the waiter. It was slow cooked tender pork chunks w/ limp onions, mushrooms, spinach, peppers maybe. Watchout for fat on the meat, but otherwise flavorful, if not really special.

I suggest you go there for cold adult beverages and some tasty snacks.

Tequila West is partially built out on the parking lot sidewalk. We would like to see more little restaurants, such as Tequila, tucked into the ground floor of hotels and condos here.

In same building as Cafe Grazie shown on the right.

Three of us went to Louisiana Lagniappe for the first time since Ivan. The interior looked great, the service was friendly and professional. It seemed that the menu items and prices were generally as before. We like it that they will split an entree between two people and serve each a salad and potato for an extra $4. Our appetizer of fried eggplant, crabmeat and hollandaise sauce was crispy, hot and good altho the breading on the thin slices of eggplant overpowered the taste of the eggplant. One person at the table thought maybe it was a fried green tomato, so indiscernible was the taste of eggplant.

The special of the evening was Grouper stuffed with crab and shrimp and a sauce on it. We thought it was really good. Our salads were very good. There is only one dressing, the 'house' dressing. The stuffed potato was a little on the heavy side, sort of flat and uneventful. One of us ordered the stuffed shrimp which were very good and had a nice flavorful sauce. Louisiana Lagniappe is not an inexpensive place to eat. You do get very large portions, wait staff in snappy tuxedo like uniforms, cloth tablecloths, water with your meal and glasses with your beers but it will cost you. We noticed that they did have a small dish of hushpuppies on the table w/ some butter but brought no bread with our meal. All of us shared on order of bread pudding w/ bourbon sauce for dessert and it was ok--not great, just ok and none of us could taste any bourbon in the sauce. It had pecans sprinkled on top and I got one rancid pecan piece in one of my bites--never a nice thing. The restaurant does have a great view of the marina outside the huge windows in the rear and in warm weather you can sit on the outside porches. Entree prices range from about $15 to $25.

We have had two very enjoyable evening meals at Italian themed Cafe Grazie. The one thing that comes to mind first is great service. This is unusual for our area. We talked to our server the on the second visit and she told us that in addition to extensive training, the employees must pass a large test before they are allowed out on the floor. Even on Valentine's Day, with the place full to capacity and in the 'off season', the service never missed a beat. This is rare even in big cities.

We found the menu to be quite large and offers many dishes for those in search of something other than noodle dishes. On Valentines we tried the nightly specials, both entree and appetizer. Both were really good. The Fried Calamari appetizer with Marinara Sauce is well prepared and a generous portion. We thought the Oven Roasted Portabella appetizer was a little skimpy for the price and we wished the little piles of green sauce were pesto instead of the mildly flavored parsley. And on the subject of flavors, we, being folks who like strong and spicy flavors, wish that maybe the intensity of the flavors was kicked up a notch. To do that, they would need to use the more pricey imported Gorgonzola cheese where that cheese is specified.

The Veal Marsala entree was tasty but the included Spaghetti Grazie was pretty tasteless. See if they will let you substitute a veggie.

One very nice touch is the baked garlic/olive oil mix and fresh bread that is brought to the table. We prefer our "Italian bread to be a bit more chewy--made with a higher gluten flour, but just the same, it is a nice extra to your meal.

A real bargain is the Classic Minestrone Soup.

We tasted the Cheesecake and Tiramisu desserts--good--but who has room ! Maybe better to finish the meal with a steaming cup of Cappuccino. Cafe Grazie uses Community arabica coffee.

Entrees from about ten bucks to twenty.

Wolf Bay Lodge

BURNED to the GROUND--Dec. 2008...So Sad.

NOW operating at Zeke's Marina at the downstairs restaurant location--
Zeke's Downunder... and frog legs are still on the menu.

www.wolfbaylodge.us
Zeke's Marina
Phone #1 (251) 987-5129
Phone #2 (251) 987-5126
Fax (251) 987-5130
Lunch:
Tuesday-Sunday, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM
salad bar is not available on Sunday.

Dinner:
Tuesday-Thursday, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Friday-Saturday, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

For several years people have been encouraging us to visit Wolf Bay Lodge. We finally looked up the driving directions on Yahoo Maps and made the trek to this historic water-side family eatery. We went on a spring week night when there it was not crowded. The atmosphere is 'family diner', but on a big scale. In this rather bare-bones restaurant were lots of families with children.

The placemats are the menus w/ ads all around . We found the menu to be rather extensive with emphasis on fried local seafood. The fried crab claw appetizer arrived quickly and were perfect and not overly breaded. Another dish in the appetizer list and one that thrilled us was the sweet potato French fries. Next time we will ask them to skip the sprinkling of sugar, the potatoes were sweet enuf on their own. A sprinkling of hot sauce or cayenne pepper might be a better choice for us. Wolf Bay Lodge is known for great gumbo.
We agree that it is very good, full of seafood, very little rice (we like that) but we prefer a bit more kick in our gumbo, but then that is why there is hot sauce available.

The baked, stuffed flounder was wonderful. The fried shrimp & oysters were great. One of my companions thought that the oysters were a bit too large for frying, as they were still a bit watery inside. The side salads served with the dinner are weird. Be prepared to cut up your own ingredients. The tarter sauce looked and tasted home made and Wolf Bay Lodge served us real butter. We really liked the slaw, it reminded us of the old KFC slaw we loved that was made in a fine chop and w/ the milk dressing. The West Indies Salad was light, tart and clean tasting. We all agreed that we would have preferred a bit more seasoning in it , something to give it a little twang.

One of us ordered a steak. It was cooked to perfection , but even tho it was obviously juicy, it tasted a bit dry due to the extreme low fat content. We all agreed that it is very difficult to get an old fashioned fat marbled steak anymore with out going to a restaurant that specializes in (expensive) steak. You can find many diverse dishes on the Wolf Bay Lodge menu such as Alfredo, Polish sausage, Pork BBQ, Pizza, Frog Legs in addition to the various fish, shrimp, oysters and crab dishes. Our service was great.

We discussed that with the vinyl tile floor, hard surfaces all around and abundance of children and babies, it might be a bit noisy when there is a full house. Pull up in your boat or drive by car.

One of The Wharf's new upscale restaurants. Outside they have a roomy terrace area overlooking the Intercoastal Waterway. It has it's own bar. Inside: Maybe the sleekest interior in our neck of the woods. They are trying hard to provide an above average dining experience in the Gulf Shores / Orange Beach area. We have had one very good lunch there and one so-so dinner.

At lunch I ordered the steak sandwich and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was made from succulent chunks of perfectly cooked tenderloin. In fact, then the waitress asked me how I wanted it cooked, I was shocked. Usually sandwiches just come as they are, no choice on rare, etc..

My steak sandwich was delicious. It came covered in smothered onions and peppers on a good hoagie roll, but next time I may order it plain and add horseradish, lettuce and tomato myself.

Live Bait at The Wharf serves fresh potato home made french fries...a welcome treat. Hope they continue to do that.

My companion's salad lunch was a really large portion. Plenty to take home for supper. The creamy herb and blue cheese salad dressings were really good.

On another occasion for dinner, overall we had a nice dinner. The plates are nicely decorated and some of the offerings sound creative. We found the pork chops to be a bit chewy and my strip steak really did not have much taste, but then, I notice in general that beef has had the taste bred out of it in the last 30 years. I think it was just too lean for flavor. I'd try the tenderloin next if it were not for the price....so stick to the lunch steak sandwich for a tender, bargain steak experience.

If you are ordering seafood, be sure to ask if it is local Gulf seafood...I hear they serve only frozen, imported shrimp...customer demand could change that.
Live Bait at the Wharf is not the place to take a bunch of children, too expensive for that.

The Shrimp Basket-4 locations
Gulf Shores-251-948-7687
Foley-251-943-6643
Perdido Key-850-492-1970
P'cola-850-476-1041
Orange Beach

We had a nice lunch at the Shrimp Basket in Foley. It is located in the building that for many years was Katies BBQ. We were told that all their seafood comes either from the local Bon Secour Fisheries or another local distributor-(we always ask in a restaurant if they serve Gulf Shrimp or imported.)

The wait staff was perky and friendly and the food was pretty good. The Shrimp Basket offers a pretty large selection of items for such a small place.

We started with an appetizer of Steamed Oysters w/ Bama red pepper sauce and Parmesan cheese. Great choice--they were cooked perfectly , tender and juicy and the abundant sauce is great. It is reminiscent of a Marinara sauce but with a bit more zip. ORDER THIS !

The Grilled Grouper w/ Crawfish Etoufee over rice w/ shrimp slaw was good. it is a he-man portion. We have had better etoufee, but theirs is loaded with tender crawfish so we had no complaints.

The grouper was fine. Our other lunch was the Smoked Tuna Po-Boy--another good choice. It came with lettuce & tomato, but they seemed to have forgotten the pickle. This sandwich was similar to a good tuna salad sandwich, but with a better flavor.

The Shrimp Basket offers many menu choices for low fat or calorie conscious eating out.

Their Shrimp Slaw is really good--especially if you like sweet slaw and we do. We are very glad to see that. Monday & Thurs is AYCE Fried Grouper nite & Sunday & Wed is AYCE Friend Popcorn Shrimp.

The Shrimp Basket now as many locations. A new location opened in front of Zeke's Marina in Orange Beach in Spring 09. We have not visited there yet but all reports we get from diners at all locations (over several years) is better than average food and very erattic service.

Sea-N-Suds Restaurant
405 East Beach Blvd.
Gulf Shores, AL 36542
www.sea-n-suds.com
11 am-9 pm--7 days
Off season, closed Sundays and the month of December.
Valet parking available
251-948-7894

For months now I have passed Sea-n-Suds and said to myself, “ I need to go back there.” Saturday (3-14-09) , my reviewing partner and I finally made it.

We were pleasantly surprised that there was not a waiting line… a rare occurrence at Spring Break time from what I have been told. The view from the beach was terrific and understandable why it would be favorite to beach-goers. It's RIGHT there...on the beach.

The place was busy; mostly families – groups and after a look at the menu it was easy to see why. Sea-n-Suds does fried (along with a few burgers). The items are very reasonably priced...$3.50 for a burger (no fries) and between 6.95 - $9.95 for a seafood sandwiches. Seems crab claws were the only wallet breaker at $13.95 for half-order and around $18 for the full. This explains the kid friendly atmosphere.

The service was prompt. Our waitress was friendly, not pushy and calm despite the crowd. When asked what was homemade she clearly told us what was and what was not – Fried zucchini and onion rings are not. Tables were quickly bussed and done so quietly...a nice change that did not go unnoticed. The noise level low...we could actually talk.

For dinner we opted for the shrimp sandwich ($5.75) and the chicken wings ($7.50), a side of cole slaw, ice tea and a Michalob ($3.25)

The wings were terrific…not too spicy and plentiful. The mostly drumettes (small drum-sticks) were great, a meaty option to the boney wings dish namesake. I think it’s a better deal than real wings. They were not too greasy or messy and they were done…not half cooked. I recommend them.

Truthfully, the shrimp sandwich was disappointing. After being told the shrimp were Gulf shrimp, we were saddened to find popcorn shrimp on the bun. Although abundant in quantity, the heavily breaded shrimp along with a wimpy leaf of Iceberg lettuce and tomato made the sandwich clumsy to handle and eat. The sesame seed bun however was good- toasted, crispy, and flavorful.

The other highpoint of the meal was the slaw. It had a terrific creamy texture with finely chopped cabbage. It’s slightly sweet taste was wonderful. We recommend it to all cabbage mavens and those who appreciate a good slaw.

We found the menu sparse in terms of veggies and the salad bar unimpressive with iceberg lettuce and the usual fare.

Sea-n-Suds is fine for those of us that love fried…fried anything; but if you have a mixed group of finicky eaters or someone on a low fat or low cholesterol diet it may be a long night for them.

Gulf Shores / Bon Secour
The Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Now has a food/seafood market attached, have not been in yet..

Take County Rd 10 west off Hwy 59 just North of Gulf Shores--somewhat rural but easy to find at intersection of County Rds 10 and 49. ph 949-5086

Warning---It can get extremely loud inside, they need to do something about it.

We have had several good meals at the Tin Top. They seem to be striving to offer better than usual fare and are succeeding we think. The menu includes burgers, PoBoys, Muffalettas, salads, steaks, shrimp, oysters and there are nightly specials written on the blackboard. The AYCE* fried mullet special dinner that we had one night was delicious, crisp, non-greasy fish. The collard greens were not the usual cooked to death variety, but instead were sliced, cooked and seasoned to perfection and still had a nice texture. The Tin Top home made tartare sauce was especially good, but the potato salad was great ! The spicy grilled skewered large shrimp were perfectly cooked and had the hot/sweet zip we love. One evening we started with dark, rich seafood gumbo and a heavenly, creamy crab-corn chowder. We have tried the Tin Top Oysters on the appetizer section. They are rich-rich-rich and yummy with cheese, crawfish in a cream based sauce--very filling. The Tin Top's cinnamon-y bread pudding is a bit on the heavy side--having almost the consistency of cheesecake. We thought the West Indies Salad was a little on the bland side. But otherwise, the food at the Tin Top is much better than usual for the Gulf Shores area.

Little update: Mother's Day 2008 my sister was served the wrong dish and it took a while to have them re-make her dinner. We all waited while they did this, they then brought the wrong dish a second time. Whak-o. She'd have eaten the first one but it contained items she is allergic to, ditto the second one. Oh well, we didnt want to stick around any longer, so we paid and left. They never offered to take the wrong dish off our bill.

Hours of Operation are:

Tues. - Thurs. 11:00 - 9:00

All You Can Eat Fresh Mullet, Cheese Grits, Collard Greens & Hushpuppies with Ken Matthews entertaining from 6 - 9
every Wednesday evening on the outdoor patio & oyster bar.

Fri. & Sat. 11:00 - 10:00

Sunday Champagne Brunch from 11:00 - 2:00 and live entertainment from 4 - 8 on the outdoor patio & oyster bar.

Closed Mondays----Warning---It can get *very* loud inside.

on Hwy 59 across from Waterville in Gulf Shores
Open for lunch and dinner, call for hours
ph 968-9222

A small eat in/ carry out place not too far from the beach (where there was once an antiques store). The original owner was from Down Under and they serve some dishes in his home style manner, that is fish and chips where the fish is battered and fried. Not for people watching their weight. I have had good 'grilled' fish sandwiches, good slaw, PoBoys, and the Angus beef 1/2 lb. hamburger is suppose to be good. The Wheel House offers lots of choices for children...fried this and that plus hotdogs fixed in various ways. Try the sweet potato fries but ask them to leave off the sugar unless you want them to be dessert-like. All their sauces are home made, as is the slaw. The owners are almost always there working, so naturally there is better service and more care in seeing that your carry-out order is done correctly than usual in Gulf Shores. You often see the Gulf Shores police eating there, so consider it a safe place :o)

Pink Pony Pub
East End Public Beach Area--Gulf Shores
ph 948-6371
www.pinkponypub.net

Best to stick w/ the beverages only...

We went to hear some great guitar playing and wanted to be sure to have a good seat so we arrived in time to order dinner. We were told the kitchen closed at 9 p.m. and the music started at 10 p.m. The music WAS great, the dinner wasn't. Our Oysters Bienville which was described on the menu as having a 'seafood sauce' ?? were basically 6 half shell oysters loaded up with ordinary American cheese and cubed potatoes in a creamed soup tasting sauce. It was reminiscent of a school lunch. The fried oyster/shrimp combo PoBoy was served on unexciting, untoasted, mealy bun with limp fries. The tartare sauce was not very flavorful. The 'catch of the day' was ordered 'grilled' and while the grouper was fresh tasting, it was straight off the griddle, not a grill. We asked the waitress to describe the 'grill'--she described a griddle. It came with limp fries and store bought-tasting slaw. I suppose the hamburgers might be a better bet. We will try that next time. We can happily say that the beer was cold and Wes Jeans Band was good.

For a fun meal that is really good, drive to Pensacola and go to Global Grill in the downtown area. It calls itself an "Upscale Tapas Bar & Restaurant" . You'll find great service, diverse offerings, all beautifully displayed. You can order creative things in small portions so you can try many different tastes and leave with out being over stuffed. The prices are reasonable too. I wish Global Grill was in Gulf Shores or Orange Beach, we have nothing like it here.

A tapa is a delicious morsel of food that defines a lifestyle as well as a culinary style. Tapas in Spain are almost always accompanied by wine. The tapas at The Global Grill are fancier than those in Spain as a rule, at least in my experience. Here are some examples:

Dinner March 2010 Update:. Skip it-get better food and better prices at off-beach restaurants. This is a restaurant for the tourists. They do have good service though.

Good (fried) Crawfish Salad, LOADED with crunchy friend crawfish tails and crispy fresh salad fixins which includes hard boiled egg and a good dressing. The Mango Shrimp Salad is really good and has a generous portion of crispy, tender fried shrimp covering the delicious meal sized salad. We love the fact that our grilled fish sandwich came with two large bright red, ripe tomato slices and dark green leafy lettuce. Generally so-so food, but don't expect the jerk dishes to match the scorchin' zingers at Automatic Slims. Rather family-friendly oriented food, not too cuttin' edge and we think the gumbo needs work--tasted like beef stew. Nice front porch, nice breeze, nice owners, good service, great location--good choice for families with kids. Nice touch---they offer bland red beans and rice and steamed veggies as a side and no extra charge to substitute side dishes. We asked for steamed veggies in place of fries w/ our grilled fish sandwich--no problem and they were delicious. To Go Orders welcomed.

Recommended for families....and save room for their signature dessert-
Pina Colada Pineapple

Spring forward about 5 years-Mar. 2009-had lunch there last week, kinda on the high $$ side we thought but sitting on the porch across from the public beach was nice in spite of the traffic noise. I ordered two sides, the veg of the day was mushy school cafeteria quality broccoli...boring. The other one must have been boring too since I have completely forgotten what I had. Might have been slaw. My lunch partner had one of the lunch specials, a chicken plate. We asked about rolls or bread and were told there were none. Good service but very uneventful food at lunch.

This shopping center Japanese restaurant is a chain which is franchised. Four visits have both found good service in the sushi room, good food, & fresh clean atmosphere.
This is one of those Hibachi places where groups of people sit around a hot griddle and an enthusiastic cook tries to entertain as he prepares your main course. Kinda fun if you have children or the eldery with you or you have never done it before.

Otherwise, choose a table in the other room...it gets noisy in the utensil-flippin' Hibachi room. We found that the hibachi room is a bit like being at Chuck-E-Cheese...noisy and automated. Do not expect good individualized service if you order out of the kitchen and sit in that room. I had to ask 4 servers for hot sauce before I got any. By then my food was cooling off and one of the servers even acted like it was a bit of an imposition that I wanted hot sauce.

Ichiban Restaurant is one place where you can get tasty low calorie food around here. For that I am totally glad they opened. The Seafood Salad is a good choice if you want some protein and salad . The Sushi we have ordered has pleased all diners at our table. The seaweed salad is one of my favorites. Make sure that you know your server is clear about what you order. I have had a misunderstanding, got served the wrong appetizer. I wanted the eggplant and the fried rolls they brought by mistake, were overly oily and undercooked inside (gummy uncooked wrapper on inside. I think it may be because they are made up way ahead and the juice out of the veggie shreds inside saturated the wrapper. )

Next visit, I sat in the front room, as close to the entrance as possible, behind the picket fence. That is as away from the noise as you can get. My companion couldn't believe then volume of the noise coming out of the other room and he commented, "Next thing you know , they'll be singing happy birthday"...low and behold, in 5 seconds, they WERE singing happy birthday. But, I ordered the eggplant again, and this time got the right dish--it was not the slender Asian eggplant like i had hoped, but it really was fabulous.

Ichiban has lunch specials. I only wish that this restaurant was a bit closer to my home so I could grab last minute carry-out more often. It has potential.

We rate this place "OK" !

The Sunset Corkroom Cafe-The Wine Store--
Gulf Shores, New Location
225 East 16th Ave.
(The street behind Winn Dixie - turn east at Bank Trust)
ph--(251)-967-4773

Hours:
Now Serving Lunch 11am - 2:30pm  Tuesday through Friday
Open for Dinner 5:00pm - 10:00pm  Tuesday through Saturday Coupon

The Sunset Corkroom Cafe--see photos here-- The specialty there is all sorts of wine by the glass and offer daily Chef's Specials. I had a carry out of the special of Chef Rudy's Scallops which was outstanding and wonderfully spicy. The next day we ate in and had one order of Grilled Portabella Mushrooms layered with roasted vegetables covered with crusty grated cheese and a Merlot reduction sauce---HEAVENLY ! We also ordered the Grilled Ahi Tuna which was served over perfectly sautéed green beans, roasted garlic cloves, and small tomatoes. I have tried a couple of the other menu choices, but would stick to the ones I mention here. The food does tend to be a bit too salty, (several people I know have mentioned this to me) so you might ask that they be careful of that when ordering, as I have lately--you can always add salt at the table. They have live music on select nights--we heard some good boogie-woogie piano.

Note: Oct 07, they have dropped the Small Plate concept and last few times we went it was quite expensive. They do have a lot of special days for locals w/ wine specialprices, etc...so get on their mailing list for updates.

Lester's
24821 Canal Road
Orange Beach
251-974-2525

Lester's on Canal Rd in Orange Beach ! Gorgeous wood staircase (see photo) to the upper bar area. When they first opened the food and service was good, last few visits have been disappointing.
Vintage motorcycles are displayed around a mezzanine above the main dining area See photos inside Lester's and read more here. Lester's prices seem to be right in line with the other better restaurants down here.
And, Lester's serves local Gulf shrimp, not Asian imports. Call to ck music schedule. Print Lester's Coupon

OUR FAVORITE OVERALL

Mikee's a Place for Seafood
205 E. 2nd Ave
Gulf Shores, AL
251-948-6452

Mikee's has been a favorite in Gulf Shores since my children were little kids. I wonder how many years they have been here...they had to close after Ivan, but unlike other old favorites that disappeared forever, Mikee's re-opened with the same specials and what looks like about the same menu as before. We always loved to go on Tues. or Friday nights for the all you can eat fried mullet dinners. They are great. Always. The turnip greens at Mikee's are great. Mikee's is very reasonably priced family dining. Sometimes in summer too many high-chairs for my taste (get carry out you parents of infants) but perfect for large groups and all ages. The service has always been good and sometimes they have tough jobs when that place is packed as it often is in summertime. Try the corm fritters

Attention Moms & Dads: Need to feed a big family? One age-old Gulf Shores tradition lives on. Mikee's has been having 'all you can eat fried fish' nights on Tues. & Fri. since our college grad kids were little tikes. And the price has hardly changed over all these years ! It is a true bargain with crispy, hot fried mullet, & comes with choice of sides (choose the great turnip greens) & the special cornbread fritters that they only make on Tues. & Fri. nites. GO EARLY. Mikee's is in Gulf Shores, just a street or two north & east of the dead end of Hwy 59 at the public beach.

The Beach Club -The Clubhouse--on Ft. Morgan Rd.
Gulf Shores

Anyone can come to the restaurant at The Beach Club. Just tell the gatehouse that you are going to The Clubhouse to eat. He will wave you on thru.

NOTE: New Chef, New Menu, Have not been since it has changed AGAIN ! March 2010.

Jan 2009--Another new chef...another new menu....During this winter (2009) The Restaurant at The Beach Club has a new dinner menu w/ super offerings at super prices. During the winter specials, many mixed drinks are specially priced also the wine and beer ! Most winter entrees specials are in the 11 to 13 dollar range. "featured Entrees" are between $18- $22. Appetizers are $7-$9. First off, their crab cakes are wonderful...just like Cosmos' are. The light citrus Buerre Blanc sauce The Beach Club serves with them is a nice counterpoint for the succulent sweetness of the crab. Once a week, Wed. usually, is 'prime rib' night. Get there early--they had a BIG crowd of Snowbirds last night. We were served a huge slab of wonderfully rare (as we ordered it) roast beef w/ baked potato for $10.99. Might not be USDA Prime, as it required a knife, but it was very good and came out of the kitchen quickly even on this very busy night. One in our party ordered the Grilled Salmon. He enjoyed it so much on a previous occasion, he chose it again. The steamed asparagus side dish was well prepared, tender crisp, and nicely garnished.

Will be interesting to see what the new Summer Menu is like.

Summer 2008--Summers are always tough at restaurants it seems, here's the 2008 report: I was a part of a post wedding group of about 12 that ate outdoors on the terrace. The Beach Club seemed understaffed and our sweet little Russian speaking waitress tried really hard (for which she was well tipped) but the food took forever to come out of the kitchen, (ditto drinks) I mean a really, really long time, like hours....but when it finally did arrive, it was excellent.

We need to return and visit the Village Market restaurant at The Beach Club, now under new management since our last visit there.

Demand Gulf Shrimp !!

Always ask what the country of origin of any seafood you order. Wonder why ? See this video.

The Original Oyster House
Gulf Shores
"Overlooking scenic Big Lagoon"
701 Hwy 59, Bayou Village
Phone: (251) 948-2445

Over the years we have eaten many times at The Original Oyster House in Bayou Village right in Gulf Shores not too far from the beach. We have generally found it to be pretty good in the 'regular Gulf Shores type fare'--Po-boys, gumbo, fried anything, etc.

The menu there is a bit larger than some restaurants, but the offerings tend to be the pretty typical stuff. The portion size has always been good (I like leftovers!) and the service has been too.We do wish they would consider enhancing the salad bar a bit--it's OK, but not exciting. I am particularly turned off by fake bacon bits.

A "no-high chair" zone in summer would be wonderful ! It is a popular place for the fried shrimp crowd--and snow-birds--who flock there in droves for the marked-down early bird dinners in Winter. The lines form early in the summer.

King Neptunes
Gulf Shores
1137 Gulf Shores Parkway
Gulf Shores, AL
251-968-5464

www.KingNeptuneSeafoodRestaurant.com

Back to FRIED--you can get a pretty good cheap assorted fried seafood platter for between 4-6 p.m. at King Neptunes on Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores next to the dive shop where Little Lagoon meets Hwy 59. I am told that the lunch fried shrimp & oyster platter special is even better. Pay the extra $1 for salad instead of slaw, as the slaw there is the most boring shredded cabbage concoction ever. One good thing is that King Neptune's says in ads that they only serve Gulf seafood, not imports.

On another visit at lunchtime, the fried flounder lunch special I ordered with collard greens and squash was all very good. My companion said his liver and onions lunch special had no onions & the butterbeans were not good. We knew better than to order the slaw.

Click here to read about our recent evening King Neptune's visit that was quite comical....

Other visits, the Creole vinaigrette salad dressing is quite good. Fried fish very good. Sometimes the fries are not crisp...but generally about as good a bet as anywhere in Gulf Shores for everyday prices. Inconsistency occurs here as elsewhere.

Lulu's at Homeport Marina.LuLu’s Sunset Grill, is now called Lulu's Landing

They have spent a bundle. Owner Lucy Buffett has moved the 5- year old restaurant she owns with brother and singer Jimmy Buffett & investors to Gulf Shores. LuLu’s Sunset Grill has now opened in the old Southport Seafood building under the Intercoastal Waterway Bridge. We have eaten there many times. I am happy to say that Lulu's now has a marinated rare tuna sandwich that comes with some great 'asian style' slaw which is really, really good. Just heard that they are planning to change it to a plate dinner w/ fries and not a sandwich. When asked why, I was told that lots of people ordered it without the bun....I asked it they had considered that if someone was trying to save calories they might not want fries either or that maybe that particular bun was a drag. The waitress thought that was a novel idea.

Generally, we find the service to be good and most of the food pretty typical Gulf Shores fare, costing about a buck more than other restaurants. No raw oysters here...Lulu's doesn't want anything to do with bad-bug lawsuits. All the salads seem to have that really bitter lettuce and are not too exciting. Even though I like fried oysters, the fried oyster salad wasn't a good combo. The emphasis is on *fried* of course. Hamburger lovers like the cheeseburger. The restaurant is quite large and is overly popular. One of several nice touches is the outdoor kids playground. They have live music a lot--call to get the schedule, or go to their website. In season, it is way-way too crowded and people are nuts to wait with beepers like they do. Recent remodeling added even more retail space. Step right up and buy your Lulu's stuff right here folks, while you wait & wait & wait... See photos of Lulu's here.

Open 11 am - 10 pm • 7 Days A Week
200 East 25th Ave. Gulf Shores, AL. 36542
Tel: 251-967-LULU

Cobalt – The Restaurant--under the bridge, enter at Caribe Condos
28099 Perdido Beach Blvd
Orange Beach, AL 36561
251-923-5300
Sunday - Thursday 11:00 am – 9:30 pm
Friday – Saturday 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
www.cobaltorangebeach.com

Finally, after years of neglect the residents and visitor’s to the east end of Orange Beach have restaurant to call their own…and it’s a winner. Cobalt-The Restaurant unceremoniously opened its doors in the shadow of the Alabama Point Bridge in late 2008 and has plans to be the best on the beach.

Décor: Though, not yet finished, Cobalt has been designed to take advantage of its multi-million dollar location. A large patio with outside dining, bar service and boat slips for waterside arrival is planned. The indoor dining area is large with floor to ceiling windows that bring the Perdido Pass and Terry Cove to each table and the multi-level seating gives everyone a view. A nice crescent-shaped bar has a topside view and it was a pleasure not seeing a TV plastered on every wall. Comment -very nice; great view; a little noisy, probably due to the high ceilings.

Menu: Excellent

Appetizers ($8-$15) boast a selection of mainly seafood treats such as Bayou La Batre crab claws, Yellowfin tuna, crab stuffed baby Portabellas and lobster Rangoon (Florida lobsters, we’re told).

Entrees, ($17-$28) you name it they have it, even Bison! Catfish, Redfish, Grouper and Spanish Paella complete the seafood selections. Free range chicken, pork tenderloin along with beef tournadoes, Colorado bison rib-eye and a prime grade NY strip round out the list of main dishes.

Salads ($6-$13) with a twist make these garden dishes interesting. Besides the usual there is a Honey-Balsamic Duck salad, that features peppercorned seared duck and candied Baldwin county pecans. A lobster cake salad and Capese salad complete the greenery.

There’s more…pasta – rigatoni, lasagna, and Cajun alfredo ($16-$18) also, a variety of pizza including a roasted pulled duck pizza. The 10 inchers go for $8 plain to $15 for the seafood-topped pizza. Want to build your own? Break out the plastic…toppings are extra and expensive- $1.50-$3 each.

The Cobalt burger headlines the sandwich list ($8-$11) along with a DIY burger, chicken breast sandwich and roast beef. PoBoys, a super grilled cheese, and a BLT & E (egg) completes the sandwich list.

So what did we eat? Salad and a poboy. Unfortunately they were out of the Honey Balsamic Duck salad, so the Lobster Cake Salad subbed for it. The two delicately prepared cakes arrived on a bed of beautiful tossed mixed greens. The Champagne citrus vinaigrette was tart and nicely complimented the grapefruit segments and pistachio nuts. The lobster cakes were ample and mild. It was a tasty meal and would recommend it for salad eaters with a medium to small appetite. The shrimp poboy was ample with a very generous amount of fried shrimp on an eight-inch roll with fresh tomato and chopped lettuce. Fries along side made it a good meal for a sandwich eater with a big appetite.

The wait staff was attentive and knowledgeable-it’s a new restaurant so people have questions. Our waiter did a good job on selling the place to us.

It’s a great addition to the area…check it out.

Popular with locals, who as everyone down here knows, have limited choices. Pretty much the same menu you will find anywhere, with the exception of some 'specials' that are fried, cheese, & calorie overkill.

Noisy and grimy looking, not much on atmosphere. There is bluegrass in one room on weekends, but the noise level is such that you have to be really close to the band to hear them.

The service, while attempting to be dutiful, constantly interrupted and removed dishes from the table before all diners had finished eating. The slaw was good. Stick to the fried or broiled fish.

Villaggio Grille & Bakery next door.
4790 Wharf Pkwy
Orange Beach, AL 36561
251-224-6511

A bit confusing as a shopping center has opened down the road on Perdido Key w/ the same name. This restaurant is at The Wharf on Canal Road. Opened by the same couple who opened Ginny Lane Restaurant a few doors away. So far, so good. They make their own fresh potato chips...yum...and offer an array of Mediterranean themed dishes. They do the wood fire pizza thing, have pasta dishes, lamb, soups, salads and things like Gulf Shrimp Artichoke Heart. I don't see anything spicy n the menu (alas) and it is not cheap. The Nicoise Salad Orange Beach Style (I didn't know OB had a style) was a bit of a surprise. It was separate piles of the various ingredients, not a mixed salad as you might expect. My lunch companion commented that she didn't want to do work like cutting things up and mixing when she spent this much on lunch. I on the other hand was thrilled that her plate was so big and she never takes home leftovers, so i knew I'd get to have it for supper later :o)
I had the fish sandwich ($12) which was delicious and I ate it all...

I am eager to go back and try some of the other very interesting sounding dishes like Lamb Lollipops, Mussels in White Wine, Persian Fold. .

Nice and quiet the day we were there...Leave the kids at home or bring lots of money.

It is so refreshing to be able to talk about some good food down here. Bahama Bob's on Beach Blvd. on West Beach in Gulf Shores has a couple menu specials that are better than the norm for the little local casual places. Their stuffed baked fish dish is really good even tho it is an imported fish fillet. The crab cakes are especially good. Very casual, "Lower the latitude-better the attitude" motto. Lunch specials, early-bird specials. Multi-tv sports coverage.

The Beach Hut  Gone

Guy Harvey's Island Grill and Shop
The Wharf, 4851 Wharf Parkway, Orange Beach - (251) 224-8180
guyharvey

Pictured above its the big Guy Harvey Boat Bar at The Wharf that looks our towards the marina. We have sometimes found it to be open for business...Call first.

In addition to the Boat Bar, the full service restaurant has outdoor seating facing the Marina and a big, sometimes very noisy interior dining area. There frequently seem to be large families with a lot of children in this restaurant.

Overall we have found the food at Guy Harvey's to be pretty good. The french fries are especially good. Really. Somehow they have managed to send good food out of the kitchen even when The Wharf has huge crowds due to free concerts, etc...and the restaurant is swamped. We still think that Cosmo's has better crab cakes, but for the most part, it is good eats at Guy Harvey's. They do serve Gulf shrimp,.. we have inquired.

Indoors can be VERY loud w/ karaoke, video machines and hard surfaces everywhere. Outdoors dining area is more serene, but watch out for large families and unruly kids.

We have had some very odd experiences at Guy Harvey's. One evening three adults, myself included, went rather late to have a farewell meal for the visitors amongst us. Here we sat enjoying our $20+ dinners while scores of unrully children ran circles around our table bumping chairs, etc..I calmly and very politely, in a low voice, up close, asked one of the dads if the kids could play at the empty end of the boardwalk while the parents lingered over drinks. At first he seemed sympathetic but soon after his wife asked him what I had wanted, they marched over to our table and pounced on us, half of his family circling our table like a covered wagon round-up, ordering us to go inside if we were bothered by the kids behavior and 13 year olds calling us names like "stupid old people" ...we went into shock. After we stopped trembling, one of us went indoors and requested that the management (what we should have done in first place...lesson learned) step in. They did and the roudy, ill mannered group left promptly. Note to management: keep an eye on the outdoor dining area and stop this sort of thing before it gets bad and/or put those formal ropes back up around the dining area like you see in most European waterside outdoor dining establishments so it looks less like a playground.

For a refreshing change of pace, order the Crabmeat Gazpacho at Calypso Joe's on Marina Rd at Orange Beach Marina under Mango's restaurant. It is low cal, a good value, cool and refreshing and loaded with crispy tiny pieces of vegetables and real crabmeat (they say). After several days of those wonderful fried meals, this is a welcome treat. Speaking of Calypso Joe's, we were recently served the biggest, juiciest hamburger I think I have ever seen--another winner.

Well, as often happens in the Gulf Shores area--inconsistency rules !! I recently ordered the above mentioned gazpacho and noticed there was no crabmeat (name of the item: "Crabmeat Gazpacho") upon inquiring, I was told that it was there, I just must not have seen it, then after the staff went to the kitchen to ask, that returned to say that they left it out because the crabmeat on hand was "bad"...well, I suppose they did me a favor. I asked if it occurred to them to tell me that the dish could not be prepared as usual and offer other choices, no it didn't...happy ending...they took it off my bill :-)

Now I see they have changed the name on the menu to just "Gazpacho"...hmmmm..

Ribs and Reds Restaurant
128 East First Av.- Gulf Shores, Alabama
(251)-948-7337
www.ribsandredsrestaurant.com

Mosty for tourists. The focus is on ribs and royal red shrimp. We liked the "Lonely Sailors Potatos" and the price $1.99. They were garlick-y and zippy with a gravy like sauce. Ribs and Reds has a large menu for a one room restaurant, which brings us to the next comment...one big room, noisy and zero atmosphere. The BBQ beans were good and seemed right at home with the red/white checked tablecloths. The potato salad was light and had good crispy onions but needed some black pepper. Our wet ribs were served with a fingerbowl and slice of lemon. Nice touch. Skip the corn...yucky freezer tasting. We went on a slow, off season night, our waitress was sweet and attentive but unfamiliar with the deserts. It is rare for wait staff to be trained down here in LA.

Smokey Blues BBQ
4401 Money Bayou Dr.--off Canal
Orange Beach, AL

251-974-2583

Nice to now have more BBQ choices in this area. First thing we noticed about the new, squeeky clean one-room restaurant was the rich aroma of smoke. When we visit a BBQ place we want to be enveloped in the deep hardwood smokey aroma. Here, your mouth starts watering as soon as you get out of the car. On a Sat. Afternoon visit to Smokey Blues BBQ we got a variety of carry out items to take home to enjoy...and enjoy we did. The pig meat on our sandwich was delicious and generous, tender and of the pulled variety. We ordered a jumbo w/ slaw and hot sauce. Now, I must say right here that since I was raised in the BBQ capitol of the universe, I am uber picky about BBQ and how it is served. I am firmly convinced that there is one correct way to serve a BBQ and then there is everything else. So bear with me. The sandwich would have been improved by the following: Toasted bun, a different bun, more slaw, the right kind of slaw, and sauce applied on top pf the meat before the sandwich was served. I found the un-toasted bun to be a bit too 'bready', sorta dry and not springy soft and stretchy like we prefer. This is a case where really,really fresh common white buns are champs.The slaw at Smokey Blues is a cabbage-vinegar mix. We like the fine chop, but we long for some mayo in it...maybe a dash of mustard too. We think a BBQ sandwich should have a generous portion of slaw, across the whole bun area, not just a dollop in the middle. Of course we think one should not have to ask for slaw on a BBQ sandwich, it should be automatic. Instead of a couple shakes of hot sauce on the meat and sauce like we prefer, we were given a little plastic container of BBQ sauce of the hot variety. It was very good. Perfect really. Thick, hot and sweet just likek we like it.
The ribs came with two sides and a store bought roll. We has slaw as one side and chose a concoction called Apples and Chedder for the other. Our ticket called it "daily casserole" . I'd have to pass on that next time. Smokey Blues ribs are of the dry rub variety. The outside was covered in a tasty well seasoned rub and the tender meat was delicious. We happen to prefer wet ribs, and it is always nice when you have a choice, but they give you plenty of little containers of sauce, so you could slop on some sauce on your own. We had a coupon and got a free banana pudding. It was so-so, tasted of cool-whipish ingredients.
The restaurant's interior is fast food style, and I expect they will do a good lunch biz. They are set up to serve various veggies and sides quickly. We saw some nice looking salads already made up and in a grab-and-go cooler. We like this. Staff was courteous and aiming to please. They had only been open for 3 days, we wish them well. BTW--the word "Blues' in the name is a bit missleading. They do not have music and they do not play the blues on the speakers, so don't expect The Blues.

Now, here are the basics of how we think all BBQ sandwiches should be served.
1. You are asked "Regular or Jumbo"
2. You are asked "Hot or Mild" . Hot is just a few squirts of Louisiana hot sauce, like Crystal splashed on the meat.
3. Tender bun is toasted on inside only. (no added grease)
4. Chopped, tender slow cooked pig meat is piled on. (chopped is best for sandwich, pulled is harder to eat)
5. Sweet sticky BBQ sauce is ladeled on top of meat.
6. Sweet finely chopped slaw is piled on. Slaw well seasoned and w/ a touch of mustard is best.
6. Sandwich is wrapped in white waxed paper, (no flimsy foil to get into our fillings) and the top flap is held down w/ one toothpick thru the center of the mild sandwich. Two toothpicks for hot.

You will need the toothpick for later and if you have a whole sack full, then you know which are hot by the number of toothpicks in them. And speaking of sacks full, restaurants should always offer the "6 Pack"..which is the buns, the meat, the slaw, the sauce for assembly at home.

The Gift Horse in Foley AL occupies a very interesting and historic building. It is worth sticking your head inside just to have a look around. But since you can't eat history, you might want to eat elsewhere. We went for lunch recently, out of season, and there was a one-price buffet. Looked like a good value at first glance. The cloth tablecloths and napkins are a welcome touch. While the presentation attempted to look 'grand', the quality of the food was not. My chowder soup had lumps of raw flour in it and did not taste like it was made with real butter. The unimaginative and bland food is of a type probably most popular with snowbirds and the elderly. Ditto the service. My companion experienced stomach cramps the afternoon following our visit. Since I ate different dishes, I was spared.

Harbour Grill
www.shippsharbourgrill.com
27844 Canal Rd
Orange Beach, AL 36561
(251) 981-9891

In the location of Bayside Grill and Fatbacks at the Marina just off Canal Road in Orange Beach. Great view. Good food. First time we went was on a crazy 'Locals Night' and the appetizers were great. We went for dinner another night and although there were many empty tables, we were told that it would be a 45 min wait, so we left. On the next visit, it was lunch. My Shrimp Salad Sandwich was good. I delibearted for a long time over what to order. When we finally ordered, the waiteress informed us..."Oh we are out of such-and-such (can't remember what it was)" and I am thinking, why didnt she tell us this when she brought our drinks ? I spend a long time deciding and it was an emotional decision ! Our waitress was proud to tell us that she had worked for years in one of Mobile's top restaurants, so you'd have thought she would be better trained.

My Shrimp Salad Loaf ($8.95) had chopped crisp bacon and soem good slaw. The yummy flavored butter and bread was a nice touch while we waited on our food. My compainion's Artichoke Ravioli w/ Lump Crab ($12.95) was very rich...too rich...since ravioli as kinda gummy to begin with, a lighter sauce would have been nice.

This is not a 'Before and After' photo ! I dont know about you, but I think this is a weird way to 'decorate' the ravioli dish (on right)...hmmm...brings back memories of the county fair and swirling rides :o)

GONE !!!! :o(--- Our new favorite restaurant --- MOSAIC at The Wharf.

Mosaic Tapas Restaurant at the WHARF
Orange Beach AL
www.mosaictapasrestaurant. com
4720 Main Street Suite m101
Orange Beach, AL, 36561
Phone: 251 224 7390
Mon - Sun: 11:00 am - 3:00 am

Go here and try these wonderful small dishes called Tapas. We ordered the Ceveche, Beef Empanadas, Seared Tuna, and Fish Tacos. All were great. Super salsas, great presentation. Friendly service. We were originally seated at a table but in the low light, we could not read the menu (even with our specs) so we moved to the spacious bar where there was great light and entertaining maneuvers by the staff behind the bar. Mosaic's Ceveche is some of the best I have ever had ! And I used to live in Central America.

Get some great grown-up food and sometimes live music at Mosaic in The Wharf at Orange Beach.

Mosaics is located along the Main Street at The Wharf where several other restaurants/bars have come and gone. They have added carpeting which helps tremendously with the previous noise problem in that space. Their decor is a cross between handsome and hippie make-shift. In addition ot the nice , well lit bar and regular tables they have some low slung lounge benches and a couple areas arranged around a central coffee table for Hukka smoking or something...not sure how that works. They have nice background music.

On a second visit, we had another great dining experience. The seared tuna was incredibly good as was the seaweed salad that comes with it. We ordered a shredded pork dish that came with a great 'power-vinegar' marinated cucumber. The pork was a little of a man-meal for us, but we took it home to make a savory sandwich later.

We tried dessert this time, the Chocolate Stuff is a 2 part goodie, gooey cake and a small scoop of rich chocolate ice cream sprinkled w/ sliced almonds. Even better was the Three Milk Cake, a Mexican fav. BUT...but...BUT... you HAVE (yes, I am shouting) to order a Mojito..nevermind that they are 9 bucks. Go between 4 pm and 6 and get one for 5 bucks...best I ever had.

Folks...we HAVE to support this place if we want them to stay open...we need this kind of good food down here. (I have no affiliation w/ them, except liking good food)

Too Late, it is GONE.

Gulf Shores Restaurants....Orange Beach Restaurants...Gulf Shores Restaurants

The Pleasure Island Restaurant Graveyard

Mientje's at The Wharf--GONE
The Spot--GONE
Coconut Willies--GONE
Jake's Steak House in Gulf Shores--GONE
Giggling Grouper --GONE
The Shrimp Boat--GONE
Sun Place Else--GONE
Sun Place Else II-GONE
Red's--GONE
The Spot--GONE
Barefoot Bar--GONE
Katies BBQ-GONE
Geps BBQ-GONE
Island Time Cafe-GONE
Captain Morgan's--GONE
Cazadores--GONE
'Round Back--GONE
Esco's Seafood Tavern-GONE
Angler's Oyster Bar and Grill--GONE
Zeke's Down Under--GONE
Hemmingways--GONE
Jalapenos--GONE
Wok on the Beach--GONE
Mango's--GONE
Island Time Cafe--GONE
Sip 'n Surf--GONE
Bayside Grill--GONE
Fatbacks--GONE
MOSAIC at The Wharf--GONE
Wingfingers Chicken--GONE
Indigo Joe's--GONE
Sweet Pepper's Deli--GONE
The Beach Hut-GONE

Gulf Shores Rule of Thumb:
Generally, the smaller the restaurant / the better the food.
(there are some exceptions, see below.)

The Gulf Shores Restaurant Humor Department

'Round Back Restaurant on Fort Morgan Rd
Gulf Shores

Laney DeJonge's comments:

I thought I would share 2
experiences at the 'Round Back restaurant on Fort Morgan Rd.

1. We were eating there and my boyfriend ordered the club sandwich and asked
to have no tomato on it. The waiter replied, "uhhh, I will try to do that,
but I don't know." Apparently he was having issues with the female cook
there. We pointed out how that would actually make it easier on her, less
work not to have to put the tomato on the sandwich, unless of course, their
sandwiches were pre-made. He said he would talk to her and try to get the
tomato off. When the sandwich was delivered, there was a tomato on top.
You have to wonder why he didn't take the tomato off before serving. This
wasn't a big deal, but it just shows a lack of understanding about serving
your guests as a waiter.

2. Another time a friend of mine was eating there and some people came in to
get a to-go order 30 minutes before they closed (they close at some early
time like 8:00) and the waiter said they couldn't do to-go orders 30 minutes
before they closed, but they could be seated and eat there. The guests
asked why they couldn't get it to-go. The waiter said, "we have a policy
that we don't take any to-go orders after the cut-off because when people
call in, they may not show up before we close." The guests said, "but we
are here, we have showed up." The waiter said, "sorry but that is the
policy". So the people sat down, ordered and received their food, each took
a bite, and then asked for to-go boxes.

King Neptunes Comical Experience-Gulf Shores
Casual Atmosphere, Casual Dress, Casual Service

We went out to dinner at King Neptunes on Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores with 3 out of town guests who wanted seafood. It happened to be the evening after Tropical Storm Isidoro had passed thru (9/26/02) not so all the usual places were not open. In fact we originally went to West Beach but found the whole area to be without electricity.

Our waiter in King Neptunes brought our menus and hurried off to the television over the bar to watch a football game. We then spent most of the night trying to pry him loose from the TV long enough to take our orders and bring out the food. He told us he had money riding on the game and it was 'very important'. One of the older ladies in our group asked him about wine. he assured her that they had wine and it was all "French wine"..she insisted on knowing what it was she was ordering so he said he'd go check, Upon his return, he told us he was sorry, that he was mistaken, the wine was all "Sutter Home". She decided to order some and he brought it in a little clear plastic cup (think airlines). She asked for a glass but was told something akin to 'Nope, this is what wine comes in'

When one in our group ordered a side order of hushpuppies, our waiter told us that the kitchen screws things up a lot, so if we didn't get it to remind him later and he'd try to get some for her. Sure enough, when our food came, there were no hushpuppies--so we reminded him (after waiting for a TV commercial), and he replied "see just like I said"...he did bring some out in a few minutes. When we needed anything we would fling our arms wildly in the air to try to catch his eye during TV commercials.

I ordered a Caribbean Combo platter. The grilled tuna was rare as requested and tender, fresh & good. The 'mango salsa' was not salsa--just some chopped bits of mango and jalapeno pepper. The platter's grilled shrimp were a bit dry and the fried coconut shrimp were good (Gulf Shores knows how to FRY) served with an unexciting dipping sauce. Everyone else at the table thought the food was acceptable, not thrilling. The 'garlic bread' is not very good. Everyone thought their fish was fresh and tasty. We asked, and were told that King Neptunes serves only local fish & does not serve any Asian imports.

The service was absurd and comical. When we asked for the check, the waiter showed up and handed it to me with a "Here you go Money Bags".....he later commented that he said that since I was looking in my purse and he said usually when he brings the check everyone at the table looks away hoping someone else will grab it. Maybe he thought we should just be grateful to find anyone to cook for us on the day of a storm, or maybe this is the norm in the evenings, most of my visits there in recent years have been in the daytime when the wait staff is more involved in the task at hand..

We did notice that he failed to put our glass of wine and one beer on the ticket, but we decided that he would much rather be allowed to stay glued to the football game than be distracted with our food ticket observations, so paid and left.

This one place is now called Doc's Seafood Shack....new owners I am told. The former RJ's Fishhouse in the small shopping center on Hwy 59 in Gulf Shores we had a crazy experience. When after ordering an au gratin dish, your waiter recommends that you change the order, since, he tells you that it is pretty bad....this should be a red flag. Our friends should have left, but didn't and stayed on to eat. Big mistake. My personal experiences there have bordered on the surreal--more akin to a Sat. Nite Live skit than an enjoyable meal experience. I ordered a supposed ginger marinated grilled tuna steak rare. I received an overcooked dry piece of fish with no taste of ginger. When I asked for some grated ginger to try to jazz it up--the kitchen didn't know what ginger was, the waitress told me after a brief kitchen conference. I explained what ginger was and eventually the waitress returned with a little paper cup of powdered ginger like we use for gingersnaps ! Along with the fish, I had previously frozen mixed veggies--that tasted like TV dinner food. Oh well, the waitress was sweet and sympathetic. Maybe it is much better now--don't know.

Do you have local restaurant adventures that you think others would enjoy reading about? Send us your Gulf Shores restaurant experiences and we will try to include the most entertaining ones on this site.

Memorial Day weekend, my sister-n-law called Sun Place Else II to order a carry out meal around lunch time...she was told that the cook didn't show up and maybe she could get some food later. My sister-in-law said "Girlfriend, I am HUNGRY NOW...." while she was figuring out what to do next, (one does not have a lot of choices on Ft. Morgan Rd), the phone rang. The restaurant had used caller ID to get her number and called back and said "we are fixin' you a hamburger and some fries right now that you can come pick up" . So alls well that ends well !