Where to Eat in Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Alabama

New to the map: Shipp’s Dockside Grill. Locations are listed geographically, from west to east.

The Beach House Kitchen and Cocktails

A casual favorite for lunch is the Beach House, a friendly local favorite that infuses a fresh, classic beach menu with Caribbean influences. Blackened grouper, a Southwest Cobb salad, and a stellar burger are all highlights, along with other customer favorites such as coconut shrimp, a smoked BLT, and Wisconsin cheese curds. There’s a daily happy hour with $5 appetizers and drink specials, but if you sit at the bar, the happy drinks flow all day and night long.

Pink Pony Pub

Pink Pony Pub is a classic beach bar, and this one’s been around forever — since 1956, to be exact. A bright pink beachfront building beckons with satisfying bar food, including super-loaded nachos, fried shrimp, and a customer favorite: the burger on sourdough. This is the spot to drink cocktails in all the colors of the rainbow, some not necessarily found in nature. Leave all pretension at the door and enjoy the fun. Kids are welcome — until 9 p.m.

Amelia’s Deli & Catering

Amelia’s is Gulf Shores’ go-to stop for sweets and sandwiches, a quaint deli run by friendly folks for nearly three decades. Try a club or Reuben, but don’t leave without dessert, specifically a slice of the hummingbird cake, Black Russian, or a slice of iced lemon poundcake. Love it? Get a whole cake to go.

Sea N Suds

Sea N Suds is a must for lunch while in town, a gloriously old-school spot that sits on stilts right on the water. You’ll find it full of happy families, usually necessitating a brief wait, but grab a frozen libation from the bar on the back deck and enjoy the view. This place is best for fried seafood — get the crab claws for the table to start, followed by fried shrimp or oysters. The salad bar is a throwback, complete with bacon bits, steamed green beans, and hard-boiled eggs. Tuesdays and Fridays bring a fried mullet special, a local Gulf specialty. The gumbo, a dynastic family recipe, is surprisingly solid.

Kitty’s Kafe

A great breakfast at great prices sums up Kitty’s Kafe, a simple, homestyle cafe tucked away on the corner of a strip mall, a bit more inland. The corned beef hash is a staple for breakfast, as are the biscuits and gravy. For lunch, regulars opt for the meat and two sides specials, which might include pot roast, liver and onions, or fried pork chops.

Villaggio Grille at the Wharf

Villaggio Grille specializes in pairing fine wine with Italian cuisine in Orange Beach, offering options between an upscale setting inside and a more casual, dog-friendly setting on the year-round patio. It’s the area’s best bet for modern Italian cuisine, featuring starters like calamari fritti and beef carpaccio, as well as entrees like 10-layer lasagna and a double-cut Duroc pork chop. Opt for well-crafted meat and seafood dishes over pasta and pizza (though both are great options for kids, in addition to a top-notch kids’ menu). Try the tiramisu.

Luna’s Eat & Drink

Diners love Luna’s for having one of the best craft beer selections on the beach — 32 taps and still counting — and a nightly lineup of live music. Then there are the Southern classics, such as tomato pie, New Orleans-style barbecue shrimp with garlic bread, and sides like braised collards, fried okra, and country green beans. The catch of the day sandwich is a winner for lunch on the grassy, dog-friendly patio.

Big Fish Restaurant

Big Fish offers something different in Orange Beach, specifically some of the best sushi you can expect to find in the area. The rest of the seafood-heavy menu is also influenced by Japanese flavors, mixed in with unexpected options like meatloaf muffins. Overall, it’s an unassuming spot that packs a big punch, and is a good option when you’re tired of fried seafood (if that’s even a thing).

Doc's Seafood Shack & Oyster Bar

Doc’s has been a hugely popular Orange Beach institution for decades. And while it might not always be worth the wait, it’s a classic bet for satisfying fried seafood, chicken, and cookout sides after a morning at the beach. Skip the crab cakes but try the stuffed crab, or go with a make-your-own seafood platter. And be sure to cap off the meal with a salted caramel Bushwacker.

Zeke's Landing and Marina

This iteration of Zeke’s is a sprawling, elegant waterfront spot that is a top destination in Orange Beach. Known for its raw seafood tower, shrimp and crab broil, and seasonal seafood specialties, including an outstanding whole fried fish served with Moroccan sauce. Zeke’s also boasts a top-notch steak for non-pescatarians. Enjoy lunch or dinner in the shade on the chic patio. Zeke’s works well for a family dinner or a romantic date night.

Shipp’s Dockside Grill

This new spot replaced Fisher’s, which chef/owner Bill Briand closed in 2023, opting for a new course at Little Bird in Fairhope. Shipp’s has a wonderful split personality, with two concepts at the dockside location. The Lower Deck downstairs is a casual spot offering seafood and sushi on a mostly under-$20 menu — the ahi tuna sandwich is a showstopper. Upstairs, the Upper Deck is fancy with steaks, seafood (fried and broiled), and a “you hook it, we cook it” option to serve an angler’s fresh catch, $22 per person, including sides.

Voyagers

Voyagers is a splurge, a white tablecloth date night destination in the Perdido Beach Resort, and a chance to try unexpected dishes like wagyu carpaccio, tuna tiradito, and broiled Gulf oysters topped with foie gras and smoked bone marrow compound butter. The chicken-fried lobster, scallops ala plancha, and furikake tuna are among the creative seafood entree options. Meateaters will be just as thrilled with the likes of the Perdido-stuffed chicken and a slew of dry-aged steaks.

The Gulf - Orange Beach

It’s been more than 10 years since this restaurant and bar made from shipping containers opened on the beach, a resort-like setting with couches and cabanas and a chance to dig your toes into the sand. The beachy, light fare matches its airy atmosphere, with highlights like smoked tuna dip, fish tacos, a shrimp and lobster roll, and the redfish BLT as top options. Prices are on the high side, but fair, particularly because the restaurant makes an effort to minimize its environmental impact with compostable dishes and sustainable practices. Dog-friendly.

OSO at Bear Point Harbor - Orange Beach

OSO is situated off the beaten path in the Orange Beach community of Bear Point Harbor, a down-island drive that adds to the adventure. Come here to catch live music and enjoy drinks in a laid-back, fun atmosphere overlooking the water, with outstanding sunset views. The best bets on the extensive menu are the simpler options, such as peel-and-eat shrimp, tacos, the blackened fish burrito, and the fried grouper sandwich. The creatively named “Parmegeddon” grilled oysters are spot on.