Best Restaurants in Orange Beach Alabama -the BEST places to eat at the beach. Dive bars, fancy white table cloth restaurants, and everything in between. Fresh seafood, nachos, pancakes, burgers, Bushwhackers. Make sure to bring your stretchy pants – SO much delicious food!!
Originally posted January 2020
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Pin This RecipeThe Best Orange Beach Restaurants
My favorite part of a beach trip is the food! Beach food is my absolute favorite. Today I am sharing the Best Restaurants in Orange Beach Alabama. We hit up dive bars, fancy white table cloth restaurants, and everything in between. Fresh seafood, burgers, nachos, pancakes, Bushwhackers, and more! Bookmark and pin this post to reference for your next beach trip. You don’t want to miss these places.
Check out everything we ate below. Have you ever been to Orange Beach? Did we eat at your favorite spot? If not, leave me a comment with your favorite spot so Chicken Legs and I can check it out on our next trip.
The Flora-Bama Yacht Club
Our first stop at the beach was at the Flora-Bama Yacht Club.I HAD to get a famous Bushwacker! Seriously delicious!
You can get the actual recipe for the famous Bushwacker here: https://www.plainchicken.com/flora-bama-bushwhacker-recipe/
Next up – appetizers. We got an order of the Yacht Club Char-Grilled Oysters. Gulf oysters topped with their world-famous Orleans cream, parmesan cheese, and butter.
We also couldn’t resist the Greek Shrimp Nachos. Fried wonton chips smothered in a spinach-feta-cream sauce topped with grilled Gulf shrimp, tomatoes, crumbled feta, Kalamata olives, peppadews, banana peppers, green onion, & red onion
For entrees, we got the Hand-Cut Certified Angus Beef- Ribeye. It was served with buttered baby Yukon Gold potatoes and grilled local vegetables.
Grilled Mahi-Mahi Tacos with house slaw, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese, and spicy mayo drizzle.The tacos were served with french fries.
Chicken Pontchartrain – pan sauteed chicken served with creamy cajun dirty rice and seasonal vegetables topped with a crawfish julie cream sauce. It was really good!
The Blackened fish sandwich is not to be missed. Fresh caught fish from Alabama’s Gulf Coast.
You can never go wrong with a juicy burger topped with bacon and cheddar cheese.
We were CRAZY stuffed, but we managed to make room for these Beignet Fries!
Looking for late night entertainment? Walk across the street to The Flora-Bama for live music and co*cktails. Who knows who will be playing. I’ve heard Kenny Chesney likes to pop in when he is in town!
Flora-Bama Yacht Club – https://www.florabamayachtclub.com/index.html
17350 Perdido Key Drive, Perdido Key, FL 32507
Cobalt, The Restaurant
Cobalt is a great place to stop in for happy hour. They have daily specials on house wines, draft beer, and appetizers from 3 to 5 pm.
Cobalt has a beautiful view of the water. Grab a seat on the large outdoor decks!
The bushwacker at Cobalt differs from other bushwackers in the area because they make the drink when you order with fresh scooped ice cream. YUM!
We sampled a trio of amazing appetizers:
- Cobalt Caviar – A refreshing blend of black beans, edamame, corn, red onion, roma tomatoes, and cilantro tossed in a light vinaigrette and served with corn tortilla chips.
- Cobalt Crab & Shrimp Dip – Hot creamy blend of fresh blue crab & tender bay shrimp with roasted sweet red peppers, Parmesan & Swiss cheese. Accompanied by grilled French bread.
- Firecracker Shrimp – Lightly dusted bay shrimp, fried & tossed in our spicy remoulade sauce. I don’t even like shrimp and I ate a ton of this!
Dinner entrees are served with a house salad or soup. Chicken Legs upgraded his house salad to a caesar salad. He said it was great!
For entrees, Chicken Legs got the Yellowfin Tuna. It was seasoned with peppercorn & coriander & seared rare. They served it over traditional Hoppin’ John with Louisiana Hot Sauce Hollandaise & chef’s Worcestershire sauce.
I got the Zydeco Chicken Pasta. Blackened chicken with spicy housemade tasso ham, sweet onions, bell peppers & fresh fettuccine tossed in Cajun alfredo. SOOOO good! I wish I had the leftovers right now!
Entrees on my blogger trip were this Bronze Gulf Grouper served over Parmesan risotto topped with sauteed blue crab & a Creole tomato sauce. Looks AMAZING!
I got the Free Range Breast of Chicken on this trip. Pan-roasted chicken served over roasted red pepper and fontina cheese grits with Cobalt greens and a Creole tasso gravy. I wanted to lick the plate!
For dessert we sampled:
- Creole Cheesecake – housemade Creole cream cheese with a roasted pecan crust, pecan praline & caramel sauce.
- Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee – Traditional French custard with a crisp shell of turbinado sugar
Cobalt, The Restaurant – https://cobaltrestaurant.net/
28099 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561
Luna’s Eat & Drink
We stopped in at Luna’s Eat & Drink for lunch. Since we were on vacation, we started with a co*cktail. Luna’s Tropical Splash – Coconut rum, muddled fresh strawberries, and mint mixed with housemade sour mix. Cheers!
Luna’s has a popular Meat & Three lunch special, but we opted to order off the regular menu. We started with the Beer Cheese Dip. A creamy blend of Swiss, cheddar, and dark beer. Served with soft pretzel bites. Those pretzel bites were DELICIOUS! SO was the beer cheese dip. I could have just eaten this and been happy.
Chicken Legs got the blackened swordfish sandwich and couldn’t stop raving about how good it was. He usually isn’t a fan of swordfish, but he absolutely LOVED this sandwich.
I got The Beerger – a beer-basted burger on a sweet sourdough bun with Luna’s beer mustard, fried onions, and Luna’s beer cheese. It was the same beer cheese on it as the dip. SO good! The bun was SOOOO good. We also LOVED their fries.
We couldn’t leave without trying the fried pecan pie. It was served with vanilla bean ice cream and topped with bourbon molasses.O-M-G! SO good!
Luna’s Eat & Drink – https://www.lunaseatanddrink.com/
25689 Canal Road Ste. B, Orange Beach, AL
Fisher’s Dockside – Downstairs
Fisher’s is located at the Orange Beach Marina. They have two restaurants onsite – Dockside/Downstairs which is more casual and Upstairs which is a bit fancier. Chicken Legs and I went to the downstairs restaurant on our trip. We started with a Bushwhacker. Fisher’s bushwhacker was a little different. It had a coconut flavor to it. We liked it.
We sampled the Ham & Scallion Hushpuppies and the Boiled Peanuts. Both were great!
Chicken Legs got the Gulf Fish & Grits for his entree. Gulf fish, stone-ground yellow grits, black-eyed pea salad. He said it was delicious.
I got Bill’s Yard Bird Chicken Sandwich. Fried chicken breast, bacon, pepper jack, spicy honey mustard, on Texas toast. It was AH-MAZ-ING! I would eat this again and again.
Fisher’s Upstairs
On my blogger trip, we ate at Fisher’s Upstairs. The upstairs restaurant is beautiful. Decorated in a nice beach theme and white tablecloths. We had a special meal prepared by the chef. They brought out several dishes for us to sample. The delicious food just kept coming and coming.
- Beet Salad
- Seared Jumbo Scallops
- Brussels Sprouts Side
- Fish of the Day
After eating half the menu, they brought out dessert. Pumpkin cheesecake, ice cream, and chocolate.
Fisher’s Upstairs was an amazing dining experience. If you want one special meal at the beach, come here. It will not disappoint!
Fisher’s at Orange Beach Marina – https://fishersobm.com
Fresh Off the Boat
Fresh Off the Boat has a great laid-back atmosphere with a super friendly staff. They have outdoor seating and live music.
Beachin’ Shrimp – Fried Alabama Gulf shrimp tossed in their famous Beachin’ Sauce.
Blacked Chicken & Sausage Alfredo – chicken, smoked sausage, red peppers, and broccoli in a savory alfredo sauce. Served with grilled French bread. The pasta also comes with shrimp and fresh gulf fish.
Beachin’ Shrimp Tacos – Alabama Gulf shrimp, coleslaw, aged sharp cheddar, pickled red onion, and their famous Beachin’ Sauce. You can get the shrimp fried, grilled, or blackened.
Shrimp and Grits – Stone ground cheddar grits with Alabama Gulf shrimp, Conecuh sausage, sofrito, and fresh herbs. Served with grilled French bread.
Even brussels sprouts haters love the Fried Brussels Sprouts!
We tried a trio of desserts. Chocolate lava cake, key lime pie, and cheesecake. The key lime pie was the favorite!
Fresh Off the Boat was one of our favorite places. It has great food and a fun atmosphere. They have extensive menus for food, wine, and co*cktails. They have everything from fried seafood platter, barbecue, and burgers. Their wine list is one of the best in town. Check it out!
Fresh Off the Boat – https://www.freshoba.com/
27267 Perdido Beach Blvd, Suite 105, Orange Beach, AL 36561
The Ruby Slipper Cafe
Ruby Slipper is a favorite in Orange Beach. I’ve been several times and it is always delicious! They have the biggest mimosa’s ever! Get one or two!
We started with the Salmon & Avocado Toast – Smoked salmon, avocado, pico de gallo & capers served on multigrain toast points smeared with herbed goat cheese and topped with a poached egg. This is the ULTIMATE avocado toast!
Next up were some pancakes and bacon!
- White Chocolate Bread Pudding – A breakfast twist on New Orleans’ classic dessert, buttermilk pancakes mixed with white chocolate French bread pudding, finished with a white chocolate whiskey sauce.
- The Seasonal Creme Brulee Pancakes – a homemade creme brulee custard layered on top of their fluffy buttermilk pancakes. The custard is topped with sugar and flambeed to create a caramelized sugar crust, complete with whipped cream and strawberries.
Skinny Migas – A Tex-Mex egg white scramble with onion, tomato, cilantro, pepperjack
cheese & spinach, served with avocado, chipotle sour cream & crispy tortilla chips.
The monthly stuffed French toast special was pecan pie. OMG! It was stuffed with pastry cream and topped with pecan pralines. It was to die for.
One other item not to be missed is the Pig Candy. This bacon is sent from heaven above. You’ll want to get one order per person – trust me!
And FINALLY, the Chicken St. Charles Benedict – Fried chicken served over a buttermilk biscuit, topped with two poached eggs, finished with a pork tasso cream sauce.
To die for delicious! In addition to breakfast at the Ruby Slipper, we also took a biscuit making class. They shared the recipe for their famous buttermilk biscuits with me. You can snag the recipe here: https://www.plainchicken.com/ruby-slipper-buttermilk-biscuits/
The Ruby Slipper Cafe – https://www.rubybrunch.com/location/ruby-slipper-orange-beach-al/
24151 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561
Brick and Spoon
Brick and Spoon is famous for its Build Your Own Bloody Mary Menu. One sip and you will know why!
We started with some appetizers. Breakfast fries loaded with bacon, cheese béchamel, hollandaise, a fried egg.
Bananas in Pajamas – Scrispy banana eggrolls & banana’s foster sauce.
Deviled on the Bayou- tasso deviled egg, fried shrimp & sriracha aioli.
Breakfast Tacos – fried wontons, chorizo scrambled eggs, romaine, sour cream, mango salsa & Monterey jack cheese served with french fries.
Bama Chick Benedict – biscuit, fried chicken, hot sauce, gravy and fried egg.
Stuffed French Toast with berry compote and topped with whipped cream.
Brick and Spoon also serves lunch. It is definitely worth checking out!
Brick and Spoon – https://www.brickandspoon.com/orangebeach
24705 Canal Road, Orange Beach, AL 36561
OSO Early
Oso Early is home to hearty breakfasts! You can swing by the coffee shop for coffee and a pastry or sit down and enjoy a leisurely start to the day.
Beignets served with white chocolate fosters sauce. Almost as good as New Orleans!
When I say OSO Early serves a hearty breakfast, this is what I mean!!
Bacon Bowl – braised pork belly, creole hash browns, collards, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and bloody mary pico de Gallo.
Bushwacker Pancakes – espresso chocolate pancakes with Kahlua chocolate, rum caramel, and coconut cream. Have mercy!
We rounded off our meal with fresh-squeezed orange juice, biscuits and cheese grits.
Whether you want a grab-and-go breakfast or sit-down meal, OSO Early is sure to please!
OSO Early – https://www.osoearly.com/
27370 Canal Road, Orange Beach, AL 36561
Playa
We stopped in at Playa for dinner. I started with the Pink Pineapple co*cktail. SO good! It was my favorite thing at Playa.
We got a few entrees to try. First up, the Chicken Pasta – breaded thin chicken breast, cavatelli pasta, lemon caper sauce, shaved manchego. I would have preferred this chicken to be grilled, but it was good.
Playa Gulf Shrimp & Grits – sweet corn grits, ham, and peppers. This was the first thing to go!
Red Fish on the Half Shell – roasted redfish, tomato & avocado salad.
It looks intimidating but it was easy to eat and delicious.
Playa– https://playaoba.com/
27842 Canal Rd, Orange Beach, Alabama
The Gulf
I had tons of people messaging me that I needed to eat at The Gulf. I’m so glad we decided to eat here. It was my favorite place!
We started with a few co*cktails, because why not!?!?!?
We started with the hummus. It is the best hummus I’ve ever eaten. The pita bread that comes with it is SO good! I want this right now!
The burger and fries are simple and delicious.
You can never go wrong with the fried fish sandwich. It was HUGE!
I got the Chicken Sandwich. It had two chicken tenders and it was topped with a yummy chicken finger sauce. I am still dreaming about this sandwich. I ate the whole thing! SO good!
Tuna Poke Bowl – Sushi Grade Tuna, Heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumber, Pineapple & Seaweed served over Sushi Rice topped with a House Made Spicy Mayo and House Made Ponzu.
The Gulf is right on the beach with great views. It is the perfect place to relax with a co*cktail and listen to music. I can’t wait to come back!
The Gulf – http://www.thegulf.com
27500 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561
Mile Marker 158 Dockside
We stopped in at Mile Marker 158 for lunch. co*cktails are a must!
Beef Tenderloin Bites – Beef Tenderloin Tips marinated and grilled, with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce. SO tender and juicy!
Crab Stuffed Mushrooms – mushrooms stuffed with fresh crab and topped with a creamy sauce.
Beef and Bleu Salad – Tenderloin tips, mix greens, sliced tomato, red onion, bleu cheese crumbles and ranch dressing.
Fried Fish Sandwich – ciabatta, fried fish of the day, lettuce, tomato, and spicy tartar sauce.
Shaved Ribeye Sandwich on ciabatta with caramelized onions, provolone, and horseradish cream.
For dessert, we tried the special of the day. S’more’s bread pudding.
We also couldn’t resist the coconut cake. YUM!
Mile Marker 158 offers inside and outdoor seating.
Mile Marker 158 Dockside – https://milemarker158.com/
4673 Wharf Pkwy W, Orange Beach, AL 36561
Pleasure Island Tiki Bar
I asked my Instagram followers where their favorite Bushwhacker was in Orange Beach/Gulf Shores. I got several recommendations for Pleasure Island Tiki Bar. We made a pit stop to check it out and we were not disappointed. We said this was our FAVORITE Bushwhacker in the area. It was SO creamy and delicious. I could drink WAY too many of these. The tiki bar also has food. It is your typical bar food. They also have live music. It is a very eclectic place and we will definitely be back!
Pleasure Island Tiki Bar
27844 Canal Road, Orange Beach, AL 36561
Voyagers
Dinner on our last night was at Voyagers Restaurant at the Perdido Beach Resort. It is fine dining at its best! We started with some appetizers – meat & cheese plate, wedge salad, and ostrich carpaccio. Full disclosure – I didn’t touch the ostrich carpaccio. I wasn’t brave enough to eat it! LOL!
For entrees, we had the Manhattan Cut Steak.
The Perdido Stuffed Chicken. It was stuffed with spinach, roasted tomatoes, and fontina cheese and wrapped in bacon.
The Wagyu Tenderloin was delicious.
It came with this Mac & Cheese – YUM!
We finished the meal with a trio of desserts. Bread pudding, creme brûlée, and a chocolate hazelnut panna cotta.
Dinner at Voyagers is a real treat! It is perfect for any special occasion!!
Voyagers – https://www.perdidobeachresort.com/voyagers
27200 Perdido Beach Blvd., Orange Beach, AL 36561
Buzzcatz Coffee & Sweets
I always make a stop at Buzzcatz on our beach trips. It is the cutest!
Buzzcatz serves the most amazing treats. Homemade pop tarts – yes, please!
Blueberry Cat Head Biscuit – this is dangerously delicious!
Looking for a savory biscuit? Whip up a batch of Buzzcatz Pimento Cheese Biscuits – https://www.plainchicken.com/pimento-cheese-buttermilk-biscuits/ They are amazing!
The Pecan Praline Cinnamon Roll is out of this world delicious!
Not into sweets? No problem! Grab a slice of their quiche. You won’t be disappointed!
Buzzcatz Coffee & Sweets – https://www.buzzcatzorangebeach.com/
25689 Canal Road Ste. A, Orange Beach, AL
The Southern Grind
We hit up The Southern Grind for breakfast before heading home. I had lots of people on Instagram recommend The Southern Grind. I’m so glad we came!
You can’t go wrong with their breakfast scramble! This Jalapeño Potato Scramble was delicious!
We also got an order of french toast & bacon! YUM
I couldn’t resist giving the chicken biscuit with honey a try. It was good, but I definitely preferred our other entrees.
I hear The Southern Grind has great gelato. I will have to check it out next time!
The Southern Grind – http://www.thesoutherngrind.com
The Pantry at The Warf
Don’t want to get cleaned up and go out? Just want to relax in the condo and have someone else do the cooking for you? Then you must check out The Panty at The Wharf. They sell tons of gourmet snacks and hot meals to make your beach trip extra special!
We picked up lunch for our boat tour with Anonyme Cruises from The Pantry. We had Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, fresh bread, caramel popcorn, and gourmet chocolate. The gumbo was made by Orange Beach Concierge and it was THE BEST gumbo I’ve eaten! We also picked up some water and some fun canned co*cktails. It was PERFECT for our boat ride.
We stopped in at The Pantry a second time for some charcuterie boards for our Crusin’ Tiki’s boat ride. I could have made a meal of this yummy meat and cheese board tray. SO good and SO pretty! We had four types of cheeses, four types of meats with fresh and dried fruits, and crackers. We also grabbed some chocolate and co*cktails. You can’t have a tiki cruise without co*cktails!
The Pantry is a one-stop-shop. It has grab-and-go sandwiches, pastries, chocolates, salads, and dips, and you can order large pans of various foods for a crowd. Make sure to check them out!
The Pantry – https://thepantryatthewharf.com/
4790 Wharf Pkwy W F106, Orange Beach, AL 36561
Where to Stay at Orange Beach, AL
Beachfront Rental in Orange Beach, AL
Our favorite place to stay in Orange Beach is Turquoise Place. The condos are AMAZING and you can’t beat the view! You get sunrise and sunset!
I have stayed in a 3-bedroom and a 4-bedroom condo. They are both fabulous! You can see photos of the 4-bedroom and the 3-bedroom on this post: https://www.plainchicken.com/turquoise-place-by-spectrum-resorts/
I also have a video tour of the 4-bedroom and the PENTHOUSE! If you stay in the penthouse, invite me!! Pretty please!
Thank you to the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism Board for hosting me on this trip. The tourism board planned and paid for part of the trip. I was not asked to share the trip on the blog. I chose to share the trip because we had a great time and thought my readers would enjoy reading about the trip.
What are your favorite places to eat in Orange Beach? What should I add to my list?!?!??! Let me know in the comments!
Steph
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