Places to Eat in Gulf Shores Alabama

Places to Eat in Gulf Shores Alabama – the BEST restaurants to eat at the beach. Dive bars, fancy white table cloth restaurants and everything in between. Make sure to bring your stretchy pants – SO much delicious food!!

Originally posted January 5, 2019

The Best Gulf Shores Restaurants

Gulf Shores is quickly becoming one of our favorite beaches. We’ve been down a total of four times now and are already planning our next trip. We ate SO much food! It was a tough job, but we did it for YOU! We wanted to be able to tell you all the best places to eat when you head down to the Gulf Shores area for Spring Break and Summer Vacations.

Gulf Shores offers some of the best food on the Gulf Coast! We hit up dive bars, fancy white table cloth restaurants, and everything in between. Breakfast, nachos, chicken sandwiches, fish tacos, steaks, and SOOOO much more.

Check out everything we ate below. Have you ever been to Gulf Shores? Did we eat at your favorite place? If not, leave me a comment with your favorite spot so Chicken Legs and I can check it out on our trip next time. There are so many fun places to go to, we always have a hard time choosing where to go!

Lucy Buffett’s Lulu’s

Lucy Buffet’s Lulu’s is a super popular restaurant in Gulf Shores. I was excited to eat here. I have eaten at the Destin location, but this was my first time eating at the original location in Gulf Shores.

We started with some cocktails because it’s 5 o’clock somewhere! Amiright?!

While fruity drinks are great, you must try a Bushwhacker at Lulu’s. It is one of the best in town!

We got basically every appetizer on the menu – LOL!

• Fried Green Tomatoes served with LuLu’s Wow Sauce
• Onion Ring Basket – Hand-breaded and seasoned to perfection! Served with LuLu’s Wow Sauce.
• A Mountain of Fried Okra! – Yep, deep-fried Southern Style. Served with LuLu’s Ranch Dressing.
• L.A. (Lower Alabama) Caviar – Black-Eyed Peas in Balsamic Vinaigrette ~ a LuLu’s Original! You can get the recipe here: https://www.plainchicken.com/la-caviar-dip/

The crab claws are also not to be missed. They sell half-pound and full-pound baskets. This could easily be a meal with some onion rings or fried okra.

Shrimp & Grits – Shrimp and Andouille Sausage in a Tasso and Tomato Cream Sauce. Served with Gouda Grits. Get in my belly!

Pullled Pork Nachos – Fried Corn Tortilla Chips with BBQ Pulled Pork, Tomatoes, Jalapeños, Cilantro, Queso, melted Cheddar Served with LuLu’s Sassy Salsa. You can add chicken, crab, shrimp or beef. You can also order nachos without meat.

One of Lulu’s signature menu items is the Crab Melt. I can see why. It is delicious! It is basically a cheesy crab cake spread on a hoagie bun. YUM!

Chicken Finger Entree with fries, honey mustard, and hushpuppies. My favorite!

I don’t think you are allowed to eat at Lulu’s and not get the Hot Fun Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding. It is served with Vanilla Custard Sauce. This is worth the trip to Gulf Shores!

Lulu’s is a really popular place. You can expect a long wait during beach season. Hang out in the arcade or play outdoor games while you wait.

Don’t forget to stop in the gift shop on your way out. Pick up a fun t-shirt, some seasonings, and a cookbook!

If you are looking for live music and good food, add Lulu’s to your list!

Lulu’s Gulf Shores – https://lulubuffett.com/gulf-shores/

200 East 25th Avenue, Gulf Shores, AL

Pink Pony Pub

No trip to Gulf Shores is complete without a stop at the famous Pink Pony Pub. As you can see, it is located directly on the beach!

I love the Pink Pony Pub sign inside the bar!

We started with a few fun cocktails!

We also snagged a few appetizers/snacks. Garlic Herb, and Chive Chargrilled Oysters.

The Mucho Nachos lived up to their name. Chips topped with onions, tomatoes, jalapeños, and Monterrey jack with ½lb of seasoned Angus beef. They are HUGE!

You can eat and drink in the bar or outside at a picnic table. Either way, it is a sure-fire good time.

Pink Pony Pub – https://pinkponypub.net/

137 E Gulf Place, Gulf Shores, AL

Sunset Cork Room

Sunset Cork Room is one of the best fine dining restaurants in Gulf Shores. It is a local favorite.

We started the evening with an order of fried goat cheese.

We also tried the crab cakes. Both were delicious!

Chicken Marsala – pan seared chicken served with pasta, mushrooms, and a marsala wine sauce.

Fried Grouper – fresh fish battered and fried and served with a cream sauce.

Panned Chicken Pasta – crispy chicken served over pasta tossed in crushed tomatoes.

We finished the meal with the chocolate torte. Delicious!

If you are looking to celebrate a special occasion, this is a great spot! I recommend getting a reservation. It was packed the night we went.

Sunset Cork Room – https://www.sunsetcorkroom.com/

225 E 16th Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Hope’s Cheesecake

We made a stop at Hope’s Cheesecake on the recommendation of some of my Instagram followers. OMG! This place is cheesecake heaven. SOOOO many choices. We tried three flavors – Key Lime, Snickers, and Red Velvet. We loved them all, but our favorite was the Red Velvet. This will definitely be a stop on every trip! P.S. – They ship nationwide. YASSS!

Hope’s Cheesecake – https://www.hopescheesecake.com/

210 E. 20th Ave., Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Sunliner Diner

The Sunliner Diner is one of our favorite breakfast places. It has such fun decor! They have a classic car inside the restaurant that you can eat in! I want to eat in it on my next visit.

We started the morning with some mimosas and biscuits.

The top right biscuit is the Bacon & Cheddar Biscuit. It also has ranch in it, so I deemed it a Crack Biscuit.  It isn’t much to look at, but it was DELICIOUS!

You can snag their biscuit recipe here: https://www.plainchicken.com/crack-buttermilk-biscuits/

The other biscuit was the Glazed Cinnamon Biscuit. The icing makes the biscuit!

Nashville fried chicken, farm fresh eggs, hash browns, and a classic biscuit. 

You can get the chicken plain, spicy or super spicy!

The Corned Beef Hash is one of their specialties. It is enough to feed four people!

Tender house-made corned beef hash, green and red peppers, sweet Vidalia onion hash browns topped with two poached eggs, horseradish cream and served with a classic biscuit.

They also recommended the Chicken & Waffles. It is served with two poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and hash browns.

Cereal Waffles – two waffles infused with Trix cereal, drizzled with sweet doughnut glaze, and topped with whipped cream. It was actually really good. 

Shake Supreme – a chocolate milkshake spun with hot fudge and a chocolate brownie topped with whipped cream, a Hershey’s bar and a cherry. Have Mercy!

Sunliner Diner – https://www.sunlinerdiner.com/gulf-shores/

100 E. 2nd Ave., Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Tacky Jack’s

Tacky Jacks is one of the most famous restaurants in the Gulf Shores area. It is also one of my favorite restaurants in Gulf Shores! It has a super fun atmosphere and great food! The unique thing about Tacky Jack’s is that you write your name on a piece of colorful duct tape and tape it to the restaurant’s walls!

We started the meal with some cocktails. The Margarita and Bushwacker. I liked Tacky Jack’s Bushwacker better than the Flora-Bama Yacht Club. I mean, they are both good, but I just preferred Tacky Jack’s. Maybe I need to go back and do some more taste testing! LOL!

LOOK at these nachos! OMG! SO good!! They are called Mexican Garbage. They are the ultimate in Beef and Cheese Nachos. Corn tortilla chips topped with meat, two kinds of cheese, tomatoes, onions, black olives, sour cream, jalapeño peppers, and salsa.

Firecracker Shrimp – fried shrimp tossed in Asian Chili Sauce. This reminded us of Bang Bang Shrimp – really good.

Blackened Grouper Fish Tacos served in soft fresh flour tortillas with blended cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, and Tacky Jack’s special sauce. Served with chips & salsa. The special sauce is kinda spicy. So if you are sensitive to heat, ask for it on the side.

The TJ Burger was hands down my favorite! Two quarter-pound patties cooked to perfection on the griddle. Served on a fresh butter toasted bun with lettuce, tomato, American cheese, fries & chips. I added bacon because everything is better with bacon.

Tacky Jack’s is definitely in the running for our favorite place to eat and relax in Gulf Shores. They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is also a great place to kick back with an adult beverage at Jacks Bar downstairs. Downstairs also offers a children’s sand pit, live music and great views of the waterway.

There are three locations – Gulf Shores, Orange Beach & Fort Morgan. 

We ate at the Gulf Shores location on this trip.

Tacky Jack’s https://www.tackyjacks.com/home

240 E 24th Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

The Village Hideaway

The Village Hideaway is located at The Beach Club Resort & Spa. We stopped in for lunch on the blogger trip. We started with the Loaded Riptide Fries and fried pickles. You can’t go wrong with either one!

The Loaded Riptide Fries were dusted with their signature Riptide Rub and smothered in Queso and Cheddar Cheeses, and finished with Bacon Relish, Candied Bacon, and scallions. I could have made a meal out of these fries!

For our entrees, we got the Macaroni & Cheese – elbow Macaroni Smothered in Sharp Cheddar, Long Horn, and Provolone Cheeses and finished with Classic White Sauce.

Alabama Slam-Ma – a half-pound beef patty with Tomato Bacon Relish, Cheddar Cheese and Candied Bacon. Have Mercy!

Their pizza was recommended on Yelp, so we tried The Carnivore -house pizza sauce, Pepperoni, Bacon, Italian Sausage, Canadian Bacon & Blended Cheeses. It was good!

The Village Hideaway is a great place to watch a ballgame. They also have a fun arcade area and a golf simulator in the restaurant! Fun for the whole family!

Check out their daily happy hour specials from 3 to 6 pm.

The Village Hideaway – https://thebeachclub.spectrumresorts.com/dining/the-village-hideaway/

925 Beach Club Trail #8142, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Safari Club at The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo

I dined at Safari Club on two trips. It is located at the new Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo. The menu is HUGE! It has offerings from all the countries and areas that the zoo animals are from.

The menu is HUGE! It has offerings from all the countries and areas that the zoo animals are from. The restaurant is also Alabama’s first certified “Green Restaurant” meaning that they are a leader in conservation, recycling, and reduced waste.

As I said, the Safari Club menu has a lot of choices. There is definitely something for everyone! We sampled several appetizers on our visits.

• Baby Back Ribs – Guava BBQ sauce, apple, fennel, jicama slaw with citrus vinaigrette 
• Crunchy Goat Cheese – crunchy almond crust, fig jam, fresh berries
• Singapore Chicken Satay – Asian spice paste, Peanut satay sauce
• Coconut Shrimp – Gulf shrimp, crispy coconut shell, plum sauce

Safari Club cooks on a wood-fired grill. They told us that the burger was one of the most popular items on the menu. We gave it a try and it was delicious!

• Bacon Cheese Burger – wood-grilled half pound fresh ground patty, bacon jam, pimento cheese, lettuce and tomato 

All of their pizzas are cooked in a wood-burning oven. The chef also recommended the pizza. I never turn down pizza!

• Margherita Pizza – tomato sauce, Fresh Mozzarella, Roma tomato, fresh Basil

I could have done with fewer tomatoes, but otherwise, it was good.

Gulf Shrimp and Grits – three-cheese creamy stone-ground grits, jumbo shrimp, thick-cut bacon, tomato and scallion.

Their steaks their uniquely prepared. First, they season and place the steak in a seal in a bag then immersing in a sous vide water bath for tenderness and even cooking. The steaks are then removed from the bag and placed on their wood grill and cooked for a flavorful crusty finish. All steaks are served with house-roasted fingerling potatoes and seasonal fresh vegetable garnish.

All of the desserts are made in-house. We tried three on our visits.

• Key Lime Pie – white chocolate macadamia nut cookie dough crust, fresh whipped cream, and lime sugar
• Australian Tim Tam – chocolate sponge cake, chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache. 
• House-Made Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

The Key Lime Pie was the hands-down winner. I have the recipe on the blog: https://www.plainchicken.com/white-chocolate-macadamia-nut-key-lime-pie/

If you are dining with a large group, ask about the private room in the back. They also offer outdoor dining.

Safari Club – https://safariclubgulfshores.com/

20499 Oak Rd E, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Perch

Perch is a fine dining restaurant located at The Lodge at Gulf State Park. It is an eco-friendly hotel by Hilton.

We started the meal with some yummy appetizers. Onion rings, deviled eggs & ceviche.

Pork Chop: Apple Brined Pork Chop, Pecans, Roasted Apples, and Potato Puree

Triple Cut Grilled Sirloin served with Potato Puree, Asparagus, Peppered Au Jus

Double-Smoked Pork Belly: Sliced Pork Belly, Tomato Bacon Jam, Balsamic, and Chimichurri Sauce. It is AMAZING!!!

The S’mores Tart is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Perch at Gulf State Park – https://www.perchgsp.com

21196 East Beach Blvd. Gulf Shores, AL 36542

The Yard Milkshake Bar

No trip to Gulf Shores is complete without a trip to The Yard for a crazy milkshake and some edible cookie dough! This is the perfect place to cool off in the summer heat!

The Yard Milkshake Bar – https://www.theyardmilkshakebar.com

3800 Gulf Shores Pkwy, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Thank you to the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism Board for hosting me on this trip. The tourism board planned and paid for the trip. I was not asked to share the trip on the blog. I chose to share the trip because I had a great time and thought my readers would enjoy reading about the trip.

Looking for restaurants in the Orange Beach area? Check out our list of Orange Beach AL restaurants here: https://www.plainchicken.com/best-restaurants-in-gulf-shores-orange/

Steph