Thread: where the locals eat?

My absolute favorite seafood place down there:
https://www.facebook.com/thefishingholepensacola/

In a sketchy looking strip mall but OMG such amazing food!

Also I know it's a tourist haven... but Lamberts in Foley is great. If you are looking for a quick cheap lunch in a cool spot, check out Stacey Rexall Drugs in Foley as well. It's like drug stores used to be like (so I've heard) with a small lunch spot with old style drinks (egg creams etc).

Thanks for all the info everyone. we got in late last night and the only thing open was the harpoon 2. had the crab and crawfish cakes and the cajun baked oysters. oysters were my favorite, like Rockefeller but with bacon braised greens. i think im gonna go catch my own fish and head to a "hook em and cook em". also going to Global Grill in pensacola, its pretty amazing! Thanks again for taking the time to respond! tight lines

Not a local but been heading south off and on for fifteen years and for seafood, DeSoto's is always my first stop.

One that I'm interested in but never actually made it to is Doc's seafood. I believe they do catch and cook. Anyone know what kind of place it is? It always seems full.

Not a local either, but we enjoy Doc's. Great food.

Originally Posted by K-raig

hello everyone,
i am new to the Forum. my girlfriend and i are coming down for the week, and i have no idea where to get some good grub. i hate tourist traps and I'm willing to get off the beaten path for some really good seafood. if you don't mind sharing. what are some restaurants/bars we should check out for good, fresh oysters, fish and other local seafood? some of the restaurants i have seen online have salmon specials, ha. they have some of the best seafood right out their front door and they are shipping in salmon. Thank's for any info!

The locals eat in the better tourist traps, but we do so this time of year, instead of in the summer. You can never go wrong with The Original Oyster House, either in Gulf Shores or on the Mobile Bay Causeway. If you like steamed seafood, the Gulf Shores Steamer in Orange Beach is good.

If the place has been open for more than 10 years, its gonna be pretty good! They dont last through winter if they cant cut it with the locals and snow birds.

Not a local, when we are down we cook and barely ever go out. Occasionally, we will dress in our cleanest rags and visit the Gulf Shores Steamer in an effort to eat our way through their menu. I don't mean all at once, now, but with times visited.

Havent seen it listed but I love Fish River Resturant, Love the swamp soup.

Both Fisherman's Corner and the Original Point Restaurant have fresh caught fish, as well as tourist fare. Shrimp & Grits are awesome at Fisherman's Corner for Sunday brunch, and their bread pudding is quite tasty.

If a place has good seafood, the word will get out and spread like wildfire and it will no longer be a "local favorite". Doc's Seafood in Orange Beach advertises that it has the "Best fried shrimp in the entire civilized world"----I can't argue, best I've ever had. Their other seafood is fine, too, but the place ain't fancy, and be prepared to wait at prime times.

One of my favorite spots, even though it isn't a seafood place, is the Roadkill Cafe in Elberta. Ten or fifteen minute drive from the beach and open for lunch only. Country buffet, and I need to take a keeper with me to keep me from eating waaayyy too much.