3 Best Restaurants in Mobile, Alabama

Gulf seafood, grilled steaks, and seasonal specials are served in this massive, camplike tin-roofed shack complex overlooking Mobile Bay, including views of downtown lights at night. The huge selection offers everything from traditional regional dishes such as turtle soup and fried oysters to surprises like crayfish-smothered pork chops and grits. Service is precise but friendly. Reserve ahead for tables by windows.

Mediterranean cooking and Asian influences drive the creative menu that changes seasonally and taps sustainable ingredients. Selections might include duck breast with with a strawberry reduction, seared sea scallops with creamy pesto rice, or lamb chops. The fixed-price menu includes an appetizer, salad, and main course; you can add dessert à la carte. Exposed brick and rustic wood pillars add to the dining room’s warm feel. Patio seating is available, too.

Although it's now a regional chain, this local favorite for seafood has been in business since 1938, serving a menu of mostly seafood (especially fresh and fried Gulf oysters) from its original location on Dauphin Street. A local favorite, the original location has a lot more home-spun charm than the newer branches, with bare wood tables and walls decorated with hand-printed signs and slogans. If you want to try one of the signatures, go for the fried crab claws or fried oyster dinner. The menu even includes a couple of steaks for those who don't eat seafood. For dessert, there's "loaded bread pudding" (for two).