Last Updated on September 24, 2026
We heard there were a lot of great restaurants in Orange Beach, Alabama, so when my husband, kids, and I visited recently, we tried to make it to as many as we could. With only four nights in town, though, we obviously couldn’t try them all.
So, for this article, we combined our family’s firsthand experiences with recommendations from family members who visit Orange Beach regularly. They shared the restaurants they keep returning to, along with their favorite dishes to order at each one.
This list includes 15 top spots throughout Orange Beach, Gulf Shores, and the surrounding area, giving you plenty of options whether you’re looking for fresh seafood, a waterfront dinner, great barbecue, breakfast, or even a really good burger.
BEST SEAFOOD & SHRIMP
Flora-Bama Ole River Grill
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
If you’re looking for great shrimp – generous portions, large shrimp, good quality, and a reasonable price – put Flora-Bama Ole River Grill on your list. After trying shrimp at numerous restaurants around Orange Beach and Gulf Shores over the years, our “sources” still rank the shrimp here as their favorite.
They also love the casual waterfront location on Ole River and have had consistently good service. The fish is another favorite if shrimp isn’t your thing.
What to order: Shrimp
Zeke’s Restaurant
*OUR FAMILY’S PICK
Zeke’s Restaurant is an upscale but relaxed restaurant located right on the water at Zeke’s Marina. This is where Ryan had his favorite meal of our entire trip. He ordered the chef’s special – grouper – and raved about it!
With both indoor and outdoor waterfront dining, it’s a great choice when you want a nice dinner without being too formal.
What to order: Grouper
The Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
If you don’t mind driving a little farther, the Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar is about 25-30 minutes from Orange Beach in Bon Secour. Both the seafood and steaks are favorites here, and the oysters get great reviews too – although our relatives who love this place aren’t big oyster fans, so they’ve never tried them personally.
It’s a little out of the way compared to most of the restaurants on this list, but if you’re looking to get away from the busier Orange Beach/Gulf Shores area for a meal, this is one to consider.
What to order: Seafood or steak
BEST BBQ
Hog Wild Beach & BBQ
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
Need a break from seafood? Hog Wild Beach & BBQ in Gulf Shores is a favorite for slow-smoked BBQ and homemade sauces. Pulled pork, chicken and ribs are all on the menu, but our relatives say you really can’t go wrong with any of the meats.
Tip: One thing they especially like is being able to buy meat in larger quantities to take back to their condo. They’ll sometimes pick up a pound or two to have on hand for another easy meal – a great idea if you don’t want to eat out for every lunch and dinner of your vacation. The restaurant offers various meats by weight for takeout.
What to order: Your favorite BBQ meat with the homemade sauces
BEST BURGERS
The Keg Lounge and Grill
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
If you like finding hole-in-the-wall places when you travel, then you might really like Keg Lounge & Grill. This is an old-school bar that serves incredible burgers. In fact, of all the burgers our relatives tried in the area, they said these are the “BEST burgers by far.”
What to order: Burger
BEST BREAKFAST
Sunliner Diner
*OUR FAMILY’S PICK + FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
If you like a fun breakfast spot, Sunliner Diner is worth checking out. The whole restaurant has a 1950’s theme, from the retro décor to classic cars. They serve all the breakfast classics, with some crazy over-the-top options, too. For example, my son ordered the Dream Boat, which included three giant waffles layered with bacon, sausage, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream, then topped with chocolate chips and chopped bacon. He ate almost the entire thing!
We enjoyed our breakfast here, and it also gets a thumbs-up from our relatives who are regulars to Orange Beach. However, don’t come here if you’re in a hurry… both of us experienced slow service, so allow yourself plenty of time.
What to order: The Dream Boat if you’re really hungry (and brave!)
BEST STEAK
Big Mike’s Steakhouse
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
After several days of seafood, sometimes you just want a steak! Big Mike’s Steakhouse is the pick for a really good steak with generous portions. It’s located right in Orange Beach, so you don’t have to venture far to get there.
What to order: Steak
The Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
Tin Top gets a second mention because the steaks are just as much of a draw as the seafood. So, if half your group wants fresh seafood and the other half wants steak, this could be a good choice.
Just remember that Tin Top is in Bon Secour, about 25-30 minutes from Orange Beach.
What to order: Steak or seafood
BEST SWEET TREATS
Parlor Doughnuts
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
Yes, Parlor Doughnuts is a chain, but I’m including it anyway because these aren’t your typical doughnuts. They’re layered and almost like a cross between a doughnut and a croissant – and apparently, they’re fantastic.
There’s a location in Gulf Shores, so if you have a sweet tooth, add this one to your list.
What to order: One of the layered doughnuts
Kilwins
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
If you’re heading to The Wharf, save room for ice cream at Kilwins. It’s another chain, but after trying several ice cream places around Orange Beach and Gulf Shores, Kilwins is still the favorite.
Besides ice cream, you’ll find fudge, chocolates, caramel apples, and plenty of other sweets, so this is an easy stop for dessert while you’re walking around The Wharf.
What to order: Ice cream
BEST BUSHWACKER
Doc’s Seafood Shack & Oyster Bar
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE – for the Bushwacker!
First of all, if you’ve never had a Bushwacker, it’s basically a boozy frozen milkshake and a staple along the Alabama Gulf Coast. You’ll find different versions all over Orange Beach and Gulf Shores. And apparently, the Salted Caramel Bushwacker at Doc’s is the one to get. The food here is “just okay”, but the Salted Caramel Bushwacker is “to die for” according to our sources.
What to order: Salted Caramel Bushwacker
BEST RESTAURANTS FOR ATMOSPHERE OR LOCATION
For these next few restaurants, the food isn’t necessarily the only reason to go. Some made our list because of a great waterfront location, fun atmosphere, live music, or just because they offer something a little different.
Flora-Bama Yacht Club
*OUR FAMILY’S PICK
We really enjoyed the Flora-Bama Yacht Club. It’s right on Ole River with open-air dining, live music, and tables overlooking the water. There’s even a sandy area along the waterfront, giving the whole place a very casual beach-vacation and Key West feel.
The food was great, too. I had the Greek Chicken Flatbread, which was really good, and the kids loved the Blackened Chicken Penne – both saying it was their favorite meal of our entire vacation.
Don’t confuse this with the famous Flora-Bama across the street or Flora-Bama Ole River Grill next door. They’re three different places!
What to order: Greek Chicken Flatbread or Blackened Chicken Penne
LuLu’s Gulf Shores
*OUR FAMILY’S PICK
LuLu’s is an open-air restaurant that sits right on the Intracoastal Waterway. Owned by Jimmy Buffet’s sister, Lucy Buffett, it has a fun Margaritaville vibe with live music, shopping, a sandy play area, and lots going on.
This is one place where our opinions differed… while our relatives who regularly visit Orange Beach admit it’s a really cool place to see, LuLu’s isn’t a food favorite of theirs. But I loved my fish tacos (best meal of the trip!), so LuLu’s definitely makes my list.
What to order: Fish tacos
The Hangout
*OUR FAMILY’S EXPERIENCE
The Hangout is more than a restaurant, it’s a family entertainment venue. It’s located right at the beach in Gulf Shores, and they have live music, games, foam parties, a huge courtyard, a big sand dune, a wish wall, and more.
We just stopped in for a drink and not a meal, so I can’t give a personal recommendation on the food, but the place looks fun if you’re traveling with kids. There was a bungee jump set up when we were there. And they’re apparently known for their foam parties where they release big sprays of foam bubbles for kids to play in.
Go for: the kids activities and family-friendly atmosphere
CoastAL Orange Beach
*FREQUENT VISITOR PICK
This one makes the list mainly because of its location. CoastAL sits directly on the beach, with open-air dining, live music, and beautiful Gulf views.
The food gets only a “fair” rating, so I wouldn’t choose this one solely for the meal. But if your idea of a great vacation dinner includes sitting outside with a Gulf view, this setting is hard to beat.
Go for: the Gulf views and atmosphere
The Galway Irish Public House
*FREQUENT VISITOR FAVORITE
If you want something different after all the seafood and beach bars, you’ll want to check out the Galway Irish Public House. It’s a small pub in Gulf Shores with great Irish food and drinks, Irish décor, and a fun pub atmosphere.
One of the coolest parts of this place is they have a live video feed from Temple Bar in Dublin. If you’ve been to Ireland (or you’re dreaming of going) it sounds like a fun place to spend an evening.
What to order: Irish food and a drink to go with it
Leave a Reply