Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Restaurant Reviews

Best Bloody Mary at the Beach | Comparison | Gulf Shores and Orange Beach AL

An ongoing attempt to find the best Bloody Mary at the beach in Alabama!

Out of the Bloody Mary's listed, without a doubt the obvious Queen of Mary's at the beach is offered by The Brick and Spoon in Orange Beach. If you are a Bloody Mary fan, you will not be disappointed. With an entire Bloody Mary menu and selection process, The Brick and Spoon not only offers a beverage, but an experience! Choose your vodka, your temperature, veggies, and meat and cheeses....(and more). Check out the Bloody Mary menu here

Brick and Spoon, Orange Beach, AL

My personal second favorite is the Bloody Mary from Sea N Suds in Gulf Shores. A Beach Side classic, and unassuming restaurant on stilts just down East Beach. I am a fan of horseradish in my bloody (and I always ask for spicy) and this one was extra yummy in both areas for me. Not overly fancy on the garnish- but as long as the beverage tastes good- this is not of the most importance. (Plus the prices at Sea N Suds are great!) I'm also pretty fond of the cheeseburger (Just over $3 and delicious- review and pics to come!)

Sea N Suds, Gulf Shores

#3 for me is The Bloody Mary at The Acme Oyster House. Gotta love a huge Bloody Mary, and these are definitely that! I also love the Tony's Salt on the rim. The food, is another story and another post.

Acme Oyster House, Gulf Shores (Waterway Village District)

The rest of the list are in no particular order and all rank about the same. I have not had a bloody mary yet that I didn't want to finish :)

Bill's By the Beach, Gulf Shores

Hooter's Gulf Shores, AL

The Pink Pony Pub

The Hangout, Gulf Shores

Will be adding info as I try one from a new establishment.

Hog Wild BBQ | Gulf Shores, AL

BBQ just blocks from the Gulf Shores Public Beach

I am not a HUGE BBQ fan. I can do with or without it. But I noticed a crazy photo of a monstrosity of a sandwich on the Hog Wild BBQ Instagram page while mindlessly scrolling one day- and I became instantly curious. The sandwich had everything from pulled pork to mac n cheese on it. It was a "build it yourself" sandwich of sorts. Nothing I would ever order for myself- but it did get my attention!

That photo is here!

I had to check it out. The family visited one weekend around lunchtime, and I have to admit- just the smell being emitted as I walked up to the restaurant had my mouth watering! Wow, the smoky wonderful smell was amazing!

The chalkboard style menu hung on the wall and you order up at the counter. The inside is appealing with the barn wood and tin look.

I ordered the pulled chicken and my husband ordered the pulled pork. The picky kiddos ordered what they do at EVERY restaurant we go to (chicken strips OR grilled cheese). Since there weren't any chicken strips, my daughter had the grilled cheese and my son just nibbled on some fries...

There are a handful of sauces to adorn your sandwich with.

Smoked Pulled Chicken and Mac N Cheese side

Pulled Pork with Fries

I opted for the Whiskey Sauce

My Husband opted for the Sweet Sauce

I tried all of the sauces and ending up using the Whisky on my chicken sandwich. The sauce had kind of a tangy and spicy taste- but not as spicy as the 911. I love spicy food, and the 911 wasn't too hot, but the combination taste of the whiskey won my affections with a little bit of a sweet/tangy taste on the front end with a tiny bite afterwards.

The pulled chicken sandwich forever changed my mind about bbq. The chicken LITERALLY melted in my mouth. So extremely tender! That giant sandwich that I had originally seen on Instagram was starting to sound like a good idea as mine quickly disappeared before my eyes. Very impressed. The mac n cheese was also a yummy side, but I honestly just wanted another sandwich!

My husband was happy with his pulled pork and I did try a bite. It also had a wonderfully smoky test and was tender (but I was forever sold on the chicken).

The only drawback that I could see was that parking was lacking and the restaurant in general was small- which could possibly pose a problem during the crazy spring and summer touristy months. There is outdoor seating, and I have also noticed Hog Wild BBQ now participates in the Gulf 2 Go delivery services program which would remedy those way too busy to dine in times.

I highly recommend Hog Wild Beach and BBQ if you are a BBQ person. If you aren't a BBQ person- you just might be after this!

Pink Pony Pub | Gulf Shores, AL

Gulf Shores Landmark The Pink Pony Beachfront Bar

Aww The Pink Pony Pub. A landmark in Gulf Shores. When I first moved here in 2007, I couldn't get enough of this little place! I spent many days perched up at the bar (sitting sideways) so I could admire that beautiful view. It took me a long time to believe I actually lived here.

Back in those days I didn't usually eat much, just sipped my beverage and sat in joyful amazement! ( I do not have a photo- but back then when I did order- I would get the fish poboy sandwich, add cheese- and it was delicious!) After trying the Nachos however, I forever changed my order.

The Pink Pony Pub World Famous Mucho Nachos are mountainous. Perhaps a large and very hungry man could handle these by himself- but whenever I order these, I know I won't make a dent. But I order them anyway.

Your choices are beef, chicken, shrimp or crawfish. I personally love the crawfish- but rarely order because I know no one in my family will help eat them if I do- so beef or chicken it is.

Mucho Chicken Nachos

Mucho Beef Nachos

Sometimes the toppings come on the side, sometimes they are already on the nachos with a sides of salsa and sour cream. I never request them any particular way, I just enjoy them however they come. But I am sure you can request them how ever you would like! Normal toppings include: tomato, onion, cheese and jalapeno.

I always end up taking a large qty home for leftovers. And I always try to reheat in the oven- but have yet to have a successful reheat.... If someone figures out how to do this while producing crispy chips (not soggy), please let me know!

My husband always orders a sandwich of some sort from The Pink Pony menu. On this occassion he ordered The Pink Pony World Famous Sourdough Cheeseburger. The burger was an Angus patty with swiss and sauteed onions. He said, on a scale of 1-10 it was a 7. When I asked him what sandwich he would have rather had- or what sandwich would he recommend at The Pony that was higher than a 7- his reply was "It's The Pink Pony hun, it fills the void." Well apparently my opinion is different than his :) Or maybe it's the view that just puts me in that happy go lucky mood.

Check out the rest of The Pink Pony menu here.
Other nachos that I love include The Tex Mex Nachos at Hooters and The Garbage at Tacky Jacks.
Check out those reviews by clicking the links!