What are you looking for? Where are you staying?
The essential dishes invented in Mobile:
West Indies Salad
Fried crab claws
Crabs are out of season so they are small and shrimp are slow right now. The oysters are nice and fat. We’re getting trigger, grouper and some trout. Most other fish is slow because of the weather. The crab tastes great, just smallish fingers and lumps.
The causeway joints do the usual fried seafood stuff. R and R for crawfish when in season. Original Oyster for fried seafood, alligator bites etc. All casual and geared for volume. Felix’s Fish Camp and the Blue Gill are owned by the same group that owns the local franchise of Ruth’s Chris. Felix’s is the more upscale place on the causeway.
The best fried seafood right now is at the Mariner Restaurant overlooking the Dog River bridge. Grand view.
As to restaurants, the general consensus is that Noja is the best in town. Downtown. Owned by a guy I have known for 20+ years. Most inventive food in town, nice atmosphere. Need any help getting in the place let me know. www.nojamobile.com
Newest place in town with a really nice list and good prices is Legacy Bar and Grill. Springhill area. Owner is a guy I did some consulting for when he was GM of Ruth’s. Chef came from Frank Stitt’s organization. Still shaking some things out but the food has been very good. Facebook
The Garden District features The Kitchen on George. Local culinary students staff the place. Wine list is very good and reasonable with a few cult wines on there which are unobtainable anywhere else in Mobile. The food is good, but every once in a while it clanks. We have eaten there 6 or 7 times in the last few months. Prices are reasonable. Next door is Cream and Sugar, get you some cake balls. At breakfast the burrito is killer with conecuh sausage etc.
Couple of downtown places are THe Bull, Cafe 615. Brunch recommended at Cafe 615. Wintzell’s for raw oysters. If you are in a Mexican mood, Fuego in Mid-town. Great happy hour. Owner is a friend and also has another place MiMo’s. Fresh Potato chips, BBQ sliders recommended there. THe BLind Mule does a burger topped with Pimento CHeese. 360 Jazz Club Facebook
Burgers - best burgers in town are Butch Cassidy’s, Callahan’s and Maghee’s Grill on the Hill. We eat at Maghee’s once a week. Or have my weekly Martini there on Friday night.
Way out in Wemo, you have the Hungry Owl. thehungryowl.com The pizza with Conecuh is great. Burgers with a fried egg on top great. The fish has been consistently good. I hate the pie plates they serve everything on. The wine list has no prices.
Mobile is not a BBQ town. The only edible stuff is from Saucy Q and the Brick Pit. Brick Pit has been featured on a number of Cooking Channel, foodtv shows. www.brickpit.com BYOB, no beer or booze available. Worth the drive. The Shed is an outpost of the famous Mississippi place. It sucks.
Jimmy Buffet credits the Dew Drop Inn for the song Cheeseburger in Paradise. Essential dish there is a Dew Drop Dog (I like it with coleslaw added) Dew Drop Cheeseburger (dressed) and a half and half (I like mine extra crispy). The specials are good as well. The grease is authentic and dayglo orange.