5 more Mobile dishes to add to your Alabama bucket list
You’ve eaten the famous fried, stewed and/or nude oysters at the original Wintzell’s Oyster House on Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile, and you’ve had the legendary bacon-cheeseburger at Callaghan’s Irish Social Club in the Port City’s historic Oakleigh Garden District.
Hungry for more?
From our staff’s statewide collection of 68 must-try Alabama dishes, here are five more delicious Mobile dishes to add to your bucket list.
The Sunday Jazz Brunch at Dauphin’s restaurant in Mobile offers diners a spectacular view of the Port City.(Photo courtesy of Aloha Hospitality; used with permission)
Sunday Jazz Brunch at Dauphin’s
From their 424-foot perch on the 34th floor of downtown Mobile’s RSA Trustmark Building, diners at former Alabama and Miami Dolphins’ football star Bob Baumhower’s Dauphin’s restaurant have a panoramic view of the Port City and adjoining Mobile Bay. Known for such coastal favorites as West Indies Salad (believed to have originated in Mobile County), crawfish cakes, crab claws and grilled dolphin, Baumhower’s casual fine-dining restaurant also hosts a weekly Sunday jazz brunch, with Banana Dock’s French toast (pictured above), a Gulf shrimp omelet, fish and grits, and a window seat with one of the most scenic views in America. — Bob Carlton
Dauphin’s is at 107 St. Francis St. on the 34th floor of the RSA Trustmark Building in Mobile, Ala. The phone is 251-444-0200. For more information, go here.
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The crabmeat omelet is a delicacy at Mobile’s historic Dew Drop Inn.(Michelle Matthews/[email protected])
Crabmeat Omelet at the Dew Drop Inn
The Dew Drop Inn, Mobile’s oldest restaurant, is best known for its pinkish-red hot dogs (served “all the way” on toasted buns topped with chili, sauerkraut, mustard, ketchup and a pickle slice) and its golden-fried onion rings. But those who know, including our own David Holloway, also highly recommend another Dew Drop delicacy, the crabmeat omelet. “This dish is one that would rival five-star restaurants anywhere,” David says. (Southern food scholar John T. Edge is a fan, too.) The crabmeat omelet is available as an entrée with two sides and your choice of hushpuppies, cornbread or Texas Toast; and you can also get it on a sandwich and on a po’ boy, both of which come dressed with lettuce, tomatoes and pickles. (Go ahead and top it off with melted cheese.) It’s one of the most expensive items on the menu, but it’s worth it. — Michelle Matthews
The Dew Drop Inn is at 1808 Old Shell Road in Mobile, Ala. The phone is 251-473-7872. For more information, go here.
RELATED: Mobile’s Dew Drop Inn is where regulars rule
A cup of gumbo and a side of greens make the perfect lunch combo at the Lighthouse Restaurant in Irvington.Lawrence Specker | [email protected]
Chicken and Oyster Gumbo at the Lighthouse Restaurant in Irvington
Irvington is a tiny, unincorporated community in southern Mobile County, just north of the quaint fishing village of Bayou La Batre. But as our Coastal Alabama food guru David Holloway can attest, the Lighthouse Restaurant is worth punching into your GPS and going for the drive. Regulars rave about the fried crab claws, but David’s favorite dish is the chicken and oyster gumbo, which, admittedly, he had never tried or even heard of until a visit to the Lighthouse more than 20 years ago. “You won’t find this one anywhere else,” he says. — Bob Carlton
The Lighthouse Restaurant is at 12495 Padgett Switch Road in Irvington, Ala. The phone is 251-824-2500.
RELATED: 6 places to start your gumbo quest in Lower Alabama
The fried chicken at Mary’s Southern Cooking on Springhill Avenue is legendary.(AL.com file photo/Mike Brantley)
Fried Chicken at Mary’s Southern Cooking
OK, I’ll admit it: I’m recommending you try the fried chicken at Mary’s Southern Cooking because it is straight-up delicious. It’s cooked perfectly, seasoned well and not too greasy – the trifecta that so many restaurants fail to achieve. Really, though, you can go in and order anything and not be disappointed. The cafeteria-style restaurant opened in 2011 and serves generous portions that’ll make you happy (and full). From oxtails (served on Fridays and Saturdays) to baked chicken, there are plenty of soul food staples available. — Haley Laurence
Mary’s Southern Cooking is at 3011 Springhill Ave. in Mobile. The phone is 251-476-2232. For more information, go here.
RELATED: 5 things to know about Mary’s Southern Cooking
One of the most popular items on the menu at Mediterranean Sandwich Co. is the Redneck Gyro. (Photo courtesy Mediterranean Sandwich Co.)
Redneck Gyro at Mediterranean Sandwich Co.
Since Vlad Moldoveanu, a native of Romania, opened the first Mediterranean Sandwich Co. in downtown Mobile in 2009, the restaurant has grown to include five locations in Mobile, Daphne and Tuscaloosa. The menu includes a combination of gyro pitas, paninis, salads and bowls, as well as daily specials that occasionally make their way onto the menu. That’s how the Redneck Gyro — a traditional beef-lamb gyro made “redneck” with the addition of Conecuh Sausage, smoked Gouda and cheddar cheeses and Cajun tzatziki — became one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes. Sandwiches are served with a choice of Mediterranean-inspired sides, including homemade soups and carbonara or spinach-tomato orzo. — Michelle Matthews
Mediterranean Sandwich Co. has locations in Mobile and Daphne, as well as in Tuscaloosa. For addresses, phone numbers and more information, go here.
RELATED: Conecuh Sausage is the star of this Alabama eatery’s Redneck Gyro
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