Sometimes you find yourself thinking of that old game, “one of these things is not like the others.”

When Southern Living recently presented its list of “The Best Places to Eat in Gulf Shores, Alabama,” it had a little bit of that vibe. There was a pattern, and there were some outliers. The pattern tended toward big, bright places engineered to serve tourists by the thousands: Bahama Bob’s Beachside Café, Lulu’s, the Hangout, the Original Oyster House. Perch, at Gulf State Park’s lodge, is also part of a big institution. The Sunliner Diner, while smaller and quirkier, is part of the Hangout empire.

The exceptions were Mikee’s Seafood Restaurant and DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen. I resolved to check out at least one of them while attending the recent Hangout Music Fest, since both are within in easy walking distance of the beach where the fest takes place. DeSoto’s turned out to be closed for the festival weekend, so lunch at Mikee’s it was.

Fortunately, Mikee’s revealed itself to be just what the doctor ordered for a sweaty festival refugee blinded by the sun and stunned by the sound of half a dozen stages. Which is to say, it was cool, dark and quiet.

That’s not to be taken for granted, and right off the bat it illustrates the old-school charm of a place that’s been owned and operated by the same family for more than 30 years. The modern model for a beach destination calls for the room to be as big and bright and open as possible, and that’s fine.