Gambino's, after several recent and lack luster reincarnations, is now Papa John's. On a recent dinner visit, the chalkboard steak special was thin and overcooked. Other items were average. I'll give it another try soon and report back here.
Fairhope
Restaurants
Down by the Bay Cafe is a nice little restaurant over-looking the public pier and Bay at the end of Fairhope Avenue. For lunch, there is a very good meat-and-three menu. On Friday nights it's all-you-can-eat fried shrimp
for $12.95. Saturday nights, ditto for catfish at $11.95.
More restaurants being added weekly. Please check back soon.
The opinions expressed here are those of William Bruce alone.
The restaurants of the Marriott Grand Hotel at Point Clear seem to have worked out the kinks after reopening following Hurricane Katrina. It took a while, but on recent visits, the service and food were better.
Don't let the shabby exterior fool you. This is one of the area's top restaurants. The Wash House is a very popular, highly recommended, upscale restaurant (with prices to match) located a mile south of the Grand Hotel in Point Clear. The menu contains some "to kill for" entrees. Reservations strongly suggested, especially on weekends. Phone: 928-4838
Mateer's on Church Street downtown is on just about everyone's list of fun places in Fairhope. Great happy hour crowd (with terrific martinis) and good food with friendly service. Dinner only. Piano player adds to the ambiance on weekends. It's behind the new Hampton Inn.
The Pub is a fun bar and restaurant in downtown Fairhope that has become somewhat of an institution. Actually, it's more of a bar than restaurant, but their lunch and dinner menu is very good. And it's a great place to meet friends for any of the downtown events. Next to Fairhope Hardware at 311 Fairhope Avenue. Phone 928-2032.
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OK, you got me on this one! Battles Warf Mini Mart is not really a restaurant. But they have the best Hot Dog this side of the Rockies. What else can you say? Located in the Battles Warf area between Fairhope and Point Clear, a dog, chips and drink is $3.50. It's a deal you shouldn't pass up.
Good seafood in the decades-old Wintzell's tradition. Open for lunch and dinner. Try the baked oyster sampler. It's 16 oysters of 4 different varieties, and although it's listed as an appetizer, it enough for a meal for most folks. Wintzell's is located on Scenic 98 on the left as you're heading towards Point Clear from Fairhope.
Valenti's is a welcome and recent addition to the downtown restaurant scene. It's located at 61 North Section Street. Pricey, but excellent Italian food. Service was somewhat slow in the first month or so after opening, but on recent visits, the service and food have been excellent. Open for dinner only. Reservations recommended. Phone: 929-3243.
Located out on Main Highway 98 at the intersection of Fairhope Avenue in front of Bruno's Supermarket, Ruby Tuesdays is just another brass and fern bar / restaurant. 'Nuff said?
Sandra's Place is a neat little downtown sidewalk restaurant at the corner of Fairhope Avenue and Chruch Street. You wait in line to order your sandwich or salad and then take it out to one of the patio tables to enjoy the Fairhope scenery and to people watch. Open for lunch only.
The Ravenite *** UPDATE: On the morning of November 24, 2009 owner Rich Gambino "flipped out" and barricaded himself in the restaurant, got drunk and threatened to blow up the building. After unsuccessful negotiations and a standoff of several hours, the police tossed a flash grenade in, stormed the building and arrested Gambino. No word yet on the future of the restaurant.
Julwin's is Baldwin County's oldest restaurant. It's popular with locals, which is also the best kind of recommendation for visitors. Located on Fairhope Avenue in the first block east of "The Clock", the restaurant serves a great breakfast. The weekend breakfast buffet is a “don’t miss" and is “the best this side of the Mississippi.”
Buck's Diner is one of the great "meat and vegetable" places in the Fairhope area. The restaurant serves up “home cooking” at its best. Located on Section Street a couple of blocks north
of "The Clock". Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. (Owned by the same family as Battles Warf Mini Mart of Hot Dog fame.)
Located several blocks from downtown on the right of Section Street as you're heading out of town to the north, Ben Jr. Barbeque builds pretty decent burgers, but the barbeque is only so-so.
Panini Pete’s is one of our town's real gems. Tucked away in Fairhope’s French Quarter, this restaurant has been featured
on the Food Network. Authentic beignets are available for breakfast and outstanding sandwiches and specials for lunch. Eat inside, outside in the courtyard or delivery is available. Enter the French Quarter from either Delamar or Section Street (behind Page & Palette).
The BBQ Shack serves up the best barbeque on the Eastern Shore. It's run by the same talented restaurant family who operates Down By the Bay Cafe (above), and has been humorously renamed "Up by the Liquor Store," as it's located by the liquor store at the rear of the Winn-Dixie parking lot on Main Highway 98.
Without a doubt, the Fairhope Inn is one of Fairhope's
top restaurants. I've never had anything less than stellar service and food here. It's pricey, but worth it. Reser-vations suggested, especially on weekends. Phone: (251) 928-6226, and located at 63 South Church Street. They also have four guest rooms upstairs if you're looking for a place to stay while you're visiting Fairhope.
Tamara's Bar & Grill is locally owned and a great place with a "Cheer's"-like friendliness, located on Main 98 (Greeno Road) in the strip shopping center between Winn-Dixie and Brunos supermarkets. Good food, cold beer, friendly folks. What more could you ask for? ***UPDATE: Now Tamara has a second location in downtown Fairhope at 104 North Section Street. Same great service and friendly folks.
The Sunflower Cafe is an excellent health food restaurant with lots of interesting menu items. It's located in the strip shopping center on Main 98 (Greeno Road) between the Winn-Dixie and Brunos supermarkets. If you go, try the mushroom burger, which is a giant mushroom instead of a meat patty and with special sauces. It's delicious.
