Original Oyster House stays true to its roots

The view from my seat

I couldn't do it. I couldn't NOT visit the Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores. Not only could I NOT visit this restaurant, I did it twice.

The first visit was on a Saturday afternoon at around 2:30 PM. I had just taken a stroll through the Little Zoo That Could, across the street. While I've never had a problem dining alone at a restaurant, I've never dined alone at THIS restaurant. I remembered they have a few barstools, and that if I were lucky, I could grab one and have some lunch.

My favorite dining area is the big room that overlooks a canal, but it's really for larger parties. There's also a place in back where you can feed the fish. The restaurant is part of the Boardwalk, where there are a few locally owned shops, and now, a high end candy store. It's a fun couple of hours for any age.

I have something to confess: no matter how outdated the concept, I'm still a sucker for a good salad bar. The salad bar at the Original Oyster House is one of my all time favorites. 

One of the things I love about the salad bar is that it hasn't changed in years. They still have pickled okra, homemade croutons, homemade sourdough rolls, homemade salad dressings, and the vegetables are always fresh.

Whole boiled eggs, cubed ham, peas, and beautiful white mushrooms make this salad bar an A+ experience

I came in on this particular Saturday with the intention of having only the salad bar. However, my walk through the zoo and the enticing aroma inside the restaurant weakened my resolve. I can't understand how a seafood restaurant can create such intoxicating aromas.

My mom always says that if you're going to eat fried food it had better be worth every single calorie and fat gram. She also says that if you're going to eat fried food in the Gulf Shores Orange Beach area, go to the Original Oyster House. I agree with my mother on both of these counts. That said, I ordered two items from their "you pickem" menu. 

I had fried oysters and baked stuffed crab. I have always loved their crab stuffing, which thankfully has not changed either. All entrées come with two sides but I only ordered one side and substituted the salad bar for one, for an extra $2.50. From my side I had turnip greens. The staff makes no secret of the fact that these greens are canned, (which I usually hate), but somehow, they make them delicious. 

Hush Puppies are served with all entrées. The Hush Puppies here are some of my all-time favorites. I have never been disappointed in them. I'm also a huge fan of tartar sauce, which is made in house. This dish was $10.95 on their lunch menu.

fried oysters, stuffed crab and hush puppies

Do you see that plate of food? Well I made it disappear in less than 10 min. My only consolation is that I was able to resist the key lime pie which they are famous for.

I returned for lunch the following Monday. One of the other items they're famous for is their seafood gumbo. I had the gumbo and salad bar, for $7.50. Their gumbo is just perfect, in my opinion, but I do add quite a bit of hot sauce. You can purchase various sizes of gumbo and key lime pie from a reach in refrigerator located in between the restaurant and adjacent gift shop.

I know this place is a tourist trap, that it's corporate owned, and so forth. The bottom line is, I don't care. I love this place. I always have and always will. They still have my favorite gumbo, my favorite salad bar, and my favorite fried seafood in the Gulf area.

On the rare occasions I've been in the area and not visited this restaurant, I felt like I was never even on vacation.

I haven't mentioned service because services never been an issue here. Even with the huge crowds, they seem to keep things moving along without making you feel rushed. If you're going to run a successful, high-volume seafood restaurant, you may want to start studying the blueprint created by The Original Oyster 
House. 

Clink on the link below, for hours and location:
http://www.theoysterhouse.com/