Original Oyster House

Someone from this business manages this listing.

#2 of 42 Restaurants in Spanish Fort$$ - $$$, American, Seafood, Vegetarian friendly

+1 251-626-2188+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

Mon

11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

Tue

11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

Wed

11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

Thu

11:00 AM - 9:30 PM

Fri

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Sat

11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

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What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.0

987 reviews

#2 of 42 Restaurants in Spanish Fort

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Details

Someone from this business manages this listing.

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PRICE RANGE

$4.00 – $20.00

CUISINES

American, Seafood, Grill, Healthy

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

meals, features

Location and contact

3733 Battleship Pkwy Hwy 90, Spanish Fort, AL 36527-9335

+1 251-626-2188

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Does this restaurant have live music

Yes

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About

Opening its first location in Gulf Shores in 1983, the Original Oyster House restaurant quickly expanded and opened its second restaurant two years later on the Mobile Causeway. It soon became known as a Gulf Coast favorite for panoramic waterfront sunsets on the Mobile Delta, fresh Gulf Coast seafood and award-winning gumbo. Classics such as hand-battered fried crab claws, blackened Mahi and fire-grilled Gulf oysters kept locals and visitors coming back for more. A visit usually includes kids on the playground, seafood platters and Southern hospitality. Along with its take-out, homemade desserts and seafood gumbo, the Original Oyster House has been sending alligators home in kid's meals, and gives back to our community in sponsorships and donations. It has been recognized for its environmental practices including converting its fry oil into biofuel to transport, its solar water heaters and the only wind turbine on the Causeway, which generates electricity when winds reach 8 miles an hour or more. in 2016, the Original Oyster House piloted Alabama's FIRST Oyster Shell Recycling Program.

PRICE RANGE

$4.00 – $20.00

CUISINES

American, Seafood, Grill, Healthy

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Late Night, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Private Dining, Seating, Parking Available, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music, Waterfront, Playgrounds, Gift Cards Available

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4.0

987 reviews

Excellent

507

Very good

288

Average

110

Poor

Terrible

Travelcrow

Woodstock921 contributions

Great View, Exellent Food

Nov 2019 • none

Wow! First time stopping in at the Original Oyster House on the causeway and we were totally blown away by the service and the food. No tables available when we arrived so we sat at the bar. Brian, the bartender was the best! Really personable and enthusiastic about the food. He showed us a tv screen where you can watch the cooks fire roast the oysters to perfection. For further entertainment he made us a key lime pie drink that was out of this world. We really did it up right starting with crawfish pies which were fried dough with lots of crawfish and a remoulade sauce. Cups of gumbo, thick and loaded with shrimp. Fish tacos stuffed with mahi mahi. A half dozen fire roasted oysters topped with Parmesan cheese. Best ever collard greens with bacon. So so beans and rice which was a little bland. All this accompanied with a Yuengling Draft and Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc. Finally the piece de resistance was the Peanut Butter Pie. Piled high with creamy soft peanut butter and Kahlua mousse, sprinkled with chocolate chips and encased in a chocolate cookie crust. It was wonderful. The whole experience was exceptional.

Written March 25, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

MamaTexas

Ponca City160 contributions

Disappointed

Jun 2020 • family

A local at the USS Alabama Battleship suggested this place so we ate here for lunch. The cheesesticks were really good. They were actually cheeseballs but different and yummy. The gumbo was ok but not my favorite. I had a crab cake stacked on fried green tomatoes with a very rich sauce. The crab cake was tasty but everything together just tasted off...like too much fried and salt and not enough other flavor. The red beans and rice were very salty. Overall, the food wasn't terrible...but I wish we would have gone elsewhere.

Written June 23, 2020

Bill R

Crestview312 contributions

Quality is slacking off lately

Nov 2020 • none

We have been going here for years, have had so many great meals and good times. The staff is always helpful. The drinks are well done. The service is always up to speed. Problem is the last couple times we have been in, the quality of the food seems to be getting less and less. The oysters (should be the best thing at the Oyster House) have really taken a hit. I know there have been storms, they are best at certain times of the year, and it's whatever is caught that day. All that said, when you get a dozen raw oysters and over half of them are so small I could fit 3 at a time on a cracker, they don't need to go out to a table of hungry customers that are expecting a dozen oysters. The Poboys aren't as good as they used to be, and there has to be some way around using prepackaged cocktail sauce, even during Covid times. We will be back, it's still a great place to eat, especially when we are traveling through town, and you should really try it, maybe you will have a different experience........and maybe we will as well next time.

Written November 18, 2020

Jean Lafitte

3 contributions

Original Oyster House Mobile Alabama

Aug 2021 • none

Growing up in Mobile, I always loved this place. However, today was my worst experience ever and I do not intend to ever return. Driving in, there are pot holes big enough for a tractor to fall in and standing water in the parking lot so you almost have to wade up to the restaurant. After bringing us our food (seafood restaurant mind you) I asked for some cocktail sauce. The waitress said they were out of cocktail sauce but that she would bring me some horseradish and I could make my own with the catchup that was on the table. I told her that was not acceptable and to go make the sauce and bring it to my table. She departed and out comes the manager asking if there is a problem. After telling him that I wanted some cocktail sauce, he said "we make it here at the table." I have been eating at the OOH way too long to believe that lie so I asked him to leave my table and my family and I departed the restaurant- intending never to return. Very disappointing. This was once a high quality seafood restaurant that now provides its customers with a parking lot with canyon-like pot holes and makes their customers make their own cocktail sauce with horseradish and french fry catsup?

Written August 6, 2021

Renee' K

1 contribution

Bridal Shower Dinner

Sep 2022 • family

We had a horrible experience. The waitress told us we had the private room for an hour and a half so we needed to order but she didn’t actually take our order for about 45 minutes. We got our food 15 minutes before we were supposed to give up the room, horrible service. To top it off, the tiniest popcorn shrimp ever, were over cooked and chewy , the fish was not cooked well either. I felt bad fie the bride, this was supposed to be a celebration. I’ll never go back!

Written September 11, 2022

bmc-hartselle

Hartselle303 contributions

We eat here most every time

Jul 2020 • none

We eat here most every time we are in the area and once again this restaurant did not disappoint. We have never had a bad meal here. I tried the fire grilled oysters and they were fantastic! That is easily the best tasting oysters I have ever had. My wife and daughter got blackened shrimp and cheese grits and loved it. We split the famous peanut butter pie and it was so light and delicious! Do note that during this COVID-19 time the famous salad bar is not available but they will bring you a house salad.

Written July 20, 2020

Donna31522

Saint Simons Island270 contributions

Beautiful View and Delicious Food

Sep 2021 • none

Thanks Trip Advisors for suggesting this place, and I can vouch for your opinions! Kitchy place alongside a bayou (with beautiful views in the early evening sunlight). We had terrific and very prompt service, but we were encouraged to linger. We ordered their featured Fire-roasted oysters and they were SO delicious! We definitely had no problem navigating the parking lot, and we were offered a cup of cocktail sauce (which was not needed).

Written September 16, 2021

Pamela H

1 contribution

No regard for food allergies, terrible food, bad staff

Mar 2023 • family

The servers here are not educated in food allergies. Even warning them multiple times about not being able to consume dairy.It makes me really ill.I ordered my baked potato plain, server immediately asked me if I wanted butter, sour cream and cheese on it... .I was served it anyway. Food came splashed in hollandaise sauce...no one even bothered to replace it. I tried to eat around the sauce. The stuffed Flounder was a literal carcass with a small amount of breading with 2-3 slivers of bell peppers. There was nothing to it. Greens were mush with huge chunks of inedible bacon fat. I left hungrier than when I came in. No one bothered to check on us until 20 mins later. At this point, I was irritated and just wanted to leave. The place was dirty, our table had an empty butter container from previous guests on it, seat was sticky. I mean, c'mon...really?? Yikes. How many people are they sickening? You shouldn't have to overspend at a restaurant and then return home to actually eat enough to be considered a meal. Unacceptable. This was supposed to be a mother-son night out. Nothing but a waste of money, disappointment and probably a long night ahead in the toilet. I used to recommend this place to everyone. Won't recommend it ever again. Educate your servers if you're trying to serve food!!

Written March 4, 2023

Food_Junkie911

Madison1031 contributions

High volume average seafood

Jun 2021 • family

We stopped by for dinner - since several friends had recommended this restaurant. Great scenic view of the bay! Prompt service and attentive staff. Certainly the menu was primarily seafood so most went for suggestions from the staff. Unfortunately universally the table was unsatisfied with preparation or lack of flavor. Crab stuffed flounder was way undercooked x 2 (both at table). Stick with the oysters, other appetizers, and cocktails. Certainly a high volume restaurant with many fans.

Written June 26, 2021

Anne A

Daphne2 contributions

No social distancing possible in waiting area

Jun 2020 • none

The food was, as always, fantastic. HOWEVER, the waiting area is tiny, crowded and despite their sign asking for social distancing, it wasn't possible. Only my friend and I, and two other ladies, were wearing masks. We had to walk past the bar, with folks seated shoulder to shoulder. In the dining area tables were well spaced and servers wore masks. But they need to do something about that waiting area.

Written June 27, 2020

No.VA travellers

10 contributions

Lunch

Jan 2020 • couples

This is a "must" stop, twice a year, as we pass through Mobile. The fire-grilled oysters are fantastic, as is the seafood gumbo and the delicious chocolate peanut butter pie. I don't think you could go wrong, no matter what you order.

Written January 21, 2020

Jennifer G

4 contributions

Don't get the Sea Salad

Jul 2023 • couples

We always try to stop here on our way from Florida to Louisiana. We always get the chargrilled oysters and usually get the shrimp and grits and fried shrimp. This visit, we switched it up. We still got the chargrilled oysters and they were delicious as usual. My husband got the salad bar and gumbo combo. The salad bar was loaded and had fresh steamed rolls and the gumbo was tasty. I ordered the shrimp and crab salad. It was a huge bowl of lettuce, five cherry tomatoes, a quartered boiled egg, about 12 chilled boiled popcorn shrimp and about a half cup of crab meat. Before I ordered it, I asked our waitress what kind of crab it was and she said it's always lump crab. This crab was dark and completely shredded, no lumps, and tasteless. I tried eating it with the salad dressing, but the crab was watery and it didn't help, so I mixed up the cocktail sauce on the table and dipped the crab into that before I took a bite. Unfortunately, the taste of the salad dressing and cocktail sauce didn't exactly compliment one another. After I ate the shrimp, the tomatoes and the egg, I was left with a big bowl of lettuce and the watery crab. I gave up at that point. I did tell our waitress and she offered to bring me something else, but we needed to get on the road and it had taken quite a while to get the gumbo and my salad, so I really didn't want to wait longer. My advice is to skip this salad, get the salad bar or get a shrimp or crab entree if you are hungry for that.

Written July 31, 2023

Erik B

4 contributions

Best in Mobile

Jul 2021 • family

Best seafood in Mobile. Fire grilled oysters set the bar for all others to follow. Cheese grits cant be beat. Others in the party had grilled shrimp, blackened tilefish, shrimp scampi, and shrimp alfredo, all to rave reviews. Service was very good ( even with difficult member in my party - sorry Taylor). If you are in Mobile or even passing through, you need to eat here!

Written July 25, 2021

Steve L

Ocala14 contributions

Food and service good, but…..

May 2022 • none

Ordered a dozen raw oysters. Waitress asked if I wanted horseradish for my cocktail sauce, I replied yes. Oysters and paraphernalia arrived, I discovered that I had three containers of horseradish, but no cocktail sauce. After finally waving the waitress down and pointing out that she hadn’t given me cocktail sauce, she replied, we don’t do that and pointed to the ketchup on the table and stated, “you can make your own”. This isn’t the reason I go to a restaurant, I am not interested in creating my own condiments from a few items on the table.

Written May 21, 2022

SooJBee

Orlando253 contributions

Excellent!!!!!!

Jan 2020 • none

Been here few times and it is fantastic! Restaurant is large with lots of seating for small to large groups. Great views overlooking the lagoon and river. Very open, simple atmosphere. Friendly staff and servers. Jose L was our server and he was great! Large all you can eat salad bar. Nice selection and variety of menu items. Between our group we had gumbo, 4 different types of shrimp, flounder, fried oysters, stuffed crab, shrimp and grits, crab stuffed flounder and crab cakes. OMG, everything was just fantastic and so delicious!! Highly recommend this restaurant. We've been quite a few times, and will return many more!

Written March 21, 2020

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