12 Cool & Unique Specialty Foods
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach
Discover a variety of cool and unique specialty foods along the Alabama Gulf Coast. Eat locally or bring back tasty gifts for friends and family to snack on!
One of my favorite parts of heading down to the Alabama Gulf Coast is getting my favorite specialty foods. Some I nosh on while I’m there, and others I take home for friends.
Grab-and-Go Beach Eats in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach
Some things must be enjoyed immediately. These snacks and treats are among my favorite grab-and-go eats in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.
First stop: Blalock’s Seafood & Specialty Market. We usually stay in a condo with a full kitchen when we’re in town, so we stop into Blalock’s first and grab some fresh seafood to prepare for dinner. But we always grab their Smoked Tuna Dip. It’s smoked in-house and is amazing! Plus, they have tons of cheese, so you’ve got the makings for a yummy charcuterie board right off the bat!
Kayden’s Candy Factory has a fun wine and chocolate tasting you can do! They also have beer pairings if you’re more of a beer fan. It’s a fun foodie activity to do on a rainy day.
The Pantry at The Wharf is another one of my first stops, and I usually end up back every couple of days! They have a great little shop, but I love that you can order meals to take back to your vacation rental. I like to dine out when I'm on vacation, but I also like to relax with my friends and family at the condo. At The Pantry, Chef David Pan, a Le Cordon Bleu French-trained chef, makes all their take-home meals. My favorite is his Gumbo Ya Ya which you can get in their New Orleans Dinner Pack!
Pimento Cheese is definitely a Southern thing. You can find it up here in Ohio, but it’s not a staple like it is in the South. I stopped by Brookman’s Smokehouse on my last trip and picked up a tub of it to go with my tuna dip. It’s great to have in the condo for snacking before and after the beach.
Gulf Shores is just getting into the brewery game, and I always stop by Big Beach Brewing Company. The Rod’s Reel Cream Ale is very light and just my speed!
The Yard Milkshake Bar is a favorite stop. They have ice cream and edible cookie dough in their cooler that you can grab and go! I loved their Cookie Dough so much that I made my own copycat recipe to have it at home!
Favorites to Take Home to Friends and Family
Kayden’s Candy Factory has great pastries, but they also have house-made chocolates! My favorites are the Cookies & Cream Fudge and the Chocolate Tiramisu Truffles.
Bushwackers are the signature drink of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, and while you can’t take one home, you can grab a bag of Bushwacker coffee roasted in-house at Southern Shores Coffee.
We had so much fun at LuLu’s that I had to take something home to remember it by! My boyfriend loves spicy, so I grabbed some of their Southern Jerk Spice to make LuLu’s jerk chicken at home. I brought home their Bad Boy Blackening Spice so I can make blackened shrimp po-boys at home. And, we may have picked up a few T-shirts and a cookbook, too!
While you’re at The Pantry at The Wharf, browse the great dips and mustards (and the fun gifts, too). The condiments are packaged beautifully and make great gifts for friends and family. My favorite was the Terrapin Ridge Farms Dill Pickle Mustard. I used it all up this summer, and it’s on my list to pick up during my next trip!
If you need more sweet treats, you can also stop at the Chocolate Corner. The little creamy fudge cups are divine. Grab a sample of different flavors and share!
Hopefully, this helps you find delicious treats while you’re visiting Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Save room in your suitcase to bring a few home with you!
