Gulf Shores' Sea-n-Suds: Eat on the Beach

My friends and I have a tradition. When we leave early from our home in northern Alabama, we always reach Gulf Shores just in time for lunch. Before we ever check into our hotel or condo room, we park across from the sandy shore off of East Beach Blvd and run over to the beach where we're greeted by the smell of fried seafood and the square building on stilts known as Sea-n-Suds.

Sea-n-Suds makes a great lunch time stop for tourists, mainly because of its location and relatively low price-range. During the lunch hours, there's not much of a wait. In fact, this past Labor Day weekend there was no wait at all for my party of four. However, if you did have to wait, you'd find yourself under a covered porch where the beach's breeze and plenty of seating are both available. When they enter the restaurant, customers can choose whether they want to dine inside the restaurant where wide windows open up to the beach or outside on the covered deck, where they can feel the cool air rolling off the waves.

Casual and clean, Sea-n-Suds is a great place for the whole family. It doesn't have a bar atmosphere, and the noise level is relatively low, so you can hold conversations without straining your voice and still enjoy the sound of the rolling waves down on the beach. Pricing is, for Gulf Shores, relatively affordable. Items such as hot dogs, grill cheeses, and hamburgers will put you out less than four bucks. The restaurant also offer traditional Gulf food from gumbo to shrimp sandwiches to delicious fried crab claws (probably the most expensive meal at around $14 for half an order and $18 dollars for a full order). While there's a small salad bar available, it's nothing to write home about. Sea-n-Suds is mainly a fried food joint and doesn't offer a huge selection, especially for those craving healthier foods, but, for most families on vacation in need of fried seafood, its menu proves tempting enough.

Waitresses are friendly and don't push themselves into your conversations. They buff and refill with smiles on their faces, and, if you order a shrimp meal, they'll show you how to make your own cocktail sauce. This is something kids and foodies will both enjoy! For those wanting more than a cocktail recipe to take home, a Sea-n-Suds gift store is available and offers a variety of t-shirts.

With great service, a fantastic view, and reasonable food, Sea-n-Suds is a great lunch time stop for families and groups, so stop in and order up a platter of fried crab claws and a cold glass of pink lemonade. My friends prefer to make Sea-n-Suds their first stop in Gulf Shores but make your own traditions and try Sea-n-Suds next time you're on Alabama's terrific coastline. During the off-season, Sea-n-Suds shuts its doors on Sundays and also closes for the month of December, so visit her while she's still open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sea-n-Suds

405 East Beach Blvd.

Gulf Shores, Alabama

For more info call 251-948-7894

Or for info and their full menu with prices visit their website:

http://www.sea-n-suds.com/