Gulf Shores/orange Beach/fort Morgan Al

[Celtic Queen]

Just got back from a beach vacation with the family and thought I'd share a few restaurant options for those traveling to the Gulf Shores/Orange Beach/Fort Morgan Alabama area.  This is my second year eating gluten free at the beach and here's a few of the places I hit:

 

Fort Morgan

Tacky Jacks II - The waitress was very helpful here.  She recommended their seafood salad, but they also had some steamed crab and boiled shrimp entrees that were safe, as well as a steak.  I had the steamed crab claws with butter as an appetizer and the seafood salad as an entree.  Both were really good.  The salad had an ample supply of shrimp and crawfish on it.  I didn't get sick on anything.

 

Orange Beach

Colbalt's - This is an upscale restaurant.  The waitress was immediately brought me their gluten free menu, which had quite a few options (but, as usual, no prices )  There were the obligatory salad offerings, as well as several seafood dishes and steak that were all gluten free.  I ordered a dinner salad and their North Carolina bbq ribs.  The ribs were very delicious - slightly sweet and spicy.  They have a full bar and a great patio.  We sat on the patio and looked at all the yachts coming in to dock.  I didn't get sick here either.  Yay! 

 

Gulf Shores

The Original Oyster House - Last year I had a bad experience at this restaurant.  I had a really sweet waitress but not very knowledgable.  My food came out with a huge piece of bread on it and I had to get the kitchen to remake the dish.  I ended up eating the second dish, even though I really shouldn't have and, of course, I got sick.  So this year I was really hesitant to eat there.  Their salad bar is a buffet, so that isn't really even an option.  The waiter this year was much more informed about gluten and seemed to have more faith in the kitchen.  Still, I didn't want to take a risk so I only ate a baked potato and they didn't gluten me this year.

 

The Hangout - The have a notice printed on their menu to inform them if you have allergies.  The waitress knew several options and offered to get the manager to help with more.  I ended up eating the Mandarin salad, just because it sounded good.  They substituted grilled chicken for fried to make it gluten free.  It tasted really good.  There were several other seafood and salad options I could have chosen, as well as a bunless burger.  I managed not to get sick here either.

 

LuLu's - This is my favorite place to eat when I'm in the area because it's so easy.  They have a separate allergen menu that lists gluten free, dairy free, and soy free (I think).  There are a ton of options.  They also serve gluten free beer - Omission Lager.  I had never tried Omission before so it was fun to be able to order something different.  I got the mahi mahi tacos, which were super yummy.  The tortilla chips that come with them are baked, instead of fried, so they're not as tasty as the regular ones but will do in a pinch.  When you order off the allergen menu, a manager has to come and take your order instead of the waiter or waitress.  And the manager delivers the food.  They have a good understanding of food allergies/intolerances.  I didn't get sick here either.

 

Hope this helps anyone who will be traveling to this part of Alabama.

[Celtic Queen]

Forgot to add that LuLu's has gluten free buns for their burgers - either Rudi's or Udi's, I can't remember which but I remember seeing it on the menu.