The Best Restaurants & Family Activities in Gulf Shores, Alabama

My sister lives on the coast of Mississippi, only about two hours from Gulf Shores, Alabama.  We decided to plan a trip to her house for Spring Break.  We originally had this trip planned for 2020, but like most people, our trip was canceled.  This year we decided to come down a bit earlier and instead of going straight to my sister’s house, we met her in Gulf Shores for the weekend.  We rented a beach house with a beautiful ocean view and surprised our kids with our little vacation!

The kids were already excited to escape Ohio and head to the beach, but the excitement skyrocketed when my nieces knocked on the door!  We only spent the weekend in Gulf Shores, but we found some good food and fun while we were there!

Our condo was located in the Sanibel.  We rented from VRBO, which was smooth.  The condo was a two-bedroom and had a pull-out sofa in the living room so it ended up being the perfect size for our family and my sister, brother-in-law and two nieces.  Our view was gorgeous!  The condo was not directly on the ocean (we had to cross the street), but we were on the 7^th floor with a huge balcony giving us the perfect view!

Check out our recommendations on the best restaurants and family activities in Gulf Shores, Alabama!

Best Restaurants in Gulf Shores

Tacky Jacks

We arrived on Friday afternoon and headed to Tacky Jacks for dinner.  The restaurant is certainly interesting!  The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating along with a sand pit play area for the kids.  From the hostess station, you can grab some duct tape and a sharpie and write a message and put your tape on the wall.  There are thousands of duct tape messages all over the walls and stairs of the restaurant, which adds to its character!

In addition to the funky, cool atmosphere, the food was also good.  When you’re in the south, you’ll likely see Gator Bites on the menu—or some form of alligator!  We typically try these unique foods so this stop was no different.  The fried gator bites were actually pretty tasty! 

I was hungry for a burger, which I thought was pretty good!  My husband went with the blackened grouper, which he really liked too.  I am not a big seafood person, with the exception of fish and chips or mild tasting fish.  My husband’s grouper was really mild and the spices gave the fish a really good flavor.  There are plenty of options for the kids too (chicken tenders, grilled cheese, burger, etc.).  We also got the nachos as an appetizer, which were huge and perfect for sharing! You can check out Tacky Jacks Menu here!

Kayden’s Candy Factory

My sister planned to bring breakfast food and totally forgot to grab it out of the fridge before she left home.  Saturday morning, we woke up and decided to go out for breakfast.  The place I planned to go, had a two-hour wait so we decided to pop over to Walmart and just grab a few things.  My husband saw a sign for donuts so he and my brother-in-law headed to the shop with the kids while my sister and I grabbed some groceries.  My husband called me to come over to Kayden’s Candy Factory because they had more than just donuts.

From the name, you wouldn’t guess that it had such a variety!  In addition to donuts and candy (as their name mentions), they also offered fresh-made omelets, crepes and other breakfast foods along with ice cream.

We ended up trying a variety of items on the menu, all of which were really good!  I recommend the Western Beach Boy and Ham and Cheese omelets as well as the You’re Nuts and Paradise Crepes.  We couldn’t walk out of there without some donuts.  My favorite was the Lemon Bismark!  Plus the restaurant had a little arcade that the kids (and even the big kids) enjoyed. You can see Kayden’s donut/bagel menu here.

The Gulf

For dinner, we headed to The Gulf.  It was such a cool atmosphere and we had some really good food!  The restaurant is right on the beach and has a large space with picnic tables, fire pits and outdoor couches.  At night, strung lights illuminate the outdoor restaurant with a beachy, summer vibe.  At this restaurant, you order your food at one of two kitchens, take a tracker and once it’s ready, the staff brings it to your table.  We ordered a chicken sandwich and a burger, both of which were really good!  The chicken tenders had such a good flavor and both sandwiches were topped with an aioli that was delicious. You can check out The Gulf Menu here.

Best Family Activities

Hit the Beach!

When you’re in Gulf Shores, the beach is the place to be!  The sand is so soft and the water is a beautiful blue color!  I wouldn’t have expected to get this view in Alabama! Unfortunately, it was a little chilly the weekend we were there, but it didn’t stop the kids from swimming and enjoying a beach day!  All of us adults were bundled up in sweatshirts and pants, while our kids jumped in the cold water and built sand castles.

And don’t forget to use my packing hack to get great family photos with an awesome beach blue backdrop!

Surf’s Up Dolphin Cruises

My sister and I planned to book a sunset dolphin cruise.  There are a variety of options available, but I am a bargain hunter so I looked for the best deal.  I ended up finding a $15 cruise ($12 for daytime cruises) with Surf’s Up Dolphin Cruises.   

The company guarantees that you’ll see dolphins so I expected to see a few jump out of the water, but I did not expect the show that we got!  Surf’s Up teams up with another company and they run their boats side by side creating a wave that the dolphins love to ride.  Dolphins were literally hopping out of the water!  I was busy snapping pictures while my husband recorded the action.  The kids were in awe as were the adults.  It was the best excursion we could have done! 

And once we saw the first show, we figured the cruise would be over and we’d head back, but that was not the case.  The captains found another set of dolphins and they also did a show for us!  It was really cool!

The sunset cruises are typically a slightly higher cost, but it’s recommended since the light isn’t so harsh on the water making the dolphins easier to see.  Since sunset cruises are later in the evening, the temperature is cooler.  It was around 60-63 degrees when we got on the boat and a light jacket/sweatshirt was perfect.  However, once you start moving and the wind hits you, it’s really chilly. I would suggest you come prepared with either a blanket or a jacket (even if the air temp is warmer).  Once the boat is out of the marina, you’re able to go on the bow of the ship and it’s really windy up there. 

Places to Visit Outside of Gulf Shores

We were traveling in from Ohio and passed these places on the way in to Gulf Shores and the way out. If you have some extra time in your drive and need a place to eat or stop off, check these places out!

Lambert’s Café

On Sunday morning, we had to be out of our beach house by 10am so we packed up and headed out.  My sister lives in Ocean Springs, Mississippi so we headed to her house for the rest of the week.  On our way home, my sister and brother-in-law suggested we stop at Lambert’s in Foley, AL for lunch. 

When we got to the restaurant, it wasn’t even open yet and the line was wrapped around the building!  I guess that’s probably a good indication that we were in for some good food!  Once the doors opened, the line moved quickly and we were seated.  The restaurant is huge and they offer a variety of home cooked meals.  My sister and I opted for the meatloaf, which came with mashed potatoes plus two additional sides.  My husband went with the sausage and kraut meal and everyone else had the fried chicken or chicken tenders.  We all had a round of sweet tea, which is totally southern style and sweet—just the way I like it!

The servings were large and the food was really good!  And in addition to the sides you choose with your meal, they also come around with a variety of additional sides throughout your meal!  They offer fried okra, fried potatoes, black eyed peas, apple butter for your rolls and cabbage.  They also are home of the “throwed rolls”—they have these huge, softball-sized rolls that they literally throw at you.  If you’re heading out of town, I would suggest stopping at the restaurant! You can check out Lambert’s Café Menu here.

Buc-ees

We drove a bit further and checked out Buc-ees, which is a massive gas station.  I know, you’re probably thinking who cares about a gas station, but this one has so much more than just gas.  However, if you need gas, there are over 100 pumps so you won’t wait long!  The store has everything from clothes and shoes, to home décor and food. If you like coffee, there is a huge coffee bar with a variety of flavored syrups so you can make your own concoction.  Plus there are the typical hot cocoa and cappuccino machines.  They also have a wall of icee flavors.  They have a food counter as well as a variety of cold options.

You can easily spend an hour browsing the store!  And their restrooms are huge and clean so if you need a break, this is the place to go.  I enjoy seeing unique places so we always try to make a few stops along the way.  It gives us a chance to stretch our legs and see something fun.  Our kids are always up for an icee or a snack!

Do you have suggestions?

Have you visited Gulf Shores?  What are your favorite activities or restaurants?  What about your favorite stops on the way?  We’d love to hear about them!