My husband and I stopped in for lunch after touring the USS Alabama. We were told the wait would be 30 minutes but checked open table and could immediately get a reservation. (I recommend doing that, especially during lunch.) One of my good friends sent recommendations. My husband got the French dip. I hesitate calling it a poboy because I'm from NOLA, and outside south Louisiana, it's just a sandwich . I got the grilled shrimp lunch special with fries. Honestly, spend a little more and get the platter. I'd get them fried, but I can't have gluten. I risked cross contamination and got the fries. They were absolutely worth it. Fortunately, I didn't have a reaction. Trevor was our server, and he was excellent. You could tell he knew the regulars and locals based on how he'd approach new diners. He also gave really good recommendations. The vegetable of the day was a casserole, and Trevor told my husband that was better than the fries. My husband inhaled that casserole. If you're an Elvis fan, request to sit at the table. Overall, I'd definitely come back. For being on Open Table, just know this is a casual restaurant on the bay. Nothing frilly - just good, southern cooking. We will be back! read more

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This spot has a really charming atmosphere and definitely nails the "cute coastal" vibe. Service was a highlight--staff were genuinely friendly, attentive, and made us feel welcome from start to finish. That said, the food was a bit of a mixed experience. The chargrilled oysters unfortunately came with quite a bit of shell, which made them difficult to enjoy--though we did manage to find some actual pearl in there, so small win and fun! The grilled fish and shrimp were noticeably overcooked, and my husband's fried shrimp leaned the same way, lacking that fresh, tender bite you hope for. Sides were decent but didn't particularly stand out for my grilled dinner. Husband said slaw and hush puppies were good, my green beans were delicious. Overall, it's a lovely place with great service, but the kitchen execution didn't quite match the setting. With a few tweaks, this could easily be a standout spot. read more

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It has been years since we were here last while on vacation. So technically,it is our first visit as residents of Mobile. We arrived on a Thursday early at 5:00 PM and we were seated promptly. Our waitress Kathy was very good throughout our visit, Russ, one of the managers stopped by to check on us and chat for a bit about coming by boat on a future visit. You get a discount coming by boat, who knew? We ordered a cup of gumbo to start, followed by the flaming oysters, both were very tasty. Next she ordered the special fish with grilled shrimp it was good. I decided to try the cuban sandwich. Now, if I had not grown up in Miami Florida, I may not know any better. I will leave it at, I would not order it again, it was a sandwich. The place is on the water with a view of downtown on the dock. read more

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Great view, & great service! The vibes were great - they even had live music setting up. Food was fantastic & didn't take a long time to get it. No complaints - will definitely revisit when I'm in the area! read more

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Great service, fast, fresh, hot food. My husband loved his fish and shrimp and my Cubano sandwich was on pointe. But I'd have to say best part was the key lime pie. read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - Key lime pie - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

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Always great service and food. Definitely worth the drive and a favorite to take people in town read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - Crab cakes , one blackened and one fried with Mac and cheese and coleslaw - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

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Met some business associates here on a Tuesday for lunch. We ate on the patio. The service was outstanding. We had two since they were training a new guy. Great experience. We had the grilled oysters. They were perfect. I could have eaten several dozen. The tea was good. The fish of the day was whitefish- Swai. No go with that. I would have expected a gulf fish. I had the Mahi instead. It was great. We had a great experience with super food. read more

Wait wasn't too long. Good vibes on the causeway with decent drinks. Seafood all tasted fresh. Bushwacker tasted great.

The Bluegill is a hoot for a California kid. We visited with a large (100) group. Servers we jumping around getting drink orders, food was good but the atmosphere is what you come for. The rear dock view is beautiful and everyone is having a good time. It was easy to join in. read more

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Great dinner on the outside deck with wonderful service by Emma. Our group of 4 enjoyed music by the group Fat Lincoln. read more

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The food was absolutely delicious. Highly recommend the Flaming Oysters. Our service was top notch and on Top of everything. Such a cool place to eat and enjoy the views. Definitely will be returning. read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - Flamin' Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

A true classic. Menu is limited, but what they offer is the best. Strongly recommend the flaming oysters - I avoided these for several visits, and I'm sorry I did. Christina at the back bar is exceptionally gifted in customer service. read more

The ambience was casual and fun. Our waitress Keller was the best, kind, knowledgeable, and efficient! The oysters were good and the fried fish platter was very crisp and light. The fries not so good. Definitely get the Keylime pie! read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - The flaming oysters - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

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We were pleasantly surprised at the experience we had here. Friendly and helpful wait staff made all the difference. The star of the food show was the grilled oysters. And the surprise stand out was the fried pork skin appetizer. The ambience is classic beach restaurant, and there was live music playing the night we went. There was a crowd and we had to wait a little bit to get seated, but we had a good experience overall. In my opinion, the only real drawback was the parking because it's cramped and not well organized and I would advise you not to bring a pick-up-truck if you plan to get out easily. read more

Cute old fish camp near The USS Alabama. The corn soup was amazing, the oysters were great. Hush puppies and gumbo were a total pass imo. The pimento cheese grilled panini was great- spicy wasn't very spicy- just veryyyyy rich. Overall, nice stop for fresh seafood. read more

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Delicious local seafood and very kind, hospitable service :) The patio area wasn't too crowded for lunch and the view is beautiful! read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - Fried green tomatoes with crawfish royal (and crab & corn soup) - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

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Been here many, many times when we lived in Mobile. Decided to go for my mom's 80th birthday to meet up with some family and friends. Reserved a table for 12 days in advance. When we got there, they only allow tables of 8. No one said that was a policy on the phone. The manager, we assume, said it was a fire violation to have more than 8, which was BS. We managed to make it work with separate tables. People ordered food at different times because it was more about having drinks and socializing. My mom ordered a second order of flaming oysters. Took forever to get them. I ordered a shrimp basket, much later than the other folks. 30 minutes later, I still hadn't gotten my food. The waitress said the kitchen lost the ticket. I eventually got my food. It was good and they didn't charge me. A little disappointed in the overall experience coming from a place where I generally would put this place in a much higher regard. The table thing was a big let down. Had they told us when putting in a reservation, we would have gone somewhere else that was more accommodating. read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - Shrimp basket - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

We were in Mobile for the weekend and found Bluegill for an early lunch. The staff were welcoming and we were quickly seated. Our waitress was attentive and very friendly. We ordered crab claws ( fried and sautéed) for an appetizer- they were amazing!! We split a shrimp basket, crab and corn soup and a cheeseburger with mac n' cheese, green beans and sweet potato casserole; the sweet potato casserole was unbelievable!!! Everything else was great! We will definitely return!! Thanks, Bluegill!! read more

service, food, drinks, patio by the water! loved meagan she was perfectly attentive. do not like how some of their name tags say their nicknames. but other than that GREAT experience i will be here again next weekend ! read more

Flaming Oysters are great!!! This was not the first time I was there. When traveling through I have to stop! read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

Very casual seafood place. Service was good! Food was ok. Some was pretty great! Some was meh. But nothing bad (except the fries) FRIED GREEN TOMATOES WITH CRAWFISH ROYAL Fried green tomatoes topped with our famous crawfish tails in BLUEGILL'S creamy herb sauce - probably the best thing we had LOADED CHOPPED FRIES Chopped Gulf salted fries topped with roast beef debris, basted with our (used to be) famous local BBQ sauce, melted cheddar-jack cheese, jalapeno peppers, green onions and a dollop of sour cream - this one's on me. It's a lot of food! GRILLED, FRIED OR BLACKENED Crawfish, Shrimp or Fish. - the shrimp were HUGE TWIN FRIED GULF CRAB CAKES Two hand-made fried Gulf crabmeat cakes - nice size Sides: Fries: not good House salad: good! It's hard to mess that up read more

Impressed home town decor with down south politeness. Josh was an amazing server very attentive and polite. Helped navigate through the amazing choices on the menu Let me tell you I have had seafood in many of states from coast to coast but this place beats them all on taste and prices. Do yourself a favor it was worth the trip from Vegas alone to eat here. Ambiance and food made this a five star plus five read more

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We were sat immediately for dinner on a Friday night at 5. The atmosphere was cool with a single guy playing music! We had the flaming hot oysters as an appetizer....and wow!! They were delicious!!! We both had the specials of the night! One was Fried green tomatoes with crab cakes and crawfish Cajun sauce served with two side (fried okra and cheese grits) and the other was blackened mahi mahi (with french fries and hushpuppies)! The food was fantastic as well as the service! I would definitely eat here again!! read more

To be fair we went on a Tuesday night. Had some friends in town and they were staying in Daphne so the causeway is halfway. The crowd was light and the service was perfect. Our server Jayden P was very helpful and patient with us. She could not have possibly been any better. Explained everything as far as specials go, kept drinks full. The downfall was the food. I was completely surprised, as it has always been so good. We haven't been in a while and was surprised to find the menu whittled down to so few options. I don't know what I was expecting but the shrimp, oysters, 3 kinds of fish, and chicken all either fried, grilled or blackened and mix and match for plates was seemingly lacking. I guess that's that and I suppose I am used to more options and am just cranky. The food itself was very average at best. Fish was dry as if it was sitting around cooked and warmed for a bit, probably wasn't but I don't really know how else to get it dry across the board blackened and grilled. Fried items were better, but again they were average fried seafood in Mobile. On the way home Mrs Pug let me know that she had found a hair in her turnip greens, but didn't want to make an issue in front of our guest. She just stopped eating them and there really is no recovery from that. What could they have done? Apologize? I am sure it was not intentional. Will we return? Sure, next time we need to eat on the causeway depending on how the crowd looks at the Oyster House next door. It is really just a good place to go grab a cold beer and a sandwich but not the upper scale restaurant the pricing reflects. I think the previous owner from years back sold to a holding group and that may be the difference, I keep expecting too much since the days of family owned spots on the causeway. read more

We spent the week on a cruise to Grand Turk, San Juan and St. Thomas, but was never able to get any fresh seafood, until we got back to the Gulf coast. The BLUEGILL Restaurant read more

I don't want to be rude, but in my opinion I believe this is a little bit of a tourist trap. There is an ad sign saying that they are voted best outdoor eating in Alabama, so we gave it a shot. Be prepared to wait, but we knew what to expect there so no worries. Our server did not give us our waters after asking three time. A couple of dishes say "Famous" before the title. I asked what made the fried pickles famous and she said "literally nothing, it's just a fried pickle". I won't deny that they were decent, but salty as all get out. Also got the grilled oysters and thought they were pretty good, not famous in my opinion either. Last but not least we split the Gator. Alligator is my favorite dish, absolutely phenomenal. This was soggy, chewy, bland, and genuinely not good at all. I ate two pieces and left the rest. Fries were fine, and mac and cheese was brutal. My expectations were way higher, and I was pretty disappointed to be honest. I will say, the service and management were very friendly, I personally think that this establishment is slightly gimmicky. Three stars because of the service, ambiance, and the oysters. Try it for yourself!! read more

Stopped in on a random Tuesday night and they had a big band playing! Fifteen pieces plus 2 singers. Great show. And we had a several great dishes too. The fried green tomatoes topped with crab cakes and crawfish sauce was amazing! read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - Mobile Big Band Society - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

Food, drinks, music, and service was all on point. Had the bluegill jambalaya and it was amazing, tried a couple drinks and they were all very good. read more

Delicious food, great service and funky decor. Gumbo was tasty and the seafood was done perfectly. Entire staff was extremely polite and friendly. read more

Great southern seafood just east of mobile downtown on the water. I was there. On Sunday early PM so missed the live music but enjoyed the food and good friendly service. Flaming oysters to start, fresh mahi mahi (grilled) for my main with broccoli/cheese grits (yes, that is broccoli mixed in to cheese grits). My brother had crab cakes and i forget what for the main. As it was not crowded they let us sit and talk a whole, no crowd, no rush. Lovely big back deck on the water but early PM in July it was a bit hot for us. Lot of history to this place, i think it was the first of its type. Lots of pictures of famous people whom have been there , in case you are into that sort of thing. I would go back, but maybe earlier in the year if i am out here so i can sit outback on the deck. read more

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Bluegill is a casual seafood restaurant with a laid back vibe that serves as good of food as it's nearby more well known neighbors. It sits at ground level and has a pier out back for boaters on the Mobile Bay backwaters. It usually has bands play on the back deck on the weekends and is slightly less expensive and less formal than it's better known neighbors nearby. Last Sunday I had dinner here for the first time in several years and thoroughly enjoyed it. I asked for the Bluegill seafood platter with fish, oysters and shrimp (blackened) with side dishes of twice baked potato casserole and green beans for $23. I added a side salad for another $3.50. The salad arrived first and made me glad I ordered it. It was fresh tasting and simple with romaine and iceberg lettuce with cucumbers, tomatoes and good tasting ranch dressing. The entree had a generous amount of seafood (fish, shrimp and oyster) and was tasty. Good seafood. Finally the green beans were very good and the potato casserole excellent. It isn't a regular menu item and was a special side dish that night. This meal left me happy and full. During my meal inside there was a lively crowd outside on the back patio by the water enjoying a band playing. It looked like a lot of happy people. Bluegill is a restaurant frequented by locals and visitors in the know. Come eat here, enjoy and relax. read more

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We arrived for a late lunch and were seated promptly. We had the fried green tomatoes with the crawfish sauce and an order of their firecracker shrimp. We then shared an order of fried shrimp and cheese grits. All of the food was freshly prepared and delicious. Our server Kevin, was attentive and very polite. My only complaint is I wish they had a broader selection of main courses. No other complaints. read more

Sadly this place has gone way downhill. Probably the WORSE service I've ever had at Blue Gill. Wife and I were trying to enjoy the great weather at the outside bar and the service was absolutely horrible. Food was okay. "Seared" ahi tuna was umm.....see photo. read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - "Seared" ahi tuna - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

The food is good, but you come for the atmosphere -- this is a special place, that combines local seafood, live music, and lots of local character. It can get busy -- but they'll take your number and send you a notification when a table frees up -- it's worth the wait. When we were there, there was a guitarist playing all kinds of music from the 1970s and 80s, ranging from rock to folk to R&B ... mostly songs you would recognize. She didn't take a break in the entire time between when we arrived and when we finished eating. And her music was at an appropriate volume - it didn't interfere with conversation, but you could hear her clearly. The Bluegill is about seafood, mostly fried, but also grilled or blackened. They also have things like a Cuban sandwich and even fried alligator, so there are many choices for those who don't want seafood. Many items come with one or two sides -- standard southern sides like hush-puppies, green beans, mac & cheese, and Cole slaw, and special sides (veggie of the day) like fried okra. We had the okra and the hush-puppies, and both were good but fairly standard. The corn & crab chowder was good, the gumbo fair-to-middling. The dirty dozen (13 fried shrimp in our case) was good -- all their shrimp is good and fresh. The Bluegill platter (in my case, fried oysters, blackened shrimp, blackened fish) was good -- the cornmeal breading on the oysters wasn't too heavy. For most of the fish there was a choice between the local "trash fish" (which is what I got, but I don't remember what kind of fish it was), or a choice of upscale fish, but I couldn't see getting mahi-mahi from Hawaii when locally sourced fish from the Gulf is available. And then of course they have tea, sweetened or unsweetened, drinks (full bar), and desert -- the key lime pie was pretty standard, but still delicious. When I'm back in Alabama, I'll be going back again -- it was a fun restaurant, even if the emphasis was overly fried. read more

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Great food .great prices .Will return .Loved the po boy !!! serving size is plenty of food..they do charge for extra small cups.of sauce i thought was a bit much ... read more

It was okay. The key lime pie was probably the best I've ever had-very creamy! The flame grilled oysters were great as well. The bayside platter (seafood platter) was just okay-cold. I'll definitely be back for just the flame grilled oysters and the key lime pie! read more

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What a nice day to enjoy a great "late lunch" at Bluegill Restaurant! Following reviews, we had a drink at the bar while waiting for our table and were greeted promptly after being seated. Indoor and outdoor (covered patio-style) seating is available. We loved our server, Kendall, who was so friendly and gave us expert service! Orders were the Bluegill platter (fish, oysters and shrimp with two sides) and a French dip with fries. Also tried the crab corn soup, which was thick and delicious. Lots of crab flavor but corn was there too! Food was great, ambience pleasant and prices in line (even better than most) with other gulf seafood restaurants. read more

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It was 15 OCT 2022, and the family was headed to Orange Beach, AL for a quick getaway. I reached out to my non-Yelping cousins in Semmes, AL and asked if they'd like to eat lunch as we passed through Mobile. As we had already eaten at most of the restaurants on Battleship Parkway, we asked them what they recommended, and after a brief discussion, we met at Bluegill, as we had never eaten there and were anxious to try it. Located on Battleship Parkway, Bluegill is situated a little past halfway between the tunnel and Spanish Fort. I am glad we arrived early because this place is popular; and since most of the seating is outside, and the day we arrived had gorgeous weather, there were already lots of people there. The outdoor covered seating sat on Pass Picada, which is a waterway that connects to Mobile Bay. This restaurant features live music and the lady singing that day had only an acoustic guitar and sounded phenomenal. I had a cup of the crab and corn soup and I must say it was the richest, heartiest variety I've ever had. A bowl of this may qualify as an entire meal. I opted for a lighter fare and decided to only get a sandwich to accompany my soup. The homemade crabby patty hit the spot. Although it may not look to be big, it was deceiving, as it was a thick patty and was topped with a LOT of Gulf crabmeat. It was served with Chef Constantine's remoulade sauce and a side of zest Voodoo sauce, both of which are delicious. Had a great meal here with my awesome family. The time passed too quickly but I would definitely go back. read more

BLUEGILL Restaurant - Crab & corn soup - Seafood Near Me - Spanish Fort, Alabama

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This place nailed it on every front! My wife and I drove down from Atlanta to Mobile on our first ever visit to Mobile and she saw Bluegill Restaurant mentioned in a Southern Living article so decided to check it out as we arrived in time for a late lunch. The vibe was just what we love in a beach town place- open air, casual, great views of the bay and marsh. The beer choices were great local brews (try the Braided River Pilsner and the Fairhope Causeway IPA) We started with the house special Flaming Oysters (baked oysters covered with butter, Parmesan, and more butter). They were very tasty and the quality of the oysters was really really good. For entrees, Mary picked the "Dirty Dozen" (I.e., 13) blackened shrimp that were perfectly grilled and seasoned. For my Dirty Dozen, I selected a combo of blackened shrimp and fried oysters. The oysters were fried to perfection- flavorful and juicy. Even our sides were noteworthy- Memphis Slaw and Fries are both recommended. We topped off our meal with some fresh Key Lime pie (highly recommend) and grabbed some smoked tins dip for later. Without exception, the entire staff was very friendly and certainly made us feel welcome and well cared-for. We will definitely be going back! read more

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I don't know what happened with Bluegill but the last time we went there it was just pure awful! Service was OK and we got our food within a reasonable time, but it was not good at all. This is probably the third time I've been to Bluegill and it's been kind of iffy. I doubt I'll be going back anytime soon. read more