Fish River Grill was one of our favorite meals while we were in Gulf Shores. We had the Gulf shrimp, fresh white fish, and raw oysters, and everything was really good. The oysters were fantastic. You can tell they know how to pick good oysters because they were fresh, clean, and full of flavor. They also had red snapper that had been caught that day. We didn't try it, but the people sitting next to us ordered it and were really enjoying it, so that says something too. What I liked most was that this actually felt like local Gulf Coast food. The flavors, the seafood, and even the atmosphere felt authentic rather than like a restaurant built for tourists. It was a great representation of the local cuisine and culture. We'll definitely go back the next time we're in the area. read more

After being disappointed with food the night before that we got at a popular Oceanside establishment we were a little wary of trying this one. However we were pleasantly surprised with just how good it really was! We shared a meal and were glad we did. There was plenty of food for two. However, I highly recommend you upgrade and buy the extra swamp soup if you decide to share a meal. It is well worth it! We even got a piece of complimentary strawberry cake as a surprise at the end. It's a fairly large place inside and it was empty when we got there, but it was the middle of the afternoon, so that probably accounts for that. read more

See all

Always delicious & fresh! Service is great & quick. Highly recommend this place. Their French fries in particular are excellent. read more

Fish River Grill - Poboy & fries - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

See all

One of my go-to places in Gulf Shores. Food is always tasty and reasonably priced. Service is wonderful! Not an upscale environment, it's your mom & pop kind of place. I always feel welcome there, treated like a regular that dines there often. My husband & I have split the large seafood basket. It was slightly different than most seafood platters because it had gator bites and frog legs, which are an added bonus. Plenty of food for both of us because it also had slaw, fries, and their famous "swamp soup." I have also tried the oyster po'boy, crawfish pistol, and beignets (with apples and peaches.) All the above, delicious! As if beignets aren't good enough with just flaky dough and powdered sugar, the added fruits make them scrumpdillyicious! Their fried green tomatoes with crawfish sauce are also amazing! I am determined to dine at this restaurant every time I go to Gulf Shores, usually more than once. Actually, I could eat here every day because the food is that GOOD! If not in the mood for seafood, they also have hamburgers that my husband really likes too. Take my recommendation, and try this place. You'll thank me afterwards. Note:menu pic taken from website. read more

Fish River Grill - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

Enjoyed our lunch there. Crawfish pistol appetizer was unique and flavorful. Definitely would order those again. Swamp Soup, well not my jam. Service was fast and friendly. Fried Shrimp meal came with Fries, fried okra, and some of the best hush puppies I've had in a. Long time. Decor was tasteful and beach themed. Definitely on my list of good food at a good value that assumes my return visit. read more

Hush puppies were light and delicious! Tried the crawfish pistol and it was excellent - definitely worth a try. Fried shrimp were fresh and included a generous portion. Server was friendly and helpful. Tried the swamp soup - also delicious and interesting with greens and beans. Will be back! read more

Wow. What a surprise. We were not impressed by the lack of character on the outside, but the online pictures and reviews looked great so we decided to go ahead and eat lunch here. They are located in a strip mall with a basic non descriptive sign. Max, our waiter met us as the front door with a huge smile and set us at a booth by the window. We ordered hush puppies, which were hot and delicious. The shrimp salad was huge and delicious. The fish and shrimp basket was delicious. The grilled chicken was blackened and delicious. They gave us a free sample of their soup which was also amazing. Huge portions. Lots of love in the food. No one left hungry. We will definitely eat here again. read more

Fish River Grill - Inside. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

We enjoyed our meal but one catfish dinner is plenty for 2 people with leftovers! The catfish was also fantastic.

Research showed this as one of the best po boys around Orange Beach. My husband will attest it was the best of 3 he had this week!!!! My fish was good but the bed of rice it was served on was an odd pairing. Service was great. Definitely not a "vibe" restaurant. A good basic for a great po boy. read more

Fish River Grill - Po boy - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

The service was super fast and friendly. The first thing that came out was the delicious swamp soup. My husband does not like greens but he ate this soup. The shrimp po boy and alligator bites were both fresh,hot and delicious. I would definitely recommend for someone not wanting a tourist trap. It may be in a strip mall but it was delicious! read more

See all

Fried Frog Legs Platter, delicious, delectable, decadent, perfectly cooked, perfectly battered and served with Swamp Soup (if you don't want yours I will gladly take it), fried okra (fresh, clean taste, lightly battered) , hush puppies (perfectly seasoned, perfectly cooked, light, fluffy, flavorful; not a soggy mess of cornmeal) fresh coleslaw with just the right amount of dressing and crinkle fries. Homemade tartar sauce and cocktail sauce if desired, but why cover up the clean fresh taste of great food? The decor is "classic " Fish River Grill, Quirky and interesting! Wait staff is attentive without being smothering. Annual trip to Gulf shores would not be complete without a trip (or two) to Fish River Grill. read more

Fish River Grill - Fried Frogs Legs Platter - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

Consistently excellent! Gumbo great! Fried Catfish Strips, with hush puppies, Fried okra, Cole slaw, French Fries and swamp soup $19, enough for two AND left overs for carry out 3rd meal! Best Cheeseburgers in Baldwin County. 2 locations, Gulf Shores and Foley. Best Craft Cocktails, Bloody Mary's and Bushwackers read more

See all

I ordered the blue cheese cheeseburger. It was loaded with crumble blue cheese and served with the creamy dressing on the side. Also came with fries. The server brought out a complimentary cup of swamp soup. Tasted like greens and beans with broth. Not bad. When I was through eating the server then gave me a slice of lemon cake also complimentary. Food was tasty and staff very friendly. Next time I'll do the seafood. read more

Our waitress was friendly and attentive. I ordered the NOLA which came with 5 fried green tomatoes and 4 fried shrimp with crawfish sauce. I deduced 1 star because one of my shrimp wasn't deveined. Other than that the food was great. My boyfriend ordered the fried catfish strips. The catfish was amazing, the crust was packed full of flavor, nice and crispy and their tartare sauce was delicious. Hush puppies were just okay, will definitely come back. read more

Fish River Grill - Mississippi Fried Catfish - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

See all

The food was amazing! Everything was very fresh! The service was quick and great! Vibes were very chill! read more

Fish River Grill - 2 piece kids fried fish with fries and coleslaw - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

See all

I came here for dinner with my husband, father-in-law, and sister-in-law + her husband during our visit to the beach. I'd had it bookmarked on Yelp ever since I saw their swamp soup was listed on a Yelp article for best/most unique soup in the state of Alabama. When I saw we were staying nearby, I had to visit! We came for dinner on a Friday and were pleasantly surprised over how easy it was to get a table. There was no wait, though the restaurant was moderately busy. Parking was easy. The interior feels like it has a little bit of local flavor and is a little less tourist-y than similar places I've been in the area, though nowhere in town is totally free from that, lol. They have a fairly large menu featuring options from both and land and sea. Prices are fairly reasonable. I liked the staff, particularly the hostess/individual working the cash register (you take your check to the register rather than the waitstaff handling it). They were lovely! On to the food! Husband, BIL, and FIL all got some variation of fried seafood -- shrimp, fish, etc. SIL and I both got burgers. I'm a sucker for hush puppies so I got a side of those too. :) The swamp soup lived up to its fame -- those of us who deigned to try it really enjoyed it! Smoky greens, beans, and a little bit of pork. Delightfully savory, not too salty, quite good! I was not so pleased with my burger. I got the mushroom and Swiss, which is a favorite style of burger for me, but it just didn't live up to my hopes. The patty was kind of bland and the mushrooms didn't have much flavor. What did have flavor was the cheese -- but idk if it was the brand they got or what, but it just didn't taste like the kind of Swiss I like. More on the sour and funky scale, less on the creamy side. The fries were frozen-fried crinkle cuts but they came out hot and crispy. I'm a bit of a fry snob so I thought they were just alright, but the rest of the fam seemed to like them quite well. For what it's worth, SIL liked her burger! Fish and shrimp consumers also liked their food well enough. The best thing for me was the hush puppies. They were piping hot, crispy, and had little bits of peppers inside. Yumminess! I was glad I had them and I ate all three. Probably a better stop if you prefer more classically "beachy" foods like fish and shrimp; that said, I enjoyed the swamp soup, hush puppies, and pleasant service! read more

See all

Out of the MANY choices to dine in this area, we chose to try Fish River Grill... and am I ever glad we did! I had the Fried Gator Basket, and my wife ordered the Grilled Whitefish, both which were delicious!.She special ordered her whitefish plain due to health issues regarding seasonings, and it was brought to the table just as ordered, which is historically a problem in other places where we dine. Our server (Amanda) provided EXEMPLARY service with a smile! She even brought complimentary orders of "Swamp Soup" which was also very delicious!! I learned that is a MUST when dining at the Fish River Grill. I highly recommend this local favorite, and will make it a point to dine here whenever I am in the Gulf Shores area! read more

Started with the complimentary swamp soup. It was great. The rest of the food was good also. Finished with red velvet cake. Very nice experience. read more

See all

First trip to this location. Was not disappointed. Food was just as good as #2 and the service was excellent. Group of six of us stopped by and were seated quickly. Good food, great service and eat on and out location. Typical interior decor with the branded merch up front. Lots of nautical decor. read more

Great service - loved everything we ordered!! A must try if you're in the area! Easy to get too and on the way to/from orange beach!! read more

See all

We expected a classic greasy fried seafood experience and were blown away by the flavors we found. Although there were hints of that classy greasy seafood joint, Fish River Grill is a cut above. We had to wait for 15 minutes or so at dinner time which we found reasonable in mid-summer. Once seated, our server (Fiona) took care of our every need. Perfect service! The Swamp Soup is a great take on a greens and bean soup and came with all of the entrees. The Crawdad Pistols were absolutely fantastic and quite possibly the most unique savory flavor I've ever experienced. If I had to lodge a complaint, I'd say the french fries were a bit underwhelming - not bad - just your average crinkle cut variety without much punch on their own. Some folks may really like this type of fry, I like a bit more effort put into a good fry. The entire table loved the savory take on the hush puppies and the okra was really delicious as well. Great local place to get a great meal! read more

Fish River Grill - Holy table of food! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

Very interesting restaurant- they have a long list of food! I wanted to try them all but decided to have the blackened grill fish with the sides and the Fried shrimp po -boy. Very impressed with this place. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you happen to be in the area. read more

See all

Many of the restaurants in this area had a 1.5 hour wait on a recent Friday night so we decided to go a bit off the main path and check this place out. It's in a strip mall so doesn't have the same appeal as some other restaurants with beach views but the food was sooo good. My favorite was swamp soup, it was so well flavored. My soft shell crab was also a winner. Everyone enjoyed their meals, I highly recommend, we only waited 20 minutes. read more

The food is ok but nothing special. They also charge people extra if you dont have cash so beware. One other thing I have never seen ranch dressing just left on the table at room temp and it tasted awful. Also there was a long wait time. read more

Forget about the location, it's a strip center, give them grace about being short staffed but OMG the food is amazing. Truly food came out quick and they were short staffed but the food and swamp soup is packed with flavor. Swamp soup is complementary and so good. The hush puppies, fried seafood and appetizers were a huge step above average. Please support this place, you won't regret it ! read more

Wow! I'm not gonna lie, we were unimpressed by the menu and interior aesthetic of this place but we are SO GLAD WE STAYED. We had reached the hangry point of the night so we decided to come here after seeing good reviews, but we were a little worried by the dated, hole in the wall feel, especially for a seafood restaurant. This place epitomizes "don't judge a book by its cover". Even with one staff member down, the customer service was great. The food came out quick and we were very impressed by everything we got. We had a native New Orleanian with us and she rated the crawfish pistol a 10/10. We also got fried pickles, gator bites, catfish, poboys, hush puppies, and a seafood basket. Everything was great, albeit fried. The swamp soup came with our meal and again we were pleasantly surprised. This is not the place you go for health benefits or fine dining, but rather this is the type of place you go that has reliable comfort food. Really good experience and very affordable. Someone in the kitchen is throwin down with the frying. Great experience, we'd come again. read more

The service was friendly and fast. And the food was great! A few of us had burgers and they were cooked perfectly, seasoned well and tasted amazing! Cool little place with a solid menu read more

Ample paved parking lot in shopping center. We were immediately greeted and seated. We ordered Dr pepper's and waters. All arrived quickly with free refills! We ordered the gator bites, hush puppies (get these for sure!), and crawfish pistol. All were delicious apps and arrived quickly. We ordered a River burger with fries, swamp burger with fries, shrimp, oyster and fish platter, grilled shrimp po boy, and a Bayou seafood platter. We had tons of leftovers as it was filling, not greasy, fresh and delicious. Our waitress was great. Restaurant was clean and well maintained. We highly recommend and will be back if in the area. read more

Had a late lunch/early dinner here and the food & service were amazing! Would highly recommend!! My husband had the swamp burger and said it's one of the best burgers he's ever eaten. I had the big seafood basket (with help from the hubs ) and everything was sooo good! The Swamp soup was fantastic as well!! Everyone we dealt with was super friendly also! We'll definitely be back!! read more

great food and service. wish i could give a 4.5 because they almost made the flawless cut. the interior is a little " touristy " and does not live up the the quality of the food and service. Fiona was our waitress and even though we arrived just before closing they were patient and kind. we really wouldn't have gone just before closing but they are not open Sunday and Monday and we REALLY wanted to try the swamp soup! a definite recommendation! read more

See all

Waitress greeted us promptly. The Swamp soup was very tasty. Hubby said the grilled catfish was not up to par. I had the Senior Shrimp plate. It was okay. Prices are reasonable. read more

absolutely the BEST po boy sandwiches! and the crawfish pistol is possibly the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. atmosphere and price are very comfortable. definitely worth a repeat trip ! read more

Fish River Grill is "famous" for their "Swamp Soup" aka beans & greens which was alright but I probably wouldn't get that again. I also ordered a combo plate of fried oysters and fried shrimp which was pretty good and they did fry the seafood properly. I also got a side of fried okra which also fried pretty well but I suspect this might be some of that pre-battered okra that is already set to be fried up. For my other side I got fries which seemed to be the default standard crinkle cut fries you tend to find in most grocery stores frozen food sections. Overall it was a decent basic meal with nothing really standing out as being fantastic or terrible so an all around three star experience. read more

I was visiting Gulf Shores and this place seemed more like a place for locals than tourists...as a matter of fact, their sign off the road says, "Where the locals eat!" I loved the atmosphere. Everyone was super friendly, even the customers. They win the award for southern charm and hospitality while I was in Gulf Shores. Apparently, they are well known for their burgers, but I wanted to get something more local so I went for the half shrimp half fish basket. $21.99. You have your choice of fried, grilled, or blackened. The server suggested fried, so I went for it. You get a ton of food. The first course was "swamp soup." It was actually the best part of the meal. I would have been happy having a big bowl of swamp soup. It's a must-try. The fish and seafood basket was huge! It's enough for two people. Lots of fish, french fries, fried okra, and hush puppies. For me, it was way too much-fried food. I would opt for grilled or blackened next time. It was my fault for choosing fried. Be sure you like all your food deep fried if you order fried. All in all, it was a wonderful experience. The server, Maya was fantastic. Oh yeah, the sweet tea is really good. Just the perfect amount of sweetness. I definitely recommend it, and definitely recommend Fish River Grill when you're in Gulf Shores, Alabama. read more

See all

Great service! Everyone was happy and greeted up with true southern hospitality. Food was good except the fried fish was a wee bit tough. Otherwise it was a perfect experience, read more

Great homestyle fried seafood in corn meal batter. Swamp soup was a nice treat. To go order no problem.

The food and service was amazing! The swamp soup was delicious! Fish River Grill will definitely be on our list to come back to!

We had not been to Fish River Grill for several years, so we decided to give it another try because my wife wanted the Swamp Soup. Our waiter was friendly and helpful. It's in a shopping center and there were not many people there on Wednesday before thanksgiving. It could use some fresh decor. I had the grilled white fish which was a mistake. I was warned that it was Swai, which isn't the best fish, but I've had it before. This was a poor choice. My wife had the Swamp Soup and a Reuben sandwich. Probably would not go back. read more

The fried crabs were absolutely fabulous. We had dinner there both days of our trip. read more

Fish River Grill - Fried Crab Dinner - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Gulf Shores, Alabama

See all

We had our first night in Gulf Shores, and boy, were we craving a hot meal to bring back to our Airbnb! After a quick stop at Rouses, we decided to check out the restaurant right across the parking lot, and we couldn't be happier with that choice. The food arrived piping hot and was seasoned just right. Plus, the portions were really generous! The sweetest part of the experience was the hostess--she was super friendly and made us feel right at home. read more