If you are looking for a no frills bar/grill the Pirates Cove will not disappoint. The food is not exactly four stars but that is not why you come here, it's the incredible location. Sip a cold drink with your toes in the sand. Come by car or boat! read more

Laid back quaint dive bar. THE BEST BURGERS ever, special sauce does wonders. The drive is long, boat ride easy but definitely worth the trip. Men check out the restrooms. Staff really friendly and fun. Onion rings and bushwackers awesome also. read more

Pirates Cove - Onion rings and burgers. - New American Near Me - Elberta, Alabama

Other than the occasional long wait you gotta love Pirate's Cove. This post Sally & Covid review is way ovedue and I am ashamed to say that I have overlooked the review that this special place deserves. I'll start by telling the story of how we discovered this place. It was 1993 and we had just moved to Memphis from Massachusetts. I asked someone where the nearest beach was and they recommended Gulf Shores. We headed here our first free weekend and my honey found a flyer for a sailboat sunset cruise and we booked it. The location was way off the beaten path at a salty dudes house in a narrow waterway where Robert's Bayou meets Arnica Bay. He took us out into the bay and we watched the sunset, picked up shells on a little island and headed back in. As we came to a narrow pass he asked us if we knew who Jimmy Buffett is. LOL Well we've been parotheads forever so we said sure. He pointed up on a small hill and said "see that light up there? That's his uncle's house where Jimmy spent his summers as a kid." Then he pointed to a funky shack on the opposite beach and said "That place is called Pirates Cove and they only make one thing, cheeseburgers". We're both thinking, wait, what? So once we'd disembarked we jumped in the car with the kids and headed to this place if possibilities :-) Let me set the stage, the Pirates Cove of today only vaguely resembles the one we find that night. It was a small funky shack in the beach with a screen door and dogs sleeping all around. I hurried in, full of anticipation, and was greeted by a guy behind the bar who could easily just stepped if an actual pirate ship. We ordered up some Red Stripes and cheeseburgers and waited. Soon they yelled out names and we got our paper bag of burgers and walked down onto the beach. We stuck our beers in the sand, opened up our burgers and just then a pair of dolphins breached right in front of us as we took our first bite. OMG the only thought in our minds was, we've found THE "cheeseburger in paradise"!! Indeed those delicious juicy burgers were flat out fantastic! So sitting there in that cool Gulf breeze, sipping our ice cold beers with our feet in the sand, the waves lapping and the dolphins playing there was just no doubt, EUREKA! Now there's a lot of conjecture as to the origins of that specific burger in the song, but for me this is the one. Needless to say we have made the pilgrimage here every time we visited the area and of course now that we are retired here it is one of our favorite hangouts. The history of this place goes back to when it was built somewhere around 1935 as part of the Intracoastal Waterway project. It was a CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) work camp. But only a few of us loyal patrons know that the bar and restaurant wouldn't be what it is today without Civil War privateers, a high-end Chicago hotel and a German immigrant initiative in Baldwin County. I don't have enough space here for the whole history but this is a 3rd generation establishment operated by brothers Paul and Karl Mueller (although ownership remains in the hands of their mother Eileen), and is a colorful history of innumerable employees, regulars and all sorts of "riff raff." :-) Today it's grown exponentially with a gift shop, beach bars, music stage, picnic tables and a big boat dock. They text you when your food is ready and now there's more food choices, in addition to the crazy good cheeseburgers, there's Fried Chicken fingers, Grilled Chicken, Sausage & Kraut, Hot Wings and even Pizza's on Friday, Saturday & Sunday. I've tried all of it and it's all good but seriously I always come back to this cheeseburgers baby :-) But the dogs and the dolphins are still around as well as the beach, the sand and the cool folks so it will remain one if my chillax go-to spots. They have recovered from the disasters of 2020 and are back and better than ever. Their website is a mess http://piratescoveriffraff.com/ But the Facebook page is pretty good https://www.facebook.com/piratescove/ Bottom line: If you're ever anywhere in remotely close then I highly recommend a visit to this awesome little slice of paradise! read more

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Food and service were mid. This place was pretty filthy. The guy at the cash register scratched his head/hair and then scooped each of our water cups in the ice with the same hand. Also, he was eating while he served us and didn't wash his hands before grabbing a couple of limes he put in my water. The fries were good. The cheeseburger was okay. read more

Nice quiet beach. Dogs allowed. No bully breeds. Burgers and fries available. Family atmosphere

Went for burgers and bushwackers on a sunny spring week day. Got a table on the porch overlooking beach and bay. Burgers were phenomenal as always. Get an order of O-rings too. French fries are delicious. Also make sure to get a topper on your Bushwacker. Must visit and experience Baldwin County's best waterside bar and grill. Can arrive by boat too!! read more

Nasty, overpriced, go for an over priced drink but eat somewhere else. No alcohol in the bushwhacker. Much better places to go read more

It's a destination, I get it. Food is basically ballpark (little league) quality at beach prices. Yes, it's good, but next next time it strictly drinks. read more

Pirates Cove is a must go to place when in the Orange Beach area (especially with a boat). One of the only places that allow dogs, and great food. read more

Delicious drinks (buy a cup and take back with you on your next visit for a discounted refill). Friendly service. Great ambiance. Will definitely be back. read more

Way too many dogs. I can't imagine this being a sanitary place with the amount of pets allowed near the kitchen.

Pirates Cove is a great hidden gem in Elberta. I used to think that it was only accessible by water, but I found out that you can drive to it, as well. Very secluded little getaway. It is situated right in the back of Wolfe Bay and you can pull your boat right up and park. The place has an inside bar area where you can order your food and drinks. Out side, wrapping around the place is a porch offering plenty of picnic bench style seating. Dogs typically walk around the outside looking for a free meal and are really friendly to all. If you go to Pirates Coves, their Bushwackers are a must try. They are the best around....get a 151 topper if you really want to live. Their burgers are really tasty and they have good pizza, as well. Good food, good drinks, and a great atmosphere overlooking the water.....what more do you want? read more

Great little private beach/boat area. This is not a free beach.. so you can't bring your own alcohol. There is a restaurant and bar on site to purchase food and drink.there is also an outdoor hand washing station and hose to wash sand off feet. They have restrooms available as well. The water is very shallow. We live this because we have two young boys. They can enjoy the water without worry of waves or undertow or being too deep. The swimming area is next to the boat docking area which is separated by posts in the water. There are some picnic tables available. read more

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I like this place and have been a few times both by land and water. It's definitely a go-to spot for local boaters! There is a long pier, a beach boats can anchor-up on and a beach with no boats allowed for swimmers, though plenty of folks swim off of their boats! Pirates offers food and drink. They have a basic bar with beer, cocktails & frozen bushwhackers. The menu is small offering burgers, hot dogs, fries, chicken fingers, onion rings, and such. On weekends, pizza is offered. Pizza is definitely the best thing on the menu. There is covered bench seating and there are a few picnic tables on the beach. The place feels like a little soap would go a long way and a day of sprucing up would be a worthwhile effort. The food will do in a pinch. It is a fun location on the water. I will return. read more

Rent a boat, wave runner in Wolf Bay and make the trip. Decent burgers and bar food, but the Bushwhackers and family(and dog) friendly atmosphere alone are well worth the trip. Best Bushwhackers anywhere...I challenge you! We go every year during family vacay. read more

Awesome, laid back place to go! It's my new favorite. Dog friendly! Burgers, pizza with a beautiful view.

This spot is a gem! Rough around the edges in all the right ways. The menu is super short, do yourself a favor and order the burger and fries. Looking forward to catching pizza night on Friday Saturday and Sunday. Great bushwhackers, ice cold canned beer, toes in the sand and picnic tables under shade trees with a great view of the bay. I will come back here again and again every year when I'm down. read more

Laid back and low key! Great cheeseburger. Onion rings and fries were perfect. Fast and efficient service.

Shack with expensive hamburgers. Very limited menu. Good view. This is a joint. Nothing special about it other than is is waterside

My parents use to keep our 38ft Pearson Sailboat there for many years. My parents Alex & Jeepy and myself felt like it was always our second home. Well, even though my daddy passed away April 7th of 2022., it is still our second home. The staff are all amazing people. Food is super!!! Love y'all Pirates Cove!!! read more

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Heard and read great feedback and needed to check it out for ourselves! What a sweet little gem of a place. The Bushwackers were spot on- stronger and more tasteful than other establishments, our pup had a blast playing in the water and chasing his orange ball, service was super friendly!! We will be back A+++ **I was craving pizza for some strange reason, saw it on their menu, tried to order it but only served Friday, Saturday and Sunday- another small reason to come back. read more

Best Cheeseburger ever ! Is it a outside eating place with no air conditioning. It is on the water. It has boat docks if you come from the water and parking if you drive in. The fries are also delish! read more

Pirates Cove - New American Near Me - Elberta, Alabama

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All those lists that name the top beach bars in America have totally missed the mark if they leave this place out. The epitome of coastal dive bars, Pirates Cove just raised the bar for all other beach bars. There's a little boat dock area, but folks seem to prefer just beaching their boats and walking on in. You can also go by automobile. The whole place is practically open air, some with a roof over it and some without, some tables on the deck, and some picnic tables out in the sand. You go "inside" to order at the bar. I'd suggest checking in before you order because there was a 10% off check-in offer when we were there. Note, those aren't guaranteed as they are set up by the business and can be removed at any time. We had cheeseburgers and fries and onion rings. The burgers are fantastic and came topped with cheddar and the usual fixins. The onion rings are beer battered and delish. The fries are more like potato wedges than traditional fries, and also better than average fries. I just had tea as I was driving. My hubs had two bushwackers and I tried a sip. I would totally order one, and I don't typically drink bushwackers because I don't like coffee. These definitely had more Kahlua than coffee. The went down easy. The total tab wasn't bad at all. I think it was around $30, before tip and before the second bushwacker. Did I mention this place is pet friendly? There were several well behaved dogs that weren't even on leashes. Our girls got lots of attention too. They seemed very comfortable there, for obvious reasons. Heck, several folks were barefoot and in bathing suits. This isn't the place for uptight people, this is the place you go to get away from them. Everyone there from the staff to other patrons were super friendly. We'll definitely make our way back, and we'll do so often. read more

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We have been here several times but this year we noticed a change to the menu and didn't like the outcome. I do love the dog beach and view is to die for. But the food is lacking. They need to bring back the onion rings. read more

I can't give a food rating because we didn't get to eat. we were told to go here because the place is pet friendly and the food was good. we arrived and took our poodle up the walk on her leash. the entrance is open air. there was a lab laying inside unleashed. we didn't even enter the place and our dog was attacked. luckily our dog was not hurt. I inquired whose dog it was. they said it was the owners dog and they weren't on site. I was not offered any apology or anything other than a menu and asked if I wanted food. no one seemed to care other than a local that said the dog was jeckyl and Hyde and offered to put the dog in a closet. we left... read more

Great cheeseburgers. Fun setting, several dogs running around having as much fun as the humans. Nice little beach. I thought the Bushwacker was a little too strong for me but may be just right for you. For the two of us, lunch ran about forty bucks including tip. Dogs are welcome and most of them are off-leash. They all seemed to get along well whether big dog or small. Our little shih tzu had a good time. As you are coming down from 98, you will pass the road over to Barbers Marina. If you have time for a little detour, you should check out Bama-henge and the dinosaurs. You can look those up on Roadside America. This was our first time at Pirates Cove today and we're already thinking about going back. read more

Best bushwackers on the Gulf Coast and damn good burger too. The cheese curds were amazing as well. We went on a Monday night and it was low key and perfect. It's sort of a drive if you aren't in a boat but so worth it. Great food. Great views. I can't wait to go back! read more

This is the the true version of that Jimmy Buffet bar that we all dream about. Loved it. Unless you have a boat, it's a bit of a drive to get there, but well worth it. The burger and onion rings are second to none, and don't forget the Bushwhacker. read more

Was told by a fellow passenger on my flight out that this was a must visit local place off the beaten path. I could see the Marina being a good go to place for boaters, however the food is crap and found better places all up and down the beautiful gulf coast. It's one of those places with a long family history and the view is wonderful. And, there is live music which draws thousands during tourist season. No thanks. Also, the bartender hates the locals and basically painted them as a bunch of backwards red necks. read more

Food took 45 minutes on a slow Sunday evening. Finally got cold cheeseburger and soggy onion rings in a small paper sack. It had definitely been sitting for a while. $16 and not even good. Bushwhacker was $10 in a small paper cup but it was good. read more

This is a basic straight up beer joint with a very limited menu - nothing against those if done right. Maybe this is off season for them but I would say this is not the place to go for a meal. Cheeseburgers 2 out of 3 were questionable on cooking and two of us threw in trash. Salad is some lettuce and grilled chick with no dressing or utensils and a 30 min wait whereby we went to rescue it from the staff who did not appear to know that they even had salad dressing and where it was kept - I can't make this up. No seafood on the menu for the area that's weird being on the water and marina but ok we will roll with that and move on. The staff today were all on cell phones with head phones on in or around the kitchen and pretty much unhelpful; I also observed numerous hands in crotch areas and other questionable behavior - C team at best, and pretty sure they were holding down the fort until someone of actual chef/food prep status returns. I'm not sure I would return for the booze given the conditions I would pretty much brown bag and bring with me to sit for the view which is worth sitting for a spell. I'm happy to support locals joints but bare minimum you better wash your hands, have the food ready in reasonable time and serve it with utensils, condiments, and napkins otherwise shut your doors and find other employ that you can succeed at. read more

We looked forward to visiting since Hurricane Sally recovery. Was VERY disappointed that we had to wait one hour for our food. This was mid-week and not very busy.... Everyone had a great time and we enjoyed our visit. The adult beverages were good and the atmosphere was excellent. Don't come hungry, and you will love it. read more

Let me start by saying I am an avid YELPER because I don't like wasting my time and hard earned money going places that disappoint.. So I read the reviews posted prior to going here and I can now LAUGH out loud at the yelp left by Stephanie M. And Jennifer C. - who are clearly LOONEY tune women that should have been at the Gucci's store somewhere!! Treat others as you would have them treat you! Because once you are HERE you would gladly wait for their food and you would be able to see that on a THURSDAY- this place is booming so of course you had to wait for your food! And as for the service- if you saw what these people do in a 6 hour period as I did you would tell them the same things!! They treat everyone with kindness unless you throw them attitude and in which case then you deserve what you get! That's in the Bible as I recall- There are not enough words allowed to properly review this local spot!!! Dean at the bar can turn your worst day into the best!!! AMAZING atmosphere- we came here on the suggestion of a local after our 10 hour drive for vacation and much too much of the TOURISTY Gulf shores.. which is breathtaking!!! However- we enjoy down home people with a down home vibe that treat you like you are a local and THIS is the spot!! Felt like we were right at home from our little small town in KY! TOP that off with the amazing FOOD and then for FROSTING when you learn about the family ownership of this spot it WILL make your heart melt if you are at all human! The owners promote Autism Awareness and do so much good for a good cause in their community! HEART on FIRE!! These people ACTUALLY are not to put $$ in their pockets - they support a CAUSE- they give back to the community with items they sell and you don't find that much anymore! I actually met Karl one of the owners and made it a point to tell him how amazing it was what they do! I wasn't going to buy a cup and the other $100 souvenirs that I bought NOWHERE else in Alabama and did because of the service and THE CAUSE!! I cannot wait to come back here and will plan my drive and my stay around this place!!! If you are a high heel wearing princess you may want to avoid this place because your attitude will not be accepted because it is not THANK GOD- corporate America where you can treat workers like crap and they have to take your running mouth!!!!! Keep doing what you're doing - I cannot wait to tell everyone I know about this place!!!!! read more

Fun fun fun!! you must be drunk to pay $20 for an extremely average hamburger; but the beach, boats, friendly people, & dogs running around make this place a MUST VISIT MUST COME SEE!!! We love it - it's the perfect place to stop for a drink & amusement if you're out boating too‍ read more

What a dump! Food priced like it was from Pensacola Beach, served in a paper bag, soggy. $4 for a hand full of fries. McDonalds better and cheaper, and i don't like McDonalds. Tin Cow downtown Pensacola, same price but the best burgers ever, not frozen Sysco crap. read more

This was my first time at the cove, and it definitely will not be my last! Great atmosphere and tasty cheeseburgers. The bushwhackers were refreshing and delicious. Love having the dogs run around! I've seen some negative reviews about the staff, but we had excellent service- the people writing negative reviews need to chill out and have a bushwhacker or 2!! All in all, a great experience. read more

Pirates Cove - Bushwhacker and cheeseburger- delish! - New American Near Me - Elberta, Alabama

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If you're looking for a great place to eat in town, Pirates Cove is definitely worth checking out. The food is amazing, and the atmosphere is really cozy and fun. I definitely recommend giving it a try! read more

I'm not sure that these were the best burgers, onion rings, homemade fries, and Bushwhackers that I've ever had but they were tasty. The drive back to this place is interesting. You pass by shacks and mansions, cross over creeks and rivers. There are dense forests and what appears to be preplanned, perfectly planned tree lots. The restaurant itself has a laid back vibe. It's an old shack on the water. The majority of business appears to arrive by boat. There are lots of dogs running around and some amazing boats docked here. Love the shabby feel of the place and chilling on the outside covered deck watching all the boats come in. read more

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We have been coming here every year on vacation and this year the staff was extremely rude. The woman working the cash register told 2 of our family members she would beat them up because they moved the tip jar in order to read the menu under it. Absolutely ridiculous. read more

Well we can't argue that this is not a dive bar because it certainly is.we went to Pirates Cove in March so it was a little off-season and walked in to what looked like some serious drinkers. This place is dog friendly and there were quite a few around and were well behaved. The atmosphere was very rustic to say the least. We ordered a couple of drinks and two burgers, fries and split a chili dog. We also tried the breaded green beans as a starter. The green beans were very interesting and actually really good.The french fries were served fresh and hot.The burgers were good but really nothing exceptional. I guess if we were to go back to Pirates Cove it would be in the summertime where we could enjoy the weather and people watching. read more

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