Shipps Harbour Grill
27842 Canal Rd, Orange Beach, AL, 36561
Shipps Harbour Grill Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Orange Beach for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Orange Beach for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Orange Beach for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
27842 Canal Rd
Orange Beach, AL, 36561 - Phone (251) 981-9891
- Website https://www.shippsrestaurant.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Brunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Candy S.
We love this place so much we always go twice before our week stay is up! Not only is the food delicious, but our server did a fantastic job! Highly recommend this place!
(5)Jeff B.
Crab dip was awesome! We had the tuna, the crab cakes and the fried seafood platter. The crab cakes were a 3.5 out of 5 Tuna was the best I ever had - 5 stars! Seafood platter was a 3 out of 5 (too salty) but served nice and hot. The server was a young kid who didn't seem too sure how to serve (newbie) but was polite and tried. I'd go back again.
(4)R R.
Very good service, beautiful dockside seating, and food was delicious. We arrived around 5:00 pm and were immediately sat, but the restaurant filled up very quickly. Many people seemed to have reservations. We did not bring children, but many families did. The children's menu appeared to have several options. Would definitely return.
(4)Sherry B.
I really liked the Coconut Grouper! Wonderful dining with a great view. We shared the Piña Colada cake for dessert! Yum!
(5)Kenneth Patrick J.
One of our favorite restaurants in Orange Beach. Consistently has great food. Steaks are as good as the seafood. We have had the filets which are perfectly cooked to order and very tender. Another good entrée is the Grouper Ponchatrain. One of our favorite appetizers is the Pimento cheese balls. They melt in your mouth. We did have Thanksgiving dinner at Shipps and that was wonderful too. Overall, Shipps prepares consistently delicious food! The only negative is that the restaurant can get loud on busy nights.
(5)Benjamin O.
This was easily the best meal we had all vacation! Shipps Harbor is worth the visit! My wife and I love looking for unique and flavorful restaurants when we go on vacation. This place was the top find on our most recent one. We will be back next time we're in Orange Beach! Once you finish reading this review, go check out their menu online. That's all you need to see! The creative combinations of flavors that they work with make you wonder where these dishes were all your life! First, the atmosphere on the top deck was relaxed and open. Watching the ships in the water way while enjoying time over great food with good friends topped off an amazing visit. We ordered a TON of food which we all shared with each other in excitement. For starters we had the Goat Island Cheese, Crab Bisque, a dozen raw Oysters, Red Neck Roll, and Tomato Feta Roll. The oysters were good, but they could have been ordered anywhere with fresh seafood. These other items were all AMAZING, and queued us in that the rest of the meal would be fantastic! The two rolls were completely different than any other that we've had before. The first being filet, chipotle cream cheese, green onions, and salsa on a sushi roll, and the second one being pepper, tomato, basil, feta, cream cheese, salsa, and chipotle mayo on a roll. How do you not try those combinations? The Crab Bisque was top notch. I'm picky about my crab bisque and this was some of the best I've had! It's not your typical seafood joint soup! Finally, that Goat Cheese.... Thank you God for those ingredients! It was a perfect combination of savory goat cheese crusted in pecans and the sweet soy glaze and peach salsa. I could have bypassed the toasted bread and eaten it with a spoon if I didn't have to share. For the main courses (as if we weren't already getting full), my wife and I shared a Crab and Brie Quesadilla. The crab meat, brie cheese, and apple glaze were awesome! That could have easily been dessert. It was a little sweet for a main course, but I was craving more for hours to come. We also shared the Stilton Stuffed Filet. This was great, but was probably also the most unremarkable item we ate here. Due to a kitchen mishap, it came out about 20 minutes after our other food also. It was cooked perfectly and had great flavor, but was nothing more than what we could have ordered at any high end steak restaurant. Our friends shared a Grouper Ponchatrain which had a great flavor. This was good enough that the friend didn't share more than a bite of it. Good work Shipps! Had I not been hit by a migraine at this point in the meal, I was looking forward to the Southern Comfort Bread Pudding. Shipps Harbor, I will be back for my bread pudding! This is a must stop restaurant if you're in the Orange Beach area!
(5)Jessica T.
We had an amazing server... She made it worth the trip (Elizabeth). The rolls and cinnamon butter were crazy good. Crap dip was good but needed more crab in our opinion. It's more like a cheese dip than a crab dip. We had 3 sushi rolls. They were all fresh for sure. The best was the blue crab roll. The tuna mango roll was my husbands favorite. Being on the beach, it's hard to find food that's not all fried, so we really enjoyed this place for their fresh, quality cuisine. Make a reservation for dinner so you won't have to wait 1-2 hours for a table. We didn't have to wait too long but there were crazy long lines waiting for a table.
(4)Liz C.
Amongst all of the tourist trap restaurants, we were very lucky to have been recommended to this restaurant. We arrived right before the dinner bustle which made it both enjoyable and relaxing. The ambiance deserves five stars as it is. You couldn't beat the outdoor view upstairs as our table overlooked the docked boats and beautiful Alabama waters. Our server was fantastic!! He was not only attentive but he was patient and incredibly friendly. As for the food, we started off with the oysters, half cajun and half spinach and cheese. I am not a fan of oysters by any means but these were absolutely scrumptious. The ingredients tasted fresh and it complimented the oyster very well. For my meal I ordered the blacked mahi mahi which came with lump crap on top, green beans, and gouda mashed potatoes. Not only was the mahi mahi cooked to absolute perfection, but it was presented beautifully within a purple cabbage leaf and a purple flower to top it off. While all of us were very full we decided we had to get the bread pudding which we heard was fantastic, so four of us had decided to split one piece. One order of bread pudding was enormous! I recommend if you want to split a sweet treat at the end of the night, let it be this! It was warm, moist, and absolutely terrific in terms of taste. I could go on and on about how incredible our time was here but 5 stars can speak volumes. Excellent!
(5)Jennifer P.
We had reservations for 11 people at 7:30. Arrived early and were seated right away at a great table near the front of the restaurant overlooking the harbor. The cocktails and other drinks were all brought quickly. We had quite a few appetizers and salads, which also arrived in a reasonable time frame for a party of 11. The pimento cheese balls, the royal red shrimp, the crab dip -- all just delicious. I thought our waiter was great; very attentive, missed nothing and didn't fuss a bit about splitting our checks. Our meals were outstanding. We had everything from the daily special (grilled swordfish) to sushi (made with local shrimp) to steak with lump crabmeat to fried shrimp and more. Everything was cooked perfectly, came out exactly as we'd ordered and we all thoroughly enjoyed the meal. There are some machines where we could purchase fish food and the kids fed them there at the harbor. A true gem in Orange Beach!
(5)Nic J.
This is the best food I've had since I've been down here. The drinks were excellent. The crab claws were wonderful, Sushi was great and the Filet was absolutely perfect, succulent,tender, juicy and perfect Medium Rare as it should be.
(5)Felix B.
Had the Cajun oysters and they were excellent. With twelve this appetizer would make a great lunch. Came for a week day lunch and they were not crowded.
(5)B E.
We came in with a group, 6 adults & 13 kid, and we were able to sit together. Service was on the spot. The servers took great care to make sure all drinks were kept full. Salads & appetizers came out in a very fast Let's talk about the sushi. It was amazing. When the main entrees came out.....WOW. It was hot and every one of the 19 in the group got exactly what they ordered. Now, let's talk about the waiter. Dewayne was personable and made everyone feel very comfortable. Well, the end of our visit came along with the checks. Every check was exactly correct. This place was amazing.
(5)Cameron P.
Not sure what all the bitching is about. Great service and outstanding food. Some of the complaints seem to come from ignorance of the food service industry. there are no "food runners" that I could see, the people bringing food are other servers; in most restaurants I've worked there's a no empty hand rule for servers--meaning that they can't enter or leave the kitchen without a plate. If in the kitchen and a table is ready, you take that order to the table. All I heard and saw were arrogant mean customers. I'm a classically trained chef and it irks me when people go into restaurants in a resort town in the middle of peak season and expect instant service. If you want fast food, go to McDonalds. This restaurant was great. I'm not in anyway affiliated with this business, I just hate stupid reviews that are unwarranted. All restaurants have bad days.
(5)Ashley O.
We went here for a fine dining experience and sadly Shipps Harbour does not deliver. While the view is amazing, the loud chaos around you just doesn't make for a pleasant meal. Had we come here for fried seafood platters I would probably give it a four star rating. Because we were expecting a nicer, more quiet, and more attentive dining experience I barely rate it three stars. In addition the oysters were just "ok". The creole oysters were terrible. They were nothing but a blob of cheese. One actually had no oyster. The Oysters Rockefeller were better, but still just ok. A few other notes: Ben's Blackened Tuna: This would have been delicious had it come with the pineapple salsa that was supposed to accompany it. The first bite I took was unbelievably bland for all that was on the plate, including the two sauces. I had to salt it to make it edible. In addition, it was on a hot plate which is just strange for a rare piece of fish. The one bite I had with the one mandarin orange that I uncovered was just delicious. Really needs the citrus that the pineapple salsa would have provided. Our party ordered both of the grouper entrées on the menu. The Grouper Ponchatrain was much better than the Gulf Coast Grouper which promised Sautéed Gulf Grouper, Jumbo Lump Crab, and a Tasso Beurre Blanc. What it really was: a pile, and I do mean a PILE of ham chunks with crunchy celery, of all things over a heavily fried piece of fish. The batter itself was actually really good, but the celery was just weird. Another strange thing: the cinnamon butter with rolls. They were good--and complimentary I might add, but cinnamon butter? And seafood? Again, just weird. The sides: The smoked Gouda mashed potatoes were delicious. I tasted absolutely no Gouda, however. The green beans- a throwaway. Nothing special at all. No seasoning really, just there. The waitress we had was pleasant, but beyond busy to give us adequate attention and we were there to really enjoy a long dinner with many courses. Again, not the place for this. While she tried her best and even advised us to place our entire order at one time, (yet another sign this was not going to be the fancy meal we had planned) we rarely saw her and she never even asked if we would like another drink. We would have ordered another glass of wine and probably dessert, but by this time realized we had chosen the wrong restaurant. I will say that the pricing actually reflects this. We were pleasantly surprised how reasonable the prices were upon first looking over the menu. There's a reason for this. I would definitely try this restaurant again, but would order totally differently! Go for the atmosphere, have a beer and order quick, cheap menu items and you should have a nice time. Oh, and don't even think about going with out a reservation!!
(3)Mike S.
If you want a good meal with a great view in Orange Beach I would say this is a must visit. If you are looking to be catered to, Shipps Harbour might not be what you are looking for. The reviews that tout good food but crappy service are spot on. These guys try to pull off the old school steakhouse method of service (runner brings out food, food waits on a tray getting cold while your server is located) and it's clearly not working. Shipps Harbour could easily get their rating up to 4-5 stars if they paid a little bit more attention to their customer service and 86'd the runners and let their servers make the deliveries. Everything our group had (fried pimento cheese balls, crab cakes, house salads, blackened mahi, filet mignon and grouper pontchatrain) was between good and excellent but would of certainly been better had it not sat behind us just out of arms reach for 3 or 4 minutes waiting to be delivered.. The only disappointment was the sushi but that's my fault, I should of known that was probably a bad idea. The decor, the view and the ambiance were great and I would have no problem reccomending Shipps Harbour to someone looking for some good food right on the water. I would just warn them about the service beforehand so they knew what to expect.
(3)eddie m.
2nd year vacationing in Orange Beach, and our 4th trip to Shipp's Harbour, so it's time for a review. All the food, drinks, and apps are 5 stars. We knock off one star for the fiasco on our last night at the beach. A friday night we arrive with 12 folks without reservations at 5 pm expecting a hefty wait. They seated us immediately at the big round captain's table in the bar area that holds like 17-18 people. AWESOME. The two servers, one was Mary Lynn (if my memory serves correct), the other one I can't recall, were great. But the overall service was a tad slow. So with three apps, drinks, food, and dessert for my birthday boy brother, we didn't get our bills till about 7:20 pm over two hours later. Fair enough, but here's the CLINCHER. This older lady comes to our table about 7:15 complaining to our group that she had 7 pm reservations and started bitching at us that we have "been here long enough" !!!! I have NEVER had an idiot fellow patron at a restaurant deal with my group that way in my life. The restaurant should have thrown her ass and her party out. They didn't defend us, and we had nothing to do with how long it took to finish our meail and leave. So knock off a star for that fiasco, but otherwise this is one of the best restaurants in the area. coconut grouper, complimentary rolls, grouper ponchatrain, fried seafood platter, smoked tuna dip, crab dip, pimento cheese balls, martini's of various types - it was all great.
(4)Brandon H.
Made reservations for 8:00 on a Thursday night and we were seated at 8:30. Wasn't too bad considering they were crazy busy with a 2 hour walk up wait. Everyone in our party really enjoyed their food. The coconut grouper was fantastic and should highly recommend. They grilled oysters were popular with our group as well. Would have given 5 stars if it wouldn't have taken so long to get our food. Highly recommend this place just prepare for the crowd.
(4)Bence C.
We own a condo in Gulf Shores and typically recommend this restaurant to renters. We will not being doing that any longer. On our last visit we went on a slower night and were seated immediately. We waited 10 minutes before we could get our server to take our drink order. Another 10 minutes passed and she finally got around to ask if we were ready to order. We ordered appetizers and entrées. A few minutes later our server returned ask asked if we could give her our order again so she could write it down. At that moment we decided to leave. We offered to pay for our drinks and were stopped by the manager on the way out. We explained the situation, however she didn't seem very concerned. The food is typically very good, so it's very disappointing to us that the service was so bad.
(1)David D.
This place has a great ambience and is situated right off the water. Food was good and great value. We had a bottle of Cakebread and it was $68 which as you know is a great price. The mahi, salad and oysters were all great. My only complaint was the service. Very slow service. It might have been because they had a large wedding party. Either way it isn't bad and the food is good, hopefully the service was just due to circumstances.
(3)Robert W.
After a slow start, guess they were not prepared to serve at 3 in the afternoon. This place serves Asian fusion. Crab Rangoon with real crab, delish. Coconut Grouper was exceptional. Fried Shrimp was very fresh and great also. We also had the Island Roll, which was also very good.
(4)Elinor F.
Make reservations. It was packed and a very long line, but we were able to walk right in and have a great table overlooking the harbor. Our server wasn't the best, but I think he was having an off night. Every bit of food we ordered was incredible, however. Highlights include the rolls and cinnamon butter (complimentary but you have to request them), house salad, pimento cheese fritters, and coconut grouper with Gouda mashed potatoes and green beans. We will be back!
(5)Laura P.
so I SINCERELY hope that my wait time experience last night was atypical.. but if it's not, I wouldn't come here again. we were told that our wait time was 45 minutes to an hour. we were fine with that. until, of course, it had been an hour and 15 minutes of wait time. we asked how much longer.. they said 5 minutes. and then it ended up being 30 minutes. when our hostess finally took us to be seated, she led us into the main room of the restaurant and then left us? we then waited 15 more minutes. personally, I would have left 45 minutes ago, but my friends said they didn't mind. once we sat down, everything got MUCH peachier. our server was awesome.. extremely friendly and laid back - I like that he continued to be like this even though he clearly had to be stressed from the huge rush. the food was great and came out quickly, much to my surprise. I had the mahi mahi. the setting was great - I liked the decor and the proximity to the ocean. if it weren't for our server (which I unfortunately didn't ask his name), I would have had a much lower rating. the food and the my server = awesome. the hostess and the poorly estimated wait times = terrible. maybe your best bet would be to have reservations (assuming they take them) or go during off hours.
(3)Melanie B.
This place came highly recommended by the captain of our sailboat cruise... Super disappointment... The place was super packed so that was promising... Parking was awful... Don't park in the boat owner parking even if you own a boat.. Towing is enforced.. We had 1&1/2 hour wait that turned in to 2 hours.. We were supposed to get a text when table was ready.. Negative.. The 3rd time I went to check status they gave me a paper to take to another host stand which also had about a 20 minute wait. This place is an unorganized mad house.. Glasses were dirty, food particles stuck on everything.. Silverware, plates... Gross.. When my son requested a new glass he got a rude attitude from the server.. Ordered 5 different sushi rolls.. None were rolled properly. I have made better and tighter sushi at home on my first try. The sauces were so sloppy... It looked like a bunch of leftover slop rolled together... The drinks were weak and overpriced. All the servers were running around crazy.... We asked for our table to be wiped off and the gal rolled her eyes and slammed down the wet rag like I was asking for the impossible... Your server did not busy our table at all. Ordered desert and she had nowhere to put it so she set it at the end of our table... The desert was slop too... I'm pretty sure this is the first time my son and husband left half a desert without devouring it.... Bathrooms were dirty... My hopes for good sushi were destroyed... My husband did have to remind me that we are in Alabama.. I will wait to get my sushi fix when I get back to Texas... If you are looking for an enjoyable dining experience.. Don't choose this spot... The servers don't have a clue...
(2)William C.
Will I go back? Yes. My wife had the Grouper Taco and found it to be excellent. It had a nice balance of spice and flavor without being too hot. It was served with black beans that had a slightly sweet taste and Blue Cheese cole slaw. I had the Fried Grouper sandwich and found it to be excellent as well. It was served with a Remoulade on a toasted bun with lettuce, and tomato. The grilled cheese that my daughter had appeared to have been made from Texas Toast and was huge for a young child. The restaurant is casual but very classily decorated. It is a slightly loud environment though. It is evident that people are enjoying conversation. My only concern is that the prices on the menu don't necessarily match what is being charged on the final ticket. I ordered a beer that was listed at $3.50/glass and I was charged $4.25. This prevented me from providing a higher rating.
(3)Brannon B.
Ate here for the first time. I was not impressed. I got the butter boy filet steak. It was just ok. It was supposed to have lump crab on top, but only had a few strands of meat, not a lump. My wife had a seafood platter with crab claws and shrimp, it was pretty good. For the price, service, and food; we will not be back. After getting the bill, we were overcharged. The kids meal was supposed to be $7 and they charged us $9.95. Also, water dripped from the ceiling onto my head the entire meal and the waitress said, "oh well, it happens." I will not be back to this place!
(1)Ryan Y.
We were sat at exactly 7:00 with our reservation. Dinner was excellent as always. Our server did very well also. For as busy as the restaurant was, she did great.
(4)Rebecca V.
This is a busy place! And for good reason!! The food is excellent. Not your quiet, romantic kind of dining because of noise and crowds but over-all a great experience and great food. Make a reservation if possible, if not, hang out at the bar for an appetizer and cocktail until you get a table. It's worth the wait!
(5)Ruthie S.
We had a wonderful experience at this restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was amazing! Hats off to our waiter "Gary" he was so pleasant and accommodating. We had 2 allergy kids with us and he took the time to assist us with care and consideration. The atmosphere of this place is fun, classy and clean! Thank you for a great time and delicious food!
(5)Nicholas T.
Not happy when a restaurant advantages itself in "A Certain Season" . We fortunately found three reasonable options price wise. But on line , the have Po Boys on the menu, which are not on the menu during their peak season. Our choices were the eggplant and the quesadilla which were priced under $13.00, they had a great presentation and were somewhat tasty. My son had the swordfish and said it was really good at just above $20.00. The website make it look like a small place, but its not. All in all, not a bad or great experience. Just A-OK.
(3)Helen W.
I have never experienced worse service at a restaurant. I am well aware that going to dinner at the beach is going to be expensive and that you will have long waits; but that is exactly why I called the night before I went to this place to make reservations at 8:00 pm. We were seated at 8:00 and did not get our mean until 10. Our waiter also never told us his name, the specials, or never asked for an appetizer. We also never got our bread until we complained about the wait of the meal (which was at 9:45). When asking the manager to come speak with us, it took him about 15 minutes each time to make an appearance at the table. Needless to say do not spend time on your vacation at this place.
(1)Kristie W.
Got there for lunch and was pleased with the menu offerings. We tried the redneck pate for an app. It was really good, my husband seemed like he was going to lick the plate. For entree, I got Bens blackened tuna. I needed to add a little salt but otherwise, it had great flavor. Cooked nicely and the potatoes were very tasty. My husband got royal reds which were fantastic. We could've eaten another order of those. We didn't even need cocktail sauce. Our kids got the fried PB&J. I wouldn't have thought you could elevate a PB&J but they did. Reminded us of a Monte Cristo. Overall, just a great experience with good prices. One of our faves in the area. We definitely could've gone there again!
(5)Josh C.
Had the sesami ahi tuna in soy reduction sauce. It was the bees knees. Wife had blackened mahimahi. It was the other bees knees. In a party of 11, every single person loved their entree. Easily one of the best dining experiences I've ever had.
(5)Jenny R.
Very good food. Service was a little slow and we didn't get our salads before our meal, which was a little disappointing. There was a party going on during our dinner which may have effected our service, but the food was very good. Recommend the Crab Bisque and the Gumbo. The dining room is a little cramped and it was not very easy to get through the crowd to get to the bathroom. Will definitely visit this restaurant each time we're in town.
(4)Sarah N.
HORRIBLE! WORST DINING EXPERIENCE EVER! We're locals and understand how busy restaurants are this time of year, however: Our party of four arrived at 7:00pm. Hostess was RUDE and said the wait was 45min. We got drinks and proceeded to wait 1hr and 35min to be seated. We all ordered appetizers and sushi. Waited another hour because the kitchen lost our order ticket. Manager came out and apologized and offered complimentary desserts, (which we didn't end up ordering). Fine. Food arrived another 45min later. Sushi was the most bland, mushy, awful-tasting sushi we've ever had. We tried one bite from each roll. We ordered 5 rolls. We politely told the waiter we wanted to send back the sushi because it was awful. He said he'd get a manager to come see us. Waited another 20min. He brought us our bill for the tuna dip appetizer and had to apologize because the manager was NOT coming to see us about the food. THEY TRIED TO CHARGE US FOR THE $7.65 APPETIZER AFTER ALL THAT HAD HAPPENED!!!!! We explained to our apologetic and friendly waiter that we were NOT paying for a single thing. We left him a 30% tip and left. NEVER COMING BACK HERE!!!
(1)Tim P.
Attempted to make a reservation. What a catastrophe! Terrible attitude from the person who answered the phone. Placed on hold Forrreverrr! I read about the good food but also the poor service. First impressions are everything. I am not going to waste at a place that doesn't care enough to be courteous to customers. Too many other good options in gulf shores/ orange beach.
(1)Nicole L.
Went recently for the one of the best brunches in Orange Beach...loved the Bloody Mary bar and the 3 course brunch! Go hungry and be prepared for leftovers...great quality food...free champagne w brunch purchase...great spot to nurse a hangover....
(5)A C.
We do NOT recommend the catering service! Non-responsive, rude, charged a $400+ server charge that was NEVER discussed, no contract, did not allow us to pay our bill OR finalize anything until 3 days before wedding. However-hands down. Food is amazing.
(2)Angie M.
Everything we had was delicious! We had the Asian shrimp and the crab Ragoon appetizers. The tuna, blackened mahi-mahi and the red snapper. Wonderful service.
(4)Brad R.
The service was terrible. Our waiter seemed annoyed with our presence. Half the wait staff was just standing around doing nothing. Unfortunately the service was so bad because the food was excellent.
(1)Jill E.
One of the most amazing meals we have ever eaten! Atmosphere was terrific, too!
(5)Allison P.
Absolutely excellent seafood restaurant! My parents and I went for dinner (didn't make reservations) and were seated within seconds. Our waiter, Matthew was really companionable, and food was served with practically no waiting. Crabclaws (crab fingers) were fresh and tender Fried shrimp and fried oysters were some of the best we've ever eaten! 5 stars!! Atmosphere was nautical and comfortable, nice and laid back. The first place I'll be eating the next time I'm in Orange Beach!
(5)Andrew H.
Must have a Reservation. We had a party of 7 with reservations. We sat immediately, waited 20 minutes to order drinks and appetizers/entrees. Salad and bread came 45 minutes later, followed by the entrees 30 minutes later. Food was delicious but be prepared to spend 2 hours plus.
(3)Jacquie T.
Let's start with whoever was answering the phones. I should have known by that alone not to come here. The girl was a total witch and told me there was no wait. So I dragged my family of 7 there instead of a different restaurant we wanted to go to because they had a 45 minute wait. Well, we arrived 5 minutes later and there's a 1 hour wait. The hostess was also a witch (I want to use another word but won't) and told us a lot of people just came....in 5 minutes? Doubt it. We ended up waiting an hour and 15 minutes. At about an hour we asked what the status was and the hostess said nastily "you've only been waiting 52 minutes." So finally our table was "ready" so we were directed inside where there was a couple standing in front of us while the other hostess was at the hostess stand on the phone for at least 5 minutes. Then she got off the phone without acknowledging us and left. Another hostess came back and say the couple in front of us. Then she helped a boy get change. Then answered the phone again. Then went to check on our table. It was getting bussed. It would be another 5 minutes. We ended up waiting an additional 15 minutes after they said out table was ready. Fast forward to our meal/ the food. Our server was attentive and fast. The crab bisque and seafood gumbo was delicious. Then it went downhill. The crab ran goons and pimento cheese fritters were not edible. The combination of them and the sauce they were served in did not go at all. We didn't eat any after the first bite. And we were starving. Then our meals came. Very average but with an upscale price. Fries were probably frozen. Crab dip was comparable to Costco crab dip. I would not recommend this place at all.
(1)Jennifer R.
Make reservations, wait time is 2+ hours. Even after making reservations still waited. The floors were very wet and slippery. Waited over an hour for food. The staff was dressed very sloppy. I understand it's a beach town but that'd no excuse to wear shirts that are either 2 sizes to big or shorts 2 sizes to small. Our waiter had his cigarettes hanging out of his pocket. No one even apologized for the wait time for food. Had servers walk by our table numerous times with water pitchers but our glasses remained empty. When I asked for water he put the pitcher on our table and walked away, I had to pour the water myself for our table. At the end when he brought the tickets he couldn't remember who ordered the appetizers so for four people he brought out eight tickets. We had to add up the total on our phone. Food was the only saving grace but not worth the service. There were many more discrepancies but I covered the main ones!!!
(1)Lilly Y.
I went to Shipps Harbour for the first time about a year ago, and I still dream about their coconut grouper. Holy moley, it's amazing. And I haven't found anything that stands up to it since. I've only been for brunch with my boyfriend and his family, and I'm perfectly content if this is the only place we frequent while we're there. Everything I've had is good, and all the seafood is local (something I seek out while on vacation from Atlanta). Between that, the Drunken Chocolate Cake (I think that's what it's called), and bottomless champagne, I'm sold. Can't wait to go back when the weather is warm!
(5)Kenneth C.
We eat out at nice places all over the country and we know good food. That being said, Harbour Grill is exceptionally good. The Royal Reds are huge, sweet, and tender. We have eaten here 4 times now on this trip to the coast and this is now a top 5 spot between Destin and Gulf Shores. Good bar too. The Blackend Mahi is great. My wife is from Hawaii and we are picky about fish. There are so many wonderfull things on the menu. Do yourself a favor and Check this place out. I suspect you will come back again and again, just like we have.
(5)Andy D.
This is another place, if I wasn't told about it, I'd never of come here. The inside is ld and dreary, the outside is a million dollar view. The service I'm sure was good; however, we just sat at the inside bar, as the outside bartender apparently said all the wrong things to one of my friends, thus abruptly ending any hope for an outside spectacular view. Again it was more how he said, "I'll get back to you" since he apparently was in the weeds, he was kinda rude. So, yes the start was poor. The inside bartender, well he was alright, gave lots of food suggestions, and when we ordered the food came right out. The Wedge salad, was massive, I ordered sushi and it was actually really good. My friends ordered the fried oysters, excellent and raw oysters, also excellent. As foor ambiance, inside old and tired, outside, was wow. Service, it was good, the hostess seemed equally as tired, Food no complaints the menu was interesting and it will draw you back!
(4)Daron O.
Forget most of the places along the beach. This place is great. Coconut grouper is very good. Daughters chicken fingers were breast and looked hand breaded. Great place off the beaten path. Will be back.
(5)Wendy R.
Highly recommend Dwayne from Tennessee as your waiter. Friendly and attentive. Bravo.
(5)Kevin D.
Please come here for a true 1 star experience. Mediocre food with rude servers and management. You will enjoy if for nothing but a baseline of what bad is, so you can really appreciate the good places out there.
(1)Patty W.
Went back to Shipps Harbour... Again the grouper Ponchatrain was excellent! We had great service as well. Note that they no longer have a sushi chef, so no sushi.
(4)Michael K.
Quite a pleasant mid-week summer lunch. Started with the pepper shrimp. Great sauce with some heat and the bleu cheese. Not vinegar hot like buffalo style, but asian hot, and giant shrimp instead of chicken wings. Beautiful to look at and high marks for presentation. Tasted as good as it looked too. Had the Grouper Ponchartrain which was a good sized filet portion, crispy, and dollopped with crabmeat and mushrooms, on a bed of mashed potatoes and a side of buttered almond string beans. The trick to keeping the fish crust from going soggy on the mashed potatoes is the clever use of a softened cabbage leaf. The place was clean, the staff friendly, the food was delicious, and beautiful to look at before it was all gone. To get more, you'll just have to come back. The atmosphere is almost white linen tables nice, but with that relaxed Orange Beach vibe. Great place for date night, business lunch, or summer vacation finale dinner. The lunch entrees were in the $12-15 range, and the portions a good value with the presentation being a bonus. I heard it gets packed on weekends for dinner, so a mid-week late lunch on a sunny summer day was just a spectacular way to enjoy thus place at its best. The dockside view of the harbor activity is a major plus too.
(5)Karina R.
We had a reservation for 2 at 8 pm, we got our drinks order taken 10 mins after, then 35 mins after, we have to walk out of there because nobody even approach to take our appetizer orders, a couple sitting right next to us said that their reservation was for 7 pm and at 8:35 they still haven't even got their appetizers yet :(
(1)Jay D.
Overall we were disappointed in the entire dinner. First, we requested and were under the impression we'd get to sit upstairs on the outside porch when we made the reservation. Then the service was super slow (our dinner for 4 people took 2.5 hours!) even though the server was very friendly and tried his best to accommodate our initial disappointment, the meal was adequate. We ordered drinks, which brought a icey/crunchy piña colada, so that was an expensive drink to dislike. What also made the dinner awkward was that we were sat at a 2 top for a party of 4, so we were constantly shifting the table space. The food was fine, nothing too amazing, but not terrible either.
(3)Jim L.
Thursday Nights Steak Special!! I heard about Ships Harbor Thursday night Filet for $16.95 so I had to try it. I will admit I was expecting a small filet like the ones at the grocery store for 2.99 wrapped in bacon and come two to a pack. I believe they are bacon wrapped sirloin now.......anywho, this place blew us away!! I almost deviated from the plan and had the Grouper Pontchartrain, one of about six or seven grouper items on this menu. I stayed to course and went with the filet which was eight ounces and was served with the most amazing Gouda mashed potato sand slivered almond green beans. To top this little gem off they lightly covered it with a very mild yet flavorful garlic butter sauce that I had to take seconds on. The grouper ponchartrain comes covered in shrimp and lump crab meat all topped with a lemon butter sauce. Normally $21.95 but Tuesday nights it is the hot deal for only $14.95, a nice alternative to the Shrimp Baskets AYCE steamed shrimp on Tuesdays. Bottom line, the best place to be on the island on Tuesday and ThursDay nights for fresh grouper and a wonderful filet ! A must do for this area. See posted pic of my filet!
(5)James T.
Absolutely fantastic. Came here with 5 adults and 2 small kiids on a recommendation from a local. They couldn't have been more spot on in their description of the best restaurant we have yet to be at in this area. Our server Chris was helpful, attentive, and just all around great. Prices were totally reasonable for the quantity and quality of the food. An absolute recommendation from a very satisfied family.
(5)Michael B.
In for family reunion and they took our group of 20 (with reservations) and so good I had to come back one more time before going back to Georgia. Service is good, Butterboy Filet was really good and a large 8 oz cut. Parking is limited at busy times. Reservations highly recommend especially on weekends. Even if you have to wait the food is worth it.
(5)Nicole F.
Sunday brunch here is amazing. We arrived by boat and say outside next to the live band. Wonderful atmosphere and staff. I had the apple cinnamon salad to start then black sesame tuna for my entree. Every thing was refreshing and filling. My fiancé had the eggs Benedict with steak and black beans, he cleaned his plate. Only order brunch if you're really hungry, it's a lot of food!
(4)Maria H.
this is our 8th year vacationing in Orange Beach. We are a family of 6, and I grew up at a beach resort in another part of the country, so we have historically avoided eating out at restaurants with long waits. This year we had additional family come with us- and are 11 in total. We were looking for a nice restaurant that took reservations and served excellent food. A friend recommended Shipp's and I read the other YELP reviews and decided to try it. Because there was 11 of us we had to call our reservation in and secure it with a credit card. The available slots were 5 and 8pm. We took the 5pm. When we arrived we were immediately escorted to our table, which was in a semi-private alcove and PERFECT for our family to visit and enjoy our time together. Our server, ASHLEY was simply fantastic. With prompting, she shared specials and recommendations. Taking YELP reviewer's advice, we requested the rolls and cinnamon butter- huge hit. Appetizers: raw tuna steak, crab dip (a little heat), peppered shrimp and "redneck" sushi. All were terrific. Dinners: we tried every grouper & mahi mahi plate on the menu and were so impressed. The Gouda mashed potatoes were amazing! The ONLY reason I am not rating this a 5 star is because we ordered desserts, which took a really long time to come......we figured it was because the restaurant was booming by then. At that point we had been in the restaurant 2+ hours and felt the pressure to leave for the next guests. Would highly recommend this restaurant and would equally recommend reservations!
(4)Sandy D.
The local hangout. Definitely impressed with menu and the quality of the food. First visit here and will come back. Service was attentive and glasses stayed full. Food was quick to get to the table and everything cooked perfectly. LoCAtion is a little Off the beaten path but well worth if.
(4)Johnny A.
The variety on the menu was welcome after so many fried options elsewhere. Asian-fusion, sushi inspired rolls were tasty & inventive. Keylime pie was yummy, loved the home-made whip with lime flavor. We all enjoyed our meals, with a wide variety of orders. Some items, crab rangoon, crab cheese dip to name a few, were just decent. But even those were unique tasting, so fun to try. Nice outdoor seating on the marina and newly updated, bright interior. Our service was a low point. Maybe our waitress was new? She forgot a lot of stuff & didn't seem to know much about the menu & rushed through service. However, she was warm & kind so it was just fine.
(4)Shawn S.
Server and hostess were so rude and tacky we just had a drink and moved on. Try Cosmos instead.
(2)Nikki V.
Service was excellent! Ordered crab dip and some crab cakes as an appetizer. Both were yummy. Side Salad was mixed baby greens with tomato and mushroom. Nothing special. All dinner plates on our table had a beautifully decorated presentation! I had coconut grouper which my first taste I thought, "oh yum!" But then I felt like it was too buttery and rich. The Gouda mashed potatoes tasted nice, the beans were fresh and crisp. My husband devoured his blackened mahi mahi. My son had the island mahi mahi. That was the best dish on the table. Seasoned and cooked awesome. My mom had fried shrimp, they were large and plentiful, dad had creole mahi mahi. Good experience
(4)Kevin B.
Had high hopes for this place. It came recommended by a local guy when my wife requested a sushi recommendation. This place was not clean or well ran at all. I should have went with my guy instinct and immediately left after we were told the wait time was over an hour. Expensive mistake. The server didn't know anything about the sushi. When the rolls came we didn't know what was what. Dirty table. Dirty glasses. Dirty everything. Not well staffed. Go somewhere else. The one star is for the great Jimmy Buffet look alike singer on the patio.
(1)Jill K.
The filet, crab cakes and the south beach sushi were the best ever! Nothing to change about the food...it was the best of the best! Thank you! The service, however, should be proved. Very unorganized and chaotic. We never got our salads and food didn't come out together. The server was very nice but rushed and not orderly.
(4)B H.
Recommend late lunch on a slow day. Prices more reasonable than most. Food was fresh & good. Had blackened mahi mahi with some sort of cream sauce (favorite), coconut grouper ( great but so light in flavor maybe could've used bit more oomph or a side sauce) kids had grouper taco which I think was good but hubby said not something he would order, brownie dessert ok. Atmosphere clean, hip & charming, great outdoor seating & view. There is also one turnstyle, coin operated fish food machine on the dock. Kids enjoyed feeding the fish before leaving for the day. Would definitely return for lunch.
(4)Isa D.
After our 4th day on the beach of Gulf Shores, we were sick of the pub fare and wanted to go to a nicer restaurant. After researching online, I stumbled upon Shipp's Harbor Grill. My group went to their website and saw that they offered a great Tuesday special: 1 free appetizer with purchase of 2 dinner items. We walked into Shipp's with a party of 7 on a Tuesday night at around 730. We were told we would have a 45 min wait even though there were tons of open tables in the restaurant. Our party asked why and they told us "We can only sit a certain number of tables within a 30 min period so our kitchen doesnt get backed up." Ok...so we went to the bar to wait it out. We sat in the bar area at a dirty table and werent approached for 15 min. We went to the bar and 2 of us ordered drinks. The male bartender looked annoyed with our presence and was rude for no reason. The restaurant didnt get much busier but we still had to wait. The atmosphere of Shipp's was a bit jumbled. It was like a diner trying to be a fine dining establishment. We sat down and looked at the dirty paper menus only to find that their menu was not a full menu, which was not listed on their website. We sat there for about 5 minutes, being neglected by the waitstaff. After a while the manager came to take our order. A few of us wanted the Filet Burger and the manager said said they couldnt make it, even though it was on their menu online. We asked about the Tuesday special as listed online. The manager acted confused and said that they hadn't done that special for months. We are not locals, how are we supposed to know if your website is WRONG! After nearly begging for bread and butter, we finally saw our waitress. Nice girl, but didnt speak much english and must have had her head in the clouds because she had no idea what was going on and only 3 tables to serve. After having to settle on what to order for dinner, we waited an hour to see our waitress, and finally she brought out our food. Allison ordered the shrimp po-boy, which was so salty it was inedible. Rachel and Emily split the crab cakes entree, which was supposed to come with sides of mashed potatoes and veggies, which they forgot and brought out 10 minutes after the rest of the food. I got the chicken florentine, which according to the menu was grilled chicken, and was listed under the sandwich category. It was a piece of fried chicken with some veggies piled on it. Completely over salted, but it was edible. Amaris ordered the spinach and artichoke dip which they forgot about and brought out late. I was surprised to see that my chicken florentine was not a florentine sauce, but was just covered with the spinach and artichoke dip. REAL ORIGINAL. Bernie ordered a steak which came with mashed potatoes and green beans. Hers was the only edible meal, if you like paying 25 dollars for a crusty piece of steak. Presentation was ALL over the place. It was like part tropical, part asian, part cafeteria style plating. Weird, but whatever. After we finished eating, our waitress showed her face again to fill everyones empty water glasses because we were so parched from all the salt. We asked for the check and to see the manager. The same manager that took our orders came over and asked what was up. We explained to her that we waited 45 min to get seated so that the kitchen wasnt backed up and then waited an additional hour for our food to come out of the kitchen. Not only did we wait forever, we explained that the food was a huge disappointment. She said she would go check with the kitchen (for what, we dont know...) and came back after 5 min. She apologized for the wait and the salt levels of the food. After trying to make small talk with us, she failed to offer any resolution to our issues. Instead, she suggested that next time we go out, we should go to a different restaurant, called The Hangout. This was offensive because we had made our dinner selection based off of the desire to skip out on the tourist traps. The waitress brought us our checks and the manager made no offer to discount our meal or do anything else besides offer an apology, which wasnt even a sincere one. After she realized we werent interested in small talk, the manager quietly slinked away. We signed the bill and booked it out of there. Waste of money and 2 hours. Terrible, terrible management. This was our one night we chose to go out to a restaurant, and we wasted it on Shipp's. Maybe we should have gone to the Hangout, their reviews say they have great food AND service...
(1)Scott S.
Amazing food, great view of the docks, and the wait staff was top notch! The Coconut grouper was delicious, light tasting, and perfect. The pepper shrimp, was a combo of sweet n spicy and a wonderful appetizer. It you are in a Orange Beach, AL, find this place and bring your appetite. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Jon P.
Great food and great service. We were there on a weekday with no reservations and we were seated within 5-10 minutes. I had the Grouper Ponchartrain which i would highly recommend.
(5)John H.
Service was quick and the staff was nice. The food was great. We had the fried pimento fritters and coconut grouper, both were delicious
(5)Don C.
Enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service. Sit outside in good weather - wish this place was kayak friendly - we would love to paddle up for lunch. It is 7.3 miles by car from our condo about 1.5 miles by kayak.
(4)Erin J.
Very good food and a very busy place. We all got a different fish and they were all excellent. Service was very good and they do have a good kids selection. It kind of seemed like a place the locals go and I can understand why.
(5)Jason B.
Ate there again last night. They had FIVE rehearsal dinner parties! We were afraid we would wait forever for our food. We were wrong. The service and food were amazing as always.
(5)Kristine S.
Ate here as a family during spring break as we had heard good things. And overall the food was good. However, DO NOT ORDER SUSHI. I do not know what issues they have with the sushi kitchen, but it takes a VERY long time to be delivered. They also don't list all the ingredients, so if you have any food allergies beware and be prepared to find surprises in your food. My son ordered a California roll that had a spicy mayo sauce that was not listed. When we requested a new roll, we were still waiting 30 min later. This is after the first roll didn't even arrive until the rest of the party had their appetizers, salad, and main dish. So we all waited for him to get his roll. This was very frustrating as others were getting sushi while we waited, as it appeared our waitress did not explain the situation to the kitchen. There are so many places to eat here- if sushi is what you want - go somewhere else.
(2)Michelle C.
Excellent food, everything I have ever ordered here has been incredibly flavorfull and prepared at the highest standards. Usually the service is also impeccable but on the last visit it was less than great. Still would go out of my way for the food!
(4)Tom E.
Fish lovers should try this spot. Highly recommend the crab dip for an appetizer. The black sesame seed tuna was really good.
(4)Terrell S.
I like Shipps' yacht-clubby meets fishing village ambiance. And so do hordes of other people. Reservations are suggested or you may have an hour+ wait. Chill live music on the deck while you wait to be seated. I tried one of their specialty Boat drinks: the Harbour Punch. "Sure to give you an Island Attitude" Myers Dark Rum, Capt Morgans, Orange & Pineapple juices...it was good to begin the meal with. But one was enough. The "Nude" Oysters were fabulous! (Raw & Salty) I would highly recommend ordering them. They have a respectable Sushi roll offering. I tried a bite of my sister-in-law's and it was ok. However, it was my least fave sushi of all, the California Roll. I had the Grouper Ponchatrain. Sautéed Gulf Grouper topped with shrimp, crab, red onion, mushrooms & lemon butter. It was AWESOME! A definite must order. Our server told me it was voted by Southern Living magazine as one of "The Top 100 dishes to eat before you die."
(4)Jennifer R.
Worst experience ever! We had reservations but didn't get seated until 30 minutes after. Then we waited 30 minutes for a drink. It was clearly overcrowded and understaffed. We ended up leaving without eating. I would not recommend this place to anyone.
(1)Debra W.
We had reservations and were seated promptly. After waiting FOREVER we got our salad. Our main course finally got to us after over an hour wait. Our server could never be found throughout the evening. The food was good but NOT worth the wait. I am a local and I will not be going back.
(1)Amanda Y.
Great food, but absolute disrespectful when it came to the service. I believe we were stereotyped as college students (which we are not). Do not place judgement on those you do not know. The first apps came out within 10 minutes, but bread took 1.25hrs and our late meals were not delivered until we asked for them...about 1.75hrs later. Additionally, I did not get the soup I ordered and had to have it taken off because it was so late. Literally the worst service of my life, especially when the bartender and the waitress were laughing behind our backs, which I found to be absolutely disrespectful. I would not go again because of the service. I am a very good tipper, but Wendy.... I am sorry you were horrible to us and when we ask for the manager, we mean business.
(1)Laura S.
Our food was absolutely amazing! My family and I ordered The grouper special, and the island mahi mahi, both were great! We also ordered several appetizers: the turtle soup, fried oysters and seared tuna all were awesome! We always go to the beach during off season, therefore it was busy but not packed. We were seated right away and out in an hour and a half. Service was excellent and everyone was friendly! Can't wait to come again! Highly recommend!
(5)George K.
Very slow service. We waited 45 minutes between the salad service and our main course. Food was cold and one of our group did not receive her entree until later. Server was nice but it did not make up for the lack of attention and slow dinner service. Probably will not go there again or recommend
(1)Rob P.
I went last weekend and had the seafood platter. Everything was good except the grouper, which was cold. It tasted fine but had clearly been out for a while. My parents eat there regularly and assured me that the cold grouper was an aberration.
(3)Jane D.
Shipps catered our wedding in Orange Beach, AL and it was awesome! We've had several people tell us it was the best wedding food they ever had. We have several out of town people at the wedding and they were so pleased at the "southern" food. Ahi tuna, pork sliders, and shrimp were all amazing! My one complaint was that the process of setting everything up was not the best (likely due to the wedding planner)- they were hard to get in touch with, answers were vague, etc- however, in the end they executed wonderfully. We were glad they were a part of our special day.
(4)Deb P.
Make reservations, even you call while in route - regardless of day or time. 2 hour wait, but the food was well worth it. Enjoyed the following appetizers while waiting - crab cake too much breading, the crab dip and the goat cheese - both good. Crab bisque great flavor would have liked it a little thicker. Grouper Ponchatrain was cooked perfectly and is still a favorite. We tried the blackened duck, a recommendation from the bartender; different but a very well seasoned, cooked and presented dish, a new favorite in this family. Server was knowledgeable and attentive. Will definitely be back!
(4)Brad C.
Everyone says it's the best food on the island and they aren't wrong. The food is amazing. The blackened Mahi was cooked perfectly with a fantastic sauce. The mashed potatoes had something in them that just made them great and everyone at our table couldn't get enough of them. Would have easily been 5 stars except for 1 down side, the wait. We waited over an hour for a table (not too terrible) but then waited about 15 minutes before a server even came over to the table and then waited about another hour from the time we ordered until the food came out. All in all was a 3 1/2 hour ordeal for dinner. A little too long for the kids, but the food was great. The wait staff was good, just very busy. If you have the time and the patients, it's worth it.
(4)Larry J.
Food was good but service wasn't. It took almost 30 minutes to pay for the meal, which was after I asked another waitress. Not the first time that's happened, probably won't go back again.
(3)Chandler M.
Went here the other night with my family. Very beachy with a great view. The service was pretty good. It's kind of fancy. Not over dressy though. I got the Island Mahi Mahi. It was blackened with a very sweet pineapple salsa. It was the perfect combination if you like sweet, tropical taste. It comes with a little bit of delicious crab also. Overall a great place. Kind of pricey though. $20+
(4)Angie H.
Meh. The owner, who showed us to our table, was far less than friendly. (You'd think she'd be the friendliest!) draft beer MORE expensive than the bottles for same beer. ??? Server was fine, as was the food. Overall, just okay. Go to Cosmos instead!
(3)Lindsey G.
This restaurant is in the same space that Bayside Grille was in, so I obviously had pretty high expectations! I've been going to Bayside since I was a kid. Price ranges from moderate to spendy based on what you order in addition to your entree. I was overjoyed to find out that there was a sushi menu. I was definitely in the mood for sushi, but didn't want to try to force my family to go to a Japanese restaurant, when we go to the beach for great seafood. I ordered the South Beach Roll and had them put the Horsey Sauce (a horseradish type sauce, apparently), on the side. It was delicious--tempura shrimp, smoked salmon, avocado, and cream cheese. It was quite similar to my favorite sushi roll of all time, with the addition of shrimp, and the entire roll not being tempura fried. For my entree, I ordered the blacked ahi tuna, and it was also delicious. I've just jumped on the tuna wagon, but I was very pleased with my meal, and the presentation was lovely. Be aware that if you order an entree, you will get a "seasonal vegetable" of the restaurant's choice. When I was there, it was green beans, which I do not eat. They also do not ask you what type of dressing you would like on your salad. I wasn't overjoyed with the dressing they used, but it was okay. One thing I really loved was the cinnamon butter that goes with the rolls. Absolutely delicious! If you order steak, be aware that it has most likely been cooked in the oven to begin with, a common practice in many restaurants. My brother was not too happy about his steak's texture due to this, but as I didn't taste it, I can't say whether is was good or not. Both of my parents greatly enjoyed their meal of lightly fried white fish (snapper, I believe). I will definitely be returning here on my next beach trip!
(5)Allison S.
Food was awesome! Yum yum roll lives up to it's name. Tuna was great and grilled chicken salad is too! Even the price was reasonable for such great food.
(5)Nathan L.
I wish that this was a rating of the food or the atmosphere but sadly, we never made it that far. I decided to post this anyway because I feel how a restaurant is rated is more than just how good the food is. Were on vacation and called to make a reservation here. The employee who answered the phone said they took reservations so I made one for the evening with a party of 6 people. We arrived at the restaurant at 5:45 for a reservation at 6. We were greeted by the hostess (who looked about 18) and told her we had a reservation. She looked through a book for several moments, asked my name again, then left to get another employee. After talking for a moment she came back and told us we would have to wait until 8:30! She said they had 2 wedding parties and could not seat us till then. I told her about the reservation and her response was, "I don't know what to tell you." I asked for a manager and was told he was dealing with the wedding party and was not available. No apology, no nothing. Just a very rude teenager and no explanation. I would never recommend this place no matter how good the food is. So many other places in the area, go somewhere that doesn't treat people like crap.
(1)Sarah B.
I went to Shipps Harbour last night and was surprised how busy they were on a Tuesday night (especially since summer is over). Due to a large birthday party and several large parties, it was extremely loud in there. Yes, we basically had to yell in order to talk to anyone in our party of 4. Although as soon as you step into the bar, it was a night and day difference, it was so quiet and easier for conversation. I've been to Shipps before and it has never been this loud.. so keep your fingers crossed that you go on a normal night without a large birthday party in there. Despite the noise, I had one of the best pieces of fish I've ever had in this area (including a piece of fish I had at Fisher's a week ago). I highly recommend the Coconut Grouper and the Gulf Coast Grouper (although once played, the dishes unfortunately look identical). The coconut grouper was in a delicious light coconut sauce and had toasted coconut flakes on top.. I cannot wait to have it again! Also worth mentioning was the Pimento Cheese Fritters, which came with 4 large fritters and was drizzled with a sweet yet spicy honey glaze. One other thing to note, was the service. The waiter was okay, but we had a slight issue with the food runner who "auctioned" off our food and instead of coming around and placing each dish in front of the person, he stood in one place and handed us our dishes as if we were at a fast food restaurant. When you pay that kind of price ($22) for a piece of fish, I expect someone to know who ordered what and for them to place it in front of me instead of having me reach over the other people in my party. And lastly, a place with good food and a beautiful view needs to get a hostess who seems like she actually wants to be there. A polite "hello", "hope you enjoyed your meal", and "come back and see us" really goes a long way. This makes a big difference for us locals wanting a night out. Although I did enjoy the food, service needs to up their game. Hopefully my next visit will be better. Food: 4 stars Service, hostess, and food runner: 2 stars
(3)Matt K.
This place is a little more upscale than we were looking for. We wanted a hole in the wall seafood place. This is more of a yacht club setting. The menu that came up on the website was their monday-friday lunch menu. We came on a sunday morning. Its not visible from the road and we actually drove right by it the first time. We got here at about 11:10, were seated and had our order taken right away. First thing we noticed was the abundance of employees running around. So we were really disappointed that took nearly an hour to get our food. We had ordered the shrimp plater, shrimp poboy, a burger and the mahi mahi. We felt the fried shrimp was a little bland. The burger was really good. The mahi mahi was great. The mashed potatoes that came with the mahi was awesome. Our waitress Roseanna was very polite.
(3)Alexandra G.
My boyfriend and I LOVED this place. We almost went back sunday for lunch after our saturday night dinner. This place is adorable--on the bay overlooking the harbor, boats etc. The inside is as cute as ever and is casual/dressy. It was perfect for date night (making a reservation is recommended). It also helped that everything fried is gluten free which I am so that was just music to my ears. I had the blackened mahi-mahi with gouda mashed potatoes and string beans--I licked my plate clean. the BF had the grouper ponchatrain with the same side dishes. They served cinnamon butter with the bread (I ate the butter with hush puppies) which is phenomenal. We will be coming back here again and again. GO NOW!
(5)Will T.
Upon arrival for Sunday brunch, we were promptly ignored by the hostess, who had no other customers but was busy writing something at her stand. When she finally acknowledged us, she grabbed two menus and told us to wait while she looked for a table. Five minutes later she reappeared. That bad first impression was an omen we failed to heed. The good news is the wait staff is friendly and helpful. The bad news is the food is overpriced and the menu just isn't very appealing. Most items are in the $16 - 20 range. Attempts to offer something different fall flat and don't sound appealing. I'm talking about an asparagus quesadilla with cheese, oven dried tomato jam and sweet pepper glaze. It's a dish that's too busy and doesn't combine complimentary ingredients. And Island Eggplant with marinara, crab meat and bernaise sauce? That sounds disgusting. We considered leaving before settling on the shrimp po-boy by process of elimination. And what a good choice that turned out to be. The sandwich was thick with shrimp and not the tiny, tasteless popcorn shrimp used everywhere else, but regular size shrimp with lots of flavor. It was the best po-boy I had at the beach. One of our favorite desserts, bread pudding, was doughier than others we'd tried, though. This space was previously known as Bayside Grill. In its current incarnation, it's a pretty restaurant, but with high prices and uninspired food, hard to get excited about.
(2)Kim S.
We came on recommendation from our stay and we're blown away by quality and atmosphere. Coconut grouper was out of this world as was the sushi. Fantastic experience we will be back.
(5)Lisa C.
Went there for date night one night walked downstairs to make a RSVP for the whole family the next night. Nice relaxed environment sitting outside with beautiful view. Great food, service and reasonable priced
(5)Dawn B.
Don't know where to begin. Made a reservation a few hours before and when we walked were seated within 5 minutes. Our server was Stephanie. What delightful person. She was funny interesting and efficient. We couldn't decide what to have since so many things sounded great so we had many things. Oysters ... Yum fresh and cool. The pleasure salad we kept calling the passion salad since the dressing was made with passion fruit. Yum the tuna on it and glaze and dressing were one if a kind. Had the crab bisque and a spider roll. Both outstanding. We even had the drunk brownie. Don't pass this one up. Everything was wonderful including the bread with honey cinnamon butter. Overall a wonderful experience and will be back in a day. Hope Stephanie is working. BTW- Stephanie won't the sweetest message on our receipt. She deserved the 30% tip and hope she continues to be the server she is and the food stays as wonderful as it is!!! Thank you for a great expetience.
(5)Barry G.
First of all the food was fabulous. Everything else, not so much. My wife and I went to Shipp's on a Saturday about 7:00 pm. We were seated immediately even though the restaurant was quite full and a large wedding party was just arriving. We were greeted by a hostess who did not appear to like us even though we had never met her. Perhaps she was bored, but she appeared annoyed. We were served by Hannah who had a great, friendly personality but appeared overwhelmed with the tables she had. It took 15 minutes to place our drink order and another 15 minutes to get the drinks. Another 15 minutes passed before we ordered an appetizer and then 20 more before we got it. The appetizer was the pimento cheese fritter which was wonderful. However, it came with only three crackers. We asked Hannah for some more crackers and she said she would have to get manager approval and there would likely be an up-charge. Really, an up-charge for three more cheap crackers? We waited another 15 minutes and flagged her down again asking about the crackers she said she would go and ask a manager. In the mean time our entrees came. I had the new mahi dish and it was fabulous. My wife had the grouper sandwich which is always top notch. The problem arose in the fact we were still waiting for crackers and I hadn't received my salad. Matthew, the manager or perhaps owner then came over with a plate of crackers. He arrived at the same time Hannah showed up with the missing salad. All after having our entrees served. He offered a number of apologies laced with excuses such as we have a large party upstairs. Really, what does that have to do with my service? It's a separate space served by a different set of staff. He then offered a free dessert and took the now cold and gelatinous appetizer off the bill. We didn't get the dessert which I'm sure would have been wonderful. It seemed less than adequate for a fumbled dinner service and not receiving my entire meal. To top it off Matthew did not follow through and remove the appetizer from the bill. We had to bring that to Hannah's attention who then had to take the bill back for Matthew to correct. Kudos to the kitchen staff for turning out food with fabulous favors. The front of the house needs a serious floor manager.
(3)Brian G.
Well in order to run a successful business you have to recognize your customers. This place is far from it. First off there are two people with I pads that they were using to seat people. Well that didn't work. The place seemed to thrive mass chaos, people running around in circles, the bar tender seemed over worked, and the hostesses were working against each other. A thirty minute wait turned into a 45 minute wait just to see another hostess. When my wife and I finally got seated, we were introduced to a waiter who was on the job for two days and said that if we placed our order now it would take an hour to get it. Mind you this was at 9:15 in the evening. Salads were prompt and He kept us full on the rolls. Main course to follow and I will let you know if this place gets a second or third star. First off, if it wasn't for Stephen this review and our dinner would have been a loss. He was able to get our order served to us sooner than what he had said earlier. The pimento fritters were awesome and the coconut grouper was to die for. Highly recommend ordering this. So in a nut shell, Shipps has to step up their seating and hostess end of the business's and learn to take care of the customer from beginning to end and if it wasn't for Stephen this rating would have stayed at one star.
(3)Jennifer G.
We went on a dolphin cruise and was told this is one of the best places in the area to eat. It is amazing. Our waitress is a little busy and overwhelmed but she is super sweet. The atmosphere is wonderful along with the food. We haven't had anything bad. The shrimp appetizer is yum along with the crab dip. The couple we are with had the redneck sushi roll. We shared the crabcakes. We will definitely be back on our next visit!
(5)Susan S.
If I could give 0 stars, I would. I can't remember when I had a more horrendous restaurant experience. This place needs to be on one of those TV shows. We had a reservation but when we arrived our table was not ready, and they finally seated us in a bar area, at a table precariously placed at the top of stairs. We were served a salad with horrible dressing, a mix of tomato soup, poured liberally all over the greens. Glasses were dirty, and we did not receive silverware until we asked for it. The seafood was fried, although they don't call it fried, and it was unrecognizable. There are tons of great restaurants in Orange Beach, and I think this place is tipping guys who work on the boats to recommend this one to people, otherwise, they'd already be out of business
(1)Savanah N.
This is our favorite place to eat in the gulf shores area. Creole and Rockefeller oysters are really good and the 1/2 pound of steamed shrimp is the best shrimp I've ever had if you can get past removing the heads. I will say the inside is way dated, but the patio has a breathtaking view. Would highly recommend!
(4)Shannon V.
this place was very good! the inside area is somewhat cramped where we sat, but besides that, the food and service was great. we ordered the crab dip i think it was, that had a little spice to it and was delicious. tried the crab bisque for the 1st time and it was pretty tasty..not sure how that compares to other crab bisques because that was my first time trying that..our friends got the tuna appetizer which was also tasty..i ordered some sushi for my meal which i enjoyed..my boyfriend got the creole fish which wasnt his favorite, but i tried some and liked it..the hush puppies were really good too..out friends shared the fried platter and they said it was good too..this place has the nice view of the water and boats..pretty cool place
(5)Jason P.
This place changes up their menu with no update to the online menu. I wont be back, the service is bad also
(3)Carrie H.
Fantastic! Everything was good. Between me and my husband, we had a taste of everything. Definitely will go back.
(5)Laura M.
WOW! This was a very nice surprise. The food is absolutely delicious and the service was wonderful. I had the black sesame tuna with smoked gouda mash and beans and it was phenomenal. And the prices are not unreasonable. You can go for lunch and they have a variety of items to choose from that range $9-$12. They also have sushi and the appetizers that you will not want to share with anyone! It's kind of hidden to get to (almost drove past it) but it is SO WORTH it if you are in the area.
(5)Brian W.
This is now my favorite restaurant along with Fisher's in OBA. The outdoor seating, view, music, service and food were all great. Coconut grouper was awesome. Didn't get to try sushi because they were short handed and it was going to take too long.
(5)Holly D.
We visited here in 2012 and it was awesome; however, we just visited here 2013 and this was the worst experience. Management was totally unresponsive which makes this that much more disappointing....
(1)Jamie S.
The grilled grouper with the Gouda mashed potatoes were amazing! My husband and I ate dinner here while on vacation and out of all the places we dined at during our week in Gulf Shores, Shipps Harbour Grill blew competitors away by a long shot! Atmosphere, service, quality of food were all amazing. This will definitely be a go-to place for future vacations.
(5)Jack N.
Clearly the food is great but was seated at a table meant for 4 but there were 6 of us despite a reservation made 2 weeks in advance; the initial wine had some sort of debris in it, the replacement glass was dirty; took 50 minutes for appetizers to arrive, then one was incorrect and had to be replaced, the entrees were served while still eating salads, and the servers had to do lots of reaching across the table to clear, pour water, etc
(2)Kevin A.
We dined on Easter Sunday and had the 3 course brunch for $19.95. It was so good we felt like they should've charged more! The kids both had fried shrimp, the adults had coconut grouper and ahi tuna. The crab bisque appetizer was excellent and the desserts seemed home made, but we didn't ask. Key lime pie and bread pudding both were phenomenal.
(5)Judy A.
We had dinner there Sept 20. Such a nice restaurant and good food but the wait staff dresses way too casual for a nice place. I realize it's on a marina, but so is Fisher's! For appetizers we had the tuna margarita and citrus tuna roll. Both were excellent and presentation lovely. Dinner was the crab cakes and chipotle filet. Filet was cooked perfectly. Crab cakes were chock full of lump white crab. Too full for desserts. Our waitress was #637. She was slammed but yet managed to be attentive to our needs. It was not our first time there. We like this place. Just wish wait staff dressed a tad bit classier to reflect their menu.
(4)Richard N.
Overheard people talking about how great a meal they had at Shipps. We decided to try out and were we glad we did. I had the baked grouper with pontchatrain sauce and it was delicious. We will return on our next visit to orange beach. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone.
(4)P M.
On June 7th we chartered a deep sea fishing boat to catch red snapper (Distraction Charters- yay!) Anyway, Capt. Troy recommended Shipps Harbour Grill to cook our fresh catch, so we could relax and enjoy a "hook and cook" deal. I had never done this before and it was a pleasure! We had red snapper, grouper and trigger fish. The menu for the "you hook it we cook it" offers several options: 1. Basic (12.95) is the fried and blackened option and 2. Gourmet (14.95) is fried, blackened with crab and Gorgonzola, sauteed with crab, shrimp, mushrooms and white wine butter sauce - three ways with Salad and Sides. We had the mackerel blackened and the snapper "gourmet." The salad was fine, and the sides (mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans) were delicious and served family style. Our party of 4 had so much fun, enjoying the porch, and seeing our fresh caught catch served up on a beautiful platter placed in the middle of the table. Being a Friday, and during tourist season, Shipps Harbour Grill was packed so we had a small wait, but nothing extraordinary. The service was good, the patio was fun and relaxing and all in all, Shipps Harbour Grill provided the perfect culinary ending to the best day ever!!!!!
(5)Josh W.
We have been here 3 times on two different trips. Love sitting outside and enjoying the atmosphere. Food is fantastic. The Coconut Grouper is great!
(4)Doug R.
Examining other reviews here, it seems this is somewhat of a polarizing place; the complaints ranging from vague unhelpful opinions ("The menu just isn't very appealing.") to poor customer service dilemmas warning of uninterested hostesses and kitchen blunders. I experienced none of these things. However! I was here on a Monday night...in January. So take that aspect with a grain of salt. The food however...delivered nicely. So a word has been mentioned about ambiance and I HAVE to mention it. The Gulf/Orange Beach has always (always meaning the 15 years I've been coming down here) toed this line between upscale and relaxed. Its a vacation spot, yes. People spend money on vacation, but do they want to dress up and go out? Sometimes, I guess. Do they want to feel relaxed? On the beach? Hell yeah. So as a restaurant down here, what do you do? I dunno. Identity crisis is my guess. Again, recalling the former Bayside Grill days, this seems like a place you should probably wear sleeves to as they charge $25 for a steak. But there is carpet and it kinda looks like a displaced Red Lobster, but the waiters and waitresses wear t-shirts, so I guess you could get away without sleeves if you are so inclined. I also saw a kitchen member wearing a football jersey bringing out desserts here, so fuck it. Do what you want. Clearly they are not worried about impressing you with ambiance. I dress up. But that's because I'm single and feel its my duty to look respectable in society...in front of sexy ladies. Bottom line seems to be, you are on vacation so just do whatever. Wear your mud boots for all these people care. So what about food? I had the Gulf Oysters, naked of course and the Turtle Soup for an appetizer, along with the rum punch. The oysters were worth the price, which was not much, but I found they did not have a lot of zazz or personality compared to East Coast or British Columbian oysters I have had. The turtle soup was merely turtle chili. Not a lot of turtle to speak of, but a pretty good chili regardless, so take that as it may be. My rum punch? Easily drinkable, but not because of how good all the ingredients are, but more how easy it is to drink because of how balanced the cheaper rums are that are in it. Is it the punch of Jerry Thomas's day with elegant fruit garnish and nice, aged rum? No. No it isn't. Get it if you wanna get drunk. For my main course I went with the blackened duck with pecan and praline sauce and blue cheese. Like 75% of the dishes, it came out in a giant piece of iceberg lettuce atop of a bed of mashed potatoes with green beans on the side and a stalk of green onions. Points for consistency, I suppose, but the lettuce is just in the way. A slight symbolic outreach to the conch shell of the beach? Maybe? I dunno, a conch shell I want. An iceberg lettuce I just want to kick off my plate, like curly parsley. So a little variety in garnish would be nice, since such an obvious attempt at garnish is being asserted. But the duck? Awesome. So good. A wonderfully thin layer of fat wrapped tightly around a slightly more cooked than rare, but oh so tender breast of duck that when combined with a bit of darkened, caramel, pecan sweetness of that sauce with a tangy, slightly sour and acidic bite of blue cheese really sung sweetly. And for $16? Pretty much blasts Will T.'s complaint of "overpriced and unappealing" out of the water. Around the table? The steaks were good, undercooked (to my liking) but good, nice char and soft meat and fire flavor, but the crab was complained of being dry. The blackened tuna was pretty good as well. Nothing transcending, I thought, but non offensive. The mashed potatoes were super solid, especially with my pecan sauce. Also, the nice cinnamon and, perhaps, slightly bourbony, butter that came around with the bread was tasty. Indulge. Dessert? Didn't happen. Service? Nice. Informal. Prompt. Not entirely knowledgeable, but confident enough that I didn't mind, although they tended to repeat the menu jargon. Overall? Had a nice meal experience. Yes, I was here on a slow night with enough service to shake all of our hands at once, but whatever. I had a good meal. Come here, get that duck breast and then high-five your friends? Oh yeah, why not 5 stars? Identity crisis, weak drink menu, tired garnishes, carpet, etc. Minor things that only a pedantic bastard, such as myself, worries about.
(4)Joyce L.
A group of us went to this restaurant on a Tuesday. It was very busy and so noisy that it was hard to have a conversation without shouting. I had the coconut grouper which was excellent. Crispy on the edges with a slightly spicy coconut sauce. The Gouda mashed potatoes and fresh green beans were also very good. Our server was a grump! We were a friendly table of 10 and we never got one smile out of her. She forgot my drink which didn't bother me all that much but when I asked her to take it off of our bill there was never even an apology. Despite the service, I would go back.
(4)Gary G.
Shipps Harbor Grill in Orange Beach was a great setting on the bay overlooking the boats in the Harbor, the waitress was upbeat and friendly and took good care of us. The food was prepared well and the appearance was attractive. The food was delicious, especially the crab cakes and were considered to be as good as any. This was a great place for family or friends and there is an outdoor deck with live music. Our group enjoyed this restaurant!
(4)Barbara G.
Food is consistently good. We are locals and have supported this business by having lunch and dinner there on average three times a week since he opened . Tonight we had reservations with a group of friends and hostess was extremely rude to us and our group. We will not be back any time soon.
(3)Chris C.
The food and service was very good. We went for an early dinner and found everything to be quite nice. Prices were comparable to the quality of food, service and environment. It's situated at local marina and apparently the trash for the boats is right near the entrance to the restaurant. The stench was pretty strong when we left the restaurant.
(4)Kristin H.
Worst restaurant experience ever! Service was terrible...it took 45 minutes to receive my salad and then another 20 to receive our dinners, which were awful. We both got sushi. I ordered two veggie rolls which were primarily stuffed with cream cheese and my husband ordered one with shrimp in it, that was fishy tasting. A clear sign that shrimp has gone bad. The waiter kept apologizing over and over about the wait and how the kitchen was backed up, yet two other tables in our area that came after us seemed to have no problems getting their orders on time. Bottom line, we will never go back.
(1)Diana F.
Accommodated 50+ people. In and out in less than 2 hours. Food was off the hook! Best sushi and blackened tuna ever!
(5)Matt B.
This is the first time I have eaten here and have to say I really enjoyed the food and the service. Our waiter Courtney was amazing and made sure we were taken care of. The food was great and worth the prices. We are going back there before our trip ends. Very nice atmosphere and food.
(5)Margaret C.
Haven't been here in years, but wow have they improved! Perfect if you are looking for something than the same ole fried seafood You must sit on the upstairs patio with the amazing view of the bay. They play a great variety of music that sets the mood. Great wine list with Meomi by the glass....our favorite. The wedge salads are great, more like a half of a head of lettuce, huge. The grouper ponchatrain was fantastic as was the blackened mahi mahi. We were so full there was no way we could have dessert, but the selection was enticing. We have added this place to our must go list for future visits.
(5)Ann W T.
Enjoyed dinner on the outside deck at Shipp's Harbour Grill. We arrived early and got ahead of the crowd. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. The server was very agreeable and personable. Good food for a reasonable price. We will dine there again before we leave the area.
(4)Jennifer J.
table not ready when we made reservations, seated outside when requested inside seating because they messed up, 2 and 1/2 hour wait for our meals, 3 our of 4 party members ended up sick after eating there, had to send two full entrees back, and the management was flat out rude when we asked to voice our complaints. The waitress was very nice, but that was about the only part of the night that wasn't awful!
(1)Laura O.
We called ahead with a party of 18 and they sat us at two separate tables with 2 different servers (one of which was amazing and the other not-so-much)...so us being a larger party should not have had anything to do with the horrible experience since we were essentially one 8-top and one 10-top. First the soups/salads came out before the appetizers and the kids' food came out before the adults. I understand many people like the kid's food out first, but in my opinion, the customer should be asked, especially since our kids were 12 years old. When we asked about the hush puppies (my mother wanted to eat them with her soup) the server told us that those come out of a different station and don't come out at the same time as the soup and this was said in a very rude way. I have waitressed/bartended for 18 years and that was the wrong answer...the right answer would have been...let me go get those for you. Our food took 1:20 minutes to come out and one entree was served with the appetizers and when I told the waiter (when we were ordering) that I wanted soup and salad for my meal served together, he tried to get me to order my soup immediately and acted like it was a HUGE imposition for me to order it that way. Finally, he just told me I would have to remind him to get my soup when my salad came out. We spoke to the manager twice and he never came back out after our food FINALLY arrived and did not check on our table as a manager should do when he realizes that there are NUMEROUS problems going on with that certain table. Sorry this review is so unorganized, but there were so many things wrong with the experience...In a nutshell...the server was rude, the kids meals came out about an hour before the adult's meals, the manager obviously doesn't have his degree in customer service and the artichoke/spinach dip was runny. I am sure that many of these servers/managers think that most of the people are just tourist, but we come here every year and every year there are about 18-22 of us and we LOVE to eat. Having been in the hospitality industry for almost 2 decades, I believe everyone deserves a second chance, but with so many things wrong with this dining experience, I won't be back. If, after reading this review, you decide to try it out anyway...get the corn/crab chowder and request Miriam...she was the server for the other half of our party and she was amazing and has a PhD in customer service...maybe she should be promoted to manager...
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