Where Locals Actually Eat Crab in Gulf Shores

The tourist-trap version of crab in Gulf Shores is a $60 plate at a beachside restaurant with a mediocre boil and a crowded wait. The local version involves a bucket of snow crab at a strip mall lunch counter, a market where you cook it yourself back at the condo, or an all-you-can-eat situation that requires strategic planning. These five places are where the regulars actually go.

1. Mikee’s Seafood — All You Can Eat Snow Crab

205 E 2nd Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Mikee’s all-you-can-eat snow crab is the most talked-about crab deal on the Alabama Gulf Coast, and for good reason — the legs are large, the refills keep coming, and you can mix in other AYCE options mid-meal on the same check. Go early or put your name on the list and head to the bar. The wait is real on weekends but so is the payoff.

Hours: Daily 11 a.m.–10 p.m. | Facebook

2. The Catch — Seafood Boil with Crab

300 W Beach Blvd, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

The Catch has the highest rating on the strip for a reason — the seafood boil comes loaded with snow crab, shrimp, mussels, sausage, potatoes, and corn, and the seasoning is dialed in. It’s not a tourist gimmick; the regulars come back every trip. Plan ahead because this place fills up fast and the wait is worth it.

Hours: Mon–Thu, Sun 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | Fri–Sat 11 a.m.–10 p.m. | Facebook

3. Gulf Shores Seafood Market — Boil to Go

921 Gulf Shores Pkwy, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

The open secret for condo renters: order a steamer pot here, take it back, and eat it on your own porch for a fraction of restaurant prices. The market is clean, the seafood is fresh, and the house cocktail sauce and remoulade alone are worth the stop. Royal reds are the move when they have them.

Hours: Mon–Tue, Thu–Sun 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Facebook

4. Lartigue’s Original Fresh Seafood Market — Orange Beach’s Best Kept Secret

23043 Perdido Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561

No indoor seating, order at the counter, eat wherever you want — Lartigue’s has been the local seafood market of choice in Orange Beach for years. The Royal Red shrimp are the signature but the crab in their boil is just as good. Regulars come back every vacation year after year. Get there early; they sell out of the good stuff.

Hours: Daily 9 a.m.–7 p.m. | Facebook | Instagram

5. De Soto’s Seafood Kitchen — The Local’s Sit-Down Pick

138 W 1st Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

If you want to sit down, order something cold to drink, and eat crab without the tourist-restaurant energy, De Soto’s is where the locals land. The owner is usually on the floor, the service is personal, and the crab cakes and crab dishes hold up against anything in the area. Go early during busy season — the wait builds fast once word gets out you’re going.

Hours: Daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m. | Facebook

Tips Before You Go

For condo renters: Gulf Shores Seafood Market and Lartigue’s are the two best options for taking back to cook or eat on-site. A market boil for four people runs well under what you’d pay at a sit-down restaurant.

For all-you-can-eat: Mikee’s is the move, but go with a strategy — arrive before 5 p.m. on weekdays or put your name in early on weekends and head to the bar.

Crab season note: Snow crab availability can vary by season and supply. Check each restaurant’s Facebook page before you go, especially outside peak summer months.

Data sourced from Google Maps ratings and reviews. Listings current as of October 2026.