Avenue Pub, Orange Beach

What brings Jessica Alford, General Manager of the Avenue Pub from Cincinnati, Ohio to Orange Beach, Alabama? Two things. First, she says that in 2015, both she and her mom had a bit of a mid-life crisis, and second, it coincided with the cold weather in Cincinnati. They moved to Pensacola and fell in love with the area. 

Jessica began working with the Hangout Hospitality Group and moved to Orange Beach in 2019. She stayed with them for five years. During Covid, she worked from home a bit as a blogger helping with web content. “A lot of people struggle with going from brick and mortar to working from home,” she said. “I’m one of them.”

She says she missed the chaos of the restaurant business, the crazy people that work in the industry, but most of all, the customers. So, Jessica dusted off her resume, placed it with Indeed, and immediately got a call from Craig Williams, founder, and owner of Avenue Pub. She went for an interview in December and began working as General Manager in January.

Avenue Pub started in Tuscaloosa and expanded with the Orange Beach restaurant, the second location. Craig purchased the former Anchor Bar and Grill on Terry Cove at Hudson’s Marina. He also purchased the rights to the restaurant and bar menu and considered continuing to operate as the Anchor Bar. It was confusing to the local patrons, so Craig decided to transition fully to the Avenue Pub.

Avenue Pub concept is founded on a made fresh-daily simple menu and a fun atmosphere. Situated where the water meets the beach, you can arrive by car or boat. Avenue Pub features live music Thursday through Sunday in the high season and Friday and Sunday in the winter months.  Upstairs, the open restaurant and bar have beautiful views of Terry Cove, the Perdido Pass bridge, and Robinson Island to the East. 

There are plenty of TVs to watch sports and the downstairs area is great for children to chase hermit crabs and play in the sand while parents enjoy a cold beverage. Avenue Pub is dog-friendly but pets must stay on a leash and be well-behaved. Hudson Marina’s pier hosts fishing charters, dolphin cruises, pontoon and jet ski rentals, and the renowned Orange Beach Pirate Ship.

About thirty percent of the menu is shared with the Tuscaloosa store, including the Sriracha Burger and the Chicken Club, but the rest is unique to the Orange Beach location, and it is good! Let’s start with drinks… Avenue Pub features refreshingly crisp cocktails that pair well with its food offerings. The Salty Dog is made with Tito’s Vodka and freshly squeezed grapefruit juice. The Strawberry Basil is fashioned with Honeysuckle Vodka and a fresh puree of strawberries and basil.

Shrimp Tacos are their best seller. Made with fresh Gulf shrimp, Avenue Pub prepares its own flour and seasoning mix, adds egg wash, and fries the shrimp for about 30 seconds, so they are light and crispy. The toasted tortillas are topped with house-made sweet chili mayo, cabbage slaw, and cheddar cheese. The smoked tuna dip is a made-from-scratch family recipe prepared with freshly caught tuna loin, smoked in-house, and broken down by hand. 

The day we were there, we shared the Fish and Chips composed of the freshest grouper I have ever tasted and that includes off-the-boat Bahama grouper. Jessica says they use wild-caught grouper bought and brought in-house for prep. “You need to understand the anatomy of the fish to know how to cut them.” 

Same for the Fish Tacos. “We make our own blackening seasoning and marinate the fish in olive oil.” These are topped with homemade strawberry sriracha sauce and goat cheese crumbles. All their burgers are made with 100% Certified Angus Beef, never frozen. “Everything we do is by continuous prep,” says Jessica. “We don’t even own a freezer.”

What’s next? “Our menu is pretty small, so we plan to add some new food items and cocktails. We are very tuned in to what our customers want,” she says. “We are working on hosting more events. We try to accommodate private groups with enough notice. 

What do you like best about being at Avenue Pub? “I love being outside, especially after winters in Cincinnati. Some mornings, if things are kind of slow, I’ll fish from the restaurant. Every day I see dolphins and fish all over the place. I love it here!”

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