Hi, my name is Tonya, and I am from Meantown....I mean Miami, FL. Home of people who honk at you when you don't dash off when at traffic light turns green, and pass you by without hesitation when you're on the side of the road with car problems. Yes, we may be located in the south....but you won't find southern hospitality here. With that being said, it was quite refreshing to travel to Mobile, Alabama on assignment for my blog....ok....for work (for my blog sounded better). I've never experienced southern hospitality like this before!

 Before arriving in Mobile, I had already done my research on the most noteworthy eateries to check out. Through my research, I learned that Alabama was known for 3 things when it came to food: Bar-b-que, Seafood, and Soul Food. It was my mission to sample all three.....and you know I accomplished my goal...and it that exact order!


First stop was Dreamland Bar-B-Que

Before I begin....I have a confession: This was the very first time that I dined....alone. Not the weird, "I'm a loser" feeling that I thought it would be. I actually enjoyed it. So as I sat myself in a booth near the window where I could keep an eye on my rental car, a chipper woman pranced over to greet me and take my drink order. "Sweet Tea please"! (I think that is the signature drink in the south). What the waitress placed on the table along with my drink was very interesting. Two slices of white bread and a cup of warm BBQ sauce. My first thought? What do I do with this???? But....thank goodness for a law degree right? I caught on quickly, and pulled small chunks of white bread apart and dipped it in the warm sauce. Delish! The sauce was thin with a sweet and tangy taste. Bread and warm bbq sauce.....why didn't I think of that?



My order consisted of ribs (duh), mac and cheese, and baked beans. The ribs, which were already rubbed with their special BBQ sauce, were juicy and tender. The sides were just "alright". I was disappointed at the selection of sides to begin with. I really expected to see collards as an option or maybe even french fries. However, the rib portions were so generous here that the sides didn't even matter, as I didn't have room to finish them.



The sweet tea was perfect and what was even sweeter was the service. The waitress not only checked on me a million times referring to me as "sweetheart", but she also patted me on my back and told me to have "blessed day" when I was leaving. Where do they do that??? The South!



For dinner I headed over to Wintzell's Oyster House



I got here about an hour before closing time and I sat at the bar and ordered a Corona before diving into the menu. The menu was great because there was a ton of variety, but what I loved the most is that they offered a generous portioned sample plate. This is a dream come true for a person like me who can't decide on what to order because I want to order everything! Here, I didn't have to spend an hour trying to decide whether to get the oysters, fish filet, shrimp, or crab...because I had the option of ordering it all! Fried oysters, fried fish filet, fried shrimp, friend crab claws, stuffed crab, hush puppies, and fries. WHEW....I got full just typing that! The best part.....all of it for under 20 bux!



Food was fresh and GREAT! They get an A- (they get the minus for running out of baked potatoes....#fail)




My last stop was lunch at one of the top soul food restaurants in Mobile: Mama's Soul Food


I was really excited to come here because the reviews were amazing (and well deserved). The decor of this place was cute. It is set up like a mother's eat-in kitchen. All of the tables are light wood with white tiled tops. The place was PACKED! I opted to sit at the countertops to avoid waiting any longer.



 I ordered the Monday special (Fried chicken w/mash potatoes and gravy + 2 sides) I chose collards (finally I get my collards) and mac and cheese. Mobile eating establishments are sooo generous with the food portions! I was in lunch heaven. While the chicken was fried a little too hard...it was very tasty and seasoned to perfection. The collards were a tad bit salty but overall very good. The mac and cheese was amazing! Of course.....I sipped on sweet tea for libation....of course! The service here was equally amazing.



Ps.....you can't see the mash + gravy because it's hiding behind my chicken!

One last stop before I left.....because the smell of this peanut shop prevented me from just "passing" by. I HAD to stop in. Tons and tons of NUTS! I bought some almonds...and they were amazing. The regular peanuts in the shell actually come hot....but not boiled (I hate boiled peanuts).




If my stay was longer than 2 days.....I would've definitely hit up Mama's and Wintzell's at least 2 more times. They are definitely on the top of my list. I truly enjoyed my experience in Mobile. Although the food was amazing, the hospitality was the most memorable part.

Labels: ALABAMA