DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen - Gulf Shores

DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen

When we first moved to Gulf Shores, Alabama, we kept hearing everyone mention DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen as a must-visit place.

They have fantastic daily lunch specials, all of the seafood favorites you want from a coastal restaurant, the most amazing fresh bread, and an entire menu of great options.

I could happily eat the great homemade sides and be happy but the main dishes are also pretty darn great.

The fresh honey wheat bread served warm is so good. Make sure to come hungry and ready for epic plates of food.

During the summer, during peak hours, there will be a wait to get into the restaurant!!!! They are a local favorite and popular with visitors.

Indoor Seating

The indoor seating is split between two levels. If you have any mobility restrictions and stairs are not comfortable make sure to tell the hostess.

There is a small staircase to reach the 2nd level, seating filled with comfortable chairs and tables.

Indoor Bar

On the main level of the restaurant there is a small bar with seating.

De Soto's Seafood Kitchen Menu

DeSoto's Seafood Kitchen menu is filled with steamed fresh seafood, chicken, salads, pasta dishes, starters, fried seafood favorites, fresh catch seafood platters, and seafood specialties, plus homemade desserts.

They have great home-style lunch specials! Be prepared to already be planning your next visit while in the restaurant.

There are so many great options on the lunch and dinner menu it is hard to pick that to have.

Make sure to get a cup of Seafood Gumbo or a cup of Bisque (Crab & Shrimp)

Menu Highlights

Exquisite appetizers

Sweet Potato Fries Basket - ORDER THESE! The brown sugar butter dipping sauce is amazing, and the fries are delicious!

Coconut Shrimp - Large gulf shrimp dipped in an Ale Beer batter, rolled in coconut flakes and flash fried.

Oysters on the Half Shell - Available by the ½ dozen or dozen.

Alligator bites - fried tail meat served with remoulade

Fried crab claws - served with cocktail sauce

Tonight's Catches

Seafood favorites prepared your way: fried, broiled, grilled, blackened, steamed, or Cajun style

Try the fresh catch and have it prepared New Orleans, Mediterranean, Caribbean, or a the favorite Pecan Encrusted Style.

New Orleans Catch - Blacked fish seasoned with blackening spices over yellow rice and topped with crawfish etouffee.

Mediterranean Catch - Grilled fish seasoned with Greek spices served over angel hair pasta with basil sauce (Pesto with walnuts) and fresh Roma tomatoes.

Caribbean Catch - Grilled fish seasoned with island spices over a bed of yellow rice with a mango fruit salsa.

Land Lover's Fare

Grilled chicken breast - served with a light garlic herb olive oil and a spicy orange marmalade.

Fried Chicken Tenders - hand trimmed chicken breast dipped in beer batter with house spices and a side of honey mustard.

Great Hawaiian Ribeye Steak - hand cut and marinated for 48 hours in fresh pineapple, ginger, soy, and Worcestershire sauce.

Seafood Specialties

Stuffed Shrimp - Bacon wrapped, baked with crabmeat dressing and Monterey Jack cheese.

Shrimp Scampi - Sauteed in garlic, mushrooms, and scampi butter with fettuccine alfredo.

Grilled skewer shrimp - basted with garlic butter and served with Caribbean yellow rice.

Shrimp Creole - Stewed tomatoes, sweet peppers, celery, onion, and flavored with sausage over yellow rice.

Crab Cake Dinner - 3 southern-style lump crab cakes sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

Pasta Dishes

Basil Pesto Pasta - Angel hair pasta tossed with fresh basil, olive oil, garlic, chopped walnuts, and parmesan cheese.

Home style Sides - Sweet potato casserole, Cole slaw, baked potato, steamed vegetables, yellow rice, French fries, Hush puppies, Fried Green Tomatoes.

Lunch Menu Highlights

The lunch menu has a ton of great salads, seafood favorites, sandwiches, and great lunch specials.

Po-Boy Sandwich - Available with fried shrimp, flounder, crawfish, or oyster piled high with lettuce, tomato, mayo, and a pickle spear.

Cheeseburger - Choice ground chuck with American cheese, mayo, lettuce, tomatoes, and a pickle spear.

Monte Cristo Sandwich - Ham, turkey, Monterey Jack and American Cheese on honey wheat bread battered and deep fried served with strawberry preserves for dipping.

Salads - Available with pecan chicken tenders, boiled shrimp, grilled chicken, blackened chicken on a crisp bed of greens, scallions, bacon, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, eggs, almonds, and croutons.

Caesar Salad - served on crisp Romaine lettuce tossed with olive oil, lemon juice, anchovies, egg yolks, parmesan cheese, bacon, and croutons.

Riviera Salad - Bed of greens with scallions, bacon, tomatoes, cheddar cheese, eggs, almonds, and croutons.

Homestyle Lunch Specials with choice of two side dishes include:

• Hamburger Steak
• Country Fried Steak
• Pork Chops
• Country Ham
• Vegetable plate - choice of 4 side dishes
• Fried catfish
• Broiled Flounder or Fried Flounder
• Chicken Creole (Smothered in a spicy tomato and vegetable sauce with yellow rice)

Daily Specials - Served 11 am to 3 pm

Monday – Fried Chicken $11.50
Tuesday – Bar-B-Q Meat Loaf $11.50
Wednesday – Chicken-N-Dumplins $11.50
Thursday – Beef Tips over Rice $11.50
Friday – Fried parmesan encrusted flounder  $11.50

Kids Menu - DeSoto's Kids Menu includes chicken fingers, fish sticks, fried shrimp, fettuccine alfredo (no sides), grilled cheese, corn dog, hamburger, or a cheeseburger served with French Fries of Applesauce.

Gluten-Free - The menu has designated gluten-free items including

• Blackened catfish
• Broiled seafood platter (flounder almondine, sea scallops & shrimp, broiled and topped with paprika)
• Oysters on the Half Shell
• Snow Crab Legs
• Royal Red Shrimp
• Blackened, Grilled, or Broiled catch of the day served with two side dishes.
• Jamaica-Jerk Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Breast.

Vegan - The best option is most likely a house salad with raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette.

Vegetarian - I had the creamy garlic alfredo with fettuccini noodles with fresh steamed broccoli, and cauliflower.

Signature Cocktails - The bar menu includes excellent wine choices, beef, and local favorite cocktails.

Bushwacker, Margarita on the rocks, The Relaxer, and Daiquiris (banana, mango, strawberry, orange blossom, and pina colada)

Why you will love De Soto's Seafood Kitchen

• Locals favorite seafood restaurant
• Close to the beach
• Huge menu
• Voted "People's Choice Winner" Best Lunch, Best Seafood, Best Restaurant, Friendliest Staff
• One of Alabama's favorite family restaurants
• Senior menu - reserved for 55 and over.

Things to know when planning a visit to De Soto's Seafood Kitchen

Address - 138 West 1st. Ave, Gulf Shores, AL 36542

Located a block north of the Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Place Public Beach in the heart of Gulf Shores.

Phone - 251-948-7294

Hours - Please confirm with the restaurant to ensure that hours have not changed.

Accessibility - The seating is split between two levels. Make sure to tell the hostess and remind them if needed that you are not comfortable going up stairs.

Plus Size Seating - The chairs were really comfortable

Dress Code/Suggestions - Casual

Pets - Pets are not allowed in the restaurant.

Parking  - There is parking in front of the restaurant.

Restaurants and Attractions near De Soto's Seafood Kitchen

Cherry on Top Ice Cream - Right next door you can enjoy ice cream treats!

Souvenir City - Take a picture in the mouth of the shark entrance or with the pirate ship back door before shopping for great Gulf Coast gifts.

Crico's Pizza & Subs - This local Gulf Shores Pizza shop is a favorite.

Wade Ward Nature Walk - Enjoy a great boardwalk over wetlands with amazing bird watching right around the corner from De Soto's.

The Hangout - Great beach restaurant with live music, fun decorations, foam parties, and more.

Additional Orange Beach and Gulf Shores Articles

Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo - Check out all of the fun things to see and do at the zoo

Great Gulf Shores Donut Shops - Check out the epic donut shops right in Gulf Shores for the perfect morning treat.

Best breakfast spots in Gulf Shores - Gulf Shores knows how to do a great breakfast! These are our favorite breakfast restaurants we return to often.

Best pizza in Gulf Shores - Best pizza in Gulf Shores from a local perspective! Who offers delivery and who has great flavor.

Not to be missed Ice Cream in Gulf Shores - Check out all of the best ice cream shops in Gulf Shores you do not want to miss.

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tours

These are some of our favorite tours available in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Alabama.

Dolphin Tours - Book a dolphin cruise here

Check out our experiences on Hammock Time Tiki Tours, Explorer Dolphin Cruise, Southern Rose Dolphin cruise, Cruise OB (Orange Beach), Sail Wild Hearts, and the Sunny Lady Dolphin Cruise.

Pontoon Boat Rentals - Enjoy cruising the waters of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach on a Pontoon. Check out the pontoon boats with slides for extra fun. Book your Boat Rental Here

Parasailing - Check out the epic views as you parasail in the Gulf of Mexico. Look for wildlife and you float high above the water. Book your Parasaiing Trip Here

Jet Ski Rentals - Jet Ski Tours and rentals are a great way to explore the back bays of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach. Book your Jet Ski Rental Here

Click here to see all of the top rated tours and activities available in Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Lodging

If you are visiting and need to book accommodations, here are our recommendations. We have stayed at each of these lodging options:

The Beach Club Resort and Spa (Fort Morgan): This resort offers beachfront condos with amazing amenities and a great spa. Don't miss dinner at Coast Restaurant.

Use Code - GULFJOURNEY for a discount when booking with Spectrum Resort.

Turquoise Place Luxury Vacation Rentals (Orange Beach): This is our favorite resort in the area! It offers luxury amenities, epic beachfront views, and unbelievable condos.

Use Code - GULFJOURNEY for a discount when booking with Spectrum Resort.

Springhill Suites Orange Beach: Located next to The Wharf, it is an excellent location near shopping and dining. We enjoyed their gorgeous pool.

The Lodge at Gulf State Park: Located on the beach in Gulf State Park, this Hilton Hotel offers epic beach views, a sustainable hotel experience, and great restaurants.

The map below shows the current hotels and vacation rentals available in the area. You can select the dates you are visiting to see current availability.

Don't miss our other Gulf Coast destinations, including Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, Dauphin Island, Fairhope, Fort Morgan, Foley, Mobile, Bayou La Batre, Alabama, and so many more!

We also have articles on the Emerald Coast of Florida, including Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Pensacola Beach, Navarre Beach, Panama City Beach, Perdido Key, Pensacola, and more.

Keep an eye out for articles on the Gulf Coast of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida!

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