Gulf Shores Restaurant and Grill

It took me awhile to write this. I want to be fair but my visit there was not the best
We were seated immediately no problem there. There were 6 adults and one 3 year old.
The food: I decided to order the Crab Cake appetizer I make crab cakes at home and crab cakes cost to coast. I have NEVER seen crab cakes that looked like they were burned. There was more filler than crab. They were only fair. I decided on the dump dish for my entrée. The shrimp were cooked just right. She’ll fish were tender. Crab legs perfect. There were a few over cooked potatoes but the rest were just right. It could have used a bit more seasoning, but that is a matter of personal taste.
For desert I got the Bengiets they arrived warm and with a generous amount of powdered sugar. They were a bit thicker than I am used to but the inside had the proper consistency.
The tipping policy disgusted me. I do not believe in the wait staff assessing a gratuity. It is not a gratuity. It is a service charge. Had it been 15 per cent with the customer having the option to add more. I might not have been so indignant. But 18 percent right off the top. No way. The server would have gotten more from me but since that was what was wanted they is exactly what I paid and not a penny more. Just change gratuity to service charge. I would feel better.
UDATED:
I forgot to state this was my first visit. Also I really want to go back to try their creole/​Cajun dishes. And of course the deserts. Gotta remember I am a (please understand this is what we know each other as) a true coon-a@@. And we eat between Cajun and Creole cooking which are 2 different styles.

I created an account AND downloaded Unilocal just to give this place a review! Gulf Shores in Edwardsville is PHENOMENAL! Hands down the best restaurant in area. I say this taking all things into account:) The food was Amazing, service was unbelievable, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming! You won’t be disappointed! We will definitely visit more frequently. Be sure to pay them a visit!

By far the worst experience, waited over an hour for food. It was obvious that the wait and cook staff were disorganized and lacked leadership and direction. Considering each dish was between the $ 15-​$ 20 range the experience should have been exceptional, to include timely food arrival, especially after waiting 40 minutes to be seated. I will not frequent this establishment again, nor will I recommend it to anyone.

Fabulous clam chowder! Best fish tacos we’ve had! Delicious blackened chicken pasta! We liked the food so well Saturday night we went back for Sunday brunch! Nice music. Wonderful friendly staff! Don’t know how we missed this till now!

Great food, friendly service, fun atmosphere. So glad for a place like this in Edwardsville! Owners live in town — really invested in the community! Ate here last night and we’re back for Sunday brunch after church.

I love seafood, so was really looking forward to trying this place. All three in my party were let down.
I will start off with the positive and say that our server exceeded expectation and gets credit for all three stars.
And now for the negative… Soup is nothing special, right out of a can. And I mean that literally in the way that it was clear they scooped it from the can to the cup and didn’t even bother to warm it. Room temperature at best. did not like my sister’s lobster bisque– too much like Campbell’s tomato soup with a few shreds if lobster from a can. My clam chowder was ok, warm enough. But not any better than your average canned clam chowder.
we ordered the gator bites which were ok but took a really long time to come out. Thankfully our server had them taken off the bill.
I had fried oysters and fries. Sustituted the slaw for the soup for an extra $ 3.50, which I thought was kinda high. my portion of the bill was $ 18 and change. kinda high for a weekday lunch of all fried food and canned soup if you ask me.
I don’t live close so I won’t be back. Also because I didn’t think the food was worth what I spent… even if I did want to make the drive.

This place is absolutely fantastic! As someone from the south who now lives in the STL metro area I am always on the lookout for southern and cajun style food and I am constantly let down, as St. Louis has it’s own style of food so finding true southern or true cajun food in this area is difficult. But not anymore!
Last night was my first time at this restaurant when I randomly found it on Unilocal because I was in the Edwardsville area and did not know where to eat, and I am so happy to have found this.
Let’s start with the pros;
First off the inside is decorated wonderfully and the huge fish tank is beautiful. We were seated right away without a wait and a waiter came over within maybe 1 minute to get our drinks. The menu offered so much I had no idea where to start, but Thursday’s they have a theme of «New Orlean’s Thursday’s» so I decided to just go with that menu for my first visit, and I was not let down. $ 3 hurricanes?! Sign me up!
The food was fantastic, fresh, and seasoned perfectly. I started with a hurricane and an appetizer of frog legs and they came out steaming hot and crispy. I ordered the shrimp and crawfish creole with hushpuppies and again, fantastic. It even came with a cornbeard muffin which I loved and wanted more of but I didn’t know if you could order individually so I didn’t ask. We did not intend on getting dessert but we saw the waiter bring the table next to us a big peach cobbler and we wanted one as well and it was great, definitely recommend it, and it is rather large so perfect for two people to share.
Now for the cons;
My complaints are my drink. I typically order 3 – 5 drinks at dinner so I know my alcoholic drinks. However I only had one last night and couldn’t finish it because it was bad. Really bad. I figure that is a bartender issue, and bartenders come and go, in this case — this one needs to go back for training. So I wouldn’t let one bad drink stop me from ordering in the future because hopefully it will be someone else making the drink next time.
My other complaint is that my entrée was served cold. Really, really cold. My boyfriends plate came out steaming so I imagine mine had been sitting and waiting for his to finish for a really long time. It was still good but would have been better if it had been hot. Everything else we ordered, even dessert was served hot so it was disappointing.
But overall we had a fantastic visit and even though we do not live close we will be back. I have missed cajun food so much since living in the STL area I already want to eat here daily.

Excellent seafood! We have been driving to their Creve Coeur, MO location for several years and were delighted to have a location closer to our home.
We started with their Crab and Artichoke Dip. Mmmmm. Had so much cheese in it we had to portion it with a knife and fork!
I had the Seared Cajun Tuna Salad. It was very well-​made. Wonderful flavor. There was enough salad there for two meals and I took half of it home to enjoy later. Not a speck of iceberg lettuce within.
My wife had the Fried Oysters. She really enjoyed them.
We were there on the New Orleans Thursday for lunch. They had live music playing during lunchtime and it was very enjoyable. The music was good, but did not intrude on our conversations.
Danielle was our server and she did an excellent job. Had no problems with refills. Our orders were filled promptly.
At the end of the meal, we got two «surprise» coupons to use in January. You don’t know how much the discount will be until you open them there on the next visit. We will be back.

Neat place & just what Edwardsville needed in town! It’s a typical southern restaurant. Good atmosphere. Lots of fried food, which is always good. Had the shrimp Alfredo once & it was just okay, shrimp was prepared differently than I would have wanted. I love having the option of going somewhere with seafood in town now so for that I’m giving it four stars!

A real find. Great New Orleans flair and food. The seafood is cooked perfectly and the service is great. No other restaurant like this in the area

We love this place! Lobster Ravioli is my favorite but really everything is great. I really love the Sangrias!

I’ve noticed this place hasn’t gotten much slack, and you can expect that from restaurants within the $ 11 – 30 range (maybe because people are just too hard to please at times?!). But as for me, the seafood lover, I was satisfied. Not perfect 5, satisfied, but maybe they’ll get there after I sample a few more menu items. Face it, seafood is expensive no matter how you look at it.
Since Gulf Shores opened in E’ville a year ago I’ve come in a couple times for lunch and took advantage of their specials. Reasonable, I say, so no complaining here. I finally did go here for dinner one night and I had the coconut shrimp meal, that came with two sides and corn bread biscuits. It was satisfactory, and believe me, I was very full when I walked out. Plus the service was great. The portion size of the shrimp was not a letdown as well as the fries and dirty rice. When I tasted the rice, I felt like it was Mardi Gras time… which was good. The place was decorated in full New Orleans gear, and having never been to that city, I kind of got a feel of what it would be like to be there. And one more thing, just a tip: take advantage of all the sauces and spices that are at your table. I did, for sure!

Great and fast service. Overall great vibe — great blues music playing. The crab cakes were delicious. My husband had the po’ boy with the shrimp he enjoyed it throughly, which says a lot. We both have had authors tic N’awlins po’ boy that was straight from the gulf. The sauces were yummy. The tea is awesome. Tastes great without sugar a sign that it is fresh brewed with good tea a huge plus in my book. A definite recommend… Will be back and bring the whole family.

I had the Gator Bites and the Snow Crab Legs a very nice combination indeed. I love all the seasonings they have at your table, makes my crab legs delicious even more.
My sides were the dirty rice which was very good, I also had red beans and rice that was also pretty good. My server was excellent and I enjoyed my meal and the music was just right for me!
The building was clean, I like the location, and everyone seemed friendly. I can see myself eating here more often.
I can’t wait to go back and try more dishes that they offer! I am sure this is the beginning of a great foodie relationship.
They have great specials also, depending on the day of the week you go!

Very good experience for dinner at Gulf Shores. Wait staff was very attentive not only making sure drinks were always full, but also clearing empty dishes rather than leaving them on the table until we left. The Rayjun Cajun was a wonderful meal. Catfish and crab cakes were done perfectly and the red beans and rice with andoule had just the right amount of spice. Came in with a healthy appetite and couldn’t even clear my plate. Would recommend for anybody looking for a taste of NOLA in the Midwest.

This is the second location I have tried. It is definitely an interpretation of Cajun food. The grilled shrimp still are over seasoned. Blackened seasoning goes a long way. Hushpuppies are too small so they are hard. Coleslaw tasteless. And weird dressing on Caesar salad. I would not go here at all but my friend loves it here.

Nope. Not worth it. Our food would have been good had it been hot, but it was only luke warm. We waited for longer than the tables that got seated after us to receive our entrees and it was a total disappointment. There was one warm dish, and that was the entrée they forgot to cook for one of our party and had to rush to make.
What makes it worse is that our waiter said he’d send the manager over and the manager did everything he could to avoid our table like the plague. The waiter went to him twice and we got a whole lot of nothing. That’s terrible customer service. He literally stood at a table next to ours and cleaned his fingernails. Not to mention as we waited, we saw food for other tables get cold in the window.
I’ve been to other Gulf Shores restaurants. I’ve had a good time at the other locations. This location is a bad mark on the company name. I will NOT be returning.

Crabby Monday’s! They have a special and you get 2 pounds of crab legs for about 20 bucks. The crab legs are way better than Bristol’s or herbies or even the chophouse — I drive over from the city at least once a month just for the special. It can get a little crazy though so I recommend getting there early. Every time I’ve been the owner has been working as support staff to the waitstaff which is a nice touch and leads to very good service.

I’m giving them 5 stars for food and quality, 4 for value.
This place has been hoppin’ like crazy since they opened so we finally got in for a late lunch on a Saturday but before the supper hour crowd. BTW, the lunch menu, like most places, is not available for Saturday.
Service was OK and atmosphere is what you’d expect but the food was amazing. We’ve eaten out OFTEN and this place can bring it! Best clam chowder, best cole slaw, best red beans and rice, best corn muffin, we’ve ever tasted.
It is a bit pricey but the quality is great. And it is FILLING! We skipped supper that night… and I rarely miss a meal!

I was excited for Gulf Shores to open, as the sign proceeding their move to town advertised that it was a «New Orleans» cuisine restaurant. I waited to write this review until I had tried it more than once, as my first trip was the disaster of opening day.
— Shrimp Your Way: It doesn’t matter what «way» you get the shrimp. It is NOT fresh and it tastes super cheap.
— Hush Puppies: delicious, thank god. I made a meal of them when my wrap failed.
— Red Beans & Rice: the worst I’ve had. Makes the real New Orleans dish seem like it was made in heaven’s crockpot.
— Tortilla Wrap: anything BUT the «best in town» as advertised in the menu. It mainly tasted like cabbage.
— Rajun Cajun: the catfish was swimming in grease, and everyone I’ve talked to about this restaurant has shunned the awful crab cakes. The andouille sausage was stellar, but there’s not enough of it to save this dish.
— Nawlins Special Jambalaya: the saving grace and what I will order from here on out. It is well seasoned so that the shrimp is at least edible, and despite the shrimp, the jambalaya is quite good!
If you’re looking for a delicious taste of authentic New Orleans cuisine, you’re out of luck. If you’re looking for a place to enjoy some amazing, fresh seafood, try again. But if you have patience in spades and know what’s worth it and what isn’t, then come on down. I recommend the jambalaya with hush puppies as both of your sides, and nothing else.