Story and photos by Jennifer Kornegay
Picnic Beach in Gulf Shores lives up to its name. The menu, packed with fresh, lively flavors, matches the fresh beach breezes and (often) sunshine-soaked landscape outside.
Thanks to a smiling, upbeat staff, the vibe is fun and “come-as-you-are” relaxed. The white-washed shiplap, fake grass flooring, picnic-style tables, retro surfboards on the walls and a covered, wrap-around porch for alfresco dining scream coastal chic.
And the location, tucked amid a walkable area of shops and colorful cottages just one block back from white sand-shores and the glittering Gulf, amps up the allure. Here, life really does reflect a “beachy-keen” picnic.
The combination creates something a little different from the area’s other restaurants, according to Becky Guy, general manager and “team mom.” “We stand out in a few ways,” she says. It starts with the food. When Picnic Beach opened in 2018, barbecue dominated its offerings. During Hurricane Sally in 2020, the building sustained damage, forcing the eatery to close for a few years. In winter 2022, when it opened back up, Guy was running the show, and its Gulf-Shores-based Hangout Hospitality Group owners went in a new direction, coming up with the food style and fast-casual format of the restaurant today.
“We had the help of chef Wesley True, who’s appeared on national food shows like ‘Chopped’ and ‘Top Chef,’ for our menu,” Guy says, “and we went with a twist on what is usually available here.”
Fresh is the focus, with all sauces and marinades made in house, all fruits and veggies chopped in house daily to keep things crisp and an emphasis on local seafood. “We use fresh Gulf shrimp, always,” Guy says, which, though surprising, isn’t always the case on the coast. All of these standout ingredients end up in bowls, tacos, sandwiches and salads.
And while the menu changes some, with tweaks and new additions, the best-selling Caribbean Bowl isn’t going anywhere; its blend of crunchy sweet and sour cauliflower, pineapple chunks and blackened chicken, all drizzled with smoked tomato aioli and piled on top of jasmine rice tossed in a salty-tangy Asian-influenced glaze, is too beloved. “You won’t get anything else like it in the area,” Guy says.
The Mediterranean Bowl’s grilled mahi-mahi, marinated golden beets, goat cheese and quinoa put it atop her favorite list. “It’s just clean and refreshing,” she says.
Guy calls out the blackened mahi-mahi tacos, too. “They are amazing, and a little elevated above your average fish taco with shredded red cabbage, fire-roasted corn and a lime aioli,” she says.
The casual surfside atmosphere at Picnic Beach features fake grass flooring, retro surfboards on the walls and a covered, wrap-around porch for alfresco dining.
A ‘mix of food’
Other popular dishes include peel and eat shrimp with zippy cocktail sauce for dipping and creamy blue crab and artichoke dip on the starter menu; a grilled grouper filet sandwich smothered in herbaceous tartar; a traditional Old Bay-seasoned shrimp boil entrée, complete with Conecuh sausage, potatoes and corn; a hearty “beach burger” with avocado, bacon and rémoulade; and a wedge of iceberg lettuce dunked in spicy ranch (so dressing soaks into every crevice) and sprinkled with bacon, cherry tomatoes and crumbled blue cheese.
Fruity non-alcoholic peach and strawberry “bubble teas” and cocktails like the lip-puckering tequila-based blood-orange paloma wash it all down. “We’ve been really successful with this mix of food,” Guy says. Online reviews back her up. “We rank high on ‘best places to eat at the beach’ searches, and that really brings folks in,” she says.
But Guy says the service seals the deal. “It’s what makes us special; everything we do is all about the customer experience,” she says. “Even though you walk up to order, you get stellar hospitality here.” And the lack of table service proves a plus in a town that can be overwhelmed by crowds, especially in the summer. “It means you get a great meal even faster, where you might wait hours other places,” Guy says.
Whether one aspect or the entire picnic basket appeals to diners, the folks filling the tables represent a mix of locals and visitors. Residents no doubt appreciate Picnic Beach supporting all local schoolteachers by giving them 50 percent off their meal. And vacationers of all stripes find a warm welcome. Guy’s former home comes in handy with the snowbirds who flock to Gulf Shores in colder months.
“We get a big crowd of Midwesterners down here each winter, and I’m from Illinois, so they come in, and we chat it up and play cards. Midwesterners really like their cards,” she says. “But we treat everyone like that, including employees. We all work as a team and that extends out. I believe our customers feel that.”
