The Blind Tiger — Restaurant in Fairhope

Pretty disappointing, especially after all the hype.

Took my son there last night to check it out. We arrived around 6:30pm starving. As a result, we ordered a dozen oysters expecting them to come nearly immediately and confirmed with the waitress that was an accurate assumption.

We ordered our beverages with the oysters. I ordered a can of ultra, he, a Diet Coke.

Within 10 minutes, Diet Coke and waters arrived. At which point, we ordered our meals.

Side note: there was no actual menu. A list of 7 or 8 items written (barely legible) on a chalk board outside. She said there were also specials but admitted she could only recall one of them.

I ordered Tuna nachos. My son ordered the taco special which last night was sirloin.

My beer finally arrived. (No cold glass as requested)

My son’s tacos arrived. Only two. In our experience, you normally get three tacos, especially at dinner. Not that it matters, but presentation was pretty poor. They should probably consider investing in the metal taco holders.

Oysters arrived about 30 minutes after they were ordered. At that point I had nibbled off half of my right pinky.

Tuna nachos came last. Preparation and presentation were great! Only problem…there was so little tuna that the slice of jalapeño on each nearly covered all the tuna on the nacho. There couldn’t have been two ounces of tuna in total.

I will try once more but my expectations are low. If there’s a change in experience, I’ll update. Otherwise, I’ll leave this as is…

Beautiful setting. Overpriced and...

I wanted this experience to be good because I know the issues this place has had to overcome with all the construction around. We walked in at 1 today and the place was steady but not packed. There were 6 of us in our party. The orders were seared tuna, grouper fingers, side of fries, mahi tacos and two grilled chicken salads. After 20 min, the seared tuna plate came out. The waitress did tell us when delivering that to the table that the food would come out separately. We were all ok with that thinking we would still all be able to eat together. The grouper fingers came out maybe 5 minutes later. Still not a big deal. It took another 15-20 min for the tacos to come out then another 20 min for the fries to come out. The salads were still not at the table. 15 min later, we had to run down a waitress to tell them to cancel the salads and how ridiculous it was that they were never delivered. A manager NEVER came to our table after we were told they would be by to come and speak with us. The waitress never refilled the drinks while we were there all this time. The only fast service was how fast they grabbed the debit card off the table to charge us for this hot mess express!!! I will say the food was good (the few little bites I had of the other meals). Unfortunately, that will never make up for the service they have!!! I hope they get their stuff together bc this place will be another casualty...

Visited The Blind Tiger in Fairhope tonight on a Friday with light rain and a nice breeze coming off the pier. While the patio looked inviting, we opted for a high-top inside. From start to finish, the service was outstanding. The menu is on the chalkboard, with specials given by the server, and everything came out in good time thanks to our attentive server, and the bus boys and oyster bar staff were on point throughout the evening. I was blown away by the speed – a dozen Navy Point oysters made it to our table in under 2 minutes on a busy Friday night, which is just impressive. The oysters were served cold with all the classic fixings (lemon, horseradish, cocktail sauce, crackers, and hot sauce) and had some of the best flavor I’ve had on the Gulf Coast.

The chargrilled half dozen oysters were top-notch, and the poke nachos were fresh and flavorful, with the tuna really standing out. The smash burger was served hot with delicious onions and pickles, rounding out an incredible meal.

Despite hearing some mixed reviews before our visit, we experienced none of the negativity. The food quality and service were among the best in the county. We’ll definitely be back soon.

Highlights:

• Fresh food • Great beer selection on draft • Live music on the patio • Wide-ranging menu options

Whatever you’ve heard, go check it out for yourself. These are, without a doubt, the best...