Lartigue's Original Fresh Seafood Market — Restaurant in Orange Beach

I can't remember when we discovered lartigue's seafood market in Orange Beach, Alabama. But we decided we would try some carry out Seafood instead of visiting the local restaurants. We usually try to stay in Gulf Shores or orange beach for a week when we come visit. For us that's every 2 or 3 years. And during that time we will get our Seafood from lartigue's once or twice. After this last visit it maybe three times the next time we come.

The building is pretty easy to miss if you aren't looking for it. It is on the west end of Orange Beach as you drive down the beach Boulevard on your way towards the state park. When you walk in the store is packed with all manner of different kinds of prepared food in freezers, spices you can buy, and fishing equipment. Lartigue's also does fishing charters. But there is also fresh seafood on ice. There are generally several choices of shrimp and I noticed this last time they had some very tempting snow crab legs as well as blue crabs and a few kinds of fish. One of the people in front of me in line bought a huge border of blue crabs. But when we go it is all about the shrimp. Especially it is all about the Royal Red Shrimp. There are only a few locals in the United States where red shrimp are available. They are a cold water shrimp that grows in deep water. So they're a little harder to bring in. In most of the restaurants they are traditionally served with heads on, while this is fine with me it does mean that you're paying for the heads what you cannot eat. I have noticed the last couple times I've been in lartigue's that they have the red shrimp available without heads. Which means you get more eating for the money.

If you go to the Alabama gulf coast and do not have at least one meal of royal red shrimps to see what all the enthusiasm is about, you have missed out big time. This is doubly true if you do not get the Royal Reds at lartigue's. For fifty cents a pound they will steam whatever you buy. It seems like each area has its own special recipes for seafood, and this big special recipe in Gulf Shores is steaming instead of frying, grilling, boiling, or broiling. The flavor of a properly steamed and seasoned Royal Red Shrimp it's quite something. They are not quite as rich as crab or Lobster, but they are definitely more Rich than the other varieties of Gulf Shrimp. We usually buy between 1/2 and 1 lb for all of the adults who are eating. Something else unusual about Gulf Shores is that steamed shrimp are served with a lemon butter sauce instead of shrimp cocktail sauce. Lartigue's has the butter sauce made up for you, and it is really good stuff. Swiping a freshly peeled Royal Red Shrimp tail through lartigue's butter sauce is a little slice of culinary heaven.

Because they're cooking with Steamers a lot of the restaurants serve their shrimp with new potatoes and corn-on-the-cob which is also cooked in the steamer. We like to take the shrimp back to our condo and eat them with a salad and perhaps another side dish. But if you do want the potatoes and corn on the cob they have them available at lartigue's. When they are really busy during peak season they're all about cooking and selling they're steamed Seafood. Sometimes they don't have all the side items because they're just too busy to make those happen. This last time we stopped by at the end of July slash beginning of August and they had good stock on their gumbo and different dishes they have that you can bake yourself. Once again, we don't usually get that stuff, the gumbo looks delicious but we are therefore big piles of shrimp.

I probably really shouldn't be leaving this review because it will just mean longer line the next time I go back. But maybe no one will read this review and I'll be safe. You have to try some Royal Reds when you go to the Alabama Gulf Coast, seriously. If you are allergic to shrimp you are excused. Otherwise you've missed a memorable part of your trip. I better stop now before I start drooling...

On a stormy fall night, eating-in seemed like a better idea so we headed to Lartigue's for fresh seafood and pre-made Louisiana-style goodness. Arrived shortly after 5PM and the place was packed, even in the midst of a downpour. Now I know why. The friendly folks who run the place were welcoming and helpful, navigating the crowd's orders without making anyone feel rushed or pressured. I opted for some royal red shrimp, which were steamed and seasoned while I waited. They offered a variety of pre-made dishes and meals throughout several coolers and freezers. Side dishes such as coleslaw and potato salad, along with some seafood dips, were refrigerated while the more complex offerings are frozen.

So many choices and so hard to narrow the selection for this evening's meal. Besides the shrimp, I picked alligator sausage, seafood gumbo, and she-crab soup. Everything was tasty, flavorful, and seasoned to perfection.

The market offers sauces and seasonings of all types, as well as souvenir T-shirts, hats, and even their own cookbook.

What a nice break from the "restaurant roulette", and so nice to know this will be a reliable option whenever we're down this way. (I imagine the frozen dishes would pack and...

IF YOU LIKE SEAFOOD, YOU HAVE TO GO HERE!!! This review is to update a review I made last October. We stopped by on my wife’s birthday and the store was closed and I left a review reflecting our disappointment.

I now stand in shame for leaving my previous review of this establishment. As soon as we walked in, the smell of fresh boiled crawfish filled the air. There was piles of fresh boiled crawfish spread across the top of the left side. The owner immediately overwhelmed us with true southern charm and hospitality!! Before I had an opportunity to open my mouth and insert foot, He offered me a sample of shrimp jambalaya. It was My CROW to BEAR for the previous review!! It was delicious!! By the way, I have not ever been a fan of jambalaya. I bought a pint and ate all of it. I will buy it again!! First time I ever bought jambalaya. Get my point??!! We spent $100 for dinner for 2. We got crab legs, potatoes, crab cakes, red shrimp, JAMBALAYA, and some of the best damn cocktail sauce ever. We ate everything.

Thanks guys for putting me in my place. We will definitely be back to visit!!

Chris Johnson

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