Sunliner Diner is a retro 1950s-themed American diner packed with nostalgic touches, from newspaper-style menus and collector cars to hand-spun milkshakes. The Gulf Shores location, at 100 East 2nd Avenue by the foot of Highway 59 and the public beach, serves classic diner fare plus all-day breakfast, and includes a gift shop. It is a fun, family-friendly throwback stop, and it is one of three — the others are in Orange Beach and Pigeon Forge — so this is a small chain doing a theme well rather than a mom-and-pop.
What to order
Breakfast, whenever you show up. All-day breakfast is the diner’s calling card, and pancakes at four in the afternoon after a beach day is exactly the move. Milkshakes are hand-spun, and they are what the kids will remember. The rest of the menu is straight American diner cooking, which is the point: nobody comes here for the fish.
Who it’s for
Families with kids who need a break from seafood, grandparents who remember the era the decor is imitating, and anyone who wants a booth and a shake without a wait at a boardwalk restaurant. It also works as a rainy-day stop when the beach is out; the cars and the gift shop give the kids something to look at.
Getting there
From Perdido Key or Orange Beach it is a drive west along the beach road, then into downtown Gulf Shores where 59 meets the water. That intersection is the busiest square mile in Baldwin County in summer, so parking takes patience; going at off hours helps. Check their site for current hours. More on that end of the beach on the Gulf Shores area page, and the family guide lists the other kid-proof stops on both sides of the line.
What's on the menu
A few things worth knowing about before you go — taken straight off Sunliner Diner's own menu.
- The Jukebox Three patties, American, Swiss, cheddar, bacon, onion ring, fried egg, fried pickles, Creole hollandaise
- Dream Boat Three giant waffles, bacon, sausage, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream.
- Chicken & Waffles Fluffy and delicious waffle topped with crispy fried chicken.
- Shrimp Benedict Two poached eggs, Creole seasoned Gulf shrimp, tomato, Creole hollandaise on a Sunliner biscuit
- Banana Nut French Toast Texas toast in sweet custard, fresh bananas, candied pecans, candied bacon, caramel sauce
- The Big Daddy-O Breakfast Three farm fresh eggs made to order, bacon, sausage, smoked ham, and a pancake.
- Gulf Shrimp & Grits Our famous cheese grits, house-made Creole Conecuh sausage cream sauce, grilled Gulf shrimp
- Sunliner Meatloaf Homemade meatloaf made with bacon bits served with green beans and mashed potatoes with gravy.
- Cookies & Cream (milkshake) Vanilla milkshake with yummy Oreo. Topped with whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and more Oreo
Prices as published by the restaurant on September 17, 2026. Menus change and ours is not the register — treat these as a guide, not a quote. See the full current menu ↗
