Tacky Jack's Orange Beach

Tacky Jack’s is the Alabama beach institution that has been in business in some form since 1973 — possibly the original “we’re here for breakfast and you’ll figure out the rest” dock bar on the Coast. The Orange Beach location at the Pass has a deck on the water, a long bar inside, and a menu where breakfast is served all day (the move) and the rest is what you want from a place called Tacky Jack’s.

The vibe: well-worn wood, decades of stickers on every flat surface, a clientele that goes from working-boat captains at 6 a.m. to families at 10 a.m. to wedding-party stragglers at 11 p.m. Live music several nights a week.

Order: the omelet of the day, the gulf shrimp and grits, or, after sunset, whatever the burger of the moment is. The bloody mary is a Tacky Jack’s bloody mary. You know what that means.

There’s a Tacky Jack’s at the Wharf too. They’re owned by the same family. The Pass location is the original and the one to do first.

Breakfast all day

The single most important thing to know: breakfast runs all day, and it’s the move. The omelet of the day and the Gulf shrimp and grits are the orders that regulars come back for — a 2 p.m. breakfast on the deck with a bloody mary is a deeply correct way to spend a vacation afternoon. After sunset, whatever the burger of the moment is does the job.

The vibe

Well-worn wood, decades of stickers layered on every flat surface, and a clientele that rolls over through the day — working-boat captains at dawn, families mid-morning, wedding-party stragglers near midnight. Live music several nights a week. The bloody mary is a Tacky Jack’s bloody mary, which is to say you know what that means or you’re about to find out.

Getting there

On the water at the Pass in Orange Beach, with a deck over the bay. This is the original location — there’s a second Tacky Jack’s at the Wharf under the same family, but do the Pass first.