The Hangout is a beachfront restaurant and entertainment spot in Gulf Shores with direct beach access. Alongside Gulf Coast fare like seafood boils and its signature Lifeguard Burger, it runs free live music and hourly foam parties in a family-friendly, pet-friendly setting. It’s as much a gathering place as a place to eat. It sits where Highway 59 dead-ends at the sand, which makes it the first thing most Gulf Shores visitors see — and a solid 30 to 40 minutes west of Perdido Key.
What to order
The seafood boil is the headline: Gulf shrimp, snow crab legs, mussels, sausage, corn, and potatoes dumped on the table. The Lifeguard Burger comes with bacon and cheese, and the fried calamari is the reliable shareable. Handcrafted cocktails round out the bar. Nobody drives across two towns for the food alone; the food is the reason you can stay a few hours without leaving.
When to go
Afternoons and early evenings, especially with kids. The foam parties run on the hour, live music plays through the day, and the open-air layout means the little ones can wander to the sand while the adults finish a drink. It also handles large groups — sports teams and family reunions are a stated specialty, and there’s parking for team buses. Birthday and private-event bookings are available if you’re planning ahead.
Good to know
It is loud, it is crowded on summer weekends, and it is unapologetically a tourist spot. That’s the appeal or the warning, depending on your group. Dogs are welcome. The sister location is in Myrtle Beach, so this is a two-location operation rather than a chain. For quieter beachfront options closer to the state line, see /areas/gulf-shores/ and /family/.
What's on the menu
A few things worth knowing about before you go — taken straight off The Hangout's own menu.
- Ultimate Seafood Boil Snow crab, mussels, fresh Gulf shrimp, sweet corn, red potatoes, and Conecuh sausage
- Super Shrimp Boil A full pound of large, wild-caught shrimp, sweet corn, red potatoes, and Conecuh sausage.
- Shrimp and Grits Blackened southern Gulf shrimp with gouda grits, topped with sausage tasso cream sauce.
- Smothered Snapper Blackened snapper topped with wild-caught Gulf shrimp and sausage tasso cream sauce
- Peel and Eat Shrimp Large Gulf shrimp hot with Old Bay butter or chilled with lemon and cocktail sauce.
- Fried Pickles Dill pickles battered to perfection served with LOTS of ranch dressing.
- Alabama Wagyu Burger Hangout Exclusive – Alabama Wagyu, locally and sustainably farmed in Gulf Shores, AL.
- The Lifeguard Two ½ lb patties, cheddar and pepper jack, onion straws, fried egg, bacon, fried pickles.
- Shark Attack A WORLD-FAMOUS Hangout signature with Malibu Coconut Rum, blue Curaçao, and pineapple juice.
- Bushwacker Both a dessert and a cocktail, with Malibu Coconut Rum, coffee liqueur, and ice cream.
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 ↗
