Barnacle Bill's at the marina is the longtime local institution on Dauphin Island — a fried seafood restaurant with the unflashy confidence of a place that doesn't need to try too hard. The platters come piled high with Gulf shrimp, fish, scallops, and hushpuppies. The decor is old-fashioned comfort: big waterfront windows, a retro feel, and the smell of frying oil that hits you before you reach the door.
It's the kind of place where the fishermen eat after a morning on the water. Get there early at weekends in summer; the wait can be long and there is no reservation system.