Mobile has a genuinely local food culture built around Gulf seafood. The city's French and Cajun heritage shows up in dishes you will not easily find elsewhere in Alabama: seafood gumbo, fried crab claws, oysters on the half shell. The waterfront area and the Midtown district have the most options.
Wintzell's Oyster House on Dauphin Street has been open since 1938 and is the default destination for anyone who wants the city's classic Gulf seafood experience. The Dew Drop Inn has been serving a German-style hot dog and chili since 1924. For a more contemporary meal, the restaurants in the Cathedral District have been raising the bar in recent years.