Although the rest of the country is in the deepest throes of winter, where Southern Bayou Grill sits on County Road 32 (just west of the intersection with County Road 33), it looks as welcoming as spring sunshine, with its Mardi Gras colored umbrellas and brightly trimmed picnic tables.  

Inside, head chef and manager Perry Boyd works big magic in the tiny kitchen. Although there’s a big, hungry crowd inside and out, he works with a cool head that would make any Southern momma proud. 

“I was born in New Orleans,” he says, as he puts a freshly grilled hamburger on a hot bun, “and grew up in Rolling Fork, Mississippi, then lived in Vicksburg [also in Mississippi] for about 35 years. My girlfriend, Barbara Edwards, moved here from Missouri. She owns the place, and her daughter, Lacey Weeks, is CFO.”

It’s a struggle to pick just one thing from the enticing menu options. We ordered the catfish basket with two sides (red beans and rice and homemade coleslaw) and a fried oyster po’boy with some French fries. The oysters are perfect-crunchy on the outside—and the fully-dressed bun (with lettuce, tomato, and pickles) makes a lovely marriage of the flavors. The fries are crisp with a soft and tender interior, and they taste lightly seasoned. The catfish is perfectly fried but not greasy.

Since they opened in June of 2025, they have seen a steady increase in customers. Judging by today’s traffic, many of those customers have been here many times before. “See ya later, Mister George,” the waitress calls out to one man as he’s leaving. 

The interior is cozy (seating is for about 20 diners), and outside, roughly the same. They do have highchairs, so they can accommodate diners with babies and toddlers. 

Perry Boyd describes the offerings that change with the day of the week. “We have tacos on Tuesday,” he says, “then crab cake sandwiches on Wednesday. On Thursday, we have shrimp, grilled or fried, and catfish on Friday. On Friday and Saturday, we have a shrimp boil served with corn, potatoes, and sausage.”  The one dessert they offer is a white chocolate bread pudding, which we hope to have next time, as everyone else was raving about it.

Boyd said that, as the spring and summer progress this year, they hope to have additional offerings and special events. “We might be thinking about crab boils and some musical offerings,” he says, before turning back to his grill and the next order. 

IF YOU GO: Southern Bayou Grill is located at 11950 County Road 32, Fairhope, AL 36532. Their menu is on their Facebook page. Their website is www.SouthernBayouGrill.com.