• Restaurants in Orange Beach look no furhter than the Gulf of Mexico for dinner food, like shrimp.seafood image by AGITA LEIMANE from Fotolia.com
  
  Orange Beach, one of two shore communities in Alabama, is a local treasure for Southerners hoping for a vacation a little closer to home than more traditional destinations like Florida. Fishers and golfers will delight in the ample courses and waters to pursue their passion, while seafood lovers can gorge on all of the fresh catch local restaurants expertly cook up.
  
  

Cobalt the Restaurant

• With its elegant decor and dazzling views of the Gulf, Cobalt may seem out of place in the sleepy beach town, but the modern aesthetics don't take away from the inexpensive steak and seafood fare the Gulf region is known for. Seafood lovers will delight in the sheer variety of choices: blue crab, yellowfish tuna, jumbo gulf shrimp and lobster, all whipped into tantalizing appetizers and entrees. The oysters get their own separate menu line, since they can be served raw, char grilled or mignonette (seasoned with pepper and vinegar). Entree prices average about $20 as of 2010.
  
  Cobalt the Restaurant
  28099 Perdido Beach Blvd.
  Orange Beach, AL 36561
  251-923-5300
  cobaltrestaurant.net
  
  

Calypso Joe's Caribbean Grille

• Named for the jubilant Calypso music of the West Indies, Calypso Joe's Caribbean Grille's menu is just as exciting. They offer up the gamut of coastal food--Cuban nachos, calypso crazy fries, raw oyster shooters, crab cakes and a fish of the day. Entrees run around $15 each (2010 prices), and there's also a kid's menu with burgers, fish fingers and chicken strips. All of the eating takes place right on the beach in a beach hut, surrounded by palm trees and shaded by beach umbrellas. And, of course, they've got beach-inspired drinks like the Caribbean screwdriver (peach schnapps, banana creme, rum and juice) and Jamaica me crazy (rum and juice).
  
  Calypso Joe's Caribbean Grille
  27075 Marina Rd.
  Orange Beach, AL 36561
  251-981-1415
  calypsojoes.com
  
  

Cosmo's Restaurant & Bar

• With orange walls, a pink bar and gleaming wood, Cosmo's Restaurant & Bar feels like a trip across the Gulf to the Caribbean. The food is straight from the water, with seafood po'boys, Asian glazed tuna and crabcakes all featured. Cosmo's also steps out of the seafood category with authentic Jamaican jerk chicken, pork tenderloin and chicken roulade (chicken stuffed with asparagus and cheese, wrapped in bacon). They also offer more than two dozen different sushi rolls. The bar doesn't serve mixed drinks, but wine and beer are in high supply.
  
  Cosmo's Restaurant & Bar
  25753 Canal Rd.
  Orange Beach, AL 36561
  251-948-9663
  cosmosrestaurantandbar.com‎