Taste of Fairhope

Just across Mobile Bay sits one of the most charming small towns on the Gulf Coast, and one of its best-kept food secrets. Taste of Fairhope is our sister tour, a walking food tour through the heart of downtown Fairhope, Alabama, and it is the easiest, most delicious day trip you can make from Mobile.

Over about three hours, you will stroll Fairhope’s beautiful, walkable downtown and taste your way through five locally owned restaurants, plus a stop at a specialty food shop. Along the way, your guide shares the stories behind the food and the town: the chefs, the history, and the character that make Fairhope unlike anywhere else in Alabama.

Why Cross the Bay for Fairhope?

Mobile and Fairhope sit on opposite shores of the same bay, but they have completely different personalities. Mobile is historic, urban, and steeped in 300 years of Gulf Coast culture. Fairhope is artsy, walkable, and famously charming, a bay-side town of independent shops, galleries, flower-lined streets, and a food scene that punches far above its size. Doing both is how you understand coastal Alabama. Taste of Fairhope is the easiest way to experience the Eastern Shore in a single afternoon.

A Taste of What’s Waiting

Stops can rotate, but here are a few of the places that make Fairhope special.

Provision

A coffee shop by day and a wine bar by night, run by William and Elisabeth Hanes, who trained at the legendary Blackberry Farm before coming home to open what locals call “Fairhope’s Living Room.” Their Avocado West Indies Toast is a modern take on a dish invented right here on Mobile Bay.

Panini Pete’s

Tucked in the French Quarter courtyard, known for its sandwiches, but the beignets with a fresh squeeze of lemon are the showstopper. Chef Pete Blohme is a Culinary Institute of America grad and Food Network regular, and people drive in from all over the country.

Little Bird

Named for a woman, Virginia “Ginny” Briand, whose middle name Eileen comes from the Gaelic for “little bird.” It is exactly the feeling you get walking in: warm, thoughtful, and one of the most impressive kitchens in town.

Market By the Bay

A beloved seafood institution that closed in 2022 and was saved by Mike Sullivan, who got his first job there as a fry cook back in 2006. He reopened it and kept every classic recipe. The gumbo is still made daily by the same hands, and it is still the top seller.

Mr. Gene’s Beans

Home of the Fairhope Float, a beautiful mess of frozen yogurt, cappuccino, whipped cream, and cinnamon that has no business being as good as it is. The shop sits inside the 1900 home of CK Brown, an original member of Fairhope’s Single Tax Colony, so the place has been part of the town from the very beginning.

And that is just a taste. The full tour weaves together the flavors, the history, and the people who make Fairhope one of the South’s most beloved small towns.

What to Expect

🍽 A full meal’s worth of food across five restaurants, plus a specialty shop stop

🍷 An optional cocktail package, with drinks at select stops ($99 total)

🧑 A knowledgeable guide sharing Fairhope’s food, history, and culture

🌍 A relaxed, walkable route through beautiful downtown Fairhope

✅ Most dietary needs accommodated with advance notice

Check Dates & Book

Pick a date below and reserve your spots. Booking is quick, and you will get a confirmation with your exact meeting point in downtown Fairhope.

Want to learn more about Fairhope first? Visit tastefairhope.com for the full Fairhope food and travel guide.