Big Fish is the Canal Road spot Orange Beach locals default to when the occasion calls for more than flip-flops — anniversary, big birthday, closing dinner. Owner Leck Lilayuva built it on his father’s seafood-restaurant legacy, and the kitchen’s pitch is simple: fresh, never frozen, prepared daily, with an Asian lean you don’t find much of on this coast.
What to order
The sushi program is the real differentiator — rolls, nigiri, and sashimi at a level the beach otherwise doesn’t attempt, and they’ll tell you it’s the best on the Gulf Coast. The ginger glazed shrimp skewers took the Chef’s Challenge at the 2010 National Shrimp Festival, and they’ve got an Oyster Cook-off win on the wall too. Fresh fish entrées run roughly $34 to $48, so calibrate accordingly.
Good to know
Dinner only — doors open at 3pm, Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday. Happy hour is the first hour, 3 to 4, which is the budget-conscious way in. This is a dressed-up-casual room, not stuffy, but it’s the priciest regular table on Canal Road and it earns it.