The Point

The Point has been on Innerarity Point feeding this stretch of coast since the 1950s, back when fresh-caught mullet was the whole pitch and the condos hadn’t shown up yet. It’s waterfront — the bay-and-Intracoastal side, not the Gulf — with a courtyard of picnic tables and fireplaces tucked under century-old live oaks. This is the local institution, the place that predates almost everything around it and hasn’t felt the need to reinvent itself.

The food is honest Southern seafood: fried mullet that’s still the claim to fame, royal reds when they’re running, oysters, fresh catch, and chef specials off the board. Nobody’s plating for Instagram here. You come for the seafood, the water, and the band.

And there’s almost always a band — live entertainment most nights, including a resident bluegrass crew that’s as much a fixture as the oak trees. Add a full bar and the courtyard, and on the right evening it’s one of the better low-key nights on the FL side of the line.

What to order

Start with the mullet — it’s the dish that built the place, and ordering it is half the point of coming. Beyond that, royal reds and oysters are the move when they’re fresh, and the chef specials are worth a look before you default to a basket. This is bay-side seafood done the old way, so order accordingly.

When to go

Closed Mondays, and hours shrink in the off-season, so check before you drive out. Evenings are when it comes alive — the live music and the bluegrass band are the draw, and the courtyard under the oaks is the seat you want when the weather cooperates. It faces the water, so it’s a quietly excellent sunset spot without the Gulf-front crowds.

Getting there

Out on Innerarity Point Road on the bay/Intracoastal side — the locals’ side of Perdido, not the beach side. It’s a bit of a drive off the main strip, which is exactly why the people who live here like it.