Groceries & supplies
Where to do the condo grocery run, the in-and-out beer run, the hardware-store emergency, the prescription pickup. The unglamorous infrastructure of actually being here.
Groceries
- Publix at Sorrento Road / Innerarity Point (FL): the locals' Publix. Full grocery store, big enough to handle a real shop, far enough from the strip that parking is normal.
- Publix at the entrance to the Key (FL): closer to the condos, more crowded in season.
- Publix in Orange Beach (AL): the AL-side anchor grocery.
- Winn-Dixie locations on both sides of the line.
- Walmart in Foley (AL): the bulk run.
- Aldi in Pensacola: if you're already going east, the cheap-grocery move.
No Costco, Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods close to the Key. Plan around it.
Beer, wine, liquor
- Florida grocery stores sell beer and wine directly. Liquor in separate package stores (often attached to the grocery).
- Alabama is more restrictive — beer and wine in some groceries, liquor mostly through ABC stores or specific licensed retailers. Sunday sales are county-specific.
- The Flora-Bama package store on the state line is a legit standalone store, not just an attached shop. Good selection of regional and craft.
Hardware
- Local hardware stores on both sides of the line for the "I need a single screw" trip.
- Home Depot, Lowe's: in Foley (AL) and Pensacola (FL) for the bigger jobs.
- ACE Hardware locations dotted around — the locals' first stop for emergency stuff.
Prescriptions and pharmacy
- CVS and Walgreens on the FL side around the strip and inland
- CVS and Walgreens on the AL side along the Boulevard
- Urgent care: both sides have urgent care clinics in season. Stingray injuries and jellyfish stings are their #1 summer business.
Bait, tackle, ice
- Ship stores at the marinas (Zeke's, OBM, Safe Harbor Sportsman) have live and frozen bait, tackle, ice, lubricants, the basics.
- Independent bait shops dotted around — the locals know which ones have the freshest live shrimp on a given morning.
The "stuff for the condo" first-trip checklist
If you're arriving at a rental and need to set up:
- Coffee and filters (most rentals provide a maker but not filters or coffee)
- Sunscreen — the rental's left-behind one has been on a shelf for three years
- Reef-safe sunscreen if FL state park is on your itinerary
- Beach towels (rentals provide bath towels; bring or buy beach towels)
- Beer/wine for the week
- Pantry basics — salt, pepper, oil, paper towels, dish soap
- One real meal worth of groceries for the first night, so you don't have to wait an hour at a restaurant after a travel day
Do this run in one stop on the way in. Don't try to do it on day three.