Some restaurants just exude date-night energy, and that's absolutely part of the warm atmosphere and beautifully plated food at Dumbwaiter Restaurant. It also doesn't hurt that this cozy restaurant in Mobile, Alabama is located in the heart of the city's historic district across from the beautiful, old Bienville Square park.
Wes and Dana Lambert opened Dumbwaiter Restaurant in 2015. The pair's mission was to combine their lifelong love for Southern cooking and fresh seafood into an atmosphere that celebrates the unique arts, history, and culture of Mobile – especially its colorful downtown district.
That effort is evident the minute you step inside, where you're met with warm lighting, exposed brick, and a few new architectural elements created by local craftspeople. Even the name is a nod to an earlier era, when people relied on dumbwaiters – or small elevators between a building's floors – to move food from kitchens to dining rooms and dishes back to kitchens.
A favorite design feature is its gallery of boards where artists create chalk masterpieces that lend a whimsical tone to the space.
The views can be just as interesting or more near the front windows, where you can people watch and enjoy views of the historic park across the street.
The restaurant is great for romantic dining duos, double dates, and small groups, too. The latter situations are the perfect opportunity to select several made-for-sharing dishes such as the highly-rated brussels sprouts, fried green tomatoes, half-baked oysters, and a few others.
The restaurant's value for art and creativity also shines in the prettily plated food, prepared with unique flavor twists to bring new experiences to primary ingredients you know and love. While several signature dishes stay on the menu year round, others rotate in line with what's best in season. For example, imagine a summer meal of pompano over coconut rice, confit tomatoes, citrus olive oil.
Or how about seared scallops resting on a fresh, arugula salad drizzled with tarragon butter sauce and sprinkled with seasonal fruit? Besides many fresh-as-it-gets seafood dishes, you will find tournedos, Delmonico, and wagyu flatiron or chopped steak, plus a couple of chicken and pork dishes.
And when you see the desserts, you'll definitely want to share sweets with your sweetie or celebrate some other sweet success. A few you may find during your visit include a scrumptious brownie, strawberry cheesecake, and key lime pie.
If you want to impress your mate even more, include an intimate dinner at this cozy restaurant in Mobile, Alabama part of an entire weekend getaway to the Port City. To see the current full menu, visit the Dumbwaiter website and keep up with the restaurant’s latest news and announcements on the Dumbwaiter Restaurant Facebook page. If you've had the opportunity to dine at this popular spot for special occasions, we'd love to hear about your experience.
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