The Hungry Owl

Oh, Hungry Owl... How I love thee! They offer tasty vittles, from seafood and fish to burgers and sandwiches. If you watch Man vs Food, or its new incarnation - Man vs Food Nation - you might have seen the segment on The Hungry Owl. My honey had the pleasure of trying out their offerings before the show aired, so after hearing his reports, and then seeing all the succulent dishes on my TV screen, I simply HAD to give the restaurant a try!

Pictured above is the cheesy crawfish & potato bake. I know, it looks like a big pile of everything. The picture I took really doesn't do it justice. It starts out with some Cajun boiled potatoes (much like one would find at a Cajun shrimp or crawfish boil). They then melt a couple of types of cheese over the top (I forget which varieties - cheddar and monterey jack, I believe?). Next comes a crawfish cream sauce: from what I can gather, it contains green bell pepper, celery, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and butter. I'm sure I've missed a few ingredients, but you can imagine what it tastes like, no? Pure. Heaven. Oh, and I can't forget the crumbled Conecuh bacon they put on it! Conecuh bacon, made by the Conecuh Sausage Company in Conecuh County, Alabama. Phenomenal smoked meats, I must say: bacon, and various types of Cajun sausage. Yum.

This here is what they call the Ultimate Stuffed Tony Burger. The hamburger patty is mixed with Conecuh sausage; sauteed bell pepper, onion and celery; three cheeses (they won't say which three!), and jalapenos. Typical burger veggies adorn this beauty, along with a spicy Creole BBQ sauce, candied jalapenos, Conecuh bacon, sharp cheddar and smoked gouda cheeses, and an egg fried to your specifications. Best. Burger. Ever. I've played around with it and tried making my own version at home, but I don't think I'll ever get to to come out just like the Owl's version, but it's a fair imitation when you don't want to dine out (or when you have a small child, like we now do). This day, I requested a side of their baked macaroni. Not quite as good as the gooey treat I make at home, but still pretty darn tasty, and, hey, we really don't go there for the sides.

This isn't currently listed on their online menu, and it's been quite a while since we've visited the Owl, so I don't know if they've taken it off their menu or that the online menu isn't the full version. I suspect the latter is the case, since they also don't list their sides (which, don't get me wrong, ARE good). So anyway, this is their seafood platter. Grilled head-on shrimp and crab claws, boiled corn and red potatoes, grilled Conecuh sausage (sensing a theme here?), grilled cornbread (that was a new one to me), and melted butter for dipping. A fairly simple meal, but very tasty. Yum, yum.

If you're ever in the Mobile area, you really should try out The Hungry Owl. There's usually a line out the door most nights, but it's WELL worth the wait.