Dauphin Street Near I-65: Voodoo Wing Closes, Sam’s Seafood Moving, 7 Brew Opens Amid Road Work

MOBILE, Ala. — Road work on Dauphin Street near I-65 has turned one of Midtown Mobile’s busiest restaurant corridors into a maze of shifting lanes, cones and barrels this fall, and the stretch is seeing a wave of changes to match: a new coffee stand, a permanent closure, a demolished seafood spot that plans to reopen elsewhere and a temporary shutdown at one of the area’s busiest fast-food restaurants.

Here is a rundown of what has opened, closed and moved near the interchange, along with a handful of food and drink events coming up around Mobile and Fairhope this fall.

Driving the Dauphin Street work zone

Infrastructure improvements on Dauphin Street near the interstate have been underway since the start of the school year, and the lane changes, extra striping and temporary barriers have confused even experienced drivers. Parents running morning school drop-offs and commuters heading to the interstate have been among those navigating the work zone.

Drivers heading through the area should allow extra time, watch for lane shifts and pay close attention to temporary markings, which can differ from the faded permanent striping beneath them. Many of the businesses along the corridor remain open, and owners are counting on customers to keep finding their way in during construction.

New: 7 Brew joins the corridor

The newest arrival is a 7 Brew drive-thru coffee stand in front of the former Greer’s, next door to Checkers. The stand opened Oct. 5 at 3180 Dauphin St., near Springhill Medical Center, and is the chain’s third Mobile location, joining stands on Airport Boulevard and Schillinger Road South.

The new 7 Brew sits directly across the street from Yellowhammer Coffee, but the local shop’s drive-thru was still busy in the days after its new neighbor opened, and Yellowhammer’s breakfast offerings and walk-in service give it a following of its own.

Closed and coming down

Several familiar spots near the interchange have closed, at least for now:

• Voodoo Wing Company (Dauphin Street): Permanently closed. The restaurant occupied a former Wendy’s building with limited access in and out, a layout made tougher by the construction. Voodoo Wing Company’s location at 5713 Old Shell Road remains open.
• Sam’s Seafood: The restaurant, known for its giant shrimp, has been demolished; its building, a former Taco Bell, is now a pile of rubble. The business plans to move to 310 University, in the former Foosackly’s location next to Smoothie King.
• Chick-fil-A (next to the former Sam’s Seafood): Temporarily closed for renovations, taking advantage of the construction period to update the restaurant.
• Trustmark Bank: The branch along the stretch is also scheduled for maintenance.

Still serving along the stretch

Plenty of businesses near the interchange remain open and are asking for customers’ patience and support during construction. Among them:

• Foosackly’s, a few hundred feet east of the temporarily closed Chick-fil-A, with an exit route out to Sage Avenue
• Lickin’ Good Donuts on the westbound side, known for its sausage, egg and cheese croissant, kolaches and donuts
• Waffle House on Dauphin Street, a longtime neighborhood fixture on the other side of the Trustmark branch
• Bojangles on the westbound side
• Jersey Mike’s
• Dash Poke
• Yak the Kathmandu Kitchen

Long road projects can be hard on small businesses that depend on easy drive-in traffic. Mobile saw a similar strain during the extended renovation of Florida Street, when restaurants and shops along the route struggled with reduced access.

Hallowine at Red or White

Red or White Mobile will host Hallowine on Sunday, Oct. 25, at its Dauphin Street location. The wine event will feature food from Chef Arwen alongside wines to sample.

• When: Sunday, Oct. 25, noon to 6 p.m.
• Where: Red or White Mobile, Dauphin Street
• Tickets: $100 per person, including a $20 credit toward bottles of wine sampled at the event; available through Red or White’s website

Wine dinners at Hope Farm in Fairhope

Across the bay, Hope Farm in Fairhope has two food and wine events on its calendar. Its Buffalo Trace dinner is sold out, but tickets remain for the Oct. 17 Wine Education Series.

The next food event is the Small Vines Wine Dinner, where winemaker Paul Sloan will bring multiple vintages from Sonoma, from Chardonnay to Pinot Noir, paired with a five-course dinner from Chef de Cuisine Emily Ackerman.

• Wine Education Series: Saturday, Oct. 17
• Small Vines Wine Dinner: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 7 to 10 p.m.
• Cost: $150 per person for the Small Vines dinner, gratuity included
• Where: Hope Farm, Fairhope

Art Soup and Brunch Fest in November

Art Soup, a fundraiser to fight hunger and food insecurity in Mobile, comes to the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in November. Guests enjoy locally made soup and live music and take home handcrafted bowls made by local artists. Proceeds benefit the Love All Pantry at Central.

• When: Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 to 9 p.m.
• Where: National Maritime Museum of the Gulf, downtown Mobile
• Benefits: Love All Pantry at Central

Two days later, Brunch Fest returns to the historic Fort Condé Inn with brunch bites from more than 10 local restaurants, brunch-inspired drinks and a market of local artisan products and gifts. Proceeds support Lifelines Counseling Services.

• When: Saturday, Nov. 7, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Where: Fort Condé Inn, 165 St. Emanuel St., downtown Mobile
• Tickets: General admission $30 in advance, $35 at the door; limited VIB tickets $75 in advance, $85 at the door
• Ages: 21 and older
• Benefits: Lifelines Counseling Services

Halloween party tips

With Halloween approaching, a pre-Halloween party can be as much fun as the night itself, offering a costume dress rehearsal or a chance to wear more than one costume. A seasonal spread works best: spooky handheld bites like “bloody finger” sandwiches and edible eyeballs are easy to eat on the move, and a pot of chili is a crowd-pleasing anchor.

Parents should still inspect children’s trick-or-treat candy before it is eaten, checking for opened or tampered wrappers and discarding anything that looks suspicious or is unwrapped.

As for the candy itself, opinions run strong. The peanut butter candy in black and orange wrappers is better than its reputation, Whoppers and Almond Joys are prized, and circus peanuts and candy corn remain divisive. Fans of retro candy may also miss the Slow Poke and hope black licorice makes a comeback.