A fire severely damaged Ed’s Seafood Shed, the long-running Battleship Parkway landmark on the Causeway in Spanish Fort, in a blaze that broke out early on a Sunday morning and quickly consumed much of the wood-frame building perched on stilts over the water.
The fire came just a day after the restaurant had served a full house for its popular weekend brunch, a reminder of how central the spot has become to the area’s dining scene since chef Pete Blohme, known locally as Panini Pete, took over the business a few years ago. Video of the flames, apparently shot from the nearby Bayway, circulated widely on social media as the building burned.
Blohme, reached by phone the afternoon of the fire, said he had only seen photos and video at that point but that the damage appeared extensive given the structure’s construction. “The whole building is wood. If you saw any pics or watched any of the videos, it went up quick,” he said. He added that the building might have to be rebuilt largely from scratch, and that a reopening was not expected anytime soon.
In the immediate aftermath, Blohme said his primary concern was for the restaurant’s hourly employees, and that he was working to place them at his other restaurants in the area so they would not lose income while Ed’s is out of commission. Blohme operates several other local establishments, including his namesake Panini Pete’s and Sunset Pointe at Fly Creek Marina in Fairhope.
Ed’s Seafood Shed has been a fixture on the Causeway for many years, prized by regulars for its fried shrimp, greens and laid-back, waterfront atmosphere. When Blohme took over operations, longtime patrons say he preserved much of what made the restaurant a local institution while sharpening the kitchen and expanding the menu, including a well-regarded weekend breakfast and brunch service that had been drawing steady crowds.
That brunch menu included dishes like made-to-order beignets served with lemon wedges and powdered sugar, a fried chicken, egg and cheese biscuit, silver-dollar flapjacks, and the Battleship Breakfast Bowl, a bed of cheese grits topped with peppers, bacon, sausage and scrambled eggs, with grilled shrimp available as an add-on. The restaurant also offered brunch cocktails, including mimosas and a coffee-forward take on a Bushwacker.
The loss of the building is a significant blow to the Causeway corridor, which draws a steady stream of commuters, boaters and visitors traveling between Mobile and Baldwin County on Battleship Parkway. Restaurants along that stretch of road have long served as gathering spots for both locals and travelers stopping between the two counties, and Ed’s had built a devoted following over decades in business.
No details on rebuilding timelines or costs had been finalized in the days immediately following the fire, and Blohme indicated the process was likely to take time. In the meantime, fans of the restaurant have been directing their attention to Blohme’s other properties, including Panini Pete’s and Sunset Pointe, as well as other nearby spots such as Squid Ink, while they wait for word on when Ed’s Seafood Shed might reopen.
Community members reacted to news of the fire with an outpouring of support for the restaurant and its staff, with many describing Ed’s as one of the defining stops for breakfast and seafood along the Causeway. Local business owners and longtime customers said they were hopeful the restaurant would find a way to return, given its history and Blohme’s track record of investing in the properties he has taken on in the area.