For generations of Orange Beach anglers, Zeke’s Marina on Cotton Bayou was a stop on the way to the Gulf. You went there to book a charter, pick up frozen menhaden or squid for bait, top off with ice and fuel, and head out through Perdido Pass. There was not much more to it. The marina is now Zeke’s Landing & Marina, a large waterfront dining and entertainment spot that shows how much Alabama’s coast has changed. A Saturday evening dinner there in September 2023 made a strong case for it.
From Bait Dock to Waterfront Destination
Zeke’s once looked like several other working marinas around Orange Beach, where fuel, ice and fish-cleaning stations were what the sportfishing crowd needed. Those businesses grew up with the area’s charter fishing industry, which for decades was a large part of Orange Beach’s economy and identity.
Driving east on Perdido Beach Boulevard toward Florida, the Zeke’s sign appears on the left just before the bridge over Perdido Pass. The name now covers two things. The marina side still serves boaters and anglers. The Landing side is a sprawling restaurant and entertainment area facing Cotton Bayou and the marina docks.
Cotton Bayou is one of the sheltered back-bay waters on the north side of Perdido Beach Boulevard, connected to Perdido Pass and from there to the open Gulf. Its protected water and quick run to the pass have made it a natural home for marinas, charter boats and waterfront restaurants.
Setting the Scene
The setting is beautiful, with upscale dining indoors and out. At the time of the visit, reservations were taken only for patio seating, and indoor tables were first come, first served, so the party of six booked a patio table. The atmosphere starts at the front door. A blackboard lists the daily specials, and the menu has something for most tastes.
The weather cooperated. Temperatures had eased from the summer highs, which makes a difference for outdoor dining on the Gulf Coast in September. Large tables were full of people in good spirits, including a nearby group of eight or nine women from Louisiana celebrating a friend’s birthday and clearly having a good time.
The patio covers a lot of ground. Dining tables look out on sportfishing boats in their slips and on round tiki bar boats that can be rented. Each tiki boat has stools around a central round bar, so guests can sit at the bar while the boat cruises slowly around Orange Beach. On that evening one tiki boat was heading out with music playing while another group was boarding.
Around the corner from the patio dining area is a second outdoor bar with an open lawn and lounge seating. A college football game was on a big-screen TV, with families and friends settled into the comfortable chairs. From the patio, diners can also watch the dry storage facility at work as boats are lifted and carried to and from the loading dock, which is entertaining in its own right.
Dry stack storage, sometimes called high-and-dry storage, is common at coastal marinas. Instead of sitting in a wet slip, boats are kept on tall racks inside or beside a large building. A big forklift lifts a boat off its rack and sets it in the water when the owner calls ahead, then puts it back afterward. The hulls stay out of the salt water between trips, which cuts down on maintenance, and during hurricane season the racked boats are less exposed than boats tied to docks.
On the Plate
The menu offers a good selection of appetizers and salads, which the table looked over with cocktails. Dishes from that evening included:
- Spiny lobster roll with fries, a less common dish on this part of the coast.
- Swordfish, the fish of the day, which went over well.
- Lamb lollipops, spicy and full of flavor.
One special, a wagyu meatloaf, had sold out by the time the party ordered, a sign of how busy the kitchen was.
Beyond the dinner menu, Zeke’s Landing offers raw bar and seafood choices day and night, including local oysters, tuna tartare, sashimi of the day and fresh seafood boils, along with sandwiches and burgers. Two offerings stand out:
- Bring your own catch. Anglers can bring in their catch of the day, and the kitchen will cook it and serve it family-style for up to four people.
- Moroccan whole fish. A whole fish is flash-fried until crisp and served with a Moroccan sauce.
Having the kitchen cook your own catch is a long tradition in Gulf Coast fishing towns. It ties the restaurant back to its marina roots. A family can spend the morning fishing offshore and have its catch cooked for dinner a few steps from where the boat tied up.
The seafood boils on the menu also deserve a mention. Shrimp, crab or crawfish are boiled in heavily seasoned water with corn, potatoes and sausage, then served in a heap. It is one of the most social meals on the Gulf Coast, meant for sharing around a big table.
A Few Words on the Fish
Swordfish, the fish of the day that night, is a large ocean predator known for its long, flat bill. Its dense, meaty flesh is often compared to steak and holds up well on a grill. Spiny lobster, the kind used in the lobster roll, is a clawless warm-water lobster found in Florida and the Caribbean, different from the clawed lobster of New England. Its sweet tail meat is prized in the Florida Keys and beyond. Oysters from Alabama and nearby waters, both wild-harvested and increasingly farm-raised, have become a point of pride on local raw bars.
Charters, Tiki Boats and Special Events
Zeke’s still serves the fishing crowd that built it. The marina offers inshore and offshore charter options. Inshore trips usually work the bays, bayous and passes for speckled trout, redfish, flounder and similar species. Offshore trips run into the Gulf for reef fish and larger game.
Orange Beach’s offshore fishing benefits from Alabama’s artificial reef program, one of the largest in the country, which has put thousands of reef structures on the Gulf floor to create habitat for red snapper and other reef fish. That network is a big reason Orange Beach has long been known as a charter fishing destination.
For visitors new to chartering, the basics are simple. A licensed captain and crew supply the boat, tackle, bait and know-how, and they generally handle cleaning the catch at the dock afterward. Trips are usually priced by the boat and by length, from half-day inshore outings to full-day or overnight offshore runs. In Alabama, a charter boat’s license generally covers its passengers’ saltwater fishing licenses, but it is worth confirming with the captain when booking. Federal and state rules on seasons, size limits and bag limits apply, especially for closely managed species such as red snapper, and captains keep track of them.
For groups that want to celebrate more than fish, the tiki bar boats suit small parties, and sunset cruises offer an easy evening on the water. A dock store next to the dry storage facility serves boaters. The venue also hosts large parties and receptions, which makes it an option for rehearsal dinners, reunions, company gatherings and other events.
Orange Beach: How a Fishing Village Grew Up
Orange Beach was a quiet fishing community for most of its history, known for its charter fleet and the orange groves said to have given it its name. The city incorporated in 1984, and in the decades since it has grown into one of the Gulf Coast’s major vacation destinations, with high-rise condominiums along the beach, a large marina community and attractions such as The Wharf.
Through that growth, the water has remained central. Perdido Pass links the back bays to the Gulf, and the marinas along Cotton Bayou, Terry Cove and Wolf Bay serve charter captains, private boat owners and visitors. The change at Zeke’s from bait-and-ice stop to full-service waterfront destination mirrors the wider shift from a fishing village to a resort city.
Tips for Visiting
Zeke’s Landing is well suited to a special occasion in a pleasant setting, whether a quiet dinner for two or a big celebration. A few pointers for planning:
- Reserve a patio table if you want one. At the time of the visit, reservations were for patio seating only, with indoor dining first come, first served. Check current policies before you go.
- Time it for sunset. Evening light over the bayou and the marina traffic make the patio especially nice around dusk.
- Arrive early for specials. Popular specials can sell out on busy nights.
- Book charters and tiki boats ahead. Boats fill up fast in peak season and on holiday weekends.
- Confirm details directly. Menus, hours and offerings at coastal restaurants often change with the season, so check the business’s official listings.
Whether the plan is a quiet dinner, a family fishing trip or a big party, Zeke’s Landing & Marina offers a lot to do on the water in Orange Beach.