Riverside Cafe & Grill Opens at Escatawpa Hollow Park and Campground

Visitors to one of Mobile County’s most remote parks can now grab a plate of Southern cooking before they hit the water. County officials gathered Wednesday to cut the ribbon on the Riverside Cafe & Grill, a new restaurant at Escatawpa Hollow Park & Campground operated by local food service company Stevie’s Kitchen.

The cafe sits inside the county park on Highway 98, right at the Alabama-Mississippi state line, and serves as an eatery, ice cream shop and gift shop in one. Alongside hot food, the space sells canned goods and the work of local artists, giving visitors a taste of the area’s culture along with their lunch.

A park that keeps growing

The restaurant is the latest piece of a decade-long build-out at the park, which sits along the blackwater Escatawpa River near the Mississippi line. Mobile County opened Escatawpa Hollow in 2018, and the property has expanded steadily ever since. In 2023, the county added public bathrooms, walking trails, rest areas and beach access, then followed with a campground for overnight visitors. A $3.5 million GOMESA grant — federal money from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act that shares offshore energy revenue with coastal states — funded that round of improvements.

According to the Mobile County Commission, the park has grown from roughly 45 acres when it opened in 2018 to about 220 acres today through additional land acquisitions and improvements. All told, renovations at the park have totaled $10.1 million, funded through state and county GOMESA grants intended to enhance quality of life for residents and visitors.

What visitors will find

The Riverside Cafe & Grill is designed as a one-stop stop for a day on the river: an eatery for Southern-style plates, an ice cream counter for the after-swim crowd and a gift shop for campers who forgot something or want to take a piece of the park home. County officials describe it as the front door to the park, greeting visitors with food and local culture before they get in the water.

Operating hours have not yet been set, but the restaurant is open to the public now. The park’s address is 15551 Moffett Road in Wilmer, along Highway 98 at the state line.

Officials frame it as a gateway

Commission President Connie Hudson praised the addition, saying Escatawpa Hollow continues to evolve into one of Mobile County’s premier outdoor recreation destinations. She said the cafe adds another amenity that encourages people to spend more time enjoying the park and the Escatawpa River, creates a gateway into the county and reflects the commission’s long-term commitment to expanding public access to water and building places where families can connect with the outdoors.

The white-sand beach, swimming holes and paddling launches along the Escatawpa have made the park a favorite for families on both sides of the state line. The river itself is known for its sandy banks and slow current, and the campground has become a weekend destination for tubers, kayakers and anglers in the region.

Part of a bigger parks strategy

Escatawpa Hollow is the centerpiece of Mobile County’s push to build out public recreation on the county’s rural edges. Since 2018, the county has used GOMESA money — the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act funds that flow to Gulf Coast states from offshore drilling revenue — to acquire land, build amenities and expand access at parks across the county. County leaders have framed those investments as a way to give residents of fast-growing west Mobile County close-to-home outdoor options without driving to the beaches of Baldwin County or Florida.

The cafe model is also a new one for the county park system. By leasing the food service to a private operator, the county keeps its parks budget focused on maintenance and capital improvements while giving campers and day visitors a reason to stay longer — and spend more — at the park.

For now, the county is encouraging visitors to check the park’s official channels for the restaurant’s eventual operating schedule, upcoming events and campground reservations. With summer in full swing and the new kitchen finally open, the county expects the crowds that have grown every year since the park’s gates first opened to keep coming.

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