By DALE JONES

STAFF WRITER

djones@gulfcoastnewspapers.com

The number one reason people visit the Gulf Coast is for the beach. You know what the number two reason is? That’s right, our restaurants. While we have an abundance of eateries with a variety of cuisines, there are few places that purely offer you the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the beach.

Calypso Joe’s Caribbean Grille, however, in Orange Beach is truly one of those places. Whether you drive in, jog in, bike in or boat in, the blue water, palm trees and sunsets let you know you are in for a treat like none other in these parts.

Harry, KellyLee and I ventured down Marina Road to the Orange Beach Marina to visit Calypso Joe’s for this month’s Adventures in Dining and I have been to Calypso Joe’s previously, but it has been a while, so I was looking forward to the experience.

The atmosphere was comfortable, the weather was perfect, and our host, owner Kourosh Arsani was gracious. Arsani owns Calypso Joe’s with his business partner Mark Frohlich, who together took over the restaurant in September of 2005.

The menu, from beverages, to appetizers, to soups and salads, island favorites, grilled and fried selections, and numerous burgers and sandwiches is vast and would take up this entire article if I tried to list them all. Trust me when I say that there is something on the menu for every taste bud.

“We have a Jamaican – Caribbean flare,” Arsani said. “Our menu consists of a lot of those type items, and the atmosphere and the setting is for people down here on vacation looking for a different spot to have dinner or lunch, surrounded by palm trees and boats and water.”

Arsani said that a lot of people come to Calypso Joes for their Fish In a Tin or their Cuban Nachos. Another popular item is their Cancun Grill, a Pacific-rim filet, basted with lime butter and topped with Tequila vinaigrette, served with rice and black beans, topped with cilantro lime sour cream.

I decided to try the Cuban Nachos, corn tortillas topped with shredded Cuban pork, melted mixed cheese and a dollop of cilantro lime sour cream.

Harry ordered the Fish in a Tin, a Pacific-rim filet, topped with curried coconut pineapple compote, grilled in a foil pouch to help lock in all the juices and flavors, served with rice and a fresh vegetable kabob.

KellyLee ordered a heaping helping of shrimp and grits.

Chef Charlie McMillan, who has been with the restaurant for five years, does a fantastic job with the expansive menu.

During the summer months, patrons will enjoy live music while they dine.

To chase down the delicious meal, there is Joe’s Havana banana pudding, key lime pie and chocolate confusion cake which consists of layers of moist cake, filling and chocolate icing spiked with chocolate chips.

From crawfish tails to rib eye steak, from crab cakes to grilled chicken, and everything in between, Calypso Joe’s has some of the finest food and the most relaxed atmosphere you will find along Alabama’s Gulf Coast.

Open daily at 11 a.m., the famous Calypso Joe’s invites you to put your darkers (sunglasses) on and leave your passport behind to experience paradise just north of the Caribbean.

Calypso Joe’s, 27075 Marina Road, Orange Beach. 251-981-1415.