Magnolia Springs: The Gulf Shores hidden gem

A love of history started at a very young age and has continued to grow with time. That is part of the reason I love traveling to big cities . . . places that’s streets, buildings, and experiences ooze with stories. History is something that is usually lacking from our more beach-based getaways, but on our last trip to the Gulf Shores, we discovered an adorable little town and restaurant that held beautiful stories.

Magnolia Springs and Jesse’s restaurant are definitely the Gulf Shores best-kept secrets.

This is a blink and you will miss it sized town and its location on the Magnolia River versus the coast makes it a quiet hidden gem. We had been told about a great tiny restaurant perfect for a special meal, so we planned an evening trek leaving the kids with the grandparents.

As we approached Magnolia Springs, the towering trees and Spanish moss drew us in. It was like driving into a postcard of the quintessential South. Since we were a little early for our reservation we decided to drive around and explore this charming location. Street after street of beautiful houses with towering trees had us house shopping on our phone. This is the only town in America that still gets its mail by boat – how much more charming can you get!

Thankfully before we put an offer in on a house, we pulled up to Jesse’s. This beautiful building has been a part of the community since 1922 and the inside holds marks of the past. Even before entering we noticed the Moore’s Bros sign on the outside and upon being seated the host offered us a short history of the location.

Originally the local general store and the post office, the two buildings had been merged into Jesse’s. The floors still bare the wear and tear of all those local customers. The antiques that line the walls remind you of a time when the location was stocked with everyday goods. The large wooden icebox takes you back to a time when your local grocer was the only place to get fresh food.

The name of the restaurant comes from Jesse King, an employee of Moore’s general store who hadn’t missed a day of work in over 60 years. That same hardworking passion is seen in the work done at the restaurant today. Everything is done on-site or to the specifications set out by the talented staff. The other thing the staff is particular about is that each guest knows this is Southern dining – they expect you to take your time and enjoy your meal and not feel rushed.

Although they are known for their cuts of meat – butchered on-site and aged per very specific instructions – we took our waiters recommendation to try the specials of local fish. Looking to take advantage of the leisurely pace, attentive staff, and appropriate portion sizes we also opted for a starter of baked brie with caramel sauce and a small roasted beet salad before our main courses. Even after all of that delicious food and nearly a full bottle of wine, we couldn’t pass up pear crisp served warm in a small cast iron skillet and French press coffee prepared right at our table.

They will invite you back for the next night and believe me you will be tempted to take them up on it.

Have you been to Magnolia Springs or anywhere else on the Gulf Shores? We would love to hear what your highlights were for the next time we head that way.