RIP FloraBama Lounge

[FistFullaRoux]

The famed Flora Bama lounge was among the many buildings completely destroyed by Hurricane Ivan as it made landfall just up the beach at Gulf Shores.

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ind...12575140130.xml

Will it be back? Too soon to know...

Big O's Seafood Grill survived with minor damage, as was able to open Thursday, operating without running water or power to feed rescue and news crews on Gulf Shores.

Any other info about restaurants and such from the Ivan zone?

[dlc]

I wonder what will become of the infamous mullet tossing contest that was a yearly ritual at the FloraBama.

[Blondie]

I've mentioned the FloraBama several times on theses boards as being one of my favorite bars. When my aunt and uncle return to Point Clear in a few days (they evacuated), I'll report back anything I hear. We're due to go down next month for my cousin's wedding, depending on what's left standing - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the Grand Hotel survived.

[Mayhaw Man]

The area right around the Flora Bama took it pretty hard. I know two people who lost thier houses that live within a mile and another guy who has a house on swanky Ono Island and they still don't know where the boat is (big boat, hard to miss).

I was just trying to imagine the permitting difficulties in rebuilding in two states. All mullet tossing jokes aside, the Florabama was an interesting place. Doctors rubbing elbows with truck drivers and college kids drinking along retired businessmen. You don't find a place where they all exist at once very often.

Edited to add that if you are looking for a real estate bargain you might consult with one of the Gulf Shores Real Estate brokers listed in the google section of the page (sometimes that google deal is a great source of amusement for me )

[FistFullaRoux]

I found out some specifics about the Flora-Bama today. When it was built, Baldwin county, Alabama was dry. No booze could be sold. Neighboring Escambia county in Florida allowed alcohol sales. So it started as a liquor store on the Florida side, and a place for bands and hanging out on the Alabama side.

Still don't know why they started throwing fish...

[Mayhaw Man]

Still don't know why they started throwing fish...

←

Great minds and beer, my friend. Great minds and beer.

More likely just beer.

[KatieLoeb]

Oh - a FISH tossing contest. I get it now. When the Mullet Tossing competition was mentioned upthread I thought they were throwing folks with bad haircuts. You know - like Dwarf Tossing.

[FistFullaRoux]

The Flora Bama does have a website. It's not updated, and probably won't be for a while.

One bit of advice I can pass along is... Don't look at the pictures

[Mayhaw Man]

Oh - a FISH tossing contest.  I get it now.  When the Mullet Tossing competition was mentioned upthread I thought they were throwing folks with bad haircuts.  You know - like Dwarf Tossing. 

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Katie, as a veteran of several of these frozen fish related tossings, I can tell you that you were not wrong in your original assumption. Often. Very often, as a matter of fact, you would see that one of the hairstyles preferred by the athlete is, in fact, the mullet. I think that it balances them out as they lean forward with the fish for that final tossing inch.

Or something like that.

[tanabutler]

The Flora Bama does have a website. It's not updated, and probably won't be for a while.

One bit of advice I can pass along is... Don't look at the pictures

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It is probably the scariest restaurant web site I have ever ever seen.

[Mayhaw Man]

It is probably the scariest restaurant web site I have ever ever seen.

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You should have seen the place. Then you would be scared, alright.

[mighty quinn]

thanks for the update on the florabama- i suspected that it was gone. i have a few fond memories of the place- i guess i wasn't just imagining the flying mullet. i also have some vague memories of the strip in downtown p-cola (love those Marine aviators) looks like from the pics that it's pretty much trashed. good luck to all y'all on the "guff" coast!

[Timh]

This is just terrible, terrible. I absolutely loved that place, on my travels between NO and Pensacola.

[seahawg]

Say it ain't so! Only went once, but it was quite an experience. You don't see many beachfront bars, strattling two states. Like no other place on earth....

[Susan in FL]

Thanks for this post. It's one of my son's favorite bars and he spends [i guess that might should be the past tense now] a lot of time there. I've heard so much about it, and suspected that it would be gone. I'll show him this thread and your link when he gets here. He is driving here from Pensacola at this moment, and should get here in a few hours. He of course has not had the chance to see, on TV, all the devastation in his own town.

[mighty quinn]

unfortunately there may be more bars and restaurants and houses straddling the alabama/florida border right now!!

[snowangel]

So, I looked at the photos. Scarey bar, yes, but no scarier than Stand Up Frank's in North Minneapolis (especially when accompanied by a yuppie who wants to insult the working guys who frequent the joint).

What got me was the "Polar Bear Swim" photo area. In this neck of the woods, the Polar Bear Swim is on January 1. There is usually ice on the lake. What I saw in the photos looked more like "tropical" bear swim.????

And, here, a contest featuring hurling frozen fish would be during the winter would feature the fish one tosses out of the fish house in January for preservation.

[dlc]

About 5 years ago I made the mistake of taking my wife to the FloraBama for lunch midweek. When she walked in and saw the place she could understand why I loved it but didn't want to be there in the daylight. It was a whole lot easier to take after dark.

[sdelgato]

I have heard reports that the rumor of FloraBama's demise is not entirely accurate. Heavily damaged but not completely destroyed! Why couldn't the monstrocity next to it have fallen into the sea???

[Mayhaw Man]

According to the website, rumors of their demise have been greatly exagerrated. Although I don't think by much, according to a couple of guys who went down there yesterday to check on their stuff nearby.. They report a mess of the highest order, although the place was really just a collection of ramshackle porches and buildings, so how much is there to rebuild, really?

[Pan]

From their website:

We're Still Here!!

Thanks for All the Well Wishes!

Updates Will Be Posted As Soon As Possible!

And I'm glad all of you are still here, as well!

[FistFullaRoux]

PICTURES!!!

Well, OK, technically A picture....

Click here to see the Flora Bama now

Click here to see more photos than you would want to of Ivan damage

[Mayhaw Man]

Hell, that's about as good as it ever looked. ALl they need is some cold beer and some customers and a really bad country band and they are back in business.

Incidentally for those of you that don't know what you are looking at that IS the Florida Alabama border right there. The place is ON the line.

[FistFullaRoux]

Edited to say:

Never mind. I'm a dummy.

Edited September 20, 2004 by FistFullaRoux (log)

[Susan in FL]

Thank you for the links, Fist. My son of course hadn't been able to see any TV coverage when he left Pensacola, and since he's been here, in this area Ivan has become old news. Our local stations are still reporting on our aftermath of Charley and Frances.

He didn't realize that downtown was hit so bad. It was even chilling to me, since I have become familiar with Pensacola from visits to him.

If you or anybody come across any other links to good photos of Pensacola damage, and would email or PM me to let me know about them, I would be most appreciative.

Does anyone know about the damage to The Fish House and Atlas restaurants?

On beachside in the Daytona Beach area, we are just now having reopenings of damaged restaurants, and some it looks like will not reopen.