New Orleans landmark Mandina’s Restaurant to open in Spanish Fort

The store will be the third Mandina's in operation.

The Spanish Fort Town Center development, known for the Bass Pro Shops visible from I-10, will be the site of the first Mandina's Restaurant outside Louisiana.Courtesy of Stirling Properties

A New Orleans culinary landmark, Mandina’s Restaurant, will open its third location -- and its first outside Louisiana -- in Spanish Fort, according to the operators of Spanish Fort Town Center.

Stirling Properties and Cypress Equities have announced that Mandina’s will join a tenant lineup including Bass Pro Shops, Kohl’s, Cavender’s and The Fort Container Park. Spanish Fort Town Center is off I-10 just east of Mobile Bay.

The original Mandina’s on Canal Street in New Orleans is a fourth-generation family-owned restaurant opened in 1932 by the sons of grocer Sebastian Mandina, an Italian immigrant. Its menu embraces Italian and Creole tradition, with plenty of seafood.

A franchisee runs a second Mandina’s in Mandeville, La., and will operate the new Alabama location. According to Tuesday’s announcement the menu and operations in Spanish Fort will closely resemble those of the Mandeville store.

House specials at that restaurant include trout, catfish and soft shell crab almandine or meuniere; a fried seafood platter; creole eggplant with shrimp, crab, and ham; and lasagna. Other distinctive items include crab fingers in wine sauce; fried green tomato and buffalo mozzarella stacked and topped with warm crawfish remoulade; homemade turtle soup and seafood gumbo; red beans and rice with Italian sausage, veal cutlet or pork chop; and catfish and trout creole.

“Stirling Properties is thrilled to welcome Mandina’s Restaurant to Spanish Fort Town Center and be a part of the evolution and growth of this dynamic community center,” said Angie McArthur, a broker associate with Stirling Properties. Stirling made the announcement in conjunction with property owner Cypress Equities.

“The addition of more great restaurants and retailers continues to attract patrons and diners to the development and benefits the surrounding retailers—this is a true destination location for everyone,” McArthur said.

Tuesday’s announcement did not specify a timetable for the restaurant’s opening.

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