Fin & Fork bringing its seafood, steak and Sunday brunch to Pensacola from Orange Beach

Jake Newby
Pensacola News Journal

One of Orange Beach, Alabama's favorite restaurants has moved east into Pensacola.

Fin & Fork will open directly across the street from McGuire's this July when owners Matt and Regina Shipp plan on opening their family-owned seafood restaurant inside the longtime former dormant building at 601 E. Gregory St.

Matt Shipp, who is also the restaurant's head chef, said Fin & Fork warmed itself up to southeastern Alabama residents with its fresh seafood and succulent steaks. He's confident both will carry their popularity with them across state lines. 

The grouper pontchartrain, or, "Locals Favorite Grouper," is made with fresh Gulf grouper, onions, mushrooms, white wine, lemon butter, seasonings, Alabama wild shrimp, bayou blue crab and panko.

"Everything's 100% fresh," Shipp said Wednesday, while taking a little break from aiding in the interior construction process. "We have steaks and seafood. Steaks are sort of the hidden little secret, we have a reputation for some of the best steaks on the market. I think it's a very successful concept, and the price points are good." 

Fin & Fork was lauded over the years for its grouper pontchartrain, or, "Local's Favorite Grouper" dish, which Shipp expects to become a fast favorite in Pensacola. 

"It's a grouper, it's panko breaded, pan sauteed, and it's got jumbo-lump crab, Gulf shrimp, mushrooms, red onions and a white wine butter sauce," Shipp said. "It's off-the-charts good, and one of our most reputable items." 

The lunch and dinner restaurant's run in Orange Beach came to an abrupt ending this month following a dispute with Shipp's landlord, according to the chef and Mobile native. Shipp said he was given an eviction's notice in April after claiming he was originally promised a postponement in April and May's rent due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Shipp said he and his wife courted a second location in Pensacola for quite some time. They expedited that process amid the rent dispute and decided to close in Alabama and walk away altogether.

Now Fin & Fork will call the former Outback Steakhouse building on East Gregory its primary home. 

Also coming soon

►Wahlburgers plans to open Pensacola location, permanently closes OWA location

Water Pig BBQ restaurant opening on Pensacola Beach, aims to make Florida's best barbecue

The Caribbean grouper at Fin & Fork comes with toasted coconut, panko shrimp and coconut butter.

"There's a builder who wants to build us a building back in Orange Beach next spring or summer, so we're negotiating with him because we love Orange Beach," Shipp said. "(Pensacola) was going to be our second location, originally. We just started pursuing this more aggressively with everything that's happened." 

Staff at the Orange Beach, Alabama, Fin & Fork, which was last open in late March, will be retained and given the option to resume work in Pensacola this summer.

The 6,500-square-foot restaurant seats about 300 inside and also has outdoor seating on the restaurant's patio, where there will be space reserved for solo singers and small bands. 

The restaurant should be open seven days a week from the get-go, according to Shipp. Sunday brunch will start up as soon as operations do. 

Fin & Fork's seared tuna entree features Ahi tuna, black sesame seeds, soy, sesame, mirin, wasabI and ginger.

"Brunch was huge for us, we'd have 100 people at the door at 11 a.m. trying to get in," Shipp said. "We have a Bloody Mary bar, which is really awesome. You get your vodka and you go get all your condiments and mixes to make it with. The brunch is $19.95, three courses, appetizer, entree and dessert. It's very reasonable, it's a lot of fun." 

Keep up with the restaurant's renovation progress by following its Facebook page for updates

Jake Newby can be reached at jnewby@pnj.com or 850-435-8538.