92 Things to Love About Alabama: The Pink Pony Pub

One of the last vestiges of Old Gulf Shores, the Pink Pony Pub (on the beach!) is one of the best known Alabama institutions and everything a divey little beach bar should be.

Fronting the ocean, everyone raised in Alabama probably has a childhood memory of sprinting across those scorching white sands — up the ramp and into its dark, dim embrace. Not merely a haunt for adults looking for a Mai Tai reload or another cold one, for 60 years the Pink Pony has welcomed the hungry, the thirsty, the karaoke-starved, the sun worshiping, and innumerable spring breakers desperate for a patio. To this day, it is still a haven for all of those things and more. It has become a cultural touchstone of The Beach, and is a must-see for new visitors and nostalgia-seekers making a pilgrimage to the Gulf.

From the Ms. Pac Man machine once nestled in a cocktail table, to the lunch counter pulling double duty as bar stools, to the distinct smell of oysters on the half shell, to an iconic logo that has remained unchanged through the decades, the Pink Pony is Gulf Shores. Orange Beach and Perdido can have the money, the upscale resorts, and the better ocean front, but nowhere else has this venerable pink lady of the gulf.

Feeling nostalgic? Why not take a look at the beach from their web cam, check out their photo album on Facebook, or pick up a shirt.