Bon Secour’s Tin Top on best “off the beaten path” list

Bon Secour’s Tin Top on best “off the beaten path” list

The Tin Top Restaurant & Oyster Bar in Bon Secour was selected as one of Alabama’s nine best “Off The Beaten Path’’ restaurants in a recentl al.com story written by Bob Carlton.
Owned by Bob and Patty Hallmark, the restaurant has been a South Baldwin mainstay since opening in 2004 at 6232 County Rd. 10 and it will soon be setting up shop in a brand new building a few hundred yards south of its current location on County Rd. 10.
It is known for its oyster dishes, fresh seafood, hand-trimmed aged steaks and Southern side dishes like fried green tomatoes, Gouda cheese grits and collard greens. The Hallmarks opened a sister restaurant in Tuscaloosa in 2010.
“Whatever you call them, Alabama has a slew of tucked-away dining treasures, many of which are hiding right under our nose, just waiting to be discovered,’’ Carlton wrote.
“Bob had been a general contractor and Patty a schoolteacher, and part of their motivation for opening a restaurant was simply Bob’s frustration at not being able to find a great steak in Baldwin County at the time,’’ Carlton added. “Their New Orleans-influenced restaurant – the ‘Pearl of Bon Secour,’ as they like to call it — quickly became known not only for the steaks but also the bounty of fresh Gulf seafood that is at their immediate disposal.’’