Now all of the articles have been written and podcasts recorded from the week that was the 2026 Senior Bowl, it’s time to get to the REAL content….what you all come to us for….the food. I am in dire need of a juice cleanse or something after the way that Zach and I ate last week. At one point, I just felt a general sense of pain as if my inside as a whole were just hurting. But, that’s life. That’s the love of the game. That’s the sacrifice you make for it. So, here are some of the highlights of the week.
DAY 1
It’s become an annual tradition on our first night in Mobile. We usually make town around 4PM, head to the convention center to pick up our media credentials, settle in at the AirBnB, and then we meet Easton and JT at Walk-On’s, which I can only describe as “Cajun B-Dubs.” It was like 30 degrees colder than it usually is in Mobile, and this place didn’t have heat that Monday night, so I was bundled up in my coat. Alas, we persevered. I drank about three of Back Forty’s Devil’s Staircase IPAs to help get my beer blanket on. Then, I ordered a jalapeño jack burger with onion rings that gave me heart burn and woke me up at 2AM contemplating vomit. I could’ve sworn I snapped a photo of that first meal, but my photo library tells me otherwise.
DAY 2
After some film study and writing, we ventured out to Lost Pizza Co. for lunch before the first day of practices. With tremendous heartburn still bubbling up inside me, I made the questionable decision to order half a dozen tamales. Even more questionable was my decision to smother them in the house garlic hot sauce. But, they were fantastic. Zach ordered some fresh hot cheesy bread that was rich and decadent. It formed a good base for sitting in the cold all afternoon at Hancock Whitney Stadium.
For dinner that night, we made our triumphant return to Wintzell’s Oyster House. It’s been four years running now and not a damn thing about that place has changed. I love it. It’s grown to feel like a bit of a home away from home, and for me, it’s one of the things I anticipate the most about the trip every year. There’s just something about sitting at that bar, eating three pounds of fried food, and drinking ice cold beer after a hard day’s scouting that soothes the soul. Every meal at Wintzell’s starts with a cup of gumbo. On Night 1, I had to go with the fish tacos. They are the stuff of legend after all (just ask Easton about the fish tacos at Wintzell’s), thick, fresh, and spicy. I washed it all down with a couple of Ghost in the Machines from Parish Brewing, the beer that started the whole ‘dishwater beer’ bit.
DAY 3
Searching for something new to try for lunch, we settled on Bay Town Burger Company. I ordered a patty melt that dripped with flavor – buttery and greasy in the best way. I’m a tater tot guy, so I got an order to go with my patty melt, and I have to say, they weren’t greasy in the slightest. Very potato-centric, which I’m sure my stomach appreciated, but I would’ve liked a little more flavor.
We were back at Wintzell’s that night, where I realized that in all of my meals there, I’d never tried the fried catfish. That changed. What I got was approximately five pounds of the freshest catfish I’ve ever had with extra hushpuppies and a side of slaw that I could do with every meal. Oh, and of course…more Ghost in the Machine.
DAY 4
For lunch, we thought we’d try to do something at least somewhat healthy as our bodies were in need of a reprieve. We perused the salad section of the Heroes menu and it hit the spot. I got a lemon pepper grilled chicken salad that was topped with huge chunks of chicken. The salad itself was typical garden variety set off by a fantastic house made ranch. I couldn’t go a meal without junk as best as I could try though. I added a cup of chili that was quite rich with the slightest hint of sweetness. Fantastic.
For dinner, it was more Wintzell’s. This time, I opted for the popcorn shrimp grits with grits and slaw.
DAY 5
We had made it to the off day. After pre-recording that day’s episode of Football & Other F Words, we sought out a new place we had never tried before. That’s how we landed on the Velvet Pig. We went the smorgasbord route with boudin egg rolls, pork belly skewers with a chipotle raspberry glaze (pictured below), and a chopped cheese sandwich that was to die for. I added a cup of their special, taco soup, to my order. It was the most flavorful meal we ate all week.
From there, we decided to do a bit of brewery hopping. I got the house hard seltzer at Oyster Brewing and added a spritz of rose flavor to it. We went to Fairhope Brewing, where I once had a King Cake seltzer…the best seltzer I’ve ever had. It’s not on the menu anymore, but their Moscow Mule seltzer is a classic as well. I drank three. Then, it was over to Braided River, where I tried a stellar apple ginger seltzer. Seltzers are the way to go in my old age. They aren’t as heavy as a beer, so I can keep up with the young folks.
Zach had scouted out Half Shell for dinner, which I remember quite hazily. I just know I had five pounds of chicken alfredo and a caramel apple martini that almost sent me over the edge for the night.
DAY 6
Our last day in town…we stopped by Brick & Spoon for breakfast, where I ordered the creole omelet loaded with shrimp and tasso ham. After the Senior Bowl, it was time for one last ride at Wintzell’s. This time, our bartender approached us and said the staff was competing on a bingo card. I honestly don’t remember what the prize was, and there wasn’t even anything in it for the patrons. But, she just happened to stumble upon the two most competitive people in that restaurant. We took it upon ourselves to put a dent in that bingo card for no good reason whatsoever….again, just two dudes and a love of the game.
Here’s what we crossed off the list:
- Cobbler (pictured below)
- Dragon Drink (rum punch, pictured below)
- Mardi Gras boch pilsner
- 2 crab claws
- 2 add ons
- Sirloin (pictured below)
- Perfect check (alcohol, an appetizer, an entree, and a dessert)
- 2 glasses Oyster Bay (it’s a wine – we’re drinking it in the photo below)
- Key lime pie
- 2 dozen chargrilled
- Fried green tomatoes
- Ribeye
- 2 strawberry lemonades (I had one, and the old lady next to us took one for the team and got the other)
- 2 gumbo 1 table
My goodness, just reading that makes my stomach hurt, but yes….that is what we ate and drank that fateful Saturday night.
Someone else crossed off the ‘2 oyster samplers’ – otherwise, all that was left when we were done was the flounder, red fish beinville, and the loaded bread pudding. I flirted with ordering the flounder because our bartender was worried it would be the hardest box to check off.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, second on Football & Other F Words, analyst for Stacking The Inbox, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, the NFL Draft, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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