Squid Ink

About Squid Ink

Squid Ink is the downtown gastropub at 102 Dauphin Street in Mobile, opened in 2021 by chef Pete Blohme with partners Nick Dimario and Robert Kabakoff. The cooking is rooted in Lower Alabama classics but pulls in the city's mixed French, Spanish and British heritage, paired with a full cocktail list and served for lunch, brunch and dinner. It is a casual, eclectic room on the city's main downtown strip rather than a formal restaurant.

For more of the city's range, compare the seafood at The Royal Scam, the Southern cooking at The Noble South and the German-style hall at LoDa Bier Garten. For more on the coast's catch, see our seafood guide.

The Kitchen

The menu is built for an easy meal: po'boys, burgers, salads and Gulf seafood, with a few plates that nod to Mobile's layered history. The shrimp po'boy, with remoulade, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle on a grilled roll, runs around 10.50 dollars, and the Mob Town hot chicken, a crispy fried thigh with a hot-spice baste and aioli on a potato bun, around 10. Cocktails are a core part of the room, mixed with the same care as the food. Prices stay friendly, which is much of the appeal: this is dependable, well-made casual cooking rather than a special-occasion kitchen.

The Room

The room is relaxed and eclectic, a downtown gastropub geared to a casual lunch, a weekend brunch or drinks and a plate after work. The mood is social and low-key, with the bar as much a draw as the kitchen. It sits at 102 Dauphin Street on the main downtown strip, an easy walk from the area's bars and venues. Walk-ins are common, though it gets busy at peak lunch and on weekend evenings, so a short wait is possible at the busiest times.