In business since 2017, Ox Kitchen outgrew its downtown location at The Mill and moved to a new, renovated location in the old Market By the Bay. The new location opened March 2022 and provides a fast-casual, family-friendly lunch and dinner restaurant for Fairhope and boasts an outdoor fenced-in patio with a grassy area for kids, ample seating, easy parking and quick access to local businesses and neighborhoods.

Bo Hamilton, owner of Ox Kitchen, previously owned a fine-dining restaurant in Auburn in the early 2000s. Fast forward to 2022, his vision for Ox Kitchen is to provide a place that serves quality, made fresh daily food catering to busy families, local workers and community employees who want a simple, good meal with both healthy and indulge-worthy options.

“Prepared with the freshest ingredients, our food is made in-house daily, from the smoked turkey and pecan-smoked wings to the homemade French fries, sauces and salad dressings, even down to the homemade pickles,” says Hamilton. “Served in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere, our food is approachable, not intimidating. We like to call it ‘New South Casual.’”

The menu was also expanded to add more healthy options and some lighter fare for busy workers and families. “We want to be versatile with our healthy menu options. It’s a place where one can get a healthy power bowl and someone else can get a burger on a gluten-free bun or a turkey wrap,” says Hamilton.

Some of the enticing new menu items include the Southwest Protein Power Bowl (quinoa, pickled radish, pepitas, tomato, black beans, corn, avocado, cilantro lime vinaigrette) and a Greek Salad Plate (spring mix, cucumber, olive, tomato, feta, pickled onion, pita, hummus). Popular salads such as the Chopped Southern Salad and the Berry and Feta Salad have protein options such as house-smoked turkey, grilled or fried chicken or grilled blackened shrimp. All sandwich options on the menu are also available on gluten-free bread or can be made as a wrap for a lighter choice.

Ox Kitchen is open from Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: 365 S. Greeno Rd., Fairhope. 251-725-9385. Visit TheOxKitchen.com for more information.