Twenty-five years have passed since the morning of September 11, 2001, a day no one will ever forget. To pay tribute to the lives lost that day, the Original Oyster House restaurants will honor Mobile and Baldwin County law enforcement, firefighters and paramedics by offering a free Never Forget Lunch at the Gulf Shores and Mobile Causeway locations on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026 from 11 am to 4 pm. The 19th Annual Never Forget Lunch was established by the Original Oyster House restaurants in honor of the 9/11 first responders who risked their lives to save, protect and serve as well as in recognition of all first responders for their service. An ID or first responder’s uniform is required for free dine-in only lunch.
In memory of victims of 9/11, LifeSouth, a 501(c) 3 non-profit, community blood supplier, will be on site at the Mobile Causeway location for a blood drive. This year’s goal is to collect at least 25 donations, one for each year that has passed since that fateful day of infamy. A $20 E-gift and specially designed t-shirt supporting first responders will commend all donors. Blood donations collected at the Never Forget Lunch are distributed to local hospitals. Alabama’s best attractions including Wind Creek, Bellingrath Gardens & Home, USS Alabama Battleship, The National Maritime Museum of the Gulf, OWA Parks & Resort, the Exploreum, the Azalea Trail Maids, City of Daphne and Visit Mobile will welcome and thank first responders with discounted tickets, swag and raffle prizes. Other donors who support the event include Historic Blakeley State Park, Beinville Bites, Buffalo Rock and Waterville USA. iHeart Media generously supports the Never Forget Lunch through public service announcements.
The Original Oyster House has become the “must-go-to” place for great fresh Gulf seafood, service and panoramic waterfront sunsets. A top-spot for hand-shucked and fire-grilled oysters, the Original Oyster House has also become legendary for its homemade gumbo, cheesy grits with blackened shrimp, as well as handcrafted desserts including its famous Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie. In 2016, the Original Oyster House became the first restaurant in the state of Alabama to recycle oyster shells through the Alabama Coastal Foundation. Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Oyster Shell Recycling, as of July 2026, an estimated 30+ million oyster shells have been recovered. The Original Oyster House also supports the sustainability of oysters and is one of the only restaurants to [oyster garden], grow stocker oysters to refurbish the reef.
The Original Oyster House (OOH) has two locations: 3733 Battleship Parkway on the Mobile Causeway and 701 Gulf Shores Parkway in Gulf Shores. Both locations offer spectacular waterfront views and have been celebrated as the area’s finest family restaurants for the past 40 years. For more information about the Original Oyster House, please visit www.originaloysterhouse.com or call 251-928-2620.
Each year the Never Forget Lunch includes a blood drive in memory of the lives lost that fateful day. Pictured at 2023’s event from left are Chad Le Jeune, Angela Williams, Shaqurria Glover, Deandria Clausell, and Kayla Howell of LifeSouth Community Blood Centers, Inc.