Life at the Flora-Bama

The Flora-Bama Oyster Bar and Lounge is very proud of withstanding two catastrophic events. It burned down once, and was leveled by Hurricane Ivan. Both times it came back stronger than ever, and upon arriving for lunch today, I can see why on both accounts.

I can see why it lit up like a matchstick and fell to a hurricane. Any structure built of toothpicks and balsa wood might not stand up to much pressure. It looks like a stiff wind would blow it down.

But I can also see the resilience. The place looks fun. It is not the type of joint where you bring an ounce of pretentiousness- no that was obvious by the clothesline of underwear that decorated the ceiling of the main room. It's a place where you lose your inhibitions, sometimes your underwear, and aren't allowed in unless you're ready to have a good, rowdy time. I really wanted to come back on a summer weekend.

Now at 1:30 local time, it wasn't exactly hopping, but I was told we had to stop at the regional landmark and I'm glad we did.

You can view all the photos from the bar here: Photos from the Flora-Bama