C-Bar

September 5, 2022

The Chicken Shack • C-Bar: A chicken walks into a bar…

By Liesel Schmidt
Sept. 5, 2022

Over the years, restauranteur Jim Shirley has proven himself to be the master of whatever he puts his mind – and his hand – to. With an empire that includes everything from high-end Southern cuisine and beautifully executed seafood to casual beach fare and wood-fired pizza, the man does not back down from an idea – especially when it has the recipes to back it up.

The latest among his culinary adventures, The Chicken Shack is built on that very Southern staple of fried chicken. As this is Jim Shirley’s brainchild, however, not just any fried chicken. Rather, the recipe is a secret concoction that uses sweet tea as a brine, combined with Chef Shirley’s own special blend of breading. The result accomplishes something that Jim has had on the back burner of his very busy brain for quite some time.

“He has been musing over the idea of a chicken shack for a while, and when the opportunity arose to work with the Seaside team to bring his vision to fruition, he couldn’t pass on the chance to make what he calls ‘Every Mama’s Chicken’ for the masses,” explained Madison Shirley, director of brand and storytelling for Jim Shirley Enterprises. “Every mama has their ‘family’ recipe, and it’s a staple at many dinner tables.”

Because this is, at its heart, a fried chicken restaurant, the kitchen was built specific to that essential task of frying chicken. Boasting fryers large enough to fry 24 pounds of chicken in five minutes, warmers that circulate hot air to keep the chicken crisp yet moist, and other details that make the kitchen “chicken friendly,” The Chicken Shack is, indeed, perfectly designed to execute the best chicken possible.

With signature dishes including Buckets O’ Chicken, the menu offers Jim’s delicious fried chicken, Shack Fried Chicken Tenders, and wings, all of which display his love for fried chicken. Not to mention that famous way he has with food and creating an experience.

“There’s nothing more seemingly basic than a box of chicken, but it’s a meal that is designed to be shared with friends and family,” noted Madison. “He loves creating dishes that bring people together to break bread (or chicken), talk, and make memories.”

C-Bar

Making memories is also something to be done over a great cocktail, and the newly opened C-Bar adjoining The Chicken Shack is just the place to enjoy a drink and watch the sunset. An upcycled shipping container, C-Bar—or “Container Bar”—has a casual vibe with seating on both sides, with a large end space for walk-up drinks.

“The urban style gently contrasts with the Great Southern Cafe’s shaker cottage, so it feels like a new and exciting space for guests to experience,” Madison noted.

Offering the same menu and specialties as The Great Southern Cafe, C-Bar focuses on great cocktails like mojitos and famous food items like Grits a Yaya, though the bar also boasts a carefully curated lineup of craft beer that highlights the local Southern craft beer industry.

“C-Bar is a fun, low-pressure bar that allows guests to choose their experience,” said Madison. “Whether they’re grabbing a seat and unpacking their day or walking up to the to-go window, ordering a drink, then exploring the town or beach, guests will love the opportunity to enjoy the C-Bar.”

The Chicken Shack and C-Bar are both located at 87 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach. The Chicken Shack is open daily 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and reservations not accepted. For more information, visit www.thechicken-shack.com. Find the C-Bar at online at www.thecbar.com, service runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

May 18, 2022

Chef Jim Shirley: Running a culinary empire

Blog, Home Page Blog

By Laura Holloway
May 18, 2022

SANTA ROSA BEACH – Something about 30A acts as an artistic magnet, drawing in talented artists in every medium, inviting in those drawn to inspire and be inspired. The culinary arts are no exception, with 30A enticing and keeping the talents of truly unique and creative chefs. Their food is just so good, and with an exceptional menu comes an area of mystique and celebrity surrounding the gifted culinary artists who have made 30A their homes and legacies.

Chef Jim Shirley is one of the most celebrated chefs in the area (and beyond), and for someone who started “flipping burgers in Gulf Breeze” when he was 14 and has now been invited to cook at The James Beard House four times, Shirley has more than earned his place in the history and growth of the 30A area. With seven unique locations and a line at each place, he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Great Southern Café
Perhaps most beloved and well known is the Great Southern Café in Seaside. Loved by tourists and locals alike, the casual-yet-special eatery is a favorite location for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and mojitos and bloody Marys in between. Described as “new-fashioned Southern cuisine,” the Great Southern menu offers something for everyone for every meal.

At breakfast, there’s Avocado Toast (buttered, grilled, and topped with avocado, red onions, tomato, spices, and EVOO), Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomato Benedict, and the ever-popular Chicken and Waffle (topped with crispy fried chicken and covered in Orange-Rosemary Glaze). Be sure to arrive early enough at breakfast for an order of Beignets, which tend to sell out quickly.

For lunch and dinner, try a steaming plate of Blue Crab Claws (served with garlic, cream, sherry, butter, and Romano cheese with warm pita bread for dipping), the Great Southern Seafood Platter (with fresh oysters, chilled shrimp, lobster tails, and West Indies marinated jumbo lump crab), or the wildly popular Grits a Ya Ya, made with blackened shrimp, sauté of smoked bacon, spinach, portobello mushrooms, and cream on a bed of smoked Gouda cheese grits. Shirley has a recommendation of his own: “Chef Innocent’s making Duck Call Rolls with confit and pepper jelly!”

Great Southern is located at 83 Central Square and is open 365 days a year for breakfast from 8 to 10 a.m. and lunch/dinner from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Reservations are suggested, but walk-ins are welcome. For more information, visit thegreatsoutherncafe.com or call 850-231-7327.

The Bay
The Bay is Shirley’s answer to a need for delicious food north of 30A, a place that celebrates the Southern comfort of a bonfire and the gentle lap of water on bayside sand. This family-friendly waterfront restaurant offers a full menu of Southern gulf coast cuisine, 12 beers on tap, an impressive wine and cocktail menu, and a sampling of mouth-watering sushi found only in this special place overlooking Choctawhatchee Bay.

Offering brunch (like a Crab Cake Benedict served over fried zucchini with two poached eggs and hollandaise), lunch (like Point Washington Rolls filled with alligator Tasso and poblano served with Hog Island sauce), and dinner (like Pesto Snapper and Crab Cake, topped with an Asian fusion pesto and fresh mint, basil and cilantro), The Bay is everything your taste buds have been longing for. And if you’re a burger aficionado, don’t leave without a taste of the Bomber Burger, dripping with sauces, caramelized onions, asiago cheese crisp and a roasted tomato.

The Bay is located at 24215 Hwy. 331 and is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., with Happy Hour each day from 2 to 4 p.m. Live music and outdoor fun is a regular occurrence, and more information and reservation opportunity can be found by visiting baysouthwalton.com or calling 850-622-2291.

North Beach Social
Relaxing, photo-worthy, and delicious – all the things you are hoping to find in a coastal restaurant, and all found at North Beach Social, is Shirley’s second bayside culinary offering. Located downstairs from Farm & Fire restaurant, North Beach Social offers scenic sunsets, plenty of outdoor seating (bring your dog), and a large white sand beach for kids (and adults) to play.

The restaurant’s menu is a showcase of five of Shirley’s restaurants, featuring such favorites as the Grits a Ya Ya, the Bomber Burger, and a Pecan Stuffed Cheesecake so rich and creamy you may as well throw the culinary bucket list out the window because not much will top it. Live music five days a week, beach bocce, and a bonfire every night (weather permitting), North Beach Social is the place to unwind, catch up, and savor the area’s favorite menu choices.

Located at 24200 Hwy. 331 South, the restaurant is open daily (check website for current hours) and can be reached by visiting www.northbeach.social or calling 850-622-8110.

Farm & Fire
Shirley’s popular bayside restaurant and speakeasy exists as a Southern-style pizzeria, offering unforgettable sunset views and frequent dolphin sightings from its second-floor location on Choctawhatchee Bay at the foot of the 331 bridge. Using coal ovens, Farm & Fire presents coal-oven baked pizzas and whole-roasted fish; fresh, locally sourced salads and charcuterie; and a speakeasy bar that encourages laughter and lingering conversation. Along with a restaurant facelift, the menu is also getting an overhaul. Visit farmandfirepizza.com.

The Meltdown on 30A
For anyone who has ever dreamed of the perfect grilled cheese sandwich, this is your moment. Described as the “Best Flip-Flop Cuisine on 30A,” The Meltdown serves both traditional and gourmet grilled cheeses, soups, and chips, all with the whimsical and nostalgic flair that an Airstream restaurant offers. Located in Airstream Row in Seaside, this take-and-go restaurant is anything but fast food, with mind-bending flavor creations such as The Little Figgy (made with brie, bacon, and sweet fig compote), Strawberry Goat Forever (with Alabama goat cheese, strawberry preserves, and prosciutto), and the Cuban McConnell, made with pulled pork, brown bag ham, gruyere, pickles, and Billy’s mustard sauce.

The Meltdown on 30A is open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and more information can be found at meltdownon30A.com.

And more

Shirley has recently expanded his restaurant portfolio with the opening of C-Bar and the Great Southern Chicken Shack. He said, “The C-Bar is made from a recycled shipping container and will be filled with everyone’s favorite bartenders from the Great Southern and food from their kitchen, and The Chicken Shack will have some mighty tasty fried chicken!”

The 30A food scene continues to earn its place in culinary reverence, and Jim Shirley’s restaurant portfolio expansion is a gift to visitors and locals alike. He said, “I started flipping burgers in Gulf Breeze when I was 14, ran a pizza joint when I was 17. 10 years later I opened Madison’s Diner in Pensacola, and never looked back.”

And on behalf of foodies everywhere, we thank you.

To find out more about Chef Jim Shirley and his upcoming restaurant offerings, visit chefjimshirley.com.

March 27, 2022

Chef Jim Shirley opens Chicken Shack and C-Bar in Seaside

Blog, Home Page Blog

Special to 30A Food & Wine
March 26, 2022

SEASIDE – Just in time for the 2022 season, Chef Jim Shirley opened two new establishments in Seaside: The Great Southern Cafe’s Chicken Shack and C-Bar (Container Bar). Both are located between Sundog Books and The Great Southern Cafe and share a communal courtyard for dining and relaxing.

Shirley has been musing over the idea of a chicken shack for quite a while, and when the opportunity arose to work with the Seaside team to bring his vision to fruition, he saw it was time to cross the road and get to the glorious fried chicken on the other side. After all, there are few things more Southern than fried chicken, and Jim loves the opportunity to showcase Southern food culture, especially as the geographic diversity of guests to the beach town continues to grow every year.

Chicken Shack

Slowly marinated in sweet tea and then tossed in Jim’s secret breading recipe, each piece of chicken is cooked to perfection. While the 2-piece, 3-piece, and tenders meals are meant to share, you might find you’re fighting over the last bites! Don’t worry, though; the “Bucket O’Chicken” – eight pieces of white and dark meat chicken, four sides, and four rolls – is sure to have a little something for everyone. Along with this all-star lineup, guests can indulge their side cravings with french fries, loaded potato salad, deviled potato salad, Brussels sprout slaw, and the best garlic butter rolls you have ever tasted. The Chicken Shack’s structure is also perfect for families and groups wanting to share a delicious yet casual meal together. Orders are made at the walk-up window, and then guests can either sit in the large, open seating area or take their food to-go as they explore Seaside.

C-Bar

Container Bar (dubbed C-Bar) is right next door and offers a lineup of local craft beer, liquor, and cocktails, which can be enjoyed at the bar or to-go from the walk-up window. Guests sitting at the bar can enjoy all their favorite menu items from The Great Southern Café (including Grits à Ya Ya) at this cool new location. C-Bar is a fun, low-pressure bar that allows guests to choose their experience. Whether they are grabbing one of the 30 seats at this custom, upcycled shipping container and unpacking their day, or walking up to the to-go window, ordering a drink, then exploring the town or beach, guests will love the opportunity to enjoy the C-Bar, and Seaside, how they’d like to. The local craft beer lineup is thoughtfully put together and highlights some of the exceptional breweries in the area. The cocktail list offers a mix of Great Southern classics (like Great Southern’s world-famous mojitos) and new and inventive C-Bar specials.

Both establishments are located next to The Great Southern Cafe, 83 Central Square, Santa Rosa Beach.

Photos by Jessica Anderson