Cosmo's means great food, giving back to the community

John Mullen • May 24, 2018

Jodi & Brian Harsany of Cosmo's Restaurant & Bar

Cosmos giving to the community
Orange Beach, AL - (OBA®) - Brian and Jodi Harsany have built a solid reputation for community involvement in more than 20 years of being in the restaurant business in Orange Beach.
 
But there’s a really good reason for that, Brian says.
 
“We’re just very fortunate and happy the locals have been in our favor, the community,” Brian said. “People say ‘you do so much for the community’ and I say because the community does so much for us. If we take care of each other then we’ll all be all right.”
Cosmo's namesake, Cosmo

Harsany was relaxing in the bar area of his iconic Cosmo’s restaurant on Canal Road, the flagship of the five restaurants he and Jodi now own in the city. They took over the Ivan-ravished courtyard-type building in 2006 and built it into an icon of the Gulf Coast culinary scene.

 

“It was empty and a bakery café before that,” Brian said. “It opened just before Ivan. Everybody struggled that winter after Ivan because there was so much destruction. It sat empty from the fall of ’04 until we came in in May of ’06.”

 

Brian had managed Bayside Grill at Sportsman Marina for more than 10 years in his first job at the beach. He left there to enter a partnership that lasted just seven months.

Chicken Roulade

“When I stepped away from that partnership I didn’t have any plans but took our ideas that we had sort of come up with back off the shelf and started talking about it,” he said. “I had three ladies three straight days say something about this spot. I think there’s something to it when three people who don’t know each other say ‘you ought to go check out that spot.’”

 

They named their new place after one of their pets, Cosmo, and the restaurant took off. Cars spilled out into the roadsides, grassy areas and even parked across the street to cross busy Canal Road to get at the tasty fare coming out of Cosmo’s kitchen.

 

The secret to this rousing success?

 

“I don’t know,” Brian said with a laugh. But he knows how he wants his restaurants to operate and believes it is usually something as simple as doing things right.

 

“I think we did really well with executing and people knowing that our hours were going to be consistent, our food was going to be consistent and our service would be consistent,” Brian said. “They know what product we give and feel very confident whether or not to recommend it or when they come in themselves they are going to get what they expect.”

 

He and corporate chef Jack Baker have worked together since the mid-1990s and the recipes they have forged have proved popular and developed loyal followings.

“Our guests aren't happy if we take any items off the menu,” he said with another laugh. “There are many lunchtime guests we take a menu to just as a courtesy. If a particular server waits on them they just verify they are going to eat their usual and then they go place the order. Some people haven’t deviated in years from what they order here.”

 

One of the most popular dishes sort of happened by accident. Our Banana-leaf-wrapped fish would vary the, based on what was available.


“A local chef mentioned how he enjoyed the sea bass in banana leaf and it made the list of 100 things to eat in Alabama, before you die.” Brian said. “If we deviated people would get upset about it so now it’s always sea bass.”  It comes rubbed with a special blend of herbs and seasonings, wrapped in banana leaves and baked. It’s served with house rice and lemon garlic asparagus.

But it’s not Brian’s personal favorite. In a world of seafood along the beachfront, he’s just not a big seafood guy.
 
“It’s not my thing,” he said with a shrug. “I’m not a real big fish guy. I love fishing, I’ve always worked in seafood restaurants. It’s just not my favorite.
 
“My favorite’s the chicken roulade. It’s a gruyere cheese asparagus rolled up and wrapped in bacon with a sage and leek cream sauce and parmesan risotto.”
Pecan-encrusted redfish from Cosmo's

You’ll find plenty of delicious seafood from pecan-encrusted redfish, Cosmo’s famous crab cakes or even Alabama-raised catfish. But if you prefer barnyard fare try Brian’s favorite chicken dish or you can get a tender filet or ribeye cooked to order.

 

The redfish is encrusted with chopped pecans and Japanese breadcrumbs, lightly sautéed and topped with meuniere sauce. It comes with “dirty” risotto and lemon garlic asparagus. You have the option of adding sautéed crab meat on top.

 

You’ll find traditional fried seafood of any variety as well as po’ boys and other sandwiches at Cosmo’s. Check out Cosmo’s page on the OBA Community Website.

 

Cosmo’s also has an extensive sushi menu that’s served all day on Saturday and Sundays and starting at 3 p.m.

 

In the offseason, a regional menu lets the kitchen stray from the popular menus to offer up some variety for the fall and winter.

Cosmo's sashimi sushi roll

“We have a lot of fun in the fall and the winter running our regional menus because it allows the chefs to really explore some new cuisine,” Brian said. “We have through the years added items to the menu through those regional menus just because of the popularity of them in just a two- to three-week period. One of them being the redfish.”

 

Back to the community theme, recently they, along with several other businesses on the coast, were involved in the Paw Ball with the Orange Beach Police Department Benevolent Association to raise money for another canine officer. The event at the Perdido Beach Resort raised more than $20,000.

 

“It was a huge success,” Brian said. “We gave them a check for $20,000. I believe our goal was $16,000 for a new canine. This will make sure that no canine officer has to work extra shifts.”

 

The Harsanys also own and operate Cobalt at The Restaurant, GTs on the Bay also on Canal Road and Luna’s Eat and Drink. Maggies Parlor and BuzzCatz’s Coffee & Sweets all in the Cosmo’s courtyard.

Share this article w/ Friends...

Gulf Shores Fire Rescue
By OBA Staff August 27, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Gulf Shores Fire Rescue is set to celebrate a major milestone with the official ribbon-cutting for its new fire training facility. The event will be held on the facility grounds at 19600 West 36th Ave in Gulf Shores. The ceremony is open to the public, and refreshments will be provided for
By Ray eye - selbst fotografiert von Ray eye, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.ph
By OBA Staff August 27, 2026
Lillian, Ala. — (OBA) — The Optimist Club of Perdido Bay is preparing for another community tradition in Lillian. The annual Mullet Festival will feature races, food, music and family activities. A silent auction, bake sale and drawings are also planned. Proceeds will benefit local children and teens.
Gulf of America Jeep Fest
By OBA Staff August 27, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Gulf Shores is preparing to welcome Jeep enthusiasts from across the region for a four-day gathering on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Gulf of America Jeep Fest will feature Jeep activities, live entertainment, and vendors. Local businesses will also participate. Charitable fundraising will be a maj
Tacky Jacks Gulf Shores
By OBA Staff August 26, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Gulf Shores Elementary School is partnering with Tacky Jacks Gulf Shores for a Spirit Night fundraiser. The event will bring families together for a fun evening of food, entertainment, and school pride. A portion of restaurant sales from in-person and online orders will benefit Gulf Shores
Elberta German Sausage Festival
By OBA Staff August 26, 2026
Elberta, Ala. — (OBA) — The Elberta German Sausage Festival is getting new management. The Town of Elberta and its municipal volunteer fire department will take responsibility for organizing the longtime community event. Elberta Community Partners will step aside as the event's organizer. The nonprofit says it will co
2026 Lunar Eclipse
By OBA Staff August 26, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Night-owl beachgoers along Alabama's Gulf Coast can enjoy a special treat this week! A near-total lunar eclipse will take place Thursday night, and watching it over the Gulf makes it even better. You don't need any special glasses, so it's one of the easiest celestial events to relax and e
Free Bird Identification Class
By OBA Staff August 25, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Orange Beach Parks and Recreation is offering residents a chance to learn more about the birds that live along the Gulf Coast. The city's Adult Learning Lab is hosting a class, Coastal Wings & Waves, designed to make bird identification fun and easy. The class is open to adults and will be
Orange Beach Adult Fitness Center
By OBA Staff August 25, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Orange Beach Parks & Recreation is challenging residents and visitors to get moving this fall with a fun, fitness-focused program. The department is launching Fall Fitness Bingo, a monthlong activity challenge designed to encourage people of all fitness levels to stay active. The program i
Orange Beach Community Center
By OBA Staff August 25, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — The Orange Beach Community Center is kicking off its 2026 season with a Labor Day potluck dinner. Annual membership dues of $10 per person will be collected at the event. The evening will feature BBQ from Moe's, served with all the fixings. No guest speaker is planned, and the night is int
Things to do on the Gulf Coast This Week.
By Jessica A. Taylor August 24, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — The calendar may be creeping towards September, but the Alabama Gulf Coast summer is still swinging for one more big hit. This week offers a wonderfully random–and very Gulf Coast–mix of activities to see, do, learn, hear, and eat. Test your trivia skills under the stars and twinkle lights
Show More