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...

Three-Day Detour Planned for Intracoastal Waterway Bridge Project
By R. Ken Cooper April 9, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Orange Beach leaders announced a three-day traffic detour as work continues on the new Intracoastal Waterway bridge project. The change will impact drivers traveling through Orange Beach and Gulf Shores during a busy May weekend. City officials stated that the goal is to keep traffic...
Lagoonfest Brings Local Musicians Together For Daylong Celebration
By R. Ken Cooper April 9, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Local music will take center stage as a new festival debuts at Icehouse Tap Room. Organizers say Lagoonfest was created to celebrate and support area musicians. The event aims to bring artists and fans together in a single location. It also seeks to create new opportunities for performers...
Orange Beach Sportsplex
By R. Ken Cooper April 9, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Orange Beach will host the inaugural Habitat Hustle 5K and Fun Run this weekend. The race will benefit gopher tortoise conservation and research efforts at Gulf State Park. Participants can sign up for four race categories, starting at $15 for children. Educational booths will showcase...
Safe Harbor Offers No-Cost Spay Neuter Services For Strays
By R. Ken Cooper April 9, 2026
Foley, Ala. — (OBA) — A series of free clinics is being offered to help reduce stray cat populations in Baldwin County. The effort is organized by Safe Harbor Animal Coalition. The program focuses on unowned stray cats cared for by residents. Officials say appointments are required to participate.
Country Legend Willie Nelson Set to Play Orange Beach in May
By R. Ken Cooper April 8, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — Willie Nelson is returning to the Alabama Gulf Coast for a night of live music at The Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach. The country legend and his band, Willie Nelson & Family, will perform as part of the C Spire Concert Series. The show is presented by Live Nation. It is his first....
City of Gulf Shores Seeks Public Input on Playground Redesign
By OBA Staff April 8, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Gulf Shores is asking its residents to help shape the future of one of its most treasured parks. The city has started a community-led project called Reimagine Kids Park. The goal is to rebuild the wooden playground at Johnnie Sims Park. The original structure has served families for 30 years
Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo
By OBA Staff April 8, 2026
The Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is renowned for its September 2004 evacuation prompted by Hurricane Ivan, a formidable Category 3 storm heading straight for Gulf Shores, which resulted in a mandatory evacuation. Zoo Director Patti Hall faced a unique challenge for a U.S. zoo director: coordinating the care and safety of...
Crews Are Ready To Start Resurfacing Innerarity Point Road
By OBA Staff April 8, 2026
Perdido Key, Fla. — (OBA) — Drivers on Innerarity Point Road in Escambia County should prepare for lane closures next week. Resurfacing work is scheduled to begin as crews work to repave the roadway. The project includes Innerarity Point Road between Sorrento Road and Kaiser Lane. Motorists are advised to slow down...
Orange Beach Makos Softball Holds Firm As Nation's Top-Ranked Team
By R, Ken Cooper April 7, 2026
Orange Beach, Ala. — (OBA) — The Orange Beach Makos varsity girls softball team is still the best in the country. The Makos stayed undefeated Monday night with a 13-3 victory over McCracken County. They now have a season record of 26-0. MaxPreps, the CBS Sports-owned platform for high school sports, ranks them No. 1 in
Raise a Glass: Big Beach Brewing Company Celebrates National Beer Day
By OBA Staff April 7, 2026
Gulf Shores, Ala. — (OBA) — Gulf Shores has a lot to offer — white sand, warm water, and a brewery that locals and visitors keep returning to. Big Beach Brewing Company is located at 300 E. 24th Ave., right in the heart of town. It holds the title of the southernmost brewery in Alabama. And on National Beer Day...
Show More