Bud & Alley's 20th Celebration this Friday the 20th!!

[Dave Rauschkolb]

One cool, clear night on the 20th of January, 20 years ago we opened our doors. We will be celebrating our 20th anniversary this year in many ways but tomorrow night we will commemorate that day with a simple champagne toast (on the house) at sunset with good friends. Join us at 4:00 and into the twilight to toast an unforgettable past and a bright future in Seaside. Live Entertainment by Stix & Stones

.....the night before opening day my dear friend and partner, Scott Witcoski and I worked until 3:00 A.M. getting everything ready. We served 25 of our first customers for lunch and 28 for dinner; Robert and Daryl Davis, Louis Hyatt, and locals Tom Stein and James Foley were among our first diners. Seaside had 15 houses, a post office and an outdoor market. Then we had a huge parking lot and few customers. Now we have no parking lot and many thousands of customers; how times have changed. The formula was simple. Great food, simply prepared in a fun and casual setting.


Thank you all for 20 years of good food, good people and good times

Dave Rauschkolb

[kathydwells]

Congratulations on 20 years Dave. I will be at Bud and Alley's in July. I am so looking forward to it. I have alot of happy memories made there. Here is wishing you 20 more years!!!! I wish I could be there tomorrow. I will be in spirit.

[Miss Kitty]

Many happy times have been spent at B&A's. I remember our first visit...19 years ago this summer, when we waitied an hour to get a table! sara82 LOVED the lamb chops and they used to serve her half an order and save the rest for our last night there...so cute!!! Now, my fav spot is the Tarpon Club at sunset for drinks and dinner!

Thanks for all the good and FUNN memories, Dave and friends! Here's to the next 20!!!

[Kimmifunn]

I've had so much funn at Bud's that I don't remember it all!

Here's a fond memory there...a recent one! Bottoms up!

[ladybug8876]

Congratulations on 20years. I had my first experiece last year, the food, the service, the entertainment and of course the sunset was unforgettable. Cheers to another 20!!!

[Sheila]

Many, many good times and beautiful sunsets from the Tarpon Club! Here is a picture of our last sunset in October taken from there! What a great time that was.

We look forward to many more good times soon!

[Mermaid]

I've had so much funn at Bud's that I don't remember it all!

Here's a fond memory there...a recent one! Bottoms up!

We certainly knew how to close out the year, didn't we? I love Bud & Alley's and all my Funn friends!

[Sheila]

We certainly knew how to close out the year, didn't we? I love Bud & Alley's and all my Funn friends!

Wish I was there now!

[luvthebeach]

Congratulations on 20 years! We had friends and guests tell us about this great place called Bud and Alley's, so one night about 2 years ago we stopped in to give it a try ourselves. We had so much fun, and the food, drinks and atmosphere were absolutely awesome! This past summer I brought my sisters down to our condo and took them to your place. They still talk about the fun we had, and the great food and drinks!

Here's to the next 20 years.....and the 20 years after that!

[John R]

my first meal ever in sowal was at b&a when scouting for the first mtnfilm. never forget it.


jr

[kurt]

Congrats!!!


My last visit to the roof:

[seagrover]

So who all will be there tomorrow? I will, I will, I will!!!

[Jdarg]

When we were there last July, our friend Mary Lane guessed the sunset time and won herself a big ol' beer!! We were very excited to have a winner in our midst!

Kur's pic of the bell reminded me of that...

[Chickpea]

So who all will be there tomorrow? I will, I will, I will!!!

I have only recently joined and it seems like all you guys know each other!!! Does it take years of living in Sowal to get to know who is who?

Moved here 2 years ago and I think that Bud and Alley's serves THE BEST fresh rare tuna on bed of greens - beats all the other restaurants hand's down! I too will try be there....

[Kimmifunn]

Mo is my beach dad.

[catherinec]

Mo is my beach dad.

oh Moe, how i miss thee...

[Smiling JOe]

Dave,
Twenty years is a life time in the restaurant industry, where most fail within the first year of operation. Congratulations for offering a wonderful place to eat over the many years in the past, and much success to you in the future with Bud and Alley's and all you do.

[Unplugged]

Wow - what a celebration, can't believe it's been 20 years!

Dave gave a nice speech, then rang the bell at sunset:
______________________________________

[Kimmifunn]

Are there any special anniverary koozies or tshirts? If so I need one pronto tonto!

[Smiling JOe]

20 year anniversary and Dave still looks like he is college age.

[kurt]

The bell was longer and louder than normal.

[rosiee7777]

Are there any special anniverary koozies or tshirts? If so I need one pronto tonto!

Kimmi,
Dave was throwing out 20th anniversary t'shirts which i think are avaliable at the restaurant for sale.

[seagrover]

And a great time was had by all........

When I told Whiteyfunn we got t's, she automatically thought she was getting mine - NOT!!!

I didn't see any other SoWallers - did anyone see me? I was the one with a glass of champagne in my hand?

[Kimmifunn]

Kimmi,
Dave was throwing out 20th anniversary t'shirts which i think are avaliable at the restaurant for sale.

Oh I so need one! I'll have to call!
Thanks!

[kurt]

There's a SoWal poster in that photo.

I was lurking nearby.

[Kirkus]

Time sure flies when you're eating five star food and wearing flipflops - heaven on earth. How about celebrating by finally giving up the recipe to Scott's BBQ shrimp?

[SoWalSally]

When it came time to celebrate the 20th birthday of Bud ‘n Alley’s, owner Dave Rauschkolb wanted to mark the occasion with as much understatement as with which the restaurant was begun.
The middle of last week, Rauschkolb mentioned to the restaurant staff that he thought he would ring the sunset bell himself on the 20th, then toast the sunset to celebrate the fabled restaurant’s 20th.
Word spread quickly and the popular rooftop bar on County Road 30A was packed when the appointed hour came.
Before raising the champagne glass, Rauschkolb thanked the crowd for 20 good years and he thanked Robert and Daryl Davis for believing in two 24-year-old kids all those years ago. The Davises, who founded Seaside, where the restaurant is located, were present, as were many who were there when the restaurant opened, including his former partner, Scott Witcoski, who retired last year.
“I owe it all to Scott. We were surfing buddies. He chose me to be his partner in this venture. I ran the front and Scott cooked. To look at it now and know that people speak of Bud ‘n Alley’s with reverence ... We’re proud to be still here, and we’re proud to have been a part of Seaside’s growth,” he said.
Bud ‘n Alley’s, named after the Davises’ dog and the feral cats that roam freely about, is the longest established restaurant in South Walton.
“We wanted to commemorate as simply as we opened,” continued Rauschkolb. “We had 20 customers when we opened. We had a huge parking lot then and no customers. Now we have lots of customers and no parking lot. When we opened there was only the post office, Perspicasity’s and 15 houses, and that was it,” he said. “It’s great to reflect on the past and look forward to the future.”
Rauschkolb said he has been given a lease for two more years and offered the possibility to move into any new buildings being built. He said the actual restaurant will move across the street, but the roof deck will be retained.
“I feel very confident about our future,” he said, referring to the changes taking place in Seaside.
Rauschkolb also announced that Bud ‘n Alley’s has a new chef — James Huckaby from Birmingham. Huckaby studied for 11 years under Master Chef Frank Stitts, at Birmingham’s popular Highland’s Bar & Grill on the south side.
Bud ‘n Alley’s originally opened its doors on Jan. 20, 1986. It has through the years become renowned for its rooftop bar, where a huge dinner bell is rung each evening at sunset. Sitting atop a dune on the Gulf of Mexico, it offers panoramic views of Seaside and the Gulf of Mexico, making it a favorite of locals and visitors.
The restaurant has earned the prestigious Golden Spoon Award from Florida Trend Magazine designating it as one of the top 20 restaurants in the state and it has also won The Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator Magazine for 11 years running.
“It’s great to still be here,” Rauschkolb said proudly. “We will be celebrating all year long.”

[SoWalSally]

“As a child in 1986, I ate a hot dog from Bud’s that I’m pretty sure made me sick. Thankfully, I kept coming back. In 20 years, I have forged loves and friendships (there) that will last a lifetime. And the food turned out pretty good, too. It is the social epicenter of 30A, and I hope that will never change.”
— Craige Hoover

“I have very fond memories of Bud and Alley’s and always will. My first year to discover Bud and Alley’s was 1989 on a vacation to Seaside. Brad and I were in graduate school at Vanderbilt and came down with three other couples. Our big night out that week was dinner at Bud and Alley’s. I remember perusing the fresh urban garden oceanside while our food was being prepared. It was incredible. Fast forward to now and I thoroughly enjoy going to Bud and Alley’s roof top Tarpon Club for lunch. Most people think of Bud and Alley’s as a nighttime establishment but for me, it is so special during the daylight hours. It is the BEST place to watch dolphins and other ocean life. There is always a breeze and it’s truly the best seat on the Emerald Coast to enjoy the nature along with good food and beverage. I can’t imagine Seaside without Bud and Alley’s.”
— Holly Speight

“The best memories of Bud ‘n Alley’s are the sunsets and the people, cozy atmosphere, and again the sunsets ...
— Bill Beasley

“When they opened in 1986, Dave had long hair and Scott had short hair. (now it’s reversed.) It was one of two restaurants where we could dress up for Halloween and have a great time. During Halloween, the locals would migrate between a restaurant in Grayton and Bud ‘n Alley’s. When Dave severely injured his neck, we thought he would take time away from work, but he didn’t. My special memory of Bud ‘n Alley’s remains the warm greeting and smile extended when Dave and Scott made their rounds. In the early years, this occurred after Alley Cat made her rounds.”
— Bob and Susan Dobes

“My best memories of Bud ‘n Alley’s are of taking guests in town to see the view. It overwhelms them. Over a drink at sunset, it more than overwhelms them. It certainly makes friends for Seaside and for our gorgeous area.”
— Phyllis Bleiweiss

“I remember the many names we had kicked around to re-name the short-lived and disastrous ‘Bistro.’ I favored renaming it “The Grill.” (Peter Mulcahey, who went on to start The Lake Place had run the premises — when it was much smaller — as “The Seaside Grill.”) I liked the idea of continuity. But Scott Witcoski came up with the pretty wacky idea of naming it after my dog, Bud, and his cat, Alley. Perhaps the wackiest moment of this idea was a radio ad made by Will Mason, with yours truly playing Bud and Dave Rauscholb playing Alley, with Scott playing the news reporter interviewing us on our impressions of the B&A cuisine. Naturally, I favored the hamburger and Alley favored the Seaside shrimp, and we barked and howled to make our points. There were numerous large tabbies, most of them named Alley. As it turned out, it was Bud who had nine lives, coming back from the dead or missing numerous times and living to the ripe old age of 20. Their memory lives on in the B&A logo, featuring a dachshund and a cat against a plate.”
— Robert Davis

“I have enjoyed frequenting B&A since it opened. The memory of trying to predict the exact time of the sunset and never winning the free drink stands out!”
— Lane Rees

[seagrovelover]

Our gang just LOVES Bud and Alley's, congratulations on twenty years Some of my favorite pictures from past vacations were taken from the bar at sunset, I have one framed in the kids bathroom and look at it everyday

[kurt]

Dave made the home page.

[CastlesOfSand]

Wish I was there now!

Me too!!!!