Elderly Father-Son Duo Holds Eatery to Its Oyster Promise
A decades-old sign at Wintzell’s Oyster House has finally paid off for a father and son whose combined ages add up to 179.
The Mobile seafood spot has long displayed a tongue-in-cheek promise: “Free oysters to any man 80 years old accompanied by his father.” On Monday, 80-year-old Jimmy Rush Jr. arrived with his 99-year-old father, Jim Rush Sr., ready to claim the offer, according to NBC 15.
As staff members shucked oysters, Jim Sr.—who prefers his oysters plain—enjoyed them during his son’s birthday celebration. Family members said they had kept an eye on the sign for years, occasionally checking to make sure it was still posted and still valid.
General manager Mike Vickers said the sign has hung at the original location for roughly 88 years, serving more as a novelty than an active promotion—until now. Jim Sr., a Navy veteran who served in World War II and the Korean War and later spent three decades working for the postal service, has been eating oysters most of his life and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon. In fact, the family may be back again soon: another son, Carl, will turn 80 in just over two years.
In a Facebook post, the restaurant celebrated the moment, noting that the founder’s long-standing promise was honored with a full room of friends, shared memories, and oysters on the house. As the post put it, some jokes truly stand the test of time.
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