99-Year-Old Father Helps Son, 80, Claim Free Oysters at Alabama Restaurant

Jimmy Rush had been waiting for this birthday his entire adult life. In February, he walked into Wintzell's Oyster House in downtown Mobile with his 99-year-old father, Jim Rush, and claimed a promotion that had been hanging behind the bar for decades: free oysters to any man who turns 80 and brings his father along.

About 60 family members and friends packed the restaurant to watch it happen. Wintzell's honored the deal with a dozen oysters on the house, fulfilling what the restaurant called its founder's promise.

"Most people read that sign behind the bar and laugh," Wintzell's wrote in a Facebook post. "But tonight, Jimmy Rush walked in on his 80th birthday with his father, James Rush, 99, right beside him, and turned one of Wintzell's rarest traditions into a real-life milestone. Some jokes age well. So did this one."

Jimmy had seen that sign hundreds of times. He and his father started eating at Wintzell's every year before riding in a Mardi Gras parade, a tradition that began in 1972. "My dad and I started riding in a parade at Mardi Gras on Friday nights," Jimmy said. "So we would come down here on Friday afternoon and eat oysters. And that started in 1972."

He knew exactly which birthday mattered. "Never thought about any birthdays except my 80th," he said. "That's the one I was looking forward to — because of the sign."

According to al.com's Kelly Kazek, the Rushes became the first customers in the restaurant's history to ever meet the qualifications. Wintzell's has been serving oysters in Mobile since 1938, and the family had asked over the years whether anyone had ever claimed the offer. No one had.

Jim Rush, now 99, is a veteran of both World War II and the Korean War who takes no medication. He credited his faith for his longevity. "I've been very lucky and very well taken care of through my God and it worked out," he said. His son added a lighter explanation: a lot of oysters and, per Jim's own grin, a little Jack Daniels.

The family's connection to seafood runs deep. They grew up shrimping, oystering, and crabbing, and oysters in every preparation — raw, fried, in gumbo, in stew — were a staple long before Wintzell's made them a milestone.

Jim's other son, Carl Rush, said the family had been talking about the sign for 25 or 30 years. Carl is already planning his own visit. "We will be back to do this all over again October of 2028 when I turn 80," he said. "My dad says he's going to make it, so that's good enough for me." Jim would be 102.

Jim, for his part, kept his assessment of the evening simple. "We're the number ones.