JOSEPHINE, AL - "Pirate's Cove, we are not on fire," cook Andrew Trattle answered the phone about 2:45 p.m. on June 17.

Rumors of a fire at Pirate's Cove are greatly exaggerated.

As rumors go, this one got started when someone linked a story and a photo about a fire at Pirate's Cove on a Facebook page, it was unfounded. 

Pirate's Cove is an icon of the Alabama Gulf Coast region. It sits directly across the Intracoastal Waterway from Flipper's in Orange Beach's Bear Point neighborhood in Josephine. It has an Elberta address.

It's known for it's fabulous cheeseburgers, onion rings, bushwackers and a great place to bring your boat and your dog.

Trattle said the restaurant started getting calls in the afternoon after Joe Duhon, owner of Pirate's Cove Cajun Cafe in Florien, La., posted a smoky picture on his Facebook page with the post:

"Pirate's Cove caught fire. Will have concession stand to sell burgers out of soon. And still rent cabins Sorry for inconvenience."

Gulf Coast Media first heard the rumor and made calls to Orange Beach Fire Chief Shane Phillips. He was laying a water line in his attic at home and hadn't heard a thing. He suggested calling Central Baldwin Dispatch and provided a number.

The person answering there asked around. No one had heard of a fire at Pirate's Cove.

"We didn't catch on fire," Trattle said. "We are serving food and having a busy day."