On the 1982 song, "I Heard I Was in Town," Jimmy Buffett sings about walking the streets of his former stomping grounds. On a recent trip to Mobile, the renowned singer-songwriter was caught bringing the words of his song to life, stopping into the Dew Drop Inn in Mobile on Thursday afternoon for an impromptu chat with fans.

The late lunch encounter began with a table of women pointing out of the window.

"Jimmy," I heard one of the women saying. "That is him," she continued. "Jimmy Buffett."

Sure enough, I caught a glimpse of the tropical-shirted figure stepping into a white late-model Nissan van in an adjacent lot on Old Shell Road.

Quickly, the woman sprang up from the table and sprinted out of the restaurant's back door. Through the window, I could see her waving to flag Buffett down.

It's often said around town, when Jimmy Buffett is discussed, that everyone in Mobile has a connection to the man. Inside, at the woman's table, her mother looked my way, explaining that she hadn't seen Jimmy since he was a young man, living in her neighborhood in Fairhope. "We used to see him play all the time when he was just starting out," she said.

The woman returned, stepping back into the restaurant with Buffett in tow. He calmly walked in, sat down at the table of eager Parrotheads, took off his shades and told the waitress, "Oh, I'll just have a water."

I walked over to my table and introduced myself as a reporter.

"Well, you must be a pretty good one if you found me," he said.

"I think you found me," I told him.

So, why was Jimmy Buffett walking "old streets again," as he sings in his aforementioned song?

Jimmy Buffett and our Jared Boyd talk about an upcoming documentary project chronicling the singer's start on the Gulf Coast during a chance encounter at Dew Drop Inn on Thursday, January 12, 2017.

According to the man, himself, he's saluting his Mobile roots in a documentary film about his early career. While in town, Buffett says he is gathering shots and meeting with local musicians who were integral to the making of his first records.

"I'm hoping to get out to McGill-Toolen in a minute," the "Margaritaville" singer said of his alma-mater. "I've got some fond memories and some not-so-fond memories there."

Of those not-so-fond memories, he joked that he was no stranger to trouble with the nuns and fathers on campus. "They would chase you around with rulers and pop you. That's why our track team was always so good!"

Sarah Delaney Buffett, a filmmaker and Jimmy Buffett's daughter, is among the list of names Buffett says is involved with the project.

"So, now you've got the scoop," he said, after a short spiel.

He stood up and walked out after a few photos. He never even touched the water at his table. More remarkably, the man who is famous for performing "Cheeseburger in Paradise" was able to leave the Dew Drop Inn without ordering one of their famous burgers for himself.

After his gracious visit, the restaurant returned to its quiet lull in the last hour before closing.

"That was pretty cool, huh?" our waitress said.

It doesn't get much cooler than that. And it doesn't get much more 'Mobile' than that, either.

For more info on the film project, Buffett's press manager says to stick close to social media where all things Jimmy Buffett are updated in real-time!





[Jimmy Buffett 2016 concert at Oak Mountain Amphitheatre]