One of the best places for a po’boy in South Mississippi is tucked away in Picayune

I looked at Frostop’s Facebook page before I visited just to see what they said about themselves: “We consider each person that enters our doors a friend. Some have been customers so long, they are more like family.” And they mean it.

A regular customer walks up and doesn’t even have to order, they just sit down and get what they always get. I walk in with a camera, and people, in a very friendly way, ask why I am taking pictures.

I have only been in this place five minutes, and I love it already.

Frostop opened in 1951, and it appears not much has changed. The building is old, but well-cared for; clean, but worn. Almost any time you visit, you are going to find a crowd, its just that popular. And don’t even try to call during rush hours, the phone is off the hook.

So what makes this place so popular? It’s a combination of things. Of course, having been around for 66 years is an important factor, and the food is good — really good. People rave about the roast beef po’boy (it’s the reason I drive an hour to visit), the chili hamburger, crab cake sandwich, ice cream and a lot more. The menu offers about forty choices, and everything seems to be popular.

Combine a cool, retro atmosphere, friendly and fast service, with good food, and you have a winner. Add all of the above with amazing prices — and I mean really amazing prices — and you have a restaurant that has become an institution.

Could the prices really be that good? What about a grilled cheese sandwich for $1? The loaded roast beef po’boy I came for was $6.50 ($8.95 in Ocean Springs), a regular hamburger is $1.60, cheeseburger $1.75, French fries $1.30. Wow.

There also are a few specialty items on the menu that I have not seen elsewhere. What about a French fry po’boy loaded with roast beef gravy for $4? There also was a hot dog po’boy for $5, and a fish and shrimp box (platter) for $8.

Frostop may be a bit of a drive for most folks, but I assure you it is worth it. I’d go again for the roast beef po’boy, and, believe it or not, I did try the French fry po’boy, and it was good as well. Lots of carbs (and a few stray chunks of roast beef from the gravy), but messy and delicious. The friendly service is a big plus, but I think you will find the other customers just as friendly and curious about who you are and where you are from. Check this place out.

Frostop

Where: 305 Highway 11 South, Picayune

Hours: 11 a.m. to 830 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

Phone: 601-798-4981

This story was originally published July 9, 2018 at 11:59 AM.