From a Jamaican burger to oxtail, new MS Coast bistro has ‘soul-satisfying’ dishes

For years, you would have been hard-pressed to find a Jamaican restaurant on the Coast.

Now, there are at least half a dozen, and a new one just opened in Ocean Springs.

It is called Wagwan, a Jamaican phrase that means “What’s going on?” And, I am delighted to tell you that what is going on here is classically good Jamaican food.

Jamaican food is spicy, soul-satisfying and perhaps the best comfort food in the world. Kelvin and Marcia Isaac just opened the brightly colored (green and yellow, as you might guess) and very friendly place at the beginning of December.

Kelvin has been a professional chef for many years, and was executive at Maison De Lu, just across the street, for almost eight years. He hails from north Mississippi, but co-owner and chef Marcia is from Jamaica. They may not always agree on a recipe, but I promise you the food that comes out of this tiny kitchen is delicious.

The menu is a two-pager, and includes six appetizers, with the Jamaican beef patties being my favorite. If they are new to you, imagine savory ground beef inside a flaky pastry.

Jerk chicken nachos is a novel and interesting mix of Mexican and Jamaican, and I like the creativity of it. The jerk chicken wings also come as an appetizer, and will surely be a bestseller.

There is also a nice selection of Jamaican-inspired sandwiches, and it might surprise you that the Wagwan burger has been a real hit. It is made with ground veal and beef, with grilled pineapple, Wagwan jerk sauce (housemade, of course), smoked applewood bacon and all the traditional burger toppings. Wow.

There are seven entrees to choose from, and as you might guess, the braised oxtail is one of the bestsellers. They are cooked until falling apart, with a lovely rich gravy and is one of my favorites all-time dishes. Nothing goes better together than Jamaican rice and peas, gravy and tender oxtails.

Curried goat may be new to you, but it is worth going out on a limb to try for the first time. The goat is tender, and so delicious, and comes with the same choice of rice and peas, rice, or mashed potatoes.

Another of my all-time favorite dishes is brown chicken stew. It is so rich and flavorful and, again, comes with an astonishingly good gravy.

If there is a downside to good Jamaican food, it is that it is so filling. I am thankful that Wagwan offers a small and large portions for their entrees. But even with the smaller portion I ordered, I think I’ll skip supper tonight!

Check this place out, you are going to love it.

Wagwan Jamaican Bistro

Location: 711 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday

Phone: 228-334-5310