New barbecue restaurant on the Coast is making ‘big waves’ with brisket and breakfast
Good barbecue, really good barbecue, can be found in plenty in the hills and Delta of Mississippi.
Drive through a small town, roll the window down, and when you smell hickory smoke, you can be assured that you have stumbled upon a barbecue paradise. But what about south of Interstate 10?
There are a few good ones, but a lot have come and gone over the years. I do not know why. But, if you are a barbecue aficionado, take heart, there is a new place on Gautier that is making waves — big waves.
Tony Bankston is the owner and pit master. He started out with a smoker in his backyard, as so many barbecue greats do. Encouraged by friends, he finally took a big chance and got a food trailer, which turned out to be very successful.
Bankston was making a name for himself. Six months ago — yes, in the middle of a pandemic — Bankston moved to a brick-and-mortar restaurant on Highway 90 in Gautier, and the lines have been out the door since he opened.
What is drawing the crowds, and accolades, is some of the best ribs, brisket and pulled pork the Coast has ever seen. The menu has a good selection of appetizers, amazing smoked wings, a few po-boys and a small seafood selection.
But make no mistake, this place is all about what comes off the smoker in the back.
The restaurant also has live music on the weekends and steak nights on Friday and Saturday. Bankston told me, “I do a mean ribeye.”
He is also still setting up the food trailer around town, just check out his Facebook page to find the locations. He also does catering.
When I first found Tony’s, I was curious to see that he opened at 5 a.m. Why in the world would a BBQ place open so early?
The obvious is pretty obvious if you ever travel that highway in the mornings. Thousands of cars are heading to the shipyards, and that means thousands of hungry workers looking for a quick bite.
Bankston knew he had an opportunity for early-morning business, but the real stroke of genius was hiring chef Darlene Ison. She is well-known locally and has one of the best breakfast menus around.
Bankston said of her, “That woman can flat cook!”
What I love about the breakfast menu is it is set up in a “create your own” format. You can create your own hash brown bowl, grit bowl, biscuit, waffle or pancake plate. What a great idea!
The hash browns and grits come with two eggs. There is a choice of sausage, bacon or ham and a handful of toppings, like cheese and green peppers.
Tony’s has a great location, is comfortable and shining new inside. It is a family-run business, so you can be sure it is as friendly as can be and the food is killer-good.
Gautier is quite a haul from my place in Biloxi, but I promise you it is worth the drive!
Tony’s Smokehouse BBQ & Catering
Location: 3813 Highway 90, Gautier
Hours: 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Contact: 228-215-3824 or https://www.facebook.com/Tonys-Smokehouse-BBQ-Catering-115328590367148/
This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 5:50 AM.