A charcuterie board with waffles? Ocean Springs has a new brunch option with ‘lovely patio’

The Lady May just opened in downtown Ocean Springs at the beginning of May, but it is already a local favorite.

Check out the crowds at lunch time to see what I mean. It has a pretty cool design, with inside seating and bar, and outside seating, with your choice of shade or sun, a bar and the lovely fountain that has been at this location for years.

If you have visited this Washington Avenue location in other guises, you will be pleased with the extensive renovation. No expense was spared.

There is also a retail section inside where you can buy a variety of house-made goodies like chips, infused oils, jam and jellies and even canned snap beans and asparagus. I counted 14 items on the wall-mounted menu, but think there were several more not mentioned.

If the grocery selection is as good as the food that comes out of this kitchen, it’s worth your time to take a look and bring a few things home with you.

The menu is a simple one-pager, as so many are these days. Restaurants have realized during these strange times; a complicated menu means a larger inventory and more throw-aways. Times have changed.

There are a handful of starters on the menu, with the snack board being highly recommended. It is a charcuterie board that is jacked up with pickled veggies, hummus, cheese, a sliced pear, candied pecans and chips.

For brunch, there’s also the May’s brunch board with waffles, toast, bacon, sausauge, cheeses, eggs, fruit and spreads.

Bestsellers include the cranberry pecan salad, the McDonald burger, all the plates, especially the braised beef shanks and the honey butter fried chicken. All of the brunch menu looked good, especially the shank and eggs.

I tried the McDonald burger and was delighted. There is nothing wrong with a greasy cheeseburger at times, but this was far from that. It was a refined burger, if you know what I mean, hand-formed and loaded with BBQ sauce, pickles and cheddar cheese, but made even more delightful, with the addition of red onions and crunchy pickles.

I also had a shot at the hummus and avocado sandwich and thought the combination of mango sriracha hummus, avocado, cucumber, red onions, bell pepper, arugula and honey balsamic perfect.

I really do wish I could have tried the fried chicken; I saw several plates come out and it look very good, especially with a mac and cheese side made with bucatini noodles (the long spaghetti like noodle that is hollow like a straw), not the classic macaroni.

In fact, everything that the waitstaff walked by our table was exceptionally well-plated.

Combine a solid menu, excellent execution in the kitchen, top-notch service and a lovely patio on a lovely sunny day and it’s a combination that spells success.

The Lady May

Location: 708 Washington Avenue, Ocean Springs

Phone: 228-872-8478 or on Facebook and Instagram @TheLadyMayOS

Hours: 4-9 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m Sunday. Brunch ends daily at 2 p.m.

This story was originally published May 28, 2021 at 5:50 AM.