This Kiln restaurant’s mac and cheese has a cult following. I tried it for the 1st time.
My husband and I drove 45 minutes from Jackson County with one goal: to try a macaroni and cheese with a cult following in tiny Kiln, Mississippi.
Known as the “moonshine capital of the world” for it’s production of the forbidden alcohol during the Prohibition Era, Kiln is a small but growing community in Hancock County. While the two-lane roads are winding and lined with trees and farm land, the town sits along the Jourdan River and is just a 20 minute drive from Gulfport, Bay St. Louis and Slidell.
Known by locals as the Kiln (and pronounced “kill), the town has a popular Southern food scene. And Dempsey’s Steak and Seafood is one of the most famed restaurants.
Dempsey’s has been open on Kiln-DeLisle Road for over 10 years. The seafood restaurant’s original location in Waveland was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.
It was my first time eating at the green tin restaurant, and my husband and I rank it as a 10 out of 10.
With exceptional servers, they explain the menu to you and will spark meaningful conversations. My server and I had a fun time talking about the Christmas decorations they were putting up.
What I ate off the Dempsey’s menu
I decided to try the blackened oysters, hamburger steak and homemade macaroni and cheese, the side item that Dempsey’s is known for.
The oysters were heavily seasoned with spices and very juicy. The hamburger was cooked medium well, with amazing gravy on top.
Now, for the main reason, I came: the mac and cheese. If you read the online reviews for Dempsey’s, most of the them include the mac and cheese. This dish is creamy and very cheesy and made with penne noodles, which is very unique for the dish. I was not disappointed. Dempsey’s does have a catering menu on their website, and you can order a pan to feed your family for the holidays.
The best part about Dempsey’s was the large serving size and the price. It’s an affordable cajun restaurant that everyone on the Mississippi Coast and New Orleans should try.