Visiting Bay St. Louis & Waveland? You may be missing out on these underrated restaurants
The Bay St. Louis and Waveland areas are known for their tucked-away, but vibrant food scenes.
Breakfast at the Mockingbird Cafe, lunch at The Blind Tiger and dinner at the Silver Slipper is a surefire plan for your trip to the BSL area, as are a host of other Beach Boulevard options that line the waters.
Like every other spot on the Coast, the quality food options run deeper than what may be immediately visible to out-of-towners.
That’s why I set out to try a couple of well-reviewed restaurants that may not be getting the love they deserve, as well as find a couple of others on Yelp.com that are definitely worth a go.
Dat Kitchen Too
Locals know all about the southern-style kitchen that sits just a bit out of the way on U.S. 90 near Kiln-Waveland Cutoff Road.
My first time visiting left me wholly impressed by the menu. For anyone looking for a high quality meal with a local flavor that doesn’t break the bank, this place emphatically checks off all the boxes.
The menu includes daily specials and everyday specials and wide range of options from pasta to seafood to sandwiches.
There are cajun dishes, such as the Kajun Katrina, which is a fried fish dish covered with crab crawfish bisque. The stuffed mushrooms come filled with crab meat stuffing and doused in a fantastic creme sauce.
My trip yielded a generous plate of chicken alfredo that may have been the largest serving of $12 pasta I’ve ever had. And it was perfect.
Any tourist looking for a home-cooked style meal with all the rich flavors of South Mississippi will find their answers here.
Parrot Head Bar and Grill at Bodega
Before you say it, I know, how does anyone not know about this place? The multipurpose venue is a popular spot near the water and is especially crowded in the evenings when live music and notably strong customer service from the bar brings people in from down the road and out-of-state.
But how many of those patrons are popping in just for the drinks and good vibes and missing out on an almost-hidden element to the bar and grill?
The kitchen at the Parrot Head is no joke. It offers visitors a meal for lunch, a mid-afternoon snack and a full dinner.
The menu everything from wings and nachos to gumbo and french dip. You can grab a pizza or even a peanut butter chocolate pie.
After my battle with the alfredo, I decided to go light but local and had the shrimp remoulade salad. It was a fairly simple dish, but the regional twist gave it a unique flair and made me feel better about my choices.
The Bodega is an excellent stop for entertainment and drinks, but also a highly underrated location for between-meal snacking or even a casual lunch.
Other must-visit restaurants
S&B’s Bar and Grill
Traditional seafood that produces with consistent quality. Popular place among locals, but tucked into Waveland away from the action at the casinos and on the water.
J’s restaurant
If you don’t look closely enough, you might miss it as you make your way down MS-603 onto U.S. 90. Next to the Rum Kitchen (another great spot), the featured-on Restaurant: Impossible seafood joint should be on everyone’s list.
Uncle Joe’s Pizza
You have find your way through the small streets of BSL to sniff out this wing’s and pizza joint, but you won’t be disappointed. The restaurant opened shortly after Hurricane Katrina and offers something a little different from the usual seafood scene, but high quality all the same.
