This Biloxi restaurant’s po-boy is the best sandwich in Mississippi, food magazine says
It’s not near the rows of seafood restaurants that line the beaches of South Mississippi, but there’s almost always a line at the door of this Biloxi institution.
Located in the Woolmarket area, Taranto’s Crawfish has lots of tables, friendly service and a no-frills menu that serves up some of the most popular seafood on the Coast.
And now, the restaurant has earned national recognition: the seafood po-boys at Taranto’s were named the best sandwiches in Mississippi by “Food and Wine” magazine.
“Taranto’s Crawfish makes some of the better seafood po-boys in existence, but that’s just for starters — when available, snap up a pound of peel-and-eat royal red shrimp for $16,” reporter David Landsel said in his review.
Sun Herald’s expert foodie Scott Watkins recently visited Taranto’s after getting dozens of suggestions from Coast residents to eat there. He tried the crawfish po-boy.
Not usually a po-boy person, Watkins decided to try one anyway after reading through hundreds of positive reviews. He wound up ordering a fried crawfish po-boy and cup of seafood gumbo.
“The bread was soft and the delicate taste of crawfish fought through its fried encasement,” he said, adding that his world changed when he dipped his seafood sammy into his seafood gumbo.
“Galaxies collided. The very fabric of reality shifted. My vision cleared. I saw heaven and it was in that po-boy,” he wrote.
How the best sandwiches in the U.S. were found
The “Food and Wine” reporter searched the U.S. for the best sandwich in every state — a staple in America that became even more popular as folks looked for to-go options during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Landsel’s methodology examined American classics and the beloved sandwiches that were brought to the U.S. by immigrants, much like the Sicilian muffuletta at Central Grocery in New Orleans.
He also had strict rules of including no hot dogs, tacos, burgers or burritos in the list.
Pass Christian restaurant gets honorable mention
Another Coast restaurant caught Landsel’s eye.
Pirate’s Cove, one of the most popular po-boy shops in the Deep South, received an honorable mention in the “Food and Wine” list.
The line at Pirate’s Cove in Pass Christian is often made up of people from the other side of the state line, who’ll swear by the house roast beef—we’ll second the recommendation,” he wrote.
Pirate’s Cove is also beloved by Pass native Robin Roberts, who married her longtime partner, Amber Laign, over the weekend. Comedian Tig Notaro was also said to have food from Pirate’s Cove at her Coast wedding.
