Fine dining has arrived in Wiggins and it’s worth the trip for a unique experience
Hidden inside downtown Wiggins, directly in between Gulfport and Hattiesburg, is one of South Mississippi’s newest and most popular restaurants.
Staigle’s Steakhouse is open on 154 East Pine Ave. and offers a rare fine-dining experience with a menu featuring a heavy dose of local ingredients and influence.
It was voted one of the top new restaurants on the Coast by sunherald.com readers with nearly 32,000 votes, along with the authentic Indian Delight in Ocean Springs.
So, we gave it a try to see if it lived up to the billing. In short: yes, yes it did.
Staigle’s is in the perfect location for what it offers. It sits on the brick road that tumbles down East Pine and is nestled into the cozy row of shops and restaurants that line the road.
They open the door for you. They place your napkin and greet you warmly. Surrounding you are black-on-black walls with soft-glowing light setting the scene. A large, faux-marble wall runs along the long side of the suite and adds to the elegance.
Seating options are the full bar or the intimate dining room. We got a front-row table to the live music of Hadley Batson accompanying our meal.
Our server was attentive and walked us through the cuts of the day, which are displayed on a blackboard.
Staigle’s proudly sources many of its ingredients locally and that includes its meats. The beef comes from Johnson Farms in Picayune and Black Jack Ranch in Perkinston and the andouille sausage from Johnny Pizmo’s in Gulfport.
The menu is elegant. Starters include pork belly with jalapeno, apple slaw and pumpkin gastrique; and beef tartare with black angus sirloin, horseradish, cured egg, parmesan and toast.
The featured entrees are, of course, the steaks. The options are plentiful and hearty. The cut of the day board featured shareable porterhouses up to 49 oz. and New York strips from 15 oz. to 20 oz. plus more sizes in ribeye and spinalis.
Outside of the steaks, the menu featured spiced gulf fish, roasted eggplant and Dante’s chicken with fried, honey-creamed mustard greens.
The combination of high-class atmosphere and haute menu was in stark contrast to my casual, Raising Cane’s-addicted personality. “You look lost. Like you don’t belong,” my wife said. Maybe.
But that’s why I’m here — I’m an explorer. Like an astronaut tracking toward the moon or Lewis and Clark laying the foundation for so-called Manifest Destiny.
For that reason, I didn’t order a steak. I wanted to embark on my own journey. Carve my own path. Make my own adventure.
So I got a salad. Also, a burger.
My caeser was made with butter lettuce and topped with an anchovy vinaigrette and was adorned with decorative flowers — just in case I was really hungry.
Then the Black Jack burger arrived. As my wife swirled her Riesling above her perfectly cooked sirloin, I dipped my fries into the house-made ketchup, This, in itself, was new. Because I don’t like ketchup. But Staigle’s prepares their own and does so with a hint of pepper juice. It’s a game-changer and I recommend.
The Wagyu beef my burger was made from was wonderful. The cut was a little over an inch thick and cooked to order. The bacon jam was the only topping and was a splendid pair. It didn’t exactly add its own, individual taste to the dish, but instead acted to bring more flavor out of the meat, itself. It was the best burger I’ve had in my few years on the Coast.
The steak was tender and cooked to perfection. It came with a bordelaise sauce that wasn’t too dissimilar in taste from a homemade gravy, but in a thin, sauce form.
The full experience was enjoyable. It’s the perfect setting for an anniversary date or celebration. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, too.
Staigle’s Steakhouse succeeds in providing the fine-dining experience it aims to offer. They are open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Brunch is served on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
This story was originally published February 3, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
