California native brings BBQ restaurant ‘home’ to Mississippi Coast. Here’s what we think
Chef Mark Millwood needed a fresh start.
The California native has deep family ties to Mississippi and spent over a decade honing his craft on the Coast, so when it came time to reset and start anew, Millwood knew exactly where he was going.
“This is the only place I’ve ever lived that I ever felt like I was home,” Millwood told the Sun Herald. “California included, and I was born and raised out there... I still got a lot of family down here. I have first cousins down here whose families have been here since the 1800s. It was time to come home.”
Millwood spent five years as a chef in the Navy before traveling around the country working various jobs. He would spend 12 years cutting his teeth on the Mississippi Coast working at different casinos, including the Grand Casino and the Beau Rivage.
It was at those casinos where he grew the most as a chef — even though he was hesitant about jumping into that world at first.
But Millwood prides himself as a “fixer,” making the casinos and their array of restaurants the perfect landscape for him to move from one stop to another improving various aspects of operation in each restaurant. It also gave him the opportunity to work closely with different high-level chefs and learn from them.
“Coming down here and really seeing professional chefs in action, and not a just a few in one restaurant, I’m talking in multiple restaurants with different cultures and different backgrounds,” Millwood said. “If you want to be better at something, surround yourself with people who are better than you... That was my thing when I got down here. I got around a lot of different chefs and it kind of opened my eyes, opened my palate to a lot of different things.”
The culmination of his experiences now rests off of Washington Street at 1100 Highway 90.
The building has a Sonic-style entry point with parking around a grassy median that features picnic and bench seating.
And there’s no confusing where you are when you walk inside the building. The brick walls are filled with New Orleans Saints jerseys and plaques, all of which adorned the walls of the California iteration. Trumpets and Mardi Gras beads hang from the ceiling.
Behind the bar is more Saints paraphernalia, including a signed Drew Brees Pro Bowl jersey. Happy hour is 3-6, according to a Miller High Life sign hanging behind an oversized King Cake baby.
It’s vibrant, but the black ceiling and red trimmings still give it a smoky barbecue mystique perfect for the menu.
Speaking of, I’ve seen some on social media show hesitation about the restaurant given its California origins. If the chef’s Mississippi Coast background isn’t enough to convince you, then maybe the catfish strips are.
The fish are locally sourced from Louisiana and Mississippi waters and encrusted in corn meal. The strips are served alongside a homemade tartar sauce that carries a lemony twist.
I’m really not big on catfish, usually, but this was some of the best I’ve had on the Coast.
I followed up with a simple pulled pork plate and it delivered. This is one of a few restaurants I’ve visited that have given me a strong urge to return to try out the rest of the menu, though.
The plates include smoked sausage, wings, baby back ribs and boneless chicken thighs. You can get each as a sandwich, as well.
Chicken and waffles and dirty fries made with pork or sausage are also offered. To wrap up your meal you can get a root beer float or a chocolate chip waffle ice cream sandwich.
On a revisit, the chicken and waffles became my new favorite. The chicken thighs were hot and crispy and paired perfectly with my syrup-and-sugar soaked waffle.
And, of course, there is a bar with cocktail specials.
That Boy Good has quickly drawn strong reviews from those who have popped in during the restaurants first week. If you’re hoping to visit, they are open Thursday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Millwood has a vision for the location that includes an event-hosting pavilion out back and an outdoor dining area in the front.
But in the meantime, he wants his restaurant perfected from the inside-out in order to serve the Coast to the fullest of his abilities.
“We want to grow, but we want to grow the right way,” Millwood said. “If I can’t do it as good as I can possibly do it, then I don’t want to do it at all... Because at that point you’re just taking advantage of the customer and that’s not who I am.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
