New MS Coast restaurant serves New Orleans-style brunch in a ‘moody’ downtown location
People don’t have to drive to New Orleans, or even Ocean Springs, for an authentic New Orleans-style brunch now that a second location of Lazy Oak Brunch + Bistreaux is open in downtown Gulfport.
After last week’s soft opening, the restaurant at 1429 25th Avenue, just south of the railroad tracks in Gulfport, made its official debut Wednesday.
The space is classic and moody, with its brick walls, deep green accents and five chandeliers that glow in addition to natural light shining through the large front window.
A live edge bar and wood topped tables add to the look that is so distinctive, “This is what we’d like to change Ocean Springs into,” said owner Greg Schwartz.
The Ocean Springs location just opened a new courtyard and a fire fountain will be added next, he said, with more upgrades on the way.
Likewise, the best features of the Ocean Springs restaurant at 503 Porter Avenue are carried to the new Gulfport location that can seat 42 people at the tables and the bar.
What’s on the menu?
The Gulfport restaurant opens with a limited menu served Wednesday through Friday and daily specials like boudin bombs that are fried and served with lazy sauce, cajun boiled grits and po-boys on Leidenheimer French bread from New Orleans.
“Every week I’ll change it and start adding to the menu as well,” Schwartz said, until the Gulfport menu matches the one in Ocean Springs.
In Gulfport’s business downtown, the restaurant is open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., while the restaurant opens and closes an hour later in Ocean Springs.
“It you want a true, traditional New Orleans style brunch — this is it,” Schwartz said.
New Orleans-style beignets surprise as a starter, with crawfish cream and green onion, in addition to dessert beignets with powdered sugar.
Also on the opening menu are loaded hashbrowns topped with cheese, bacon, ranch, sour cream, jalapenos and green onion and a breakfast sandwich with their own biscuits. made fresh daily.
The BLT comes on Texas toast with apple smoked bacon and is filled with tomato and lettuce, he said. The lazy combo pairs soup of the day with a house salad as another lunch favorite.
Yet Lazy Oak mixes things up.
“You can do a BLT at 7 in the morning here,” he said, “come back and have breakfast at 1 p.m.”
Extras, on the side
A loaded bloody Mary, martini of the week and a variety of other drinks are mixed and served at the full service bar and anytime diners can order a side of grits or hashbrown sticks.
Their own seasonings for these specialties are bottled and sold at the restaurant and soon their own sauces will be available as well.
Lazy Oak also caters and customers can take over the restaurant for a private event.
Schwartz said they were thinking of expanding beyond Ocean Springs when one of their customers said the landlord in Gulfport was looking to rent the building.
“Let’s give it a shot,” he said, and the sign is up and the door is open in Gulfport.
This story was originally published August 8, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
