New 38 Degrees restaurant in South MS is like creating your own buffet at your table
Those who couldn’t believe Kenny Ward would close his fine dining steakhouse to open a family restaurant flocked in on opening day to see the changes.
“Their overall response for the first day is better than usual,” Ward said on Thursday as he prepped for Day 2 at 38 Degrees Family Style Dining at 1224 Bienville Blvd. in Ocean Springs.
The crowd was very large, he said, and most first-day diners posted positive comments on social media..
Many are not used to the term “family dining,” Ward said. It is all-you-can-eat, but it’s not a buffet.
“It’s like creating your own buffet,” Ward said.
How it works is customers pick a main dish from five proteins:
▪ Chicken fried ribeye that’s breaded and fried and what Ward says he expects to be the favorite
▪ Gulf fried or grilled shrimp
▪ Mississippi fried or grilled catfish
▪ Southern fried chicken
▪ Smoked barbecue chicken
These Southern dishes are like mom or grandma would make for Sunday dinner, with several side dishes served in a variety of bowls to pass around the table.
At 38 Degrees, diners choose from sides like flat iron Italian green beans, corn off the cob with cream and sugar, mashed potatoes and gravy, honey butter biscuits and salad. One special vegetable will be offered each day, and should the bowls run out, the staff will bring seconds to the table.
The cost is $20.99 for adults and $8.49 for kids age 5-11.
For those who would like to share a protein, the cost is $11.49 per person for the sides and biscuits..
A fresh vegetable plate with salad and biscuits costs $11.49.
Desserts are $6 and include apple, cherry or brownie cobbler or banana pudding.
Ward named the restaurant 38 Degrees for a process he uses to brine meat and make it more flavorful.
The dining rooms now have a more casual blue and white decor and relaxed ambiance than when the restaurant was a steakhouse. There’s still a bar and a piano, and now rolls of paper towels on the tables to wipe away any messes that happen at a family dinner.
There also will be take-out service, with meals packed to stack and take home for the nights “Mama’s not cooking and neither is Daddy.” Call 228-818-4505 for takeout.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m. daily.
This story was originally published January 17, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
