Coastin’ on a budget: Making $20 stretch at a popular South MS restaurant

How far can we stretch one Andrew Jackson?

Not as far as we once could. One $20 bill could buy you 143 lbs. of bacon in 1900. Today, it would net you a little under 4 lbs.

There was a time not too long ago a single $20 bill could handle your pizza delivery with tip. Now you need two of them. And if you’re going out to eat, it’s best to grab the card. There’s simply no planning to have the cash on hand, anymore.

But there are still dollar-friendly local restaurants that serve great food without putting you on a limit until the next check arrives. This is true in South Mississippi, where we’ve set out to make a $20 bill stretch as much as we can at a Gulfport establishment inconspicuously plotted in the gravel along Pass Road.

Ben’s Deli is as local as local gets. It’s a half-mile from the beach, but you won’t see any tourists here.

This building serves inner Gulfport and does it with the Asian-Coastal fusion menu that’s become unique to the area.

The establishment has long been popular for good eats. But more than that, generous eats.

Ben’s hasn’t been immune to the rising costs of ingredients. Its keystone item, the po’boy, has seen its cost rise over time.

And yet, the price you pay for what you get is still more than competitive: it’s beating just about everyone else.

With one President Jackson, I’ll show you what can be done at Ben’s Deli. The Jackson is essential, too, as Ben’s is cash only.

Let’s eat.

A $20 meal (with change)

I have lived in Gulfport for four years. I love my hyper-local spots in Orange Grove. But the space on Pass between highway 49 and Courthouse Road is one I hadn’t spent much time in, making this my first visit to the famed spot.

With that in mind, our main course will be the cinder-and-brick building’s star: the po’boy.

First on the receipt is an 8-inch fish po’boy dressed in traditional fashion. Alone, this would be $8.50, according to the menu.

We’re making it a meal and upgrading to Cajun fries. Now we’ve got a side and a 24 oz sweet tea. But we’ve only chewed off 2/3rds of our budget.

Pass me the egg rolls, two please. Menu math says I’m just over $19. But guy in the window with a calculator totals me just above $17. Throw another egg roll on there.

To recap, we’ve got an 8-inch fish sandwich, we’ve got a serving of extra-seasoned fries, we’ve got a bag of three egg rolls and it’s all cleaned down with a 24 oz drink.

This cost me $18. I got $2 back.

It may be my cheapest review in two years and it served the same effect as most every other. I was full and satisfied.

The po’boy had multiple cuts of fried fish slabbed onto each half. The bread was the perfect level of crunch. Even without mayo (which I removed), it was surprisingly light and lacked the dryness many po’boys suffer from every day around the world.

There wasn’t much room for anything else after that seafood sub. If I had stopped there with a drink, it would’ve only run me about half my budget, or $10.

The cheapest foot-long sub at Subway is close to $12. Throw in a medium drink plus tax, you’re looking at $15 for something that would lose sandwich-for-sandwich up against Ben’s. And Ben’s will feed you for much cheaper.

There are plenty of ways to mix and match the menu to your desire, too. Fried rice, lo mein and seafood platters are popular.

A shrimp platter with hush puppies, potato salad and rolls is a whopping 17 bucks — less than I paid for my meal.

Great food at an elite price can’t be beat, right now. Ben’s Deli is a clear winner.

Address: 1412 Pass Road, Gulfport

Hours: Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Scott Watkins

Sun Herald

Scott is the high school sports and Southern Miss athletics reporter for the Sun Herald.