Couple returns to South MS to share Cajun family recipes and waterfront views
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Owners remodeled waterfront bar into a Cajun-coastal fusion restaurant.
- Menu highlights local seafood, family recipes, and Caribbean flavor influences.
- Waterside deck, live music, and community events position venue as local hub.
It doesn’t get any more waterfront or Coastal vibes than at the Bayou Restaurant and Tiki Bar, where the water laps against the deck and the sunset is an experience as the setting sun is reflected in the water.
Just because the sun goes down, doesn’t mean those who love being outside on the bayou have to move indoors. There is an indoor dining room, but the newly rebuilt deck at the water’s edge is equipped with tiki torches, patio heaters, couches with blankets and fire pits, plus a tiki bar with TVs to keep track of the latest scores.
They can order from the menu of dinners and drinks and if it’s the weekend, await the live music on the big outdoor stage. Trivia is played Wednesday, and people drive in from around South Mississippi and Alabama to take part in Thursday karaoke sessions.
It’s the kind of place Jason and Lena Trochessett envisioned when he retired after 35 years as a financial advisor. They decided to move back to his hometown of Ocean Springs, where Trochessett is a common name, and he is back with family, friends and the church community where he grew up.
They found a bar that served food at 2411 Beachview Drive at Gulf Park Estates, saw the potential and transformed it into a restaurant that also serves drinks.
Now, they said, it’s “a fine-dining experience in a casual atmosphere.”
On the menu
They spent a lot of time in the Caribbean and bring those influences along with his grandmother Trochessett’s South Mississippi recipes to a menu described as Cajun coastal island fusion.
Nona T was known for her gumbo and étouffée, her grandson said. “Her love language was food,” he said, and he adapted them and put Cajun staples on the Bayou menu along with fresh local seafood.
Shrimp and grits, made with both shrimp and crawfish, is “probably the yummiest thing on the menu,” he said. Coconut shrimp is her favorite, Lena said.
Both agree they’ll be cooking a lot of crawfish in season.
Crawfish étouffée is on the menu along with their trout bowl with seafood gumbo. They also have blackened Gulf fish, fried shrimp or fried oyster plates.
Meat lovers can go with chicken Alfredo and get a tropical kick from the jerk chicken bowl over black beans and rice with mango salsa.
Keeping with his roots, Jason added fried okra, collard greens and cheese grits that lean Southern onto the sides menu.
Their signature dessert is beignets topped with bananas Foster and powdered sugar and key lime pie is being added.
Bayou Restaurant also is open for lunch and after-dinner hours, when people go for the lunch special or burgers, po-boys and mahi or shrimp tacos. The restaurant is open Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Friday and Saturday until 2 a.m. The restaurant eventually will be open daily.
Crab claws, either sautéed or fried, are almost everyone’s favorite appetizer, Lena said. The big starter menu also lists fried mushrooms and ahi poke. Waterside wings come with traditional buffalo sauce for traditionalists or cajun garlic or jerk style for those who want something different. “We even have frog legs,” she said.
Salads and crab stuffed mushrooms are being added as the menu evolves.
A toast to home
“It’s good to be home,” Jason said, with his family, the culture and food all part of welcoming him back. Lena has experience in the hospitality business and brings that to the Bayou with a list of fine wines. The cocktail menu celebrates the seasons with a peppermint Bushwhacker and a specialty Jack Frost for the cool weather. They’ll be hosting their first Bayou New Year’s Eve party with DJ music and champagne toast and party favors at midnight.
Lena added a fun jungle touch to the indoor dining room, which has its own bar and stage for when the weather gets too chill, and new air conditioning for hot summer nights. The kitchen also got a total makeover.
The couple visits tables to welcome those who find their way to the Bayou, with a little help from the maps app on their phone since there is a short detour for road work.
It’s more than food and decor that makes Bayou Restaurant a standout. “We really want this to be a blessing to our community,” Jason said, a place where they feel comfortable whether they dock their boat or park their car, bring the family to enjoy the play area, bring the dog on a leash dress warm on a cool night and feel the warmth that comes when people dine and raise a glass together.
“It’s a real special place,” he said.
“
This story was originally published December 23, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
