New South MS waterfront restaurant opens with fresh look and lots of crawfish
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- New waterfront Crawfish House opens March 11 at 11 a.m.; 180 seats.
- Kitchen fully renovated; screened boiler area added for crawfish service.
- Owners plan music nights, restored docks, kids’ play area, possible 3rd site.
The menu’s already a proven winner, so creating the new Crawfish House on the Bayou focused on keeping the charm of a Southern fish house while taking best advantage of the captivating water views.
Splashes of color, strings of lights and other special touches are in place for the grand opening of the new restaurant at 11 a.m. Wednesday, March 11. It then will be open daily for lunch and dinner.
The menu is much the same as the original location of The Crawfish House and Grill in downtown Ocean Springs, while the waterfront location gives their Gautier spot more seafood and a true Coastal vibe.
Michelle Schenck and her daughter and business partner Sumer Steelman, purchased the former Huck’s Cove last fall. They went to work, removing walls, installing overhead garage doors and putting a roof over a portion of the deck to provide year-round seating indoors and out.
“We wanted to make sure anywhere you sit in the restaurant you have a view,” Schenck said, whether that’s indoors or out on the shady or sunny areas of the deck. This new place has 180 seats compared to 135 in Ocean Springs.
The restaurant is right off U.S. 90 at the foot of the long bridge. Once people turn off into 3000 Oak St. — or arrive by boat — they’ll begin an authentic South Mississippi experience complete with Lil’ Huck, an alligator who is a regular visitor and a tribute to the history and memories of Huck’s Cove.
Seafood reigns
The kitchen at the new restaurant was completely renovated with new fryers and other equipment. A screened boiler area was created to turn out platters of crawfish and other seafood each season.
Now it’s Cajun crawfish season and Schenck said she expects they’ll be cooking and serving a lot of them, since The Ocean Springs restaurant just had its busiest weekend on record. They also will be dishing out their crawfish bisque by the cup or bowl and serving crawfish dip.
What customers order will depend in part on when they arrive. The big list of appetizers, like fried crab claws and bang bang shrimp, are good for lunch, a lite dinner or evening snack with gumbo and a salad.
Gator tacos are something different on the sandwich and po’ boy menu and for those who want options besides seafood are wings, hamburger, sausage po’ boy and Southern favorites like fried okra and red beans and rice.
Catfish, shrimp, snow and Dungeness crab legs and other seafood — steamed and fried — dominate the menu. The most popular dishes appear in red on the yellow menu, so people don’t miss the fried pickles, roast beef po’ boy and Cajun reds platter. Raw oysters will be available for the opening and grilled oysters will be added soon after.
Customers will want to look for the specials board to see what else is cooking, Schenck said. Crawfish boils are hot this spring, shrimp boils when the crawfish season winds down and their stuffed lobster can appear as a special anytime.
The full bar will provide frozen drinks for a sunset toast or a craft cocktail under the stars. Beignets, cheesecake and brownie a la mode provide a sweet end to lunch or dinner.
Community place
The new restaurant is more than good food. Schenck said they tried not to change too much from the Cove that was there for 26 years, and they will continue to bring locals and visitors to the tucked-away spot for food, fun and community..
She’s lining up music for a couple of nights a week. They built a children’s play area keep kids happy and safe, and restored the docks so customers can tie up their boats.
As they hit their busiest season in Ocean Springs and launch their new Gulfport location, the “queens of crawfish,” have more on their plate. Schenck says they are considering sharing their concept and menu with more people in South Mississippi.
“We’re looking at expanding to a third location,” she said.
