Here’s a look inside Your Barefoot Neighbor’s new South MS restaurant
It’s grand opening weekend at Neighbors Tap & Table in downtown Gulfport and the owner says it’s going to be a full-on block party to welcome the community to the new restaurant, bar and hang-out spot.
Matthew Bounds, known to his seven million fans on TikTok and social media as Your Barefoot Neighbor, is taking his food and appeal from the internet and bringing it to the street with his husband, CJ Bryant.
They’ve remodeled the building at 1307 25th Ave., just north of 13th Street and right in the middle of downtown offices, shops and restaurants and filled it with colorful art and enticing aromas.
Bounds said they are expecting a crowd the opening days, but invites people to stop by anyway.
“I say come on by because we’ve got a lot of stuff planned for grand opening weekend,” he said on a Facebook video. Live entertainment is planned on the patio area in front of the restaurant that he describes as “a bar that serves food.”
Neighbors will be open from 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Those who are familiar with Bounds and his three cookbooks will find “the recipe that started it all” — his chicken cobbler. The concept is small plates and shareable dishes for lunch and happy hour.
The menus are fun and priced so people can pop in for lunch and at happy hour and late night.
Block party deviled eggs are one of the most creative dishes for the table, along with pineapple cornbread, loaded sweet potato fries and grilled crab dip.
The lunch menu has an enticing list of handhelds, such as pimento bacon grilled cheese, buttered shrimp roll or pulled pork made with Barq’s root beer caramelized onions and Gouda cheese. Tuna poke and avocado smash leads the list of salads and boozy bread pudding promises a kick.
The drink menu is just as enticing and varied, with wine, eight beers on tap, alcohol-free selections like cherry bomb and cocktails with unmistakable South Mississippi appeal. The Root Beer Float stirs up with Barq’s root beer with Jägermeister and whipped Bailey’s Irish Cream.
During happy hours Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., and late night Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to midnight are a mix and match of drinks and food at prices designed to attract neighbors and visitors to the new place.
