Big Shirley's brings Big Easy to Diamondhead

Interstate travel can be a blur of trees and grass, occasionally broken up by a service station, a fast-food place, maybe a truck stop. It's not often a real, sit-down "may I take your order" restaurant can be found just off the highway, but that's where Big Shirley's is in Diamondhead, just south of I-10's Exit 16.

Big Shirley's has an attractive bar just off the dining area. Seating for diners is in comfortable, upholstered wood chairs. There's lots of crown molding along the ceiling. The caddy at my table held both green and red hot sauce. It's a grand place for a civilized repast or, for Diamondheaders, a comfortable meal with friends or family. That's exactly what I saw at nearby tables that day: friends who obviously enjoy getting together over food, laughing and sharing each other's lunch.

The menu focuses on New Orleans-accented dishes and daily lunch specials. I got New Orleans Barbecued Gulf Shrimp ($13) and Chicken and Waffle ($10).

Large, whole shrimp sit closely in a bowl of spicy roux-laced gravy for the barbecue shrimp, served with toasted French bread to sop the spicy juice. By the way, the French bread is the good kind -- crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. Talk about an inviting dish for a chilly day.

The chicken and waffle arrived just as I finished the appetizer. Freshly fried chicken breast strips drape over a big, puffy Belgian waffle, the whole thing dusted with powdered sugar. Cane syrup gilds the lily. The chicken had an intriguing crust, almost like tempura -- not hard and knobby, as some fried chicken can be. The pleasure of chicken and waffles is the mix of sweet and salty, crunchy and soft, breakfast and dinner.

Wondering about those lunch specials? They're stuffed bell pepper with salad and one side on Tuesdays, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and a vegetable side on Wednesdays, Cajun spaghetti with meatballs served with garlic French bread and salad on Thursdays and, for Friday, jerk-grilled fish with peppers and onions served with salad and a side, each for $9.

Mike Dummett and his wife, Suzette Valteau-Dummett, opened Big Shirley's in Diamondhead the first week in October, Mike Dummett said. The restaurant has been in Ocean Springs and, most recently, New Orleans. He sees the new location as a plus: not only handy to interstate travelers but also putting them closer to fresh Gulf seafood.

"The barbecued shrimp, the Baby I'm Back Ribs, pulled pork and seafood" have been their biggest sellers so far, he noted. "And the burgers are doing pretty good."

Big Shirley's (named for Mike's mother, by the way) hasn't forgotten vegetarians. "There's no pork in the sides," he said.

I found out my waffle is made in house and the macaroni and cheese has four types of cheese -- Parmesan, pepper Jack, American and Cheddar.

At a restaurant named for somebody's mom, it shouldn't be surprising there's a "lagniappe policy," as Mike puts it.

"You want to try just a spoonful of something? We don't mind doing that," he said. "We want to treat you like family."

Suzette agreed.

"Our philosophy is, this is a family-run business," she said.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 6:55 PM with the headline "Big Shirley's brings Big Easy to Diamondhead ."