The restaurant scene is booming in South MS. Here’s what’s on the menu at these new spots

Mary Perez
·4 min read

It was a banner year for restaurants opening in South Mississippi in 2023, and the trend continues in 2024.

Count them up and there was somewhere in the neighborhood of 100 new restaurants introduced last year. By May, the Coast had 40 new places and Chipotle in D’Iberville, Coterie Restaurant & Oyster Bar in Long Beach, the Toasted Yolk in Biloxi, Evergreen in Ocean Springs and dozens more were still to follow.

The Nicaud Restaurant Group owns and operates Bacchus, Fields and other restaurants across the Coast, and is adding four more to the list of new places to eat in South Mississippi.

Under construction on Court Street in downtown Bay St. Louis is Toro, and “We’re very excited about it,” said Jourdan Nicaud. This new fine dining restaurant will have a sushi bar and Asian cuisine with the freshest ingredients, he said.

“I love sushi and I love Asian food,” Nicaud said, “and there was nowhere in the area that had what I was looking for.”

Toro Asian fine dining restaurant is being built on Court Street in Bay St. Louis. The rooftop bar will have a view of the water.
Toro Asian fine dining restaurant is being built on Court Street in Bay St. Louis. The rooftop bar will have a view of the water.

The anticipated opening is early June and Toro will have a bonus upscale rooftop bar with a water view.

Also under construction two counties away in downtown Ocean Springs, the Nicaud Group is building a restaurant and hotel next to their Rooftop Taco and Tequila Bar.

Campo Italian Restaurant will be topped by eight short-term hotel units, Nicaud said.

An empty lot is being developed on Government Street in Ocean Springs by Nicaud Restaurant Group. At street level will be an Italian restaurant, with a short term rental hotel above it.
An empty lot is being developed on Government Street in Ocean Springs by Nicaud Restaurant Group. At street level will be an Italian restaurant, with a short term rental hotel above it.

Two more new restaurants will be part of the Nicaud’s Beach Bungalows resort under construction behind Bacchus Hotel in Pass Christian. It’s expected to open in early 2025.

Here are more that recently opened or are on the way:

Eleven Ocean Springs opened in December at 1213 Government St. The cocktail lounge with a backyard firepit and gathering area features classic craft cocktails like a blueberry lemon drop martinis, Manhattan or an old fashioned.

De Maiz Taco Cantina has its first location open at 3707 Denny Ave., Pascagoula and a second location opening soon in West Mobile. The restaurant boasts authentic delicacies along with more familiar Tex-Mex dishes. On the large lunch and dinner menus are salads and bowls and a variety of torta hoagie sandwich served with tomatoes, avocado, onions, lettuce, and refired beans. Among the many kinds of tacos are cauliflower, Tex-Mex taco or a taco sampler.

Trilby’s restaurant returns at 1203 Bienville Blvd., Ocean Springs on Tuesday, Jan. 9. Reservations are available at Open Table and hours are 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.

The sign is up along U.S. 90 in Ocean Springs that Tribly restaurant soon will return. It was among the favorite fine dining restaurants in South Mississippi for decades.
The sign is up along U.S. 90 in Ocean Springs that Tribly restaurant soon will return. It was among the favorite fine dining restaurants in South Mississippi for decades.

DH Donuts is open at 4405 Aloha Drive, Diamondhead.

Zaxby’s opened ts first location in Biloxi at 2441 Pass Road in December. Drive-thru or dine in.

El Paisa Restaurant, 9994 Rodriguez St., D’Iberville, is new and open daily from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Start with wings or nachos and a variety of dips. Also on the large lunch and dinner menus are fajita or taco salad in a tortilla bowl, burritos, quesadillas, combos and many other authentic dishes.

El Paisa is a new Mexican restaurant open in D’Iberville.
El Paisa is a new Mexican restaurant open in D’Iberville.

Woolmarket Grocery and Seafood, 12874 Lorraine Road, Biloxi, has new owners and new offerings. After 20 years, Andrew and Trang Pham-Bui sold the business and posted on Facebook, “We hope you will support the new owners, the Hasleys, just as you have embraced us.” The new owners are making Cajun turken and other po-boys and have added eggrolls and sliced deli meat by the pound.

Pappa Roni’s Pizza in Vancleave is back, with pop-up events, featuring 16 inch hand-tossed pizza with homemade sauce, bread bowl salad, lasagna and foccacia dip. Orders must be placed in advance and picked up at the restaurant at 12308 Mississippi 57. They’re also doing lunch pop-ups weekly. Order Monday and lunch will be delivered locally Thursday, with a minimum number of orders require.d Call 228-282-4416

Cotton Candy Cupcakes Bakery in Lucedale is doing pop-up events ahead of the opening of a permanent location. “As first time business owners we are working as fast as we can and cannot wait to announce opening date,” the owner posted on Facebook. The next pop up event is at 5 p.m. Friday, Jan 12 at Magnolia Pie Company, 5267 Mississippi 613 in Lucedale. The cupcakes will come in flavors like salted caramel and wedding cake,