New waterfront Gulfport restaurant is the perfect spot for summer dining on the Coast

Scott Watkins
·2 min read

One of Gulfport’s newest restaurants began serving customers in May in the building formally occupied by Marina Cantina.

The Flamingo Landing on Lorraine Road is the New Orleans based Creole Cuisine Restaurant’s first foray into Mississippi and it features an American-Caribbean menu that well suits life on the Mississippi Coast.

The restaurant has a sleek, modern upstairs dining experience with big windows and garage doors overlooking Bayou Bernard.

It creates a nice juxtaposition with the familiar downstairs scene, which is complete with an indoor bar and seating area and an outdoor turfed hangout spot with picnic tables and palm trees.

The standout feature of the menu is the diversity of the specials. This includes happy hour specials for each weekday, from $4 margaritas to $3 well rum drinks, and a weekend brunch menu to compliment.

Our first visit to the waterfront venue yielded spicy apps, tacos and even dessert.

The order of Baja Shrimp Tacos at Flamingo Landing in Gulfport.
The order of Baja Shrimp Tacos at Flamingo Landing in Gulfport.

Among the unique lineup of starters available, we gave the flamingo chicken bombs a go. This was a plate of fried chicken covered in go-go sauce and fried jalapenos with a side of crystal gastrique and it was exactly as the menu item describes itself: bomb.

Then came the tacos. Flamingo Landing offers five different three-taco entrees we gave the baja shrimp, jerk chicken and mahi mahi tacos a try.

The baja shrimp is perfect if you’re looking for something that fits the home-on-the-Coast atmosphere, the jerk chicken had a slight kick that accentuates the Caribbean tastes the establishment blends and the mahi mahi gave us the seafood vibes we were in search for.

Finally, we finished the meal with a slice of salted caramel cake. Folks, as one who generally dislikes the sweetness of cake, this was a fantastic surprise from the kitchen. The cake wasn’t too sweet and had the perfect amount of sea salt accents.

The environment the Flamingo Landing possesses isn’t too dissimilar than the previous establishment. It promises to be a lively hangout location and even has live music lined up for the summer.

It’s the versatility of the restaurant that stands out. A more formal dinner or brunch setting is available upstairs and a fun night scene awaits just underneath at all times.

The waterfront property is more than worth a quick stop in the afternoon for drinks or an evening dinner and hangout.

The back porch of Flamingo Landing in Gulfport features a turfed patio with seating.
The back porch of Flamingo Landing in Gulfport features a turfed patio with seating.
Flamingo Landing’s Flamingo Chicken Bombs, which are fried chicken pieces and fried jalapeños in Go-Go Sauce with a side of crystal gastrique, which is similar to a sweet and sour sauce.
Flamingo Landing’s Flamingo Chicken Bombs, which are fried chicken pieces and fried jalapeños in Go-Go Sauce with a side of crystal gastrique, which is similar to a sweet and sour sauce.