Thorny Oyster

“Oh my - This place...it is so pretty with lovely decor! Bar seating or spacious dining room with tables and 1/2 booth seating. There is room for larger parties. It's very comfortable and pleasing to the senses. It's located beneath The Pearl Hotel which is a statement on its own. We had a fabulous young lady as our server named Derin. She was assisted by her co workers leaving us never wanting for anything. When I asked Derin for something it appeared immediately presented by one of her co workers if she was tending to others. The team work shines making the dining experience exceptional. Well done and Thank You to the Thorny Oyster staff, management and training team. You should be so proud of yourselves! Being our first time in and hoping for the most well received dishes Derin gave great suggestions. We had the Almondine and Fish Caddy. I highly recommend the FISH CADDY. We added Truffle Fries for fun and dessert was the most delicious Bread Pudding. The bill was reasonable at $99 sending us home satisfied and with leftovers. If you want to avoid the credit card fee bring cash. If you're trying to pick a spot this is definitely a restaurant to enjoy in Bay St Louis!”

“Food was excellent along with service. The lobster roll was superior along with garlic potatoes. It can be loud in there but food is worth it. Everything was delish. Located in a very cute trendy area”

“One of our sons selected this restaurant for his birthday dinner. We had not been here before. It was a great choice for a special meal. To start with, I called a few hours before we intended to go to dinner to make a reservation. Although they were heavily scheduled, the hostess graciously worked it out so that our large party could be accommodated. Second, I asked what their policy was about bringing in outside birthday cakes, as I already had one. I was told that it was no problem. At the restaurant, I learned that there was no plate fee either. Upon arriving, we were impressed with the atmosphere, which was beautiful, without being pretentious. Our server, Rita, was AWESOME, and provided great service throughout the evening. Everything on the menu sounded good. We started with frogs legs, calamari, and fish spread for appetizers, all of which were very nicely done. I was torn between the bouillabaisse and the fish almandine, and ultimately went with the bouillabaisse. It was very good, but next time, I will order the almandine. One person in our party had that, and they raved about how delicious it was. Two people in our party had the shrimp and grits, which was good, but very rich. One person had the half chicken, and said it was excellent. One person had the burger, and really liked it. Everything we ate here was delicious. The only down side to this restaurant is that trying to find parking in this area is very challenging. I would recommend coming early to the area to be sure that you secure a space before you plan to eat, especially if you are meeting others or have a reservation.”

“We love this place! Here are pics from our most recent visit, when we sat at the kitchen bar and watched the spectacular meals being made by the friendly and conversational cooks. On this trip, we had a bottle of wine and two specials: crawfish bread for an appetizer - stellar! - and a giant soft-shelled crab atop Asian-spiced rice with chunks of lobster - even more stellar! Each dish was sauced to perfection. We watched as steaks were grilled, side dishes were sauteed and this beautiful whole flounder was treated so lovingly and the proud chef held it up for us to photograph. We've never had a bad bite here, and come back almost every time we visit Bay St. Louis. Two other dishes that we really, really love are the bouillabaisse and the fried artichoke. We often share that combination for dinner, because the servings here are LARGE. Even if you're not hungry for lunch or dinner, or have reservations somewhere else, it's great to sit outside and enjoy one of their handmade cocktails, and do some people-watching of the always entertaining tourists and locals on the main drag in this tiny seaside town. Put Thorny Oyster on your list! The only negative is that it can get very loud when the restaurant is full - and on those days, we just take an outside table.”

“During spring break my family and I traveled over to Bay St. Louis as a bit of a beach time away from New Orleans. We decided to try the Thorny Oyster and we enjoyed the brunch for sure. The food was well cooked and fresh I had the New Orleans BBQ Shrimp and Grits and the shrimp was well cooked and the grits were buttery, my wife had the crave cake eggs Benedict and it was well done and tasty. My son had biscuits and gravy and enjoyed them, and finally my daughter had the brunch burger also very tasty. We had grilled oysters as an appetizer and they were well cooked and succulent. In all honesty the only thing I'd call them out for was the size of the breakfast potatoes. They were almost half of a large russet potato and felt a bit off compared to the food especially as it was all served in bowl style dishes. Had the potatoes been a bit more manageable I would give this a 5 star for food. The service was efficient and our server did a great job keeping our glasses filled without being too on top of us. Definitely a place to try if you're in Bay St. Louis.”