Restaurants in Gautier

In business for more than 50 years, Tay’s Barbeque satisfies its carnivorous clientele with a menu of savory smoked meats, house-made sauces, and an inviting sports-centric atmosphere. Patrons can dish the juiciest gossip about local karaoke divas between bites of the crispy-fried Trashy onions, served with dipping sauce ($2.99 for regular; $5.99 for large). Pulled pork and beef brisket, like the gumdrops in Candyland, are available in 1-pound portions ($9.99 each) or piled onto a sandwich ($7.50 for pulled pork; $6.99 for beef brisket). Barbecue plates come with a pair of traditional sides such as Mendy’s Best beans, Low Tide coleslaw, or Millard’s mac 'n' cheese. Layers of pulled pork, coleslaw, and sauce unite with garlic dill pickles to form the Pig Sunday ($5.99), which diners can wash down with fresh brewed iced tea while admiring Tay’s flat-screen televisions and autographed sports jerseys.

Pioneered by gastro guru Shayne Varone, an alumnus of the prestigious Culinary Institute¬ of America, G.T.'s pleases hungry palates with contemporary American cuisine infused with Cajun and Creole twang. G.T.'s menu complements the surrounding sea breezes and panoramic gulf views with entrees such as the seared red snapper ($22), the chicken and shrimp jambalaya dancing amidst a trinity of veggies ($15), and the 12 oz. rib-eye steak hugging a plate of herb-roasted potatoes and haricot vert ($27). While at least one food item must be purchased with this Groupon, left-over value can be used toward any of G.T.'s wines (most glasses are $5 to $15), specialty cocktails (most are $8 to $10), or local craft beers from the Lazy Magnolia Brewery Company ($4 draft, $4.50 bottle). As you lounge in the restaurant's tranquil spaces, keep a watchful eye out for merman mischief, which often includes using jumbo shrimp to heckle customers that are allergic to oxymorons.

The Catfish Shack’s management team harnesses more than 40 years in restaurant experience to pack seafood, steaks, and gumbo with dense southern flavor. Entrees, including whole catfish and boneless-catfish fillets, play Marco Polo with a variety of sides, from coleslaw to mustard greens. Aged wooden tables and chairs add to the eatery's homey feeling, and a piano awaits nimble fingers and aficionados of the Silver Spoons theme song.

Rife with pristine sands and thick tendrils of marsh grass, Bay St. Louis is known as one of the highest elevations on the Gulf of Mexico coastline, falling almost directly between Mobile, Alabama and New Orleans, Louisiana. Just a short walk from the hotel, travelers discover alluring beaches, artist cafés serving up healthy portions of cappuccino and poetry, and quaint local shops with a clever combination of fashion and local flair. Arguably the hub of the downtown arts scene, the Alice Moseley Folk Art and Antique Museum proudly displays honest portraits of life in 20th-century Mississippi.When the quiet life gets too quiet, guests pop over to New Orleans for a wild night of music and revelry. Although Bourbon Street enchants party-harders, the storied Big Easy has as many faces as it has nicknames, and foodies, music aficionados, and architecture buffs all find their place. With a truly rich musical history, countless bars and speakeasies offer opportunities to see renowned local and national artists. At the intersection of it all is the French Market, an eclectic open-air market dating back to the 1790s when it was a trading post for Native Americans, Germans, and Caribbean immigrants. This cultural crossroads is vibrant circus of creole cuisine, live music, and shopping.

BGR The Burger Joint’s burgers start with high-quality ingredients—most importantly, all-natural beef from grain-fed cattle, free to run in the fields and given zero hormones, fillers, or antibiotics. The prime beef is dry-aged, blended, and ground fresh to form patties that are grilled over an open flame, and then placed atop buttery, locally made brioche buns delivered fresh each day. The menu focuses on the Legendary Burger, which includes gourmet toppings such as avocado, applewood bacon, and grilled jalapenos. For nonbeef eaters, the menu's selection of burgers also includes turkey and veggie varieties, as well as The Greek, a seasoned lamb patty topped with tzatziki and feta. Burgers are also available in a lettuce wrap or on a salad in a healthy salad bowl.

Diners can request all of BGR The Burger Joint's freshly made fries—from thick-cut yukon gold potatoes to asparagus fries—be topped with parmesan, rosemary, roasted garlic, or a tiny tiara. The staff hand-spins shakes with Gifford's or Breyers ice cream to create extra-thick treats for finishing off meals, and some shops curate their own selection of bottled vintage sodas and offer beer and wine.

Up the steps of the1930s-era home, a wide, wraparound porch gives diners the impression they are entering a rural townhouse. And that’s the feeling Donna Rodriguez and executive chef Marc Walden want to evoke—that of a little house, which they can fill with startlingly large flavors. Chef Walden vows to use only fresh, locally sourced ingredients to craft the eatery’s southern-style dishes, which blossom beneath modern twists, including apricot compote and okra chips. As chefs introduce new york strip, filet mignon, and blackened delta catfish to flame, the contented crackle of the hot grill drifts from the kitchen. Patrons marinating to weekly live jazz music in the dining room request a savory bacon cheesecake to go, or search for Waldo in the pastel whorls of the bistro’s vibrant impressionist paintings.