Restaurant Review: Big Daddy’s soul food restaurant in Gulfport

By Ellen L. Dawson Last updated Apr 18, 2022

I found this place by chance.

I was driving to US 49 in Gulfport and saw Big Daddy’s soul food sign. I didn’t have time to stop by so I wrote down the name and location and put it on the calendar for a later visit. Soul food has always been popular in the Deep South, but the coast has few places that serve this style of home cooking.

Discovering a new soulful dining spot is cause for celebration in my book.

When I looked at the regular menu online it wasn’t exactly what I expected. There were lots of good choices, like specialty wings, nachos, a plate of pork chops, and a few burgers, but it wasn’t the kind of hearty veggie and meat menu I was expecting. Luckily, I explored their Facebook page a little more and realized that there was a daily menu that was just the over-the-top soul food menu I was craving.

When I finally got to Big Daddy’s I was pleased to see it was a buffet. and a good size too.

The buffet takes up the center of the room and there are a few chairs along a bar on one side of the room, but seating is limited. Most customers who visited while I was there, and business was booming, took out.

There are over a dozen delicious choices on the buffet, including the regulars you’d expect like mashed potatoes, gravy, rice, greens, cornbread, corn and green beans. But the real test of a soul food place is the fried chicken, and Big Daddy is right, and it was super hot.

There’s also baked chicken, fried catfish, and barbecued ribs. Everything we tried was perfect. The greens weren’t overcooked, the ribs were tender, and the sauce was wonderful, and I’m happy to tell you the macaroni and cheese was creamy and cheesy. One oddity was the cheddar cheese lasagna. I was dubious, but it was very good.

I am delighted to introduce Big Daddy’s to you, as it has only been around for three months. The food is excellent, it’s a quick return trip if you’re in a hurry, and the service is friendly and prompt. It’s a great inexpensive way to feed the family. My meal, which was more than enough, was less than $9.