O'Maddy's

You may have seen O'Maddy's in Gulfport (and due to their unfortunate font choice, you may have thought their sign said "O'Waddy's") and wondered if it was worth the line to get in. I'm here to tell you, it is.

If you can get a seat near the right-hand corner overlooking the beach, you're in Heaven, but any seat in the house here beats anyplace else among the eateries along the strip. There's a reason O'Maddy's is perpetually packed while the others, well, aren't. Their wait staff is friendly and helpful, and the food is so good you instantly snap out of the complacency you've been in regarding the slop you've been served elsewhere. It's like, "ohhh, yeah, I forgot this is what real grouper tastes like."

If I had to gripe about anything here, it would be about the consistency of the cocktails, but let me just put a positive spin on it by saying the BEST cocktails you will receive here are from a server/bartender named Cali, and when she's tending bar, you know you will get a serious drink. (There are two other bartenders here who don't seem to understand that a Blue Hawaiian is supposed to be blue, and if it comes out a weak pale green, that means you've fucked it up.)

Having said that, I've never had a bad Dirty Arnold Palmer here from any bartender, nor the Banana Monkey, the Rum Runner, or the Naked On The Beach. But Cali's concoctions are always superior. Tell her I sent you by!

I'd like to tell you all about the many dazzling items on their menu, but I keep going for the same things again and again and again, mostly the grouper sandwich. But I can also vouch for the pan-seared sea scallops, served with cucumber salad and drizzled in chili sauce. The Bubba Burger, slathered in chicken dip on a grilled onion panini, is also out of this world.

It's definitely a loud "beach joint" party scene, so if you don't like crowds, this isn't your thing. But after a couple of those blue things the roar of the crowd gets its edges sanded off and dulled to a pleasant white-noise hiss in the back of your consciousness. Come see me and sit with me, and let's plot world domination over a margarita.