Downtown Bistro — Restaurant in Gulfport

This was quite possibly the worst dining experience I’ve ever had. The service was so cringe and awful.

We ordered our drinks, and it took a while to get back to us because the waitress was doing other things in between. For reference, we were one of four small parties in the restaurant. I’ve worked in the service industry so I understand wanting to optimize your time. However, when ordering, I asked a question about a menu item and the waitress walked away to go ask someone about the question (and stopped taking our order) I asked and did not come back after asking the question. Instead, she greeted another table and took their order and brought another table their check, and some other things and it was about 10 minutes later that she finally came back to take our order. When she came back, we asked another question about the menu because we have dietary restrictions and allergies and she was pressuring us to get the food item that we couldn’t eat and asked us why we didn’t want that item and if we were on a diet, which is totally inappropriate. She had to go to the back to ask the chef another question about the menu and then came back many minutes later, and we finally ordered. After that she came back another five or so minutes later, confirming the order (and confirming it incorrectly) because she forgot what we ordered.

When she came back to refill my drink, she apologized and said she was a dumb blonde to me (a blonde) and my blonde partner which was awkward and kind of rude. She kept trying to start a conversation with us every time after that when she came to the table and at that point we were frustrated by the interactions and really didn’t want to talk. She kept trying to ask us about where we are from, what we have planned for the day, why we were visiting in town, what we should be doing in Ocean Springs in Biloxi and asking a lot of personal questions. That was just really uncomfortable because I think she was just trying to win us over at that point.

Normally, we are super friendly and happy to chat with a waitress or literally anyone we don’t know, but this interaction was just intrusive and awkward, especially when she commented that we aren’t chatty people. Hello, we were not chatty because we were having a terrible experience and we were so uncomfortable that we just wanted to leave. I’m sorry, but I’m not going to tell you all the details of my life after you’ve made me extremely uncomfortable and have wasted my time.

I then had to watch our food sit in the window for 10 minutes before my partner got up and asked her to bring it to us. She said she was waiting on my partner to finish his salad (which he had finished 10 minutes ago) before bringing the food. I don’t know why you would ever prioritize cold food over hot food but our food came cold, and it was really unpleasant.

Our food finally came, and it honestly was not good either. I got a chicken, bacon, avocado wrap, and the avocado was way over ripe and tasted really bad. The chips were good however. That is the one positive besides the nice ambience in the restaurant.

I was so uncomfortable and ready to leave that I didn’t even want to sit and eat my food. I boxed it up and brought it with me. I’ve never thought “wow I just want to leave and not pay for this meal because I’ve had such a bad experience” until today. Of course I paid, but this is the only time that I’ve never left a tip in my entire life, and trust me, I’ve had some really bad dining experiences and still left a little something.

II am so upset by the interactions that I had there, the lack of professionalism, and the quality of the food. I’m usually not one to leave a long rant, one star review, but trust me on this, you do not wanna go here and have the same...

I had a fantastic lunch here with my sister. I like to try a few things when I plan to leave a review and they accommodated us wonderfully. Robin was very attentive and I loved her recommendations. She was kind and amenable, and I could tell she is very comfortable and experienced as a bartender and hostess. The atmosphere was cozy, with couches, pillows, and even a vintage piano livening the restaurant.

We had the duck bites for an appetizer and they were excellent, with tender meat and jalapeños stuffed in for an extra kick. All wrapped in crisp bacon and covered in a tangy orange glaze. The crunch from the bacon was the perfect contrast against the tender duck meat.

For my entree I had their blackberry grilled cheese. The flavors blended well, with the blackberry jam being surprisingly complementary with the savory grilled cheese. As a side it was accompanied by house made chips. They weren’t salty at all and instead were seasoned with garlic and parmesan.

For dessert we had beignets, they were soft and fluffy with a bit of crunch on the outer edges. A wonderful capstone to our first meal. I highly recommend Downton Bistro to anyone looking for a cozy atmosphere and...

What a GREAT surprise find this evening. My wife and I are spending an Anniversary get-away weekend here in Gulfport. We had just finished a wonderful meal next door at the Half Shell. Completely unaware of the Downtown Bistro, we rounded the corner to the parked car. The aroma of fine tobacco wafted our direction. She looked at me knowing that it had my attention. There were a handful of folk sitting on the cafe seats outside the Bistro enjoying their smokes. They quickly suggested we step in. Not only did I find a favored cigar while she got a cup of coffee, but when I started to order a rye & soda the bartender brought to my attention the Hemmingway's Rye that I've been wanting to try for some time, BONUS! Needless to say the soda got nixed for a neat pour of an exceptional whiskey. We were quickly made to feel welcome and enjoyed conversation with Brian. The entire staff was attentive, the seating comfortable, the cigar & whiskey selection impeccable. Didn't try the kitchen this time but we will be back! If in Gulfport don't miss this phenomenal...