Pleasant's BBQ Ocean Springs — Restaurant in Ocean Springs

Was in Ocean Springs to vend an art event, came from out of state, was my first time in town. Went out walking around their little downtown area that afternoon looking for some laid back place to get off my feet, have a bite to eat and maybe a cold beer. There's a lot of options, but mostly there were a little on the bougie side, or packed with college kids, or both... I started asking some local folks, and was told by this real cool old cat that he knew just the place, gave me directions, and after a couple blocks I could smell that sweet smoky smell wafting in the air well before I could see the place...literally followed my nose. Didn't look like much from the outside and there weren't many cars out front...which was perfect. I asked the guy who gave me directions what was good there, he Say's well it's all pretty good, but the ribs were where it was at, so that's what I ordered. Extra sauce. The menu options list fairly short..like you'd expect with good BBQ, it Qasim pretty a really laid back little place, nothing fancy...TV on the wall playing the LSU game, couple of guys sitting around ...exactly the kind of place to eat in peace. The owner was very nice, good natured and personable, we chatted while I waited for the order, asked where I was from and what brought me to town, southern hospitality at it's finest. As we chatted I mentioned how much I love BBQ, and the best I ever had came from up in Winona Mississippi, and he says Ah nah, that's just cause you haven't had mine yet with a big ol grin and a twinkle in his eye...just like would expect a restaurant owner to say. My order arrives, and the foam container was slap full, and it looked amazing, smelled even better. The owner and they guy who brought it out are both sitting there watching with big ol grins waiting to see what I thought and you could tell these guys are really proud of their BBQ and passionate about what they do...and rightly so! Because he was right! It was without a doubt the best rack of ribs I had ever tried , and their sauce is outstanding. When I told them that they starting laughing, slapping each other on the back, saying see? I told ya ! I had to shake that man's hame after that. This was a couple years ago, and I still tell everybody If you go to Ocean Springs, you GOTTA try the BBQ from Pleasant's. The food is the phenomenal, The price is right, and they'll treat you like family...

I was famished when we stopped at this location. They say that hunger is the best seasoning. So it was surprising to me how dissatisfied I was with the meal.

I ordered the sausage platter. The main course was very salty. Still edible, but I love salty foods and it was on the cusp of being too much for even me. The potato salad was also a bit salty with a dill pickle flavor. Honestly it wasn’t too bad. The best part of my meal was the coleslaw. Sweet, crisp and flavorful. The miniature pecan pie was good as well, though a little pricey.

The waitress was pleasant, though it felt forced. She left shortly after we arrived, so perhaps she was running late. I was not really aware of what my party was saying either, but they are not really the rude sort so I am left to believe that she just wasn’t vibing right.

The decor was not especially outstanding. It did not really seem to have much of a theme to it, though I got the impression that they were more of a late-nite, dine outside type of establishment. If that is the case I wish I had dined during their targeted hours. Maybe then there would have been some thing that I could have lauded as “worth it”. The place was really clean.

All in all it wasn’t a great experience and kind of pricey for food that was closer to a public school cafeteria plate than a...

I really wish I could have been able to give a better review but that is impossible. After reading reviews my family and I decided to try the food here. First, I want to say that the restaurant is clean and the staff is friendly. Secondly, I know that the restaurant industry is suffering right now with the rising cost of food etc... but I can’t remember in my 50 plus years ever eating such cheap tasing food. I ordered 4 meals/dinners and 2 pies. The ribs were extremely fatty and tough, the sausage was greasy and filled primarily with fat and not meat. The potato salad was the consistency and texture of mashed potatoes with mayo, mustard, relish and dill. The baked beans tasted like they were poured from an old can directly into my to-go box...there was no baking/cooking at all. Since I can’t say anything positive about the pies, I won’t say anything at all. I love supporting small local businesses, but this is one restaurant that I will neither support again nor will I recommend it to others. I really hope my experience was isolated and that this restaurant turns out better food on...