Havent been here in a while so decided to stop by today.wasn't a disappointment food was delicious. They were as nice as they were last time I went very polite and friendly folks. I will return but hopefully with my biker group. Thanks y'all keep up the great work and fantastic food. Oh and my girlfriend says thanks for the plant. CJ read more

Was very disappointed in this establishment. I was warned before going in but decided to give it a shot. It was impressive how bad the service was and the food wasn't much better. I do not recommend this place but if you need to experience hell like i did that's up to you. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - So much sauce it was all over the plate. - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

First time voting siting Darwell's and I will say it he food was hot and good, service was good. They need to get an AC system to hot to enjoy. The prices are a bit too high . read more

Worst food I've had in a while. Made me sick after one bite. Service was atrocious. Filthy hand all over everything. Site looks like it came from Texas chainsaw massacre. I'd expect better and safer things to eat out of a trailer park dump station. read more

Great food great atmosphere the owners are awesome. We highly recommend this place if you are anywhere on the coast drive outta your way to come here you will not be disappointed. read more

Good food and good service. Very kind people and good portions. The food is always delicious

2nd time visiting and it was just as great as we remembered, if not better!! Love this place and the owner are awesome. read more

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Amazing food and owners! Will be back for sure! the food was amazing and the desserts were huge! read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Crayfish etouffe! - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

Disgusting food. I can only imagine that this is what eating cat vomit is like. Horrible service. Ambiance like something out of Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I'll definitely will be sending them the bill from the hospital for food poisoning. read more

I have been eating here for years but it has been a while since I made the trip from Mobile. The food is always delicious with a comfortable at home atmosphere. I got a shrimp poboy and hamburger poboy to eat at the beach both very large enough for two. I got a pork roast poboy with gravy and a spaghetti to take home. Perfect take home. The honey bun brownie was enough for two and fit the sweet tooth. It was nice to see Darwell back in the kitchen with his family by his side. Very Appreciative of your business which means a lot now day. Go and have some good food and do not forget to take some home with you. read more

If you are looking for amazing Cajun/Creole cooking that is served in a funky,eclectic atmosphere by a family that loves to feed people, you have found Nirvana. We eat here EVERY time we are in town and are never disappointed. The crawfish etoufee is magnificent, crab cakes are light and flaky and the shrimp creole has just the right amount of spice. The husband/wife/daughter team keeps the place humming smoothly and the guests looked after. Wish they would relocate to Michigan so we could eat here more often! read more

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First if you check the menu online - THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU GET. We had checked the menu and were intrigued by the list of sandwiches and salads. But the menu is a daily list of "specials" pinned to the wall. Now to be fair there is about 12 choices but one wonders how the award for best hamburger on the coast was awarded when there is no hamburger on the menu. For two of us the bill was $63 - two entrees and two iced teas. One, hamburger steak came with green salad but no mashed potatoes. The next the poboy - what seemed good in theory was just an odd combo - a hamburger patty, served on a poboy bun with crawfish etoufee on top. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Poboy - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

Wonderful atmosphere, music wasn't too loud. There's plenty of seating. We ordered the Yin-Yang which is a 1/2 plate crawfish etouffee (my favorite) and 1/2 plate shrimp creole(husband's favorite) and shared it. It also came with bread. Delicious! We loved it so much that we ordered quarts of each to go! Do yourself a favor and try it out! read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Yin-Yang - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

Good food, good people! A hometown favorite. Darwell and his family never disappoint. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Crawfish ettoufee with shrimp - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

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Let me start with, just saying that this was probably the best crawfish étouffée that I've ever had. I had the taste dish which offered gumbo, etouffe and creole. The creole was spot on as well, I'm not a big fan of tomato, based dishes, but it was really good. The gumbo was good, I like mine with less okra, but that is just my preference. The staff were very nice and attentive, cozy atmosphere. Didn't realize that this was a Guy Fieri place or I would've came here much sooner. It is a little pricey for the area, I think, but I don't mind paying for great food, so I don't consider this a negative. read more

If this local's place was on the beach it would be packed with tourist and diners. We are from New Orleans and this is some of the most original cajun/creole you can eat on the Mississippi gulf coast. It is off the beaten path (about 8-10 blocks from the beach) but if you don't need a beach view, its awesome. Quite eclectic atmosphere, indoor and outdoor seating, fantastic friendly family staff and did I mention the food at a reasonable price! read more

This was a great find. Darwell and his family are so sweet and helpful. They helped us to choose the best lunch. we had etouffee which had shrimp and crawfish and the lump crab salad. We also got a side of red beans and rice. All of the food was delicious and Darwell even gave us a generous taste of gumbo. That was my favorite. Darwell's son kept our cups filled and we had not one want. Fans of the food network will recognize Darwell since he participated in Diners and Dives and Chopped. Tons of memorabilia decorate the restaurant. read more

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great food and the folks were super nice to visit with. Drove over from gulf shores to eat here. well worth the trip.

Excellent food!!!!!! Excellent service!!!! 10 Stars Family place!!! Sooooo good!!! Brought people from Florida, no place better!!!! read more

Amazing food and super friendly, family service. A great chill place for lunch. Try the redfish but come hungry! Tons of character in this place inside and out. Best of the Mississippi Coast! read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Redfish - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

Excellent local eatery hidden away from the beach traffic back by the railroad tracks. Easy to find and plenty of parking. During busy times they add an outdoor service area - now that's a nice touch. If you're there at a quiet time, head indoors to the back room, it's quieter and a bit nicer. Darwell and his wife are routinely there. They always make us feel welcome and frequently offer suggestions on specials or options we should try that day. We're looking forward to bringing more friends there when we're back in the South this winter... read more

I'm literally sooo upset I come out to Mississippi once a year and I only look forward to eating here! I got here toddy to find out the menu is completely different! They literally are only serving nachos and burgers lol like wth ‍ I walked in happy and walked right out sooooooo unhappy. I really hope they bring back the old menu! The new menu was not it. The lady at the counter said it's a " less stressful " menu like wowww but they had like 4 cooks in the back looking like they needed work lol I'm upset read more

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Darwell's is my little sister's favorite restaurant and it is a bit of an area legend for doing things their own way with slightly different takes on some classic items. Darwell's in noted for the highly peculiar practice of offering no deep fried items. One of their most popular dishes (and a favorite of my little sisters who lives in the area) is their crawfish etouffee that is made with a cream sauce and blackened shrimp. My last meal here was one of their changing daily specials that consisted of redfish topped with a crab cake which was then topped with lump crab and I also had started out with a seafood gumbo. The meal before that one had been the redfish smothered in crawfish and shrimp etouffee on my last visit and it was quite nice overall with my only complaint being it was too small of a portion for my appetite so I also had to get the sliced prime rib as my "dessert" and that was a great dish also. The Angel Hair Yum Yum with shrimp, crab and mushrooms is also quite good. They also have a selection of several delicious looking sandwiches, burgers and lunch specials (and I really want to try a burger sooner than later). Overall this is an interesting joint to hang out at (great patio area) and they also offer live music at times along with their unique twist on some classic Southern Gulf coastal dishes. My video review of Darwell's Cafe is here: https://youtu.be/5nyUPWnNJhA read more

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This little, local family restaurant is incredible. It may not look like much, but the food is as good as you'll get at any seafood restaurant in the Gulf Coast. And the story of the family, traditions, their history is just incredible. Don't miss it. Skip the casino buffet, the oyster bar, the daiquiri shack, and go to Darwell's every chance you get. read more

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Family owned business fallen victim to covid. So sad. I absolutely LOVE Darwell's AND the energy they put out. Etouffe Is always my go to... i dream about it. It sucks they are having to sell or shut down due to lack of employees. We went in and it was just the family working, and working their ASSES off might I add. Their kid had to take off from college to help them. Hate that authentic home cooked southern food will be commercialized to large businesses who don't include the main ingredient... love. Hoping they are able to keep their heads above water, or at least get bought out by someone who doesn't change what they perfected. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

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The atmosphere and ambiances is awesome. I had the steak tips last night, they were so tender and juicy, cooked to perfection. We been waiting since COVID shut down trying to eat there, finally the wait was over and I loved the flavor. I'm going back until I try everything, especially when bbq is back on the menu. Good food, didn't try the desert but it looked mouth watering, too bad I'm diabetic. 15 thumbs up x3. read more

This is my sixth trip here and every time has been superb. Brought family and friends and they agree completely. The etoufee gumbo and redfish are out of this world. Better than anything in New Orleans. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Blackened redfish, covered in étouffée. - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

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Great friendly people hidden local favorite come and try a southern dish now. Limited hours

It was 5.30 PM on a Saturday evening and we were leaving Gulfport, MS to head back to New Orleans. We didn't want to wait to get home to eat dinner so we opted to eat somewhere on or near the Mississippi Gulf Coast. I immediately went to my Yelp app and Darwell's Cafe stood out like a lighthouse beacon. With 266 reviews for a 4.5 out of 5 stars; this place had to be legit. When I scrolled down and saw "Uber Yelper" John L.H.'s 4-star review, we rolled out at top speed to check it out for ourselves. Upon walking in, we were enthusiastically greeted by a young man who's name I cannot recall. He was extremely friendly and even gave us a sample of their famous crawfish etouffee while we looked at the menu. He "bragged" how they had no fried food here, as they were "all about the sauces"! When I say Guy Fieri's picture on the wall and his Diner Drive-ins and Dives" review, I knew we were in for a treat. Darwell's decor is straight out the 60's. It's hippie, meets eclectic, meets funky. And that's Funky with a capitol "F". There is art and lights everywhere, and I was told that Darwell himself was the actual artist who made these creations. As much as I wanted to eat in the "art room", my 6-year-old insisted that we eat outside. There was lots of outside seating and each table had a huge multi-colored beach-styled umbrella for shade. The hippie, meets eclectic, meets funky decor continued outside as well. There was a 3 man-band (2 men + 1 woman) playing live music while we ate and they were actually quite good. But enough about the decor, let's talk food and service. Everyone orders at the front counter. Once you pay, you walk over to the bar, pick up your drinks and sit anywhere you want. Your server will find you as long as you put your number on the table stand. The food comes out really fast. In fact, we had only listened to 1 or 2 songs before out food arrived. My son got a plain grilled chicken sandwich. This was no frozen chicken patty, but rather a real boneless breast that tasted very fresh. The wife got the crab cake and grilled asparagus. The crab-cake was probably in the top 5 I've ever eaten. It had hardly any breadcrumbs at all and you could see the chunks of crab-meat in it. Furthermore, it was topped with jumbo lump crab-meat. The grilled asparagus was the absolute best I have ever tasted; perfectly grilled with a balance of just enough "snap" for you to know how fresh it is. I opted for the Darwell's Trio, as it gave me the opportunity to sample three 8-ounce dishes. 1. Shrimp creole: Although I usually don't order this, I was pleasantly surprised. Lots of shrimp made this a very filling and tasty dish. 2. Crawfish etouffee: To me, this is the signature dish at Darwell's. Not for the faint of heart, this is an extremely rich, buttery and creamy etouffee that's filled with crawfish and then topped with seasoned shrimp. 3. Seafood gumbo: Although tomato-based gumbos are not my favorite, this was actually quite tasty and could hold its own in any French Quarter restaurant. Lots of shrimp, crab and okra. Our sever was very friendly and kept our drinks filled. Furthermore, she gave us some "to-go" drinks for the ride back home. Definitely looking forward to a repeat visit. read more

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Update- so at this point the owner responded to my review and my friend Whitney's review, and in his responses he contradicted himself. In one response he admits he locked the doors on us and in the other he says the doors were unlocked! He deleted both responses, perhaps realizing that he contradicted himself, making it very obvious that he is a liar. Click my photos and see for yourself. He deleted both responses within ten minutes but not before I took screenshots. Please see the photos below. I worked in restaurants for over a decade and have visited many and never have I witnessed the level of disrespect I experienced here. Please read my entire review and avoid this establishment. We went at 2 PM. The sign says it's open until 9 but the front door was locked with a handwritten sign that said proudly "We can refuse service to anybody. -owners". We had never been before so saw a sign on the side of the building that said "hippies use the back door." So we thought maybe they want people to come in the side door? We entered and saw people just sitting down. We asked them "are they open?" And they said yes. We went to order. My 3 year old saw a mini Gatorade in the fridge that looked open to the public, given that it is out in the open and not behind any barrier. I got yelled at by a lady with the side of her head shaved and short hair, who said she will grab drinks for me. I asked her if I could order food. She said yes. The chef (maybe owner) a man with dark hair then started yelling at me about how people come in in the middle of the day when restaurants "close" in the middle of the day (2 PM lol?!) and aren't we so stupid for not knowing that restaurants close in the middle of the day. There was no sign saying they were closed on the door. The sign said open 3 till 9. We left. Called back 5 minutes later to ask if they were open and they said "yes come on in!" My friend is Spanish and my daughter is mixed. I get the feeling these people hate minorities and are overall psychotic. Do not give these people your money unless you too are a bigot. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Darwell's original response to me, in which he admits that the front door was locked. - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

I was the person who came in with my friend yesterday. Why would you lock the door on two young women with a toddler? The style is very much hippie and odd, I am the one who saw the sign that says hippies use side entrance, so thought that was just the vibe. I saw a total of maybe 6-8 people seated and asked if it was open. If you were feeling busy and overwhelmed, the polite way to handle it would have been to simply say, idk, just if you had an ounce of southern hospitality. "Hey guys, we are short staffed and had a few people order, so it might be awhile." You know, considering you were featured on national television? Not to mention, just to be certain that we weren't overreacting for how we felt about the treatment, called not even 5 minutes later and were told y'all were definitely open, not an ounce of oh well we had to close down for a few minutes it might be a while because we are swamped. So BOTTOM LINE: you locked the door on us! , when you could have simply kept it open, and told us it would be a few minutes when you didn't, you decided to refuse service which you proudly put on your door. read more

It's like eating at your friendly uncle's house and he can cook! Eclectic atmosphere and made to order food. Get the tuna!

Clean place, great food, quick service! I like the menu is different plus no fried food on menu!

One of the best meals I've ever eaten. I had the Redfish Nawlins, hubby had the Redfish Ponchatrain. The étouffée is to die for. The owners and staff were super friendly. We enjoyed it so much we're headed back tomorrow. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Redfish Ponchatrain - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

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Nice little spot in long beach for some good food. The menu is currently limited (see photo), but the food provided is great. Just wish they offered beer and wine. Overall try it out. Call for hours. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

Darwell's is our #1 FAVORITE place to eat when we visit Mississippi! The Crawfish étouffée is HANDS DOWN THE BEST IN THE SOUTH! There isn't one thing that we didn't LOVE that we ate there! And you MUST ALWAYS have dessert! The food, atmosphere, service, and the hospitality keep us coming back every visit to Long Beach! Keep doing it right Darwell's! Thanks for always making us feel like family! read more

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My daughter and I were wanting crayfish étouffée and Darrell's doesn't disappoint. They often have live music on the patio. It was a real treat. They are located south of the tracks In Long Beach ms. I highly recommend them. read more

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First of all, if I could have given this restaurant a zero star I certainly would have. Went in after a Mardi Gras parade to meet some friends because everyone says how wonderful it was. It was like 2 they didn't close until 3. Was met at the door by all I can say is the most hateful, unhappy woman I have ever met in my life. She screamed at me..we are closed. I said ok my friends are in there... I'II go sit and talk with them until they are done. She screamed at me again and wouldn't let me in. Then the chef started ranting at me. All I can say is I will never enter their restaurant again and would never recommend this restaurant to anyone. What happened to common courtesy? I find it ironic that it's called the "Happiness Cafe". I certainly didn't find any happiness there. read more

So excited to visit during Cruising the Coast. Super limited menu of burgers and hot dogs. No Cajun dishes, brisket, etc. Average and expensive. $32 for two Chili Cheese Burgers??? Sadly, you should pass. No longer a hidden jem. read more

Darwell's Happiness Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Long Beach, Mississippi

Darrell's has changed.. 25$ fee to bring alcohol. Small and large sized meals, the small is served in the smallest bowl made. The portion is not terrible but you feel like you are getting cheated. The food was still good, the desserts looked amazing! We were disappointed overall read more