Great food, great service... always one of BSL's best. Top items: Bouillabaisse, Fish Caddy and the Oyster Selection. read more

Thorny Oyster - Fish Caddy - Daily Fish, Gulf Shrimp, Lump Blue Crab, Pasta Bordelaise... delicious - New American Near Me - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

My honey and I took a drive to the Bay and were getting hungry for lunch when we came across the Thorny Oyster. We were warmly welcomed in by a quintessential southern hostess and shown to a table in the brightly lit, beautifully decorated dining room. It is truly a feast for the eyes. I took some photos because I couldn't describe all of the great decor in a reasonable amount of words. Now for the food. Soooooo good! We started with the shrimp and fish ceviche which was served with plantain strips. Fresh and bright! For mains : I had the special beet salad which had a base of lemony whipped ricotta. It was a perfect light summer salad. My husband had the tuna tostada which was also a hit. We'll be back for sure! read more

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Great place for a casual but nice experience. The food was just OK, not bad but not great either. I got the seafood platter that was served not hot. It was good seafood but the warm temp just didn't work. The burger that another person got was awesome. Prices are reasonable and the service was good. It was a little loud but it was a Saturday night. read more

My family was in town for a visit. Went for dinner. Everyone raved about the meal. Plus, our server was exceptional....he always is. My favorite restaurant..... read more

Went on a Tuesday night, was kinda snooty since we didn't have reservations to an empty restaurant but nonetheless the food was excellent. Service was ok but not fitting to restaurant. Would definitely go again when in the area to see if service was a bit different later on week. Great taste and portions and well presented. read more

Great food and great service. Everyone in our group enjoyed their meal. Portion size was generous! read more

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Oh my - This place...it is so pretty with lovely decor! Bar seating or spacious dining room with tables and 1/2 booth seating. There is room for larger parties. It's very comfortable and pleasing to the senses. It's located beneath The Pearl Hotel which is a statement on its own. We had a fabulous young lady as our server named Derin. She was assisted by her co workers leaving us never wanting for anything. When I asked Derin for something it appeared immediately presented by one of her co workers if she was tending to others. The team work shines making the dining experience exceptional. Well done and Thank You to the Thorny Oyster staff, management and training team. You should be so proud of yourselves! Being our first time in and hoping for the most well received dishes Derin gave great suggestions. We had the Almondine and Fish Caddy. I highly recommend the FISH CADDY. We added Truffle Fries for fun and dessert was the most delicious Bread Pudding. The bill was reasonable at $99 sending us home satisfied and with leftovers. If you want to avoid the credit card fee bring cash. If you're trying to pick a spot this is definitely a restaurant to enjoy in Bay St Louis! read more

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Our Server, Zachary H. Provided an amazing, professional, entertaining experience. The place is beautiful & comfortable & the food was delish, we will visit again. read more

Thorny Oyster - Best Hamburger Ever & Sweet Potatoes roasted in Molasses - New American Near Me - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

Such great apps and drinks! Will be back for entrees! Super cute interior! Nice bar. Bartender was friendly and gave great recs! read more

Thorny Oyster - Fish dip flatbread - New American Near Me - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

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We had such a great dinner! Everything was superb! The service, the entrees and the lovely atmosphere. I'll be back the next time I'm in St Bay Mississippi. The hotel was great too! read more

Thorny Oyster - Dinning room November 2025 - New American Near Me - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

One of the tastiest meals I've ever had! We started off small: truffle fries were crisp, with just enough truffle on top; crab bisque was the soup of the day and it was rich, creamy, and nicely crabby. However, there were remnants of crab shell that I had to pick out of mouth. There weren't many shell pieces, so it didn't bother me that much... the soup was still part of the clean bowl club. My husband loved his pasta with crab and mahi. And I enjoyed the almondine--fish seasoned well and the almond chips added a nice crunch to the dish. The bread pudding was SO SO SCRUMPTIOUS! I'd come back just to eat it by myself. Shout out to Kate for providing great service to our table. She was patient, cheerful, and kind. I love the layout of the restaurant. I appreciated that the kitchen can be seen from the tables and there was also a bar. We'll be coming back to the Thorny Oyster! read more

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We came here with my mother-in-law and her partner for dinner on Black Friday (also my 30th birthday). We were treated to counter seats and great service! My mother-in-law is a regular here, and the staff and chefs love them! We were given a rundown of the menu and told what to order. We ordered way too much food! The portions are huge, and the flavor is next level! The crab cakes, mussels, and fries were to die for! There was so much flavor, and a little smoke from the bacon and grill added to the overall taste. My husband and I split the grilled whole fish, which came with a crab sauce and some grilled bread. After a couple cocktails and all the food our eyes and stomachs could handle, we left full, satisfied, and confident in our triumphant return. The staff treat you like family, the counter seats are a must so you can watch the chefs work, and the food is worth every penny! read more

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The sautéed crab claws were probably the best dish. Small plates are actually VERY generous portions. The salads are $20 because they feed the entire table. We ordered the tuna tostada, grilled oysters, lobster roll, seafood platter, Italiano salad, calamari, crab claws, and crab cakes. Most dishes were decent. The bread that came with the claws and oysters was a bit stale. The fries were extremely salty and we couldn't eat more than one. Overall the dishes were decent. read more

Thorny Oyster is a little slice of downtown New Orleans in the middle of downtown Bay St. Louis. The food here is ridiculously good with huge portion sizes. By huge, I mean there are plenty of appetizers on the menu (especially the crab cakes, brussel sprout salad, and mussels and frites) that are full entree sized. If you're getting the whole fish, it's best to have someone there to share it with you. It's massive. They'll give you the option of fried or grilled. I've had both and recommend getting it fried. Other than the whole fish, a top personal recommendation would be the bouillabaise - so flavorful and so much of it. As you could expect, this place stays very busy, so it's not exactly the place where you come for a quiet, intimate meal. But if you're staying in the area, Thorny Oyster should be at the top of your list of places to eat. read more

Wow, the Thorny Oyster has delicious food. The best was the crab claw appetizer - SO TASTY. I could drink the sauce. For my entree, I got the filet-oh-fish and it was crispy and flavorful. It came with fries and I enjoyed the meal! The margarita was refreshing and the desserts were divine! I will definitely be back to the Thorny Oyster to explore the menu! read more

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Lovely little restaurant in the heart of Bay St. Louis! I had the mussels and fries and they were absolutely phenomenal as well as crawfish bisque. Wine was great. Outdoor seating was great. Service was great. Zero complaints and will come back next time I'm in town! read more

Beautiful setting right on the bay. There are so many delicious things to choose from. The bisque was excellent. And the tamales were good, some parts of the breading tasted a little stale, but over all the flavor was great. Our appetizer was excellent and the royal reds didn't disappoint. My coworker enjoyed those. I took a cheesecake to go and it was great, the black pepper felt like an afterthought, but it was very yummy. read more

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Food was great, only about an hour from the north shore area, so it was a nice date night read more

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Great experiences every time we've been! Food is EXCELLENT! Service was wonderful! Looking forward to our next visit! read more

We enjoyed our dinner but it was SO loud! Very crowded so you need a reservation! We started with salads which were enough for 2 people. Then we ordered the tuna special and crabcake and cheesecake. All excellent. Service was superb! read more

Thorny Oyster - Crabcake - New American Near Me - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

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This place is absolutely delicious and friendly love the atmosphere. Miss Rita is a very good server she knows about everything wine,cocktails, and the most important the food she treats you very kindly with a special southern hospitality. read more

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Food and service was great. Prices are somewhat high, though comparable to other restaurants in the area.

The most excellent restaurant . We really enjoyed the seafood platter thank you!!!! ......... read more

I've been here for brunch and dinner and had a great time on each visit! My most recent visit allowed for a lovely dinner on the outside patio. I went with a spicy watermelon margarita. It was very good, even though it wasn't spicy. My companion ordered an Old Fashioned that was also very good. We went with the tuna appetizer and it was INSANELY good. For my meal, I went with the raw seafood platter and it was delicious. Our server was excellent. I look forward to my next visit! read more

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The Thorny (horny) oyster is the best in BSL. Nothing more to say. Done. Every aspect of the meal is perfect. Try it for Cruisin' the Coast parade. They turn the corner and sit there, for you to drool over, during your meal. Gotta do it. read more

I wish Yelp would let me give a 3.5 because that's pretty fair. We went here recently and the food was good but crazy expensive for what you got. Service was pretty slow and the waiter forgot a side dish. Not a big deal since we had so much other stuff. We had grilled oysters and they were fantastic, and the fish flatbread was excellent. We also got a $20 Wedge salad which was ridiculously overpriced, but it was good. My wife had the bouillabaisse which was pretty spicy but very good and had a lot of seafood. I had the shrimp and grits which was decent but only had a half dozen head-on shrimp in it, meaning I had to fish them out of the sauce and that was messy. My main complaint here, though, is the acoustics in the main dining room are terrible. They need some rugs or something to soften up the sounds because it was so noisy we had to practically should across the table. It was beyond loud and got worse as the place filled up. I'd definitely go back, but maybe during a slower time. read more

Food was excellent - tuna tostada was exceptional and the raw oysters were devine!! My server, Skyler, was the sweetest and gave excellent recommendations. If you're a french fry lover, try out the truffle fries...yum Also, stellar music selection playing the entire time I was there! Highly recommend this place!! read more

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Food was fantastic service was great but for a large table on a Saturday the food was slow. Overall great atmosphere, wonderful drinks and fantastic food. read more

Everything was delicious we enjoyed it. This was our second time here we came for my dad's retirement the four of us.

Tricky review to write ... I'll start with the good. The restaurant is beautiful with gorgeous wallpaper and an easy coastal flair. We came for Sunday brunch and chose to sit at the bar, which is also lovely. Our server was laid-back, but attentive. We ordered the Argentinian red shrimp and the grilled oysters to start. Both were exceptional and served with a hot towel for your son-to-be very messy fingers. For mains, I had the crab cake Benedict and he had the Hangtown Fry (fried oysters with scrambled eggs). The crab cake was very good, the eggs were perfectly cooked and the biscuit was flaky and delicious. His oysters were good and the eggs were, once again, cooked perfectly. Don't miss the garlic home-fried potatoes. They're a fantastic side! Portion sizes on everything were generous. He had a Bloody Mary, which was just okay, and I had a mimosa, which was good and served properly. Unfortunately, the cleanliness (or total lack thereof) put a damper on an otherwise fantastic meal. The walk to the hostess stand from the hotel entrance took me across the restaurant. I noticed immediately that my feet were sticking to the floor. As I looked down, I was shocked by the dirty floors! I'm not talking about maybe someone missed a spot while mopping the night before, I'm saying the entire floor of the restaurant was GROSS. When choosing a seat at the bar, I had to pull out 3 chairs before I found one that wasn't either scattered with crumbs from last night's food, or stained to the point of no longer being acceptable for use. Furthermore, the bar had not been wiped down. As we were there when they opened the doors, we were the first to be seated, so there was no excuse for there to be signs of leftover food on the bar and chairs. When things are that dirty on the outside, it made me very wary about what the kitchen looked like. Normally, I would have left after seeing the floors, but we were on our way home and honestly just decided to suck it up. I'm glad we stayed, because the food was wonderful, but we definitely won't be back next time we're in town. Really unfortunate. read more

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The food was outstanding & service with Vincent was excellent. My bouillibasse was incredible. Chef's kiss to the food. Chef's kiss to the drinks. read more

Mother's Day brunch was absolutely delicious. Food and drinks and atmosphere, perfect.

Made reservations for a return visit to celebrate a birthday on a Sunday. Had requested special seating as well as my husband's favorite dish. Upon calling to confirm my reservation I was told about the brunch menu being different on Sunday than usual but that Chef would accommodate us. We were not disappointed. From our friendly and attentive waitress throughout each course our whole experience was perfect! We could not have asked for a more positive and delicious celebration. The food is consistently fresh well prepared uniquely seasoned and prepared with attention and skill! The chef knows sauces! We will be back!!! read more

Stopped in for a quick dinner and drinks since we were visiting the Bay. Sat at the bar which was a mistake. My sister's food came out cold and the fish had a definite odor and to top it off the bartender was going through an episode as the owners comment below says. Needless to say, one and done at this place. Maybe the owners should step in when their employees are having personal problems as not to be rude to their guests. We just asked to warm up her cold food. Lots of good restaurants on the coast to consider besides this one. read more

Totally lives up to the hype! Came for Sunday brunch/lunch and it was jammed but our server was attentive and sweet. We had raw oysters and snow crab. We also split the spicy chicken sandwich. Everything was delicious! Beautiful space too. Cocktails were great. Reasonably priced for the most part except, for some reason, the salads ($20 for a wedge?!?). Would recommend highly and would return! read more

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Fried calamari. Oh my fried goodness, can I express to you how good this was? I don't know- let me try in as simple a way as I can think of- it's an appetizer, but I made it my entree. Yes, I take cholesterol medication and this is why! read more

Service was great, they were able to accommodate for a table of 7. Drinks were all outstanding, thorny margarita was my personal favorite. Brussel sprouts were delicious as well as the almandine. Asparagus were large yet perfectly tender. Cannot wait to return and discover more. read more

Thorny Oyster - Brussel sprouts - New American Near Me - Bay St. Louis, Mississippi

The food and service at Thorny Oyster were very good. I'm looking forward to returning for dinner again soon.

Food was amazing! Service was also great! She helped with recommendations and was very tentative. It was a little loud inside but was still able to hear the person I was with. read more

In the Bay to hang with my sisters, do Trivia, and drink adult beverages. I've been watching the construction of "The Pearl" - very nice "New Kid in Town" hotel in the Bay - and stepped into try their restaurant and am so glad I did. Love the design, the feel and the finishes. Attentive and friendly wait staff saw me to my seat at the bar and then it was ON. Matthew served me one of their "Boat Drinks" called "On a Boat" - that had a little bit of everything: Dark Rum, Velvet Falernum, Yellow Chartreuse, Grapefruit Shrub - And about four other things. Very nice. And it came in a fish glass. So there's THAT. I ordered two appetizers. The first one was the Grilled Oysters which I take are intended to be grilled and not "chargrilled". They were nice but my hands down favorite was the Ginger Scallion French Toast - which for me was a home run. The presentation was fantastic and they tasted delicious all by themselves but the offer of two different dipping sauces gave some very much appreciated options. Looking forward to coming back and trying the bouillabaisse which I've been told is an absolute must... read more

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