Cuz's Old Town Oyster Bar & Grill
Bay St. Louis, MS
Family-run since 2004, Cuz's serves chargrilled oysters and loaded po'boys on an oak-shaded patio a block off the Old Town waterfront.
Atmosphere
Cuz's fills the ground floor of the old French Settlement building on Beach Boulevard, a couple of blocks from the water and the rest of Old Town's shops and galleries. The dining room has big windows and the kind of decor that accumulates over two decades rather than gets installed all at once: hand-lettered signs, mounted fish, string lights. Out back is the real draw, a patio shaded by oak trees where the tables fill first once the afternoon heat breaks. On a weekend evening the bar side gets loud with whatever game is playing, while the patio leans toward families and couples working through a bucket of boiled shrimp.
What to Order
Start with the chargrilled oysters, plump and briny under melted cheese and bacon, and the gumbo, a dark roux built from a family recipe and loaded with crabmeat and shrimp. The oyster po'boy is the dish regulars order on repeat, but the Swamp Fries, a mountain of fries buried under seafood and cheese, tends to be the one strangers at the next table are eating too. For something richer, the Mardi Gras Pasta pairs alligator sausage and shrimp in an alfredo sauce over fettuccine, and the seafood au gratin layers shrimp, crabmeat, and lobster under melted mozzarella. Boiled crawfish shows up seasonally and draws its own following.
Good to Know
Cuz's is open daily from 11 a.m., running through dinner most nights and closing earlier on Sunday. It's a walk-in kind of place — call ahead if you want to check on a large party, but don't count on holding a table for a set time. The restaurant has its own lot, and Old Town's public spaces pick up the overflow on busy weekends. Expect a wait on Friday and Saturday nights and during Cruisin' the Coast and other Old Town events. It's casual and loud enough for kids, with a menu built for them, and the patio is the better bet if you're bringing a stroller or a group that needs room to spread out.
Our Take
Cuz's is the right stop if you want boiled and chargrilled seafood eaten outside under oak trees, not a white-tablecloth version of the same thing. The oysters and the gumbo are worth the drive to Bay St. Louis on their own. Go early or be ready to wait, especially on weekends, since the kitchen can fall behind when the patio fills up. It's best for a laid-back group willing to trade a little polish for a family-run spot the locals still show up to.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and menu directly with the restaurant.