Government Street Grocery
Ocean Springs, MS
A former neighborhood grocery turned burger-and-bar institution on Government Street, with a patio, cold beer, and live local music on weekends.
Atmosphere
Government Street Grocery has been slinging burgers and cold beer out of this old grocery-store building since 2005, and it wears every one of those years well. Nothing about the place is polished — the paint's a little worn, the barstools have history, and that's exactly the point. Locals treat it like a living room: regulars parked at the bar, families spread out at the patio tables out back, a band setting up in the corner most Friday and Saturday nights. Ceiling fans, string lights, mismatched signage on the walls — it reads more like a friend's garage party than a restaurant. Grab a table on the patio if the weather's decent.
What to Order
Most people come for the burgers, and the Grocery burger — bacon, provolone and American cheese with Creole mustard on a Kaiser roll — is the one regulars order without looking at the menu. The mushroom Swiss, piled with grilled onions, gives it real competition. Beyond burgers, the fries here do a lot of work: the Grocery fries come loaded with Rotel, chili, jalapeños, sour cream and green onions, and the gravy fries are a close second. The smoked tuna dip is an old-school Coast staple that's mostly disappeared from other menus around here, so order it with a cold beer if you see it.
Good to Know
There's no reservation line to call: this is a walk-in kind of place, and on weekend and holiday nights, especially when a band's playing, you can expect a short wait for a table. Government Street Grocery is closed Mondays, opens at 11 a.m. the rest of the week, and stays open late Thursday through Saturday for the after-dinner and music crowd, with an earlier close on Sunday. Parking is street parking with time limits along Government Street, and spots get tight on weekends and during downtown festivals. Kids are welcome, and Sundays bring a beef-hot-dog special sized for them too.
Our Take
Government Street Grocery earns its following honestly — it's a burger-and-a-beer bar first, a live-music venue second, and a fine-dining destination never. Go for the Grocery burger and the loaded fries, stay for a set from whatever local band is playing, and don't expect fast service on a packed Friday night. It's best for travelers who want a genuine, unpolished slice of Ocean Springs nightlife rather than a postcard patio meal, and for families it works fine at an early hour on the patio, less so once the bar crowd shows up after dark.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and menu directly with the restaurant.