J's Restaurant
Bay St. Louis, MS
A no-frills strip-mall lunch counter in Waveland turning out New Orleans-style po-boys, stuffed baked potatoes, and a garlic ranch dressing regulars keep coming back for.
Atmosphere
J's sits in a small strip-mall storefront off Highway 90, tucked behind the McDonald's near Planet Fitness, easy to drive past the first time. Inside it's a different story: a dining-room makeover a few years back left the room bright and clean, with none of the fluorescent-diner gloom the outside promises. The real character comes from the staff — regulars ask after servers by name, and the walls carry local bottle-cap art from a longtime employee. This is a lunch-counter room, not a date-night one — quick, a little loud at noon, and completely unpretentious.
What to Order
Order what the regulars order: a shrimp po-boy, dressed and stacked high enough that transplants from New Orleans admit it holds its own. The fried shrimp stuffed baked potato is the house specialty, piled with cheese and green onions, and the boiled shrimp salad croissant is the lighter version of the same idea. Steak eaters go for the ribeye with sweet potato fries, though a couple of recent visitors found it inconsistent — stick with the seafood if you want a sure thing. The house salad sounds plain on paper, lettuce, cheese, tomato, until the ranch shows up: homemade, heavy on garlic, and worth ordering on the side of anything.
Good to Know
J's keeps lunch hours most of the week, roughly 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and stays open into the evening only on Fridays, until 8 p.m. It's closed Sundays. There's no need to plan around a reservation; this is a walk-in, order-at-the-counter place, though it can back up fast at the noon rush. Parking is in a lot behind the building, shared with neighboring stores and set back enough from Highway 90 that first-timers sometimes miss the turn. Dress is come-as-you-are, and the kids' menu and high chairs make it an easy family stop.
Our Take
J's earns its keep at lunch — a place to duck into between the beach and Bay St. Louis for a proper po-boy without waiting on a hostess. The seafood is the strong suit; reviews get shakier on the steak and on consistency during a rush, so temper expectations if you show up starving on a Friday night. It's a neighborhood spot that's been around long enough to have regulars who know the staff by name, which still counts for something along a highway full of chain options.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and menu directly with the restaurant.