Lil' Rays Poboys and Seafood
Gulfport, MS
A counter-service po'boy shop dishing out fried shrimp, oysters and gumbo on French bread trucked in daily from New Orleans since the 1970s.
Atmosphere
Lil' Ray's runs out of a low-slung building on Courthouse Road that looks like exactly what it is: a working seafood counter, not a dining room built for show. You order at the register, grab a number, and find a seat at one of the plain tables while the fryers do the talking. Regulars call the vibe cozy and unfussy, paper menus, TVs tuned to whatever game is on, and a staff that's been doing this long enough to have the order memorized before you finish talking. It gets loud and full around lunch, especially Friday, when the parking lot fills with contractors' trucks and school pickup traffic overlapping. Nobody comes here for ambience. They come back for the shrimp.
What to Order
Start with the shrimp po'boy, cornmeal-crusted Gulf shrimp piled onto French bread shipped in daily from a New Orleans bakery, because Lil' Ray's has never trusted a local loaf to hold up to the dressing. The oyster po'boy and the soft-shell crab version pull nearly as many orders, and the seafood gumbo is thick enough to eat with a fork rather than sip. Regulars split the difference between fried and boiled: a cup of gumbo alongside a half po'boy covers both cravings on one ticket. Ask for it dressed, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mayo, the way anyone who grew up on the Coast expects a po'boy to arrive. Save room for the jumbo lump crab cakes if they're on the board that day.
Good to Know
Lil' Ray's is counter service only, so there's no reservation to make and no host stand to wait at: order at the register, pay, and grab a table while the ticket cooks. It's open Monday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., then stretches later, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and stays closed on Sundays. There's a free lot right off Courthouse Road, though it fills fast around the noon rush. Kids are welcome, and the menu has enough non-fried, non-shellfish options to satisfy a picky eater. Expect a short wait for a table at peak lunch hours, faster if you call ahead for takeout at (228) 896-9601.
Our Take
Lil' Ray's isn't trying to be anything other than a good po'boy shop, and that's exactly its appeal. The shrimp po'boy alone is worth the stop if you're driving the Highway 49 corridor near the Gulfport airport, and the prices haven't chased away the lunch crowd of contractors, courthouse staff and families who've been coming for decades. The one real caveat: service can lag when it's slammed, and the roast beef po'boy gets more mixed reviews than the fried seafood does. Stick to what they're known for and you'll leave full and happy.
Details last verified August 2026. Always confirm current hours and menu directly with the restaurant.