Biloxi is flush with good and interesting places to eat, but The Fillin’ Station is one of a kind. It was a 1920s Standard Oil service station, Sumrall’s in fact, now turned into a very cool restaurant and local meeting place. But it certainly isn’t exclusive, and visitors often outnumber locals, especially if you visit during Cruisin’ the Coast, an event that attracts as many as 8,000 classic cars and hot rods, and thousands of visitors.
The Fillin’ Station is rife with vintage automotive signs, has a full wall of old car tags, and the lacquered bar is topped with invoices and letters from the original Sumrall station. It is located at the eastern entrance to the View Marche, the center of old town, which is now a bricked drive-thru, and the focus of new businesses and fast becoming a tourist walking attraction.
As attractive as the ambiance and location are, what The Fillin’ Station is known for its great food and friendly service. Ask any local about the crawfish nachos, and you will get an enthusiastic response. The menu is loaded with local favorites, like gumbo and Cajun red beans and rice, and the top two picks are the award-winning burgers and roast beef po-boys.
Other notable menu offerings include oysters just about any way you like them: raw, Bourbon Street (New Orleans’ barbecue sauce), charbroiled, bacon parmesan, and Rockefeller. The Fillin Station’s general manager Jerry Johnson is one of the first off-bottom oystermen in the state, so look for Deer Island oysters, with reefs located less than a mile away in the Mississippi Sound, on the menu soon. In season (January thru July) you’ll find boiled crawfish being served with spicy corn and potatoes, but be warned, crawfish season draws big crowds.
The Fillin’ Station is also known for its Monday through Friday blue plate specials, all just $8.95. If you go for the blue plate, expect large servings and hearty food, like Wednesday’s chargrilled hamburger steak, Thursday’s country fried steak, and Tuesday’s Biloxi Dip, a half a shrimp po-boy and a cup of housemade gumbo.
The Fillin’ Station opened in 2010 and has evolved into a local tradition. It’s a great place to hang out with friends, inside, under the old canopy, or an umbrella on the patio. Grab a seat at this laid-back joint, and you’re bound to meet the locals and enjoy hearty food. It really is the coolest place in town.
692 Howard Ave., Biloxi
228.435.2522
Open 11 am to 3 am daily
