Lil' Ray's - Overpriced Po-Boys on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

Lil' Ray's seafood restaurant has been around the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1970, and they have several locations including one in Gulfport and in Long Beach. I've eaten there many times, but I think my last experience there will be the last time I visit the place. The food is good, but it is ridiculously overpriced for what you get. I do not recommend going there when you can get so much more for your money at other places nearby.

For appetizers, Lil' Ray's has quite a few offerings ranging from staples like cheese sticks and chicken wings to more specialized local favorites like shrimp remoulade and stuffed artichokes. They also offer raw oysters on the half shell, but I've always been wary about eating oysters that may have come from Mississippi coastal waters because the water isn't quite as clean as it is in, for example, parts of Florida. The barrier islands are to blame for the muddy water, but it doesn't make me want to eat raw shellfish that came from it.

Po-boys are the mainstay of Lil' Ray's, and the reason why most people visit there. They do have seafood platters with various combinations of shrimp, oysters, and fish, but their large sandwiches, called po-boys, and their staple. They range in price from seven to ten dollars and you can get then with shrimp, oysters, beef and gravy, and more. They are served on thick, chewy bread that can be hard on the teeth sometimes, but some people like that. It costs extra to have them 'dressed' with lettuce, tomato, and mayo.

I think the po-boys here are kind of a rip-off because they don't come with any side items. For what they charge, you'd think a bag of chips or something could be thrown in, but all you get is the sandwich. A side order of fries or potato salad is an extra three or more bucks. Combine all that together and you're paying @ $15 for what amounts to a sandwich and some fries. You could get a steak dinner for a little bit more someplace else. The food is tasty, but it's overpriced for what you get.

The high prices aren't exactly justified by atmosphere, either. In the Long Beach restaurant, they have picnic style tables with bench seats, and they are not very comfortable. You can't lean back in them and they don't make you want to stay any longer than necessary. The inside of the restaurant is fairly small and is sparsely decorated. There's just not much to the place. I think the main thing that keeps them in business is that they have been around so long that many regular customers keep going back.

Don't get me wrong, Lil' Ray's has good food, but they think mighty highly of it. Your money would be a lot better spent someplace else, because here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast you can get a shrimp po-boy most anywhere. After all, it's just fried shrimp on tough bread.