The Grate Deli & Grille
1733 East Pass Rd.
Gulfport, MS 39507
228-678-0738
Monday-Tuesday: 10:30 a.m. – 5 p.m
Wednesday-Thursday: 10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Friday-Saturday: 10:30 - 10 p.m.
By Jane Feehan
I drove by this place many times thinking it was a store selling outdoor grills until I did so with my car window down. It was then that the aroma of slow-cooked meat came wafting through, grabbing my attention – and my appetite.
The Grate Deli & Grille is next door to – yes, a store selling gas grills, charcoal grills, Big Green Egg® and various cooking accessories. But my nose led me to the restaurant side. Both establishments are owned by two brothers from Buffalo, NY and they know Bar-B-Q.
This is a very casual place: Order at the counter and they bring it out. Sometimes the wait seems long but it’s worth it. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich at lunch time and asked for their Bar-B-Q sauce instead of a remoulade. Wow. My kind of sauce: spicy, not sweet, full-bodied flavor and perfect consistency, not thick or too watery. An employee told me the recipe is from a family member's fiancé in Memphis. Good fiancé to have. He'll be a great addition to this family. The grilled chicken, dripping in natural juices, was served on a Buffalo favorite, the Kimmelweck - a hard kaiser-type roll covered in coarse ground salt and caraway seeds. Try a sliced beef on a Kimmelweck and you’ll know why it’s so popular up north. It’s not easy to find along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The Grate Deli & Grille prepares meat entrées – beef brisket, pulled pork and franks - in a Big Green Egg, a smoker/grill - perfect for slow cooking. There’s a variety of side orders (nothing fried) and a choice of homemade cakes to finish a meal off, if one is so inclined. They sell beer but not wine. Bring your own, if you wish; they have wine glasses. Take out and catering available.
© 2009
