King Cake reigns in Bay St Louis

The Coastal Mississippi town loves to play on the Carnival tradition.

It’s Carnival time and that means king cake! But not just cake. Here are five ways to enjoy the flavors of the Mardi Gras dessert in fun and innovative ways in the equally entertaining Mississippi Gulf Coast city, only an hour from New Orleans. And now there's the Mardi Gras Train by Amtrak to take you there, traveling twice a day from New Orleans to Mobile!

Anthony's Ristorante

King Cake Old Fashioned

Anthony’s Ristorante in the heart of Bay St. Louis, which opened in late September 2025, serves up elevated Gulf Coast dishes with a classic Italian twist. Known for its fresh seafood and handcrafted pastas (we adored the mushroom campanelli), Anthony’s also creates delicious craft cocktails.

For the Carnival season, their King Cake Old Fashioned combines a cream cheese-washed bourbon with toasted almond bitters, cinnamon, vanilla and butterscrotch syrup with a purple, green and gold sugar rim. Simply exquisite!

Mockingbird Cafe

King Cake Latte

The community loves to gather at the Mockingbird Café, in a three-sided galleried house built in 1868. Mockingbird serves up morning and lunch dishes with a wide menu of coffees made from Coast Roast beans. We chose the king cake latte to complement our Hashbrown Bowl, chopped potatoes topped with onions, bell peppers, “good karma curry,” a fried egg and avocado.

Daiquiri Shak

King Cake Daiquiri

Nothing like a mid-afternoon stop at the Daiquiri Shak where frozen spirited treats await in a wide variety of flavors. Of course this time of year they offer a King Cake version. It’s so creamy and delicious, just like ice cream, you’ll want to slurp it right down but imbibing too fast can cause a brain freeze. Trust us on this one.

Creole Creamery

King Cake Ice Cream

Speaking of ice cream, Creole Creamery on Main Street offers scoops of King Cake Ice Cream as part of its seasonal flavors. Enjoy your cone inside on cold days or out on the spacious patio when the sun’s shining. Or take it to go and visit the many shops along Main Street and surrounding thoroughfares.

Hen House Cocktail

& Wine Bar

King Cake Cocktail

We adore the Hen House Cocktail & Wine Bar in a hip shopping and restaurant area near the Bay St. Louis Depot. This eclectic, stylish lounge with a speakeasy vibe serves up small plates, wines and craft cocktails, perfect for gatherings with friends. Naturally we had to try the Let Them Drink King Cake cocktail, consisting of vanilla vodka, coconut rum, pineapple, lime and moscato. A little too fruity for me so I enjoyed the Q’s Old Fashioned, bourbon, orange and angostura bitters, demerara syrup, cherries and an orange peel. Yep, I’m a bit old fashioned.

Weird, Wacky & Wild South is written by food and travel writer Cheré Coen who adores craft cocktails and fun food traditions. Her hometown’s New Orleans so naturally she’s seen her share of King Cake, including a few years ago enjoying this over-the-top King Cake Daiquiri from Alky Therapy in Shreveport. Yes, she drank it all and ate the king cake on top.