Fans raving about new authentic Mediterranean restaurant in South MS. Yep, it’s that good

The Mississippi Coast’s newest Mediterranean restaurant soft launched late this spring, and is quietly gaining popularity.

By the Fig and the Olive is open in Ocean Springs and is led by a quartet of chefs from around the world who have combined to create a menu that is unique in South Mississippi.

Located at 3670 Groveland Road, the Fig and Olive presents a change of pace with authenticity curated by chefs who specialize in Pakistani, Syrian, Turkish and Thai cuisine.

The building itself is distinctive. A concrete structure with a wooden corner that invites customers not with big signage, but with a small post at ground level that merely states “cafe.”

The foyer features a high ceiling and open-bulb chandelier. Wooden ornate doors welcome you into the dining room. A few tables surround a raised floor seating area with pillows resting under Turkish lamps. The walls are pewter green with dark oak supports across the ceiling.

The menu is small for now, but packed with different delights from across Eurasia in shareables, greens, entrees and sweets.

We started with the barbecue chicken flatbread. It’s a shareable, but it may as well be an entree. It’s enough for a full meal. It combines the sweet tang of barbecue with the kick of jalapenos on a soft pita base with red onion and cilantro.

Next we had had the tandoori club sandwich and seekh kabob. The seekh kabob featured spiced beef and lamb with vermicilli rice, pita and tzatziki.

The club comes on white or wheat bread. In between three slices of the bread is chicken, lettuce, cucumber, fried egg and spicy mayo. The spicy sandwich was paired with a cool mango salsa and chips.

To cap our lunch, we tried the tiramisu. It came in a cup served on a cinnamon dusted plate and dressed with a chocolate coated coffee bean and mint leaf.

By the Fig and the Olive impressively fills a void for true Mediterranean cuisine on the Coast. The young restaurant has a perfect five stars on Google and Facebook , and deservedly so.

The rest of the menu includes different tastes and health-conscious meals. Samosas, empanadas and za’atar pies can be enjoyed from the shareables. Entrees feature the falafel and schwarma wraps, roasted vegetable sandwich and beef keema.

By the Fig and the Olive is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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