Two family-run Southern eateries closed this month after years of feeding po-boys and catfish to generations of hungry diners.

“After nearly 35 years of serving the Coast, I have made the difficult decision to close the Deli,” Rena’s Deli owner Rena Simmons posted on Facebook. Her last day was Nov. 20 at the sandwich shop tucked downtown near Biloxi City Hall at 131 Lameuse Street.

Thirty minutes away in Jackson County, Crazy Sisters Catfish Cabin on Mississippi 57 in Vancleave closed Nov. 3. The restaurant moved in 2022 from a small place on Ball Park Road to the big log cabin on the highway, about a 10 minute drive from Ocean Springs.

People in South Mississippi say they want more family restaurants with good, Southern cooking. But keeping them going is a challenge, with new restauran

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