The Secret Mississippi Italian Spot Locals Swear Serves The Best Pasta In The State
Nothing about the plain strip-mall door hinted at what was cooking inside. One forkful of creamy shrimp pasta later, our hungry family had a new favorite stop on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Small Italian kitchens like this one matter because they serve real family recipes at prices that work for parents feeding a whole crew. Here is everything you need to know before you pile the kids in the car and go.
A Small Storefront on Pass Road
Blink and you could drive right past it. The Sicilian II sits at 1670 Pass Rd, Unit i, in Biloxi, tucked into a modest row of businesses that looks like any other stretch of Gulf Coast road.
Inside, though, families find a casual Italian restaurant serving pizza, pasta, salads, and sandwiches made from scratch. The owner himself proudly calls it a little hole-in-the-wall, and visitors agree the outside gives away almost nothing about the cooking happening in the kitchen.
That contrast is part of the charm, and it is a fun lesson for kids about not judging a place by its front door.
Location matters for traveling families, and this one is easy to fold into a beach trip. Pass Road runs through the heart of Biloxi, so the restaurant is a short drive from hotels, the shoreline, and the attractions that bring visitors to the coast in the first place.
You will not need to plan a long detour just for dinner.
Out-of-towners often stumble onto it while on vacation. Some return the very next night for a second round, and a few travelers mention planning entire trips around another meal here.
For a restaurant this easy to overlook, that kind of loyalty says a lot.
The Father’s Dream a Son Carried Forward
Every family restaurant has a story, and this one starts with a father’s idea. He dreamed of opening an Italian dining room on the Mississippi coast, and soon after the doors opened, his son stepped in to take over and see that dream through.
That son is Chef Chris, the owner and cook who still runs the kitchen today. Guests often hear the tale straight from him, because he likes to stop by tables and share a bit of restaurant history along with his recommendations.
Kids tend to light up when a real chef comes out to chat, and he seems to enjoy the attention just as much.
More than ten years have passed since the restaurant began welcoming diners. Some regulars have been coming for that entire decade, bringing spouses, children, and grandchildren along the way.
In his own words, the goal has always been for guests to feel less like customers and more like friends invited over for dinner.
Knowing the backstory makes the meal feel more personal. It turns an ordinary weeknight dinner into a chance to talk with your children about family, hard work, and keeping a promise.
Few lessons go down quite so easily with a plate of warm pasta.
Recipes Passed Through Six Generations
Six generations. That is how far back the lasagna recipe reportedly reaches, and it is only one example of the family cooking at the heart of this kitchen.
Many dishes come from multigenerational recipes, while others are original creations from Chef Chris himself. Visitors who chat with him learn that some ingredients are imported from Sicily, and others are purchased organically with care for how each recipe should taste.
Everything is made from scratch, which is not something you can assume at every casual spot near a tourist area.
Why should parents care? Homemade food usually means fresher flavors and fewer shortcuts, and it gives kids a taste of what traditional Italian cooking is supposed to be like.
A child raised on boxed spaghetti might be surprised at how different a long-loved family sauce can taste.
Diners frequently describe the meals as tasting fresh and full of flavor. The cooking leans on tradition without feeling stuffy, so even picky eaters can find something familiar.
Grandparents, meanwhile, often appreciate dishes that remind them of meals from their own childhood.
Ask your server which dishes are the oldest family recipes. It is a simple way to make dinner feel like a little history lesson.
A Mural of the Sicilian Seaside
Step through the door and the first thing many guests notice is the wall. A painted mural of Sicily’s seaside stretches across the dining room, with sparkling water and a coastal scene that pairs nicely with Biloxi’s own Gulf views.
The room itself feels like a small bistro. Soft music plays in the background, low enough that families can actually talk to each other without shouting over the noise.
Regulars describe the setting as cozy and relaxing, the kind of place where nobody feels rushed through dinner.
Kids often enjoy picking out details in the mural while waiting for food. Parents can turn it into a quick geography game: find Sicily on a map, compare its coastline with Mississippi’s, and guess which dishes might come from a seaside town.
A small activity like that can make the wait for a fresh pizza feel much shorter.
Space is limited, so the dining room has an intimate, close-knit feel. That works well for small families and couples, while larger groups may want to call ahead.
Either way, the warm setting helps the whole meal feel more like a gathering at a friend’s house than a quick restaurant stop.
Shrimp Alfonso, the Coastal Crowd-Pleaser
Gulf shrimp meets Italian cream sauce, and the result is the plate people keep talking about. Shrimp Alfonso ranks among the most mentioned dishes at The Sicilian II, and it often gets called the highlight of the night.
Diners praise the seasoning and the deep flavor, along with portions large enough to share. That makes it a smart pick for families who want to order a few dishes and pass them around the table.
One grandparent who brought several relatives noted that nobody could pick a single favorite between the shrimp Alfonso, eggplant Parmesan, manicotti, and chicken piccata.
Living on the coast means fresh seafood is part of daily life, and this dish blends that local flavor with an Italian approach. For visiting families, it is a tasty way to try Gulf shrimp without heading to a typical fried seafood spot.
Teens who like bold, savory food usually take to it right away.
Younger children who are still unsure about shrimp can try a bite from a parent’s plate first. If the creamy sauce wins them over, you may have a new family favorite on your hands.
Ask Chef Chris for his suggestions too, since he enjoys pointing guests toward the house specialties.
Lasagna, Baked Ziti and Stuffed Manicotti
Comfort food has a home on this menu. The famous lasagna, built from that six-generation recipe, earns the kind of praise usually saved for a grandmother’s kitchen, with some diners calling it the best they have ever eaten.
Baked ziti is another frequent favorite, and visitors describe it as genuinely outstanding. Stuffed manicotti rounds out the trio, filled and baked in rich sauce for anyone who loves cheesy, oven-hot pasta.
These dishes tend to travel well across the table too, so families can sample a little of everything.
Parents of picky eaters will be glad to see such familiar choices. Kids who will not try anything new often happily dig into a layered square of lasagna or a bowl of ziti.
Those baked dishes are filling, and portions are generous enough that leftovers are common.
Planning tip: if your family wants to compare, order one of each and share. Everyone gets to taste a different classic, and it can spark a friendly debate on the drive back to the hotel about which one deserves the crown.
Just leave room, because the starters and desserts here are hard to skip.
Creamy Alfredo and Fragrant Pesto
Some kids only eat white sauce pasta, and that is perfectly fine here. Chicken Alfredo appears often in diner conversations, with one guest calling it hands down the best Alfredo they had ever tasted.
The kitchen makes its sauces from scratch, so the Alfredo tastes rich and fresh instead of heavy and bland. Paired with tender chicken, it is an easy win for children who prefer simple flavors and for adults who simply crave something creamy after a long beach day.
For something lighter, chicken pesto offers a different direction. Diners describe the pesto as light, with fresh herbs that make the whole plate wonderfully fragrant.
Older kids who are ready to branch out may enjoy that bright, green flavor as a step beyond tomato or cream sauces.
Having both options means a family can split the table between comfort and adventure. Mom might order the pesto, the kids might grab Alfredo, and everyone can swap forkfuls.
Chicken piccata, the restaurant’s own version, adds another choice for those who like a tangy twist.
Generous portions mean these plates can often stretch to feed a small child too. Ask your server about sizes before ordering extra.
Breadsticks, Garlic Bread and Gooey Starters
Mozzarella sticks are the single most talked-about item at this restaurant, which tells you plenty about how good the starters are. Hungry kids rarely complain when a plate of melty cheese arrives first.
Breadsticks come in a close second in diner chatter. The garlic bread gets its own fan club, thanks to a garlic-forward topping that bold eaters love.
Order a basket for the table and watch it vanish before the main course arrives.
Other openers lean a little more grown-up. French onion soup is a regular favorite, and saganaki, a pan-seared cheese dish, appears often enough to show that adventurous diners keep ordering it.
Fried zucchini is also on the menu, though one guest found the small portion pricey at about $17, so it may be better shared than ordered for one.
And here is a surprise: several visitors rave about the ranch dressing. It is not something you expect at an Italian place, but kids who dip everything in ranch will be thrilled.
Starters are a smart move for families arriving hungry. They buy time while pizzas bake and pasta simmers, keeping little tummies happy during the wait.
Stone-Oven Pizza for Every Age
Pasta may headline this article, but pizza deserves a spot in the conversation. Pies here bake in a stone oven heated to nearly 600 degrees, which gives the crust a crisp, airy bite.
Choices range from a classic margherita to a loaded supreme. There is even a Chicago-style option called The Lanford, which one couple named the tastier of the two pies they shared.
Families can also build their own pizza, a fun way to let children pick the toppings they actually like.
Plenty of visitors arrive for pasta and come back the next night for pizza. Some say it rivals the best they have had anywhere.
That makes the restaurant handy for families splitting a week on the coast, since one visit can be a pasta night and the next can be all about pizza.
Picky eaters especially appreciate the pizza menu. A plain cheese slice is a safe bet for toddlers, while older kids can experiment with mushrooms, olives, or meats.
The restaurant also hosts a pizza night, so ask about it when planning.
Order a pie for the kids and pasta for the adults. Everybody wins.
Prices, Pickup Tips and a Final Word
Value matters when you are feeding a whole family, and diners say the prices here feel very reasonable for the serving sizes. Big portions often mean leftovers, which can double as a hotel-room lunch the next day.
Pickup orders are available for families who would rather eat back at the condo. One helpful tip: open your boxes and check your food before leaving the counter.
The restaurant’s policy is that problems are easiest to fix on the spot, when staff can inspect, remake, or replace an order right away.
Getting there is simple. Pass Road is a main route through Biloxi, with the restaurant at 1670 Pass Rd, Unit i, an easy drive from much of the coast.
Look carefully, since the unassuming storefront is easy to miss.
So is this the best pasta in Mississippi? The restaurant itself has proudly advertised being named the best Italian restaurant in the state for several years running, and the steady stream of returning families makes a convincing case.
With shrimp Alfonso, generational lasagna, gluten-free choices, and a chef who greets every table, it offers families a warm, homemade dinner that feels like a reward after a long beach day.