Photos courtesy of Alexa Cutrer
When a new restaurant opens, I usually try to wait a few months before visiting to give the team time to work out the kinks. I didn’t do that with Neighbors Tap & Table; I was too excited.
On a Thursday afternoon, three girlfriends and I headed to downtown Gulfport for lunch and found ourselves waiting for a table — not a long wait, maybe 10 minutes, but long enough to make me happy.
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In a world where independent restaurants face more challenges than ever, there’s something encouraging about seeing a locally owned dining room full of people on an ordinary weekday afternoon.
And after spending a few hours there, I understood exactly why.
Neighbors Tap & Table is the vision of local cookbook author, content creator and community advocate Matthew Bounds, known to many as Your Barefoot Neighbor, along with his husband and business partner, CJ.
Long before opening a restaurant, Matthew built a loyal following of 2.5 million on TikTok through approachable recipes, fundraising efforts and a genuine commitment to helping others. If you’ve followed him for any length of time, you know he’s big on bringing people together.
That philosophy is woven into every part of Neighbors. The restaurant’s glowing ampersand appears everywhere: on the walls, in the logo and packaging and even in the ice cubes. It serves as a symbol of inclusion and community.
DESIGNED TO DELIGHT
The first thing you’ll notice is that Neighbors Tap & Table doesn’t look like anywhere else on the Coast.
Designed in partnership with Taelor Stokes Maulding, the space is vibrant, colorful and unapologetically fun. Black-and-white checkered floors anchor the room while oversized local artwork, funky light fixtures and cozy lounge seating create an atmosphere that feels more like a gathering space than a traditional restaurant.
There’s a lively bar area, multiple couch seating arrangements and enough visual interest to keep your eyes busy while you wait for your food. I found myself watching old 90s music videos playing in the lounge while admiring local artwork on the walls.
The entire space feels intentional. Nothing feels copied. Everything feels personal.
MADE FOR SHARING
My friends and I approached the menu with one goal: order as much as possible. Fortunately, Neighbors seems created for exactly that.
The menu is filled with shareable plates that encourage passing dishes around the table and stealing bites off your friends’ plates.
We started with the block party deviled eggs, topped with crispy chicken cracklins, Neighbors hot sauce and smoked mustard pearls. The added crunch took a familiar Southern staple and made it feel completely new.
The deviled eggs are served on custom ceramic trays created specifically for the restaurant by local artist Kelly Devine of Devine Perks Pottery, another thoughtful touch that reinforces the restaurant’s commitment to supporting local makers.
The crispy pickle spears quickly became another favorite. As someone who orders fried pickles almost everywhere they’re offered, I appreciated seeing them served as spears rather than the typical chips. Paired with the pickleback aioli, they were outstanding.
Then came the Pineapple Cornbread — part cornbread. part pineapple upside-down cake and entirely delicious. Served warm with a hot honey drizzle, it somehow felt nostalgic and surprising at the same time.
SOUTHERN COMFORT WITH A TWIST
What impressed me most about the menu was its creativity. Every dish starts with something familiar and comforting — then comes an unexpected twist.
The loaded sweet potato fries featured pulled pork, guacamole, pico de gallo, lime crema, jalapeños and a colorful mix of traditional and purple sweet potatoes. I don’t know why I’ve never thought to make loaded sweet potatoes at home before, but now I can’t stop thinking about them.
The street corn dip was another standout. Served warm with crispy, fried pita chips, it delivered everything I love about street corn without requiring anyone to wrestle with an actual cob.
And then there was the recipe that started it all: chicken cobbler. If you’ve followed Matthew online, you’ve probably heard of it. This comforting combination of chicken, vegetables, cheddar garlic biscuit crumble and garlic-butter drizzle helped launch his online following years ago.
DON’T SKIP THE DRINKS
The drinks deserve their own paragraph. Between the four of us, we sampled the lavender marriage, push pop, like a virgin and spirited away. Two cocktails. Two mocktails. All fantastic.
Beautifully presented and full of flavor, they transformed lunch into something that felt a little more festive. I easily could see myself returning here for a birthday lunch or celebratory drinks and appetizers at the bar.
One drink I’ll be ordering on my next visit is the root beer float. Made with Barq’s root beer, Jägermeister, Licor 43, and whipped Bailey’s Irish Cream, it’s a playful nod to Gulf Coast history. After all, Barq’s was originally created and bottled in Biloxi in 1898, making this cocktail a uniquely local take on a nostalgic favorite.
THE NEIGHBOR WE NEED
As we wrapped up lunch, I found myself thinking about what makes certain restaurants successful.
Great food matters. Great drinks matter. Beautiful spaces matter. But the places that endure usually offer something deeper. They create a sense of belonging.
Neighbors Tap & Table manages to do all of the above. The food is creative. The drinks are fun. The atmosphere is unlike anything else on the Coast.
Most importantly, it feels like a place where people genuinely want to gather. And these days, that might be the most important thing on the menu.
IF YOU GO
Neighbors Tap & Table
1307 25th Ave, Gulfport, MS 39501
(228) 284-4513
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 11 a.m. – midnight
Sunday: Noon – 6 p.m.
Happy Hour: Monday – Saturday 3 pm – 6 pm
Late Night Happy Hour: Friday & Saturday 9 pm – midnight
