I will post the trip review in 2 parts - one on the casinos we visited and one on the restaurants. Yum...
DH and I had a 2 free week night offer from the Beau that we took advantage of. We’d not been to the Beau since before Katrina … it was nice to see that some things are being rebuilt but still heart breaking to see all the empty lots – a few with a shattered sign still standing as a reminder of what was there 3 years ago.
Trip Report from staying at Beau Rivage early August
Casinos report:
We really had a great time – DH plays table games and although we tried a few other casinos first he enjoyed the Beau the best for craps - even though it was a $10 table even on week nights – never saw it go to $5 at any time day or night or at 6am…………..he played $5 table at Hard Rock but found he did better on the table at Beau.
I could not lose at slots at Hard Rock – the most amazing thing for me as I play only pennies and walk around till I find a 9line so I can afford to play max! LOL! I am obviously NOT a gambler – if I lose $20 I am finished. Hard Rock had a promo (maybe it is on all the time, I did not ask) that on the day one signs up for a players card you get credited back to your players card whatever you lose between $25 - $250. Pretty good deal for me! I decided to lose $25 so I’d have $25 to play the next day - -DH told me that was the craziest philosophy he’d ever heard!!
I COULD NOT lose! It was the craziest thing. I got so bold I went to a penny progressive wheel of fortune (I think that was what it was) bank of machines – some couple had hit ‘the big one’ as they were jumping up and down – found out they’d just won $900…..so I sat down. I figured out to play max I’d have to hit for $4 per spin – omg – that was mega for me and I closed my eyes the first time I did it! I figured after 6 or 7 spins I’d have lost my $25……. No way – I kept winning a bit here and there - -finally hit ‘something’ with bells and a bonus and my spin was worth $123! I snapped a photo of my machine as I did not think anyone would believe me later! My total was up to $193 and I’d put in a $20 bill….. I played it down to $165 can cashed out. I was on a high!
I found another penny machine that was fun and I won bonus after bonus – DaVinci Diamonds – so I had plenty of money to play even 25 cents a hit now!!
DH hates slots but I begged him to try ‘my’ wheel of fortune’ progressive bank – he was not at ‘my’ winning machine - -put in his money and promptly lost $30 in less than a minute, it seemed! I told him not to fear – I’d win it back for him tomorrow!
The next day I wanted to see other casinos and wanted to try the $3 craps at The Palace so we drove there – DH hated that table and began to lose – I was having fun but I cashed out when he did….I was only $3 down. He played BJ while I tried a few penny slots – won my $3 back plus a little – it’s a small casino and he was not happy so we left to visit Isle of Capri – it is very nice – and larger than Palace. I asked about it being rebuilt and several employees told me it was rebuilt in the original office building – the hotel lobby, restaurants, and casino are on the second floor – a few slots and a bar on the first. Very nice and clean – I would not mind staying there at some point – and we are picky where we stay. I did not have much luck there and got bored - -so I read a book in the lobby while DH played craps. He finally decided to go back to Beau so we left.
That evening we went back to Hard Rock for me to ‘win back’ his $30 – it had to be played that day. He had to actually get a new card as the original was not working for me in any machine – he was frustrated with the entire process and just stuck it in a penny reel machine right by the players club – it worked so I told him I’d just play it there……… did not take long for me to win his $30 plus $10 back! I was so proud to take him the $40 – told him he’d earned $10 interest! That was absolutely the best luck for me – I ended up bringing home $135 profit on my penny winnings – not a bad deal – and I have to say, better than DH!
We love the Beau Rivage – it has a smaller Vegas feel – we go to Vegas every year – sometimes more than once and love it. I am sure we will return if we are offered free rooms at a convenient time. The Beau is beautiful and the rooms are very nice. I was disappointed to see they do charge for internet service there though – I am not used to being charged. It was $11.99 for 24 hour use.
Trip Report from staying at Beau Rivage early August
Restaurant reports:
I had read about various restaurants on Trip Advisor (thank you members!) and wanted to try a few outside of the casinos. We used to attend a convention in Biloxi every year in the mid 80s and loved Mary Mahoney’s – that was a ‘fer sure’ one for us to try.
On the way into town we tried to find “The Shed” in Ocean Springs – we took the exit before Ocean Springs and drove down – we actually passed “Aunt Jenny%26#39;s” which was also on my list……..got down to the beach road and could not find The Shed – so I called them for directions – oops, we’d not gone far enough on I-10 and needed to have taken exit 57 and gone NORTH of I-10…..so we drove a bit farther east and up to I-10 – went across – did not see a sign – but did see a drive on the left about ¼ mile up …………when we drove in it appeared to be a trailer park and a junk yard……. I said this had to be it – but we just could not find it anywhere! We parked and got out – saw nothing but old picnic tables and school desks outside an old shack…. DH was ready to get back in the car to leave – he was tired from the drive and hungry…… but I insisted to walk around the shack and check it out – just an instinct…..there was ‘no life’ around but about 6 other cars parked in the area on the dirt …… omg – the shack was the restaurant, The Shed!!!! Now, in all my reading NO one has written a description of the physical appearance of this place – at least not one that I could find! LOL! I tentatively cracked open the door as we could not hear a sound – and lo and behold music was blaring away inside and lots of folks sitting around eating the most delicious smelling BBQ! We went inside amazed – it was hilarious – not only is the food worth the trip but the ‘atmosphere’ is something everyone should experience! I went back outside while we waited on our food and snapped photos – and saw another parking lot on the other side of the one where we parked -- so that is where most folks were parked. Restrooms are outside in the back – not exactly an out-house –but nevertheless you have to go outside - -very modern, clean, nice restrooms – old stools are stacked along the wooden porch to get to the restrooms – it’s just too cute!!! We had the ribs – delicious – although they came soaked in BBQ sauce – we prefer dry ribs and if we ever do return will order them without the sauce. Since it was Sunday, a lot of locals began coming in dressed in their church finery and others came in to pick up orders that had been called in – it is obviously a very popular place!! Just goes to show you cannot judge a book by its cover! Cost – our rib plates and sides %26amp; drinks were about $25 total.
We had lunch at Mary Mahoney’s – as delicious as ever – I think the final total was about $50 for 2 for lunch – it included salad and their bread pudding – DH had ordered gumbo for appetizer – he had soft shell crab and it was cooked perfectly and I had the stuffed red snapper (stuffed with crawfish and shrimp) and it was perfect ; not too rich – just delicious. Their nice hot soft bread was wonderful too. We enjoyed walking around and seeing the before and after Katrina photos and where the water line had risen to. (above the mantle on the fireplace in the room where we were eating).
We never made it back to Aunt Jenny’s – will have to try it on the next visit.
We had several comped meals at the buffet in Beau Rivage – ate lunch there one day and a breakfast there one morning. It had a good variety and everything was very tasty – very clean and a pretty display. It’s not nearly has high quality as the nicer buffets in Vegas but for a comped meal it was just fine.
We ate at a Waffle House on the morning we left town – there is only one on every other block in the Biloxi area! Gas was ‘only’ $3.55 so we filled up – it was about 20 cents per gallon cheaper than gas at home.
We had lots of fun – it was a fun 2 ½ days – we will certainly return and recommend folks to go – glad to see they are finally coming back after Katrina.
Thanks for a great TR. Good to know about the looks of The Shed. Without the heads up I know my hubby would have turned around faster than my automatic window going down to check out the scene....he%26#39;s not very adventurous!
Love DaVinci Diamonds...I think I%26#39;m addicted to those cascading reels machines.
animlluvr -- LOL! I just about did not get my hubby to venture farther -- and it would have been OUR loss - hope you will get a chance to try The Shed.
I will be looking for those DaVinci Diamonds in Vegas the next time we head out.
I forgot to mention we did eat a comped buffet lunch at Hard Rock and thought it was only worth a %26#39;freebie%26#39; - we were very disappointed in the lack of variety and the quality.
We are not much on buffets anyway -- but DH did not know what else to ask for after he played and we were ready to eat.
OOOOH Vegas probably has all kinds of fun cascading reels penny slots....we%26#39;re trying to get out there by the end of the year...but plane tickets are killer. We%26#39;d have to do better than $143 to make up for that trip :)
I am laughing about your experience at The Shed.
There is a reason it%26#39;s called, uh, The Shed!! Because that%26#39;s what it is! :) But it%26#39;s dang good BBQ, isn%26#39;t it? Well worth the trip.
And you are right -- the ';atmosphere'; (or lack thereof) is part of the whole experience. It looks like an old tin shack that%26#39;s been abandoned.
Yes, Magnolia, it IS appropriately named -- I just wish we%26#39;d been a bit forewarned so we could have been prepared! :)
It should be in all the guide books as a MUST stop ....delicious food and fun atmosphere -- very unique decor -- :)
I agree, The Shed is a ';must stop'; place. I never visit the MS coast without stopping by there at least once. (My nephew used to work there years ago.) Gotta Get Fed at the Shed.
Be sure to write a review, and let people know that The Shed is, indeed a shed. :)
tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g43929-d47…
bump for Mark
