Safe Bets

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, the casinos along a 26-mile stretch of the Mississippi Gulf Coast draw people in. They offer the tried-and-true casino experience, with all-you-can-eat buffets, the constant clinking of slot machines and cocktail waitresses bearing complimentary drinks. But some casino resorts stand out for other reasons—luxurious spas, fine-dining restaurants, chic nightclubs and more.

BEST POOLSIDE PERKS
Many casino resorts have lovely pools with private cabanas outfitted with plush chaise lounges and TVs available for rent. And then there’s the pool at the IP Casino Resort Spa. Built atop the property’s parking garage and offering gorgeous views of the Mississippi Sound and Biloxi’s Back Bay, this pool takes its amenities a step further. In addition to cabanas, it boasts deck chairs sitting in the shallow water and a massive screen at one end that shows movies and sports. 850 Bayview Ave; 888-946-2847; www.ipbiloxi.com

BEST DINING DEAL
You can easily find a gourmet dinner without blowing your vacation budget. But the best is found at Blue Bayou Bar & Grill at Silver Slipper Casino in nearby Bay St. Louis, which offers a three-course dinner for $21.95—and gorgeous Gulf of Mexico views, to boot. Entrée options include filet mignon, grilled center-cut pork chops and homemade lasagna. 5000 South Beach Blvd, Bay St. Louis; 866-775-4773; www.silverslipper-ms.com

BEST POKER ROOM
Arranged according to the principles of feng shui, the Asian Gaming Room at Grand Biloxi Casino, Hotel & Spa is designed to improve luck and help gamblers win. Players can place their bets at any of six gaming tables, including pai gow poker, the object of which is to create two poker hands out of a seven-card hand (a five-card one and a two-card one). 280 Beach Blvd; 800-946-2946; www.grand.casinobiloxi.com

BEST VIEW OF THE COAST
IP Casino Resort Spa is the tallest building on the coast, and its beautiful restaurant—aptly named Thirty-Two— occupies the 32nd floor, providing breathtaking views to the north and south. Make sure to ask for one of the coveted window-side tables and savor the delicious prime steaks, fresh seafood and award-winning wines. 850 Bayview Ave; 228-432-3288; www.ipbiloxi.com

BEST SPA SERVICE
Before a service at Bellissimo Spa & Salon at Grand Biloxi Casino, Hotel & Spa even begins, guests are treated to a salt scrub, time in a eucalyptus-scented steam room and sauna, and a dip in any of four bubbling tubs. Indulge in the Renew body wrap treatment, which will relieve your body’s aches and pains with a warm, aromatic mud rich in vitamins and minerals. 280 Beach Blvd; 228-386-1945; www.grandcasinobiloxi.com

BEST WAY TO WAKE UP
At the hard-rocking Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi, you can wake up to the sounds of your favorite rock star. Just use the touch-pad phone to select the time and artist (there are more than 40 from which to choose). Once you’re out of bed, head for the luxurious shower featuring three heads: one on each side and one on the ceiling. 777 Beach Blvd; 877-877-6256; www.hardrockbiloxi.com

BEST PLACE TO SEE A LIVING LEGEND
At Hollywood Casino Bay St. Louis, guests can enjoy the sounds of New Orleans jazz clarinetist and Louisiana Music Hall of Famer Pete Fountain, who performs twice a month in The Stage Bar at 8pm. Upcoming shows are March 2-3 and April 6-7. 711 Hollywood Blvd; 866-758-2591; www.hollywoodcasinobsl.com

BEST NIGHTCLUB
The new, 4,100-square-foot nightspot Ledge at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Biloxi overlooks all of the action on the casino floor. The edgy Ed Hardy/Christian Audigier-inspired club boasts a large dance space, a VIP lounge, two bars—including a 360-degree one—a tattoo mural and DJs spinning the latest dance remixes. 777 Beach Blvd; 877-877-6256; www.hardrockbiloxi.com

BEST PEOPLE-WATCHING
Order a fruity concoction at Lava Bar in the main atrium of Isle Casino Hotel Biloxi before you sit back and take in the free concerts on the atrium stage and the parade of beautiful people passing by. 151 Beach Blvd; 800-843-4753; www.biloxi.isleofcapricasinos.com

FREE FOR ALL While you’re visiting any of the casinos, be sure to sign up for a player’s card. They’re free, and you can earn rewards for the amount of money you spend on the slots or playing games—and sometimes for other amenities, as well.

GETTING AROUND If you have a car, it’s easy to drive from casino to casino— especially the ones along Casino Row and the two on Biloxi’s Back Bay. Complimentary valet service is available at all of the casinos (a small tip is much appreciated), but when they’re crowded it can take a while to get your vehicle. Or, take The Casino Hopper, service provided by Coast Transit, which makes the loop from Palace Casino Resort and over to the Back Bay casinos every 15 minutes. Tickets range from $1.25 to $2.50 (depending on how far you go); a $5 all-day unlimited pass is also available.

LOCAL SOUNDS

DISCOVER WHERE TO GO FOR LIVE MUSIC, A COLD DRINK AND A LOT OF FUN.

THE SHED BARBEQUE & BLUES JOINT
7501 Hwy 57, Ocean Springs 228-875-9590; www.theshedbbq.com
This blues bar was inspired by a juke joint that co-owner Brad Orrison frequented as a college student. “I started building The Shed on a shoestring budget when I did not have the shoestring,” he says. No single chair on the premises matches any other, and the rough-cut walls are covered from floor to ceiling with automobile tags—gifts collected since The Shed opened in 2001. If the décor, award-winning, Southern-style barbecue and more than 100 varieties of beer (try one of the Lazy Magnolia micro-brews) don’t put you in a good mood, the blues music—free on Friday and Saturday nights—surely will.

JULEP ROOM LOUNGE
1217 Washington Ave, Ocean Springs; 228-875-9928
While some people might find the idea of a bar located in the cellar of a catfish house a bit suspect, Julep Room defies such preconceptions with its congenial bartenders and welcoming attitude. Many residents don’t even know this brick-walled, dimly lit place exists, and such secretiveness is what makes it so endearing. Grab a seat in the corner booth that a young Elvis supposedly occupied on his tours to the Gulf Coast and enjoy a variety of music—rock, blues, soul—by local and national bands seven nights a week.

GOVERNMENT STREET GROCERY
1210 Government St, Ocean Springs 228-818-9410; www.myspace.com/govtstreetgrocery
Whether you’re in the mood for country, bluegrass, reggae, jazz, rock or blues, you’re apt to find it in the weekly rotation of live concerts by area musicians at this restaurant and bar adorned with artwork by local talent. Owner Patrick Sullivan says first-time patrons often feel as if they have visited the spot before. “They tell me it reminds them of a place back home,” he says. With a come-as-you-are dress code and friendly waitstaff, it’s easy to feel comfortable sitting at the natural wood bar with a cold beer in hand.

CAPTAIN AL’S
11268 Lorraine Rd, Gulfport 228-831-5751
This nautically themed hole-in-the-wall, presided over by Captain Al Magnusen and his son and daughter, has been a Gulfport favorite since it opened 17 years ago. The colorful seafaring memorabilia—which ranges from antique fishing poles to wooden lures—and classic tunes by Jimmy Buffett and other saltwater songsters will make you leave your land-loving ways behind. And you’ll never have to ask twice for a refill from the venue’s selection of 17 domestic and imported brews, including Land Shark Lager, a Jimmy Buffett-branded beer.

GOOD BOYS

BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT FOR THE NIGHT, FUEL UP WITH A PO’BOY, THE GULF COAST’S SANDWICH OF CHOICE SINCE ITS CREATION IN NEW ORLEANS IN THE 1920S.

BY WILLIAM MICHAEL HARRELSON

FAYARD’S BP
Biloxi
228-385-1044  
Fayard’s has been synonymous with superlative po’boy sandwiches since the 1980s. The secrets to its success are quality ingredients and 19 different takes on the filling subs, including Philly cheese steak, pork, shrimp, oyster, speckled trout and catfish.

TARANTO’S BOILER
Ocean Springs
228-875-1277  
Made to order with roast beef and gravy, jumbo shrimp, craw-fish, fresh-shucked oysters or soft-shell crab, as well as other meat and fish varieties, the po’boys are overstuffed before being flattened and toasted on a sandwich press, which gives the French bread a soft texture that maintains the trademark feel and consistency.

OLE BILOXI SCHOONER
Biloxi
228-435-8071; www.schooner.biloxi.tk  
This place has been famous for the house specialty crab meat-and-cheese po’boy for 27 years. There are also plenty of other options, including hamburger, roast beef, popcorn shrimp and oyster, plus appetizers like seafood gumbo, fried crab claws and crawfish tails.

PO-BOY EXPRESS
Ocean Springs
228-875-8636; www.poboyexpress.com
This establishment celebrates the po’boy with more than 16 signature sandwiches, including the New York Cheese Steak, served with grilled onions and peppers, provolone cheese and fried shrimp. Part of the eatery’s appeal is the casual ambience and décor, replete with picnic tables that encourage lively chit-chat.