mary mahoney's old french house

mary mahoney's is a restaurant with a lot of history behind it. the place sits on a corner near the casinos and is conjoined by clothing stores within a quaint square place. you can see the ambience from the start, the building brandishing an antique look with a white color to give it that old louisiana vibe.

apparently a "biloxi jewel" and crowd favorite, this restaurant, according to it's website, has been visited by "presidents, dignitaries, celebrities." yet, i've never been left with more to desire.

the atmosphere is extremely dated. the dining room coukd use a remodel, or even some new carpet. the quality of the dining area alone is a shock. the chairs were uncomfortable, the furniture was not good quality at all and the whole thing just looked extremely old -- in a bad way.

the service was okay. honestly i would expect to be treated much better based on the price point. i was extremely disappointed to see another waiter gazing at our table and snicker with his customers. of course we didn't think much of it, three lonely women and a waiter dressed in a cheap green button down laughing at us means very little. still, disgusting behavior.

our waitress was somewhat attentive. though we could tell we were not prioritized at all. and she seemed very impatient with us. she even told one of us "please" when they asked for another drink. excuse us for asking you for a drink? our salads and food took questionably long to reach our table. we were here for nearly three hours while others were receiving their items quicker.

the food was the shocking part, though i expected it. it was so far off the price it was worth that i will never return to this place solely based off of this reason. while it was not the worst food we have experience it was no where near 28 dollars for pasta or 68 dollars for a steak.

i ordered to seafood pasta and asked for "queen mary" sauce. the dish was ok. i was not astonished by it, which i wanted to be for thirty dollar pasta. my husband made the grave mistake of ordering the surf and turf ( which i contested to). the dish looked so sad. the steak did not look seasoned and the lobster was obviously tough and not hot at all.

many people at our table ordered steak and i could see how hard it was for them to cut into. one person got a wagyu steak, which is famous for being tender and slices like butter. this steak was so laughably hard to cut that i genuinely chuckled. these steaks also sat in a bath of their own juices, looking boiled and unseasoned. nothing you can't make better at home for way less.

overall this is one of the most unimpressive restaurants i have ever been to. this place is a crowd favorite, probably for the older people who grew up on it. the website says the food is upscale and elegant. nay. this food is dated, messy and boring. the service is bleak and underwhelming. the atmosphere is shabby.

this place screams desperate.

sometimes you simply forget how magnificent the hometown classics are.  mary mahoney's has been a focal point of every special event in my life, every relative who has come to visit, but i guess i get caught up in the new stuff and forget about my old favorites.  well, not this time.  a couple weeks ago, we had a friend in town and i could think of no better place to take her.  it was a wednesday night at 6:30, a day we had had some pretty horrific weather.  i never expected a reservation would be required.  but when we got there, they were slammed!  luckily, longtime friend bobby mahoney was manning the maître d desk and managed to squeeze us in.  there's just something about old southern charm and service that is so welcoming.  as soon as you walk in, you feel taken care of, at home, like all is well and a good time is ahead.  the service is always perfect, and it was on this very busy night.  it was impossible to tell that anyone else was in the place.  our every need was taken care of.  their gumbo is the only gumbo, as far as i am concerned.  the sautéed crab claws are the best in the land.  the speckled trout i ordered with a meuniere (brown butter) sauce, topped with lumb crabmeat, simply out of this world.  ladies and gentlemen, this family can cook, and they know how to lay on the charm and the service at the same time.  best part about the restaurant is that bobby mahoney always has a great joke and a smile.  great job, sir.  sorry it has taken me so long to review your very special piece of gulf coast paradise.

we are proud of this biloxi jewel. this is one of the oldest buildings in the state & has survived 2 major hurricanes. mahoneys has catered to celebrities and presidents. the food is always perfection. generous portions w/ fantastic flavor. i have never had anything other than a perfect experience here. you can't come to biloxi & not try mary mahoney's !

so m'fin gooooood oh ma god. my jesus lord that died for us on that cross and went to heaven must own this joint. i tell you what, them soft shell crabs taste like something the same man that died on that cross must have caught with his (p)fishing net because they is so hot damn good. next in line? the bread pudding. i swear to earth and my grandkids life that i would live off that bread pudding. i wish i lived in the kitchen at mary mahoneys. hell, i might. now, i'm not food connoisseur (obvi since i had to google how to spell it) but i know for a goddamn fact this is the best food ever. meowwww.

absolutely fantastic!! our server elizabeth was wonderful! our table ordered the crab claws as an appetizer and they were wonderful. my salmon with lump crab meat on top was delicious. everything i tried was superb. cant wait to go back. wonderful little place.i

had a good stuffed red snapper
ok dish just dated and just average at best. my wifes steak was horrible.looked and tasted boiled . had grill marks but very poor quality
the service was a top notch. etoufee tomato base is sub standard. i just will never return. spoiled i would guess, with much better quality fair.

my mom's favorite. took my mother here many times, way back when, it was a treat i locved giving her.. she loved mm... well we both did..enjoyed the atmosphere of the place, and how one felt " up-scaled, yet downtown"..dress up or dress down, it mattered not.. food and drinks and service was superb.expensive? yes, of course it was, after she passed away, my sister and i went a ferw times, prior to katrina.. again, we enjoyed the place and the memories were bitter sweet... it's been now some 8 years since i have gone.. first time was in 1976..i'll try another time come this october enroute to ala/fla..

we really really enjoyed our dinner! escargot, salad, stuffed snapper, key lime pie! all were delicious. the service was a little lacking but he had a lot of tables. my first experience at mary mahoney’s and i definitely want to return! my husband loves it.

yum. we have eaten here for years and are always happy

simply amazing! many keep staying that it is meant to be "french" but that is a misconception. it was just the architecture of the "old french house" that was french, not the food....haha, the waiter shared the history with us. the food is actually irish and satisfying. good service, very full. i fine it an 8.

worth making reservations for a very nice evening out. dress accordingly as you will have first and second waiters. they know how to cook and make real drinks... they can make drinks you never knew existed. oh and the food is great as well. true gem on mississippi gulf coast

my in-laws rave about mary mahoney's so we finally stopped by. it was okay, but not great.
we were seated in the back room with a lovely view of the parking lot. the room itself was not quaint or charming .
the service was great. our server was friendly, knowledge and efficient. the meal was paced nicely too.
the food was good, but not great. it was heavy on the worcestershire sauce and cheese. and extremely overpriced. i am not cheap. we have eaten dinner at the most expensive steak house in the country. i didn’t mind because the food was worth it. that was not the case here.

i have heard that this was the best restaurant in the area and compares with all the top restaurants in new orleans. i was not impressed with mary mahoneys at all. the salad was a small dish of iceberg lettuce with a tiny slice of tomato. the bread was a piece of french bread like you buy at kroger. their main signature dish had so much worcestershire sauce in it i could barely taste the overcooked shrimp. extremely overpriced as far as the food goes. i guess your paying for the atmosphere of a 300 year old landmark. staff was friendly. have drinks at the bar, read about the history but pass on the food

awesome food! exceptional service!!!! got the stuffed flounder and the chocolate cake!!!!! both of them was delicious! staff was on point and there wasn't a wait.

wonderful food!. this place was amazing! we had the shrimp and crab au gratin. i have had this dish at many places and this is the best i have ever had. can't wait to come back for more. the prime rib and the grilled chicken were super also. if you make it to biloxi stop in and try this place. you will not be disappointed. the waiter was friendly and very helpful with suggestions.