Looking to eat at an award-winning Southern-style steakhouse that quite possibly will serve one of the best steaks you’ve ever tasted? Look no further than Doe’s Eat Place. Located on the fifth floor of the Margaritaville Resort in Biloxi, you will find a fantastic Gulf Coast restaurant that provides the true taste of the Mississippi Delta.
Dominick “Big Doe” Signa and his wife, Mamie, opened the original Doe’s Eat Place in 1941 in Greenville, Mississippi. It was in the back of an old grocery store turned honky-tonk with a rather colorful history. Still operating 80 years later, the James Beard Award-wining restaurant is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has spawned numerous locations throughout the South.
While the original Doe’s is famous for its rustic, dive-like appearance, the Biloxi location is anything but. The restaurant is much more modern while honoring the tradition of the original’s famous steaks, tamales and desserts.
“We believe there is a lot of history that ties Doe’s to Mississippi,” says Food & Beverage Director Alex Saybe. “There is nothing over the top about the original location, just good people putting out good food. That’s what we want. Doe’s isn’t meant to be a high-end fine dining experience. It’s meant for you to get a great steak, feel at home and experience the ‘Southern hospitality’ that we are known for here on the Coast.”
You will find many Southern staples and coastal favorites on the menu, along with some of the dishes that made Doe’s famous, such as loaded tamales. Made from Doe’s original recipe since 1941, they are served with chili and cheese and so popular they inspired an entire tamale festival in Greenville. It wouldn’t be a trip to Doe’s without getting some for the table.
“While we follow most of what the original Doe’s Eat Place has to offer, we do have some coastal influences with our seafood offerings,” Saybe says. “The main concept of the original and our location is comfort food — the comfort in a great steak that has been cared for and hand-cut (and) in our hand-cut fries. (Doe’s offers) a consistently great meal that you and your family can enjoy like you were at home, just without the prep and cleanup.”
Saying we had a great meal during our visit was an understatement. After being warmly greeted by our waitress, Tamara McNeil, who has worked at Doe’s since day one, my girlfriend, Lauryn, and I dug into the tamales then refreshed our palates with a Doe’s original signature salad. A simple tossed salad of lettuce, tomato, purple onion, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, olive oil and minced garlic, it was the perfect dish before the main course: a signature porterhouse T-bone that we split.
Having visited the original Doe’s last year, I was curious to see how this steak would compare. The melt-in-your-mouth first bite made it evident that the same skillful steak preparation had come to the Coast. Seasoned to perfection and cooked in a 1,900-degree grill that ensures a seared outside and perfectly cooked inside, the steak was ample enough for both of us to enjoy with plenty left to take home.
While we both were thoroughly stuffed, we ended our evening with a delicious homemade lemon icebox pie and pecan bread pudding — the perfect ending to a fabulous meal.
“The reason why I love this place so much, is that everything is made with such care and love,” says Front-of-House Supervisor Michael Liles. “Everything is hand-crafted. All the meat goes from butcher block to table. The desserts are freshly made by one of the owner’s mothers. There is just so much love in everything that is cooked here, and that is important to me as someone that has been in the restaurant business for 12 years.”
Doe’s Eat Place is open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner, and happy hour is Sunday through Thursday from 5-7 p.m. During your visit, be sure to try a specialty cocktail or two. The top-shelf margarita was one of the best I’ve had.
WANT TO GO?
Doe’s Eat Place
195 Beach Blvd., Biloxi
(228) 271-6330
www.facebook.com/DoesEatPlaceBiloxi
www.margaritavilleresortbiloxi.com/steakhouse