Salt & Ivy, A Coastal Kitchen — Restaurant in Biloxi

My girlfriend and I came here on a chance looking for an earlier brunch spot. My waitress was ok, and nothing to brag about. She had no sense of urgency and did not check in with us after the meal was dropped off except to get paid. We were seated at the very end of the restaurant up against a filthy wall which didn't help matters, either. And while the service was just, "meh," our food and drinks were actually pretty good.

I had the Back Bay Benedict (I think that is correct). This dish comes with a fried green tomato, julienned tasso, gulf shrimp, a poached egg topped with tomato gravy on a fluffy biscuit. I got a side of hollandaise so I could try it because I am particular of the taste of mother sauces and this was actually good. I got a side of grits which were just underwhelming and disappointing.

My girlfriend had the country fried steak which is a New York Strip battered and fried topped with gravy. Must say it was mighty fine. She also got the side of breakfast potatoes which were ok, but far better than the dismal grits.

While dining in this restaurant, I observed a lot of things. I, too, am a restaurant manager and I watch all of the time. Often times it is to a fault, but I like to see what works and what doesn't. That being said, there is a waitress there that really impressed me. She had hustle, spark, personality, energy, and anything else that makes a model employee. Especially a waitress. Her name is Lavonna and based on sole observation, she is the waitress you want. Ask for her. I doubt you will be disappointed.

TL;DR

3 Stars -Mediocre at best service -Pitiful grits -Dirty wall -Pretty good main courses -Watching Lavonna hustle, who wasn't our waitress, was probably the best part of the experience,...

First we were dismayed at the condition of the property. The architecture was grand, but filthy. Marked up dirty walls in the hallway and filthy grout in the floor mosaic. (The restroom! It was so clean you could eat off the floor! The cleaning lady serenaded me with her incredible soprano pipes, then opened the door for me!! That's what makes a night out memorable!) Next we got a very disappointing greeting. Two hosts standing with their heads down, never looked up. After what seemed an eternity in a fairly empty restaurant, one asked for our phone number. (Um, no thanks. I don't want phone calls - I want dinner.) It took forever to get any attention from the waitress, so we opted to order dinner the first time we spoke. We waited a while and then asked for bread. "I'll see if there's any back there." Four hockey pucks arrived disguised as rolls. My hubs said the butter was tasty, lol. The sea bass arrived hot and fresh, even though it was breaded rather than blackened as the menu stated. I can't eat breading, but the service was so slow I was not about to send it back. It came with a cute, bagged half lemon. We asked for tartar sauce that never did arrive. Plain steamed white rice and broccoli were entirely unremarkable except that they were hot, the most basic attribute imaginable. I had also ordered baked potato soup, which was ice cold and flavorless. I used it as a dipping sauce my broccoli and rice. Hubs ordered a shrimp cocktail, which was fresh. (It's the Gulf Coast - I would hope the seafood would be fresh!) I expected much more from an MGM property, but maybe this is how the service industry is now. $105.00 including tax & tip,...

Called in an order for pick up. I ordered the Blackened Chicken Sandwich with no avocado (that’s about the only thing they got right). I requested regular Mayo, instead of the spicy kind that’s advertised as what’s normally included. Well I guess Chef Boyardee didn’t appreciate the substitution request and instead just gave me a a bland sandwich with no Mayo at all. Along with the lack of Mayo I received one wilted, slimy piece of partially brown lettuce that had salmonella written all over it. But as if that wasn’t enough they decided to go one step further and add some strong smelling red onions, that I never asked for and according to their menu is not even included on the sandwich. I will say, that the French fries were decent, but true to character they forgot to include ketchup as I specifically asked for. Also, no utensils or napkins were included with the meal. If there is one thing that I would want you to learn from my bad experience is to please do NOT do like me and pay your bill AND include a generous tip without at least putting eyes on your food FIRST! They totally scammed me; had me paying for food that wasn’t even ready yet. I ended up having to wait an extra 20 minutes on top of the original 30 minutes quoted wait time. Unless you’re absolutely starving; I recommend you take your’...