Barbecue on the Beachfront

Coast Cuisine - June 2019

Silver Slipper’s Smokehouse Cafe is serving some summertime favorites in a tropical setting.
- story and photos by Lisa Monti

Casual dining at its best: Ribs, tacos, hot dogs and BBQ brisket are some of the offerings at the Smokehouse Cafe.

​You can tell by the size of the smoker/grill combination that the Silver Slipper is serious about its Smokehouse menu. With smoke already coming out of the chimney and a stack of wood at the ready, two restaurant employees were gearing up on a sunny Friday afternoon for a summer weekend crowd hungry for good barbecue and tasty sides.

Silver Slipper’s Beach Bar and Smokehouse Cafe combo is a seasonal venue that opens in early March and runs to early November. Everything is under the casino hotel and adjacent to the sand beach. The space is roomy and wide open to catch the breeze right off of the water. The decor is tropical but minimal, with the small tiki bar’s stools and picnic tables sporting the same bright colors. 

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A stage and chairs are set up on one side for the mostly local live entertainment offered weekly to customers. It’s generally a mix of locals along with hotel guests who have access via an elevator that delivers them right to the center of the Beach Bar and Smokehouse Cafe seating.
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Some guests from Louisiana grabbed seats recently at the small beach bar before deciding what to order off the Smokehouse menu. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t their first visit to the Silver Slipper, which has a loyal following. They said they were back to enjoy the summertime events and food and drink offerings.
 
The Smokehouse’s meat-centric menu actually is an offshoot of the popular barbecue selections offered in the casino’s Jubilee Buffet. “We had such great response to the smoked meats on the buffet,” Chuck Anger, Food and Beverage Operations Manager, said, the casino crafted a small menu of barbecue classics.
 
There’s no one particular standout that the Smokehouse prepares on its custom grill and smoker, he said. All the food is served with a smoky, slightly sweet sauce made in Biloxi. And if you believe that barbecue goes especially well with beer, you may want to go for a Lazy Magnolia Easy Breeze. The Kiln brewery created Easy Breeze specially for the Silver Slipper.
 

The Silver Slipper's beachfront Smokehouse Cafe draws big crowds for great food, cold drinks and great music.

The top item listed on the menu is the smoked rib platter, a half rack of fall-off-the-bone goodness that satisfies the craving for the hearty dish. The generous portion of Smokehouse Loaded Nachos are definitely shareable.

Anger said tables will order one, then follow up with two or three more portions. The chips are covered in slightly sweet pulled pork, baked beans and loads of rich cheese. You can customize these nachos - add jalapeños maybe - or stick with the basics. Either way, it’s all good.
 

For those who prefer a sandwich, there’s the Smokehouse brisket, always a favorite, and that delicious pulled pork. The fish taco selection features grilled trout, two tacos to an order, for a special seafood treat. 
 
The one burger choice is a deluxe cheeseburger, and the dogs come in two varieties - the standard hot dog and the Gator Dog. All the items come with your choice of the classic barbecue sides: baked beans, potato salad, coleslaw or chips. 

Prices for Smokehouse items range from $10 for the rib platter and sandwiches to $4 for a hot dog.
 
The Smokehouse Cafe is a place where you can go to enjoy a bite, a drink and some music in a relaxed atmosphere that’s definitely kid friendly. The place gets really busy on summer holidays, Cruisin’ the Coast and special events like the recent Jeepin’ the Coast, which drew a huge crowd. It’s also available for private parties. ​ ​

Bright-colored tables and chairs add a festive vibe to the Smokehouse Cafe.

• Smokehouse Cafe is open Thursday and Friday from 4 to 9 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm.
• Beach Bar hours are Thursday and Friday 4 to 10 pm and Saturday and Sunday 11 am to 10 pm.
• Every Thursday is "Rumble on the Gulf" Bike and Classic Car Night from 5 to 9 pm, with live music from 5:30 to 8:30 pm.
• On Fridays, the Beach Bar Blowout Music Series offers live music from 6 to 9 pm.