This casino coffee shop has 24 boozy drinks, ‘perfect’ pies and savory sandwiches
The Roasted Bean has been a local coffee shop for many years, twenty one, in fact.
It really does have an amazing ambiance, nestled among the trees, and the European sidewalk cafe vibe is very cool. Large glass windows, atrium-like, gives it an open feel, whether it is a bright sunny day or one of our gray and rainy spring days.
Yes, it is in the middle of a busy casino, but you will hardly notice sitting in this very cool space. There is also a nearby patio, which has recently been upgraded with new furniture, and two outside televisions, and is a great place to sip a coffee on a fair weather days.
The Bean is a good place for a cup of coffee and a pastry, but it is now a whole lot more than that. Executive Chef Abby Chase and Arni Bactol, general manager of self-serve outlets, have combined their many talents, and the Bean now offers a variety of delicious offerings that just might surprise you.
From 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., there is a good selection of good old-fashioned biscuits stuffed with bacon, sausage or egg. There is also an astonishing array of house-made pastries, including NOLA style beignets (Chef Abby spent some time cooking in New Orleans), fresh fruit pies, like blueberry and peach, and some absolutely astonishing cup cakes, cinnamon rolls and coffee cake.
The Bean is also offering seasonal sweets — there were king cake cupcakes while I was there, and in March look for
St. Patrick’s Day-themed treats, leprechaun biscotti, green velvet cupcakes and shamrock brownies, to name a few.
You probably know the Bean roasts its own coffee, that’s the purview of Roaster Tammy Wilkerson. She roasts more than 134,000 pounds of coffee a year, that’s more than seven million cups of coffee a year.
There are plenty of flavors available. Hazelnut is the most popular, but there are also 24 alcohol-based coffee drinks on the menu. If you find one you really like, you can buy a bag of whole beans, or have it round for you while you wait.
But really excited my culinary interest were the savory pies and sandwiches. I stopped by recently and tried one of the best chicken pot pies I have ever had. The pastry crust was buttery and perfect, the sauce creamy and the chicken tender and succulent.
All of the pastries and savory dishes are prepared fresh every day and never frozen. I also saw beef pot pies and broccoli and cheese.
There are a small handful of sandwiches to choose from, including a Dagwood, Cuban, Beau club and Italian. I did try the Italian and would it was flawless. Loaded with roasted pork, ham and pickles. Simply wonderful!
The Roasted Bean is a long way from a simple coffee shop. The sweets are pastry chef classy, the coffee as good as it gets, but my vote goes to the savory pies and sandwiches!
If you go
The Roasted Bean
Where: Beau Rivage Resort and Casino, 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi
Hours: Sunday-Friday 6 am to 11 pm, Saturday 6 am to 1130 pm
Call: 228-386-7111