Is this arcade-adjacent restaurant the real deal or just fun and games? We find out.
Centennial Plaza welcomes all — not just hotel and resort guests — to its new arcade and mini golf-adjacent restaurant Hippie Fish.
Opened in the heat of the summer, Hippie Fish invites little fishies to enjoy a full-service menu while luring you with the flashing lights of the arcade and baiting you with oak-shaded mini golf.
But we want to know if the bites from this tackle box is legit or all flash, so we gave it the run-through.
Vibe — 4 out of 5
The new addition to the resort grounds isn’t hard to find once you pull in to the palm-lined, Spanish Colonial plaza. Just drive until you see the spaced-out bearded fish.
You’re greeted inside by the lights and sounds of the two-story arcade. If you make it past the TV-lined bar without stopping, you’ll make a hard right at the service desk.
That takes you Hippie Fish’s corner of the building where the dining room is bathed in natural light from its tall windows.
These windows also serve to draw your attention to the cascading rock-feature waterfall and the fluttering white hole marker flags standing from the 36 cups scattered around the two-course lot.
There’s growth potential as the restaurant evolves. The walls are largely plain white and only broken up by the occasional pop art canvas.
Points for very comfy chairs, though.
Food — 3 out of 5
A separating factor is needed to get an arcade attraction off the ground on the same street as the powerhouse Big Play Entertainment Center.
That’s what the plaza hopes it has in its surf-and-turf style restaurant.
Hippie Fish puts emphasis on its various seafood dishes, so that’s where we challenged it.
Gulf red snapper and blackened grouper tacos precluded gator bites in today’s lineup.
The gulf red snapper entree passed the presentation test. It comes in a wide-brim white bowl with a pasta base in the center.
On top is the snapper, if you can find it. Onions, crawfish, mushrooms, andouille sausage, peppers and a cream sauce smother the meal.
The toppings are important, because the centerpiece fish is much more reliant on the medley of flavors of the garnish than it is on any type of seasoning. And on this trip out of the kitchen, it was a little overcooked.
The same could be said for the tacos. The big winner was the sidewinder wedge fries ordered on the side. Excellent crunch.
The kitchen is far from doomed and there’s clear potential. Improved consistency and a little more seasoning and this is a very different experience.
Not to mention the many corners of the menu that are left unexplored. The beignets, caramel brownie cheesecake and root beer float were spared today. But not next time.
Value — 3 out of 5
A lot of ground is covered by the menu and, to its credit, it offers its own twist to the Coastal lineup.
Customizable flatbreads, burgers, fish and steak are the main draws. The Hippie Seafood burger features a sauce made with shrimp and crawfish.
The Gulf Coast pile-up is a nacho plate stacked with shrimp, crawfish, jalepenos and more. The apps also feature a combo plate of pickle chips and okra.
Here’s the kick, outside of the red beans and rice, the appetizers start at $11. Our three-piece meal of three tacos, a plate of gator bites and a snapper pasta tagged for $80.
Be prepared to budget for a full day if you’re planning to hit the links later.
And in case you’re wondering, I shot 13 over on the purple course. I guess I won’t be quitting this job to join the Tour anytime soon.
Address: 200 E Beach Boulevard, Gulfport
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
