Blues, boiled peanuts and bourbon. An inside look at Ground Zero Blues Club
At Ground Zero Blues Club & Restaurant in Biloxi, Coast history shares the stage with emerging musicians from across the nation, adding an energy to Howard Avenue’s growing entertainment corridor.
Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman partnered with New Orleans businessman Eric Meier, and brothers Lee and Jeff Young, to open the Biloxi venue in February 2022.
The 20,000-square-foot space includes a curtain-lined stage, a Southern-comfort restaurant and bar, a speakeasy-style lounge, balcony seating and a sprawling third-floor event area. The venue expanded upward in June 2025, adding the second and third floors.
The building is in the former Kress Building, a historic entertainment venue that closed in 2016.
Ground Zero Biloxi is one of two locations, with the original in Clarksdale. Since 2001, the Delta club has hosted iconic figures including rock icon Robert Plant, country music star Willie Nelson and blues prodigy Christone “Kingfish” Ingram.
400 shows a year
Gulfport native Mick Steele takes pride in his role as production manager at Ground Zero. He said working at Ground Zero feels less like a job, and more like being part of a project.
“I’m always excited to come and work,” Steele said. “This has been so much fun and such a learning experience.”
The venue, according to Steele, hosts as many as 400 performances a year, featuring everyone from blues legends such as Irma Thomas to breakout artists like Maggie Rose. He said some of the most rewarding shows come from local talent.
“You can come here and learn who these people are and get to see them live,” Steele said. “I think we have a really good track record as far as people seeing talent that they wouldn’t normally be exposed to.”
Lucky guests might catch one of Freeman’s drop-in visits or Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich returning to his musical roots on the piano.
When Steele isn’t preparing the venue for a show, you’ll likely find him giving visitors a tour of the Back Room Lounge, where Coast history lines every inch of the dimly lit walls.
Pictures of Elvis Presley and his Biloxi girlfriend, June Juanico, sit alongside murals of industrial oyster steamers while Carnival scepters, crowns and Mardi Gras Indian memorabilia fill the spaces in between.
“A real fun part about this building and this job is just sharing it. It always has been from the very beginning,” Steele said.
Feast on the first floor
The restaurant team at Ground Zero leans into the blues into every bite, bringing a Delta twist to their expanding menu.
The double-sided menu is packed with Mississippi classics such as fried green tomatoes, cornbread and smoked meat platters. To bring in a coastal flavor, local seafood is available with almost every dish.
A standout offering is Ground Zero’s boiled peanut hummus with lightly baked pita bread, which Assistant General Manager Ana DuMont said is made fresh every day.
“I wanted it to be a fresh kitchen with fresh foods,” DuMont said. “We get our produce and seafood every other day if we need to. It really makes a huge difference.”
Chef Luis Gonzalez said Ground Zero is the only restaurant on the Coast where you can find ribs with a triple berry base. From smoking and seasoning the meat to creating the sauce, he said preparing the ribs takes about three hours every day.
Guests who want to keep the culinary experience going can sample a piece of Biloxi history with FoFo’s Barq’s Root Beer float. Traditional Southern sweets such as banana pudding and pecan-topped brownies round out the dessert menu.
Behind the bar, Ground Zero pairs classic cocktails with house creations. For live music and a drink, guests can head upstairs to the Back Room Lounge, a moody, speakeasy-style space with couches and balcony seating.
Bartenders at Ground Zero handcraft a drinkable Delta flavor with offerings such as the Honey Ham, featuring WhistlePig Piggyback Bourbon, Herbsaint, D.O.M. Benedictine, honey and lemon.
The lounge’s wine selections have a New World focus, with glasses and bottles available for purchase. Bourbon lovers can enjoy monthly tastings with specialty, off-menu tapas.
Ground Zero is at 814 Howard Ave. in downtown Biloxi. The club’s full schedule and ticket information are posted online, and restaurant hours vary by day.
