Historic Travels For Two.com

With two contractors in the family, restaurant employees attacked the rubble in the restaurant complex with gusto, followed by a steady stream of electricians, plumbers, brick masons and carpenters to the get the landmark business back on its feet.

"The kitchen was wiped out", Cliff Thompson, the bartender of three years said. "I broke down when I first saw the damage."

The resilience of the most famous restaurant in the South Mississippi has buoyed the spirits of many Gulf Coast survivors of Hurricane Katrina with its defiant spray-painted sign first promising, "We will be back," and then declaring, "We are back".

"We have flowers blooming in the courtyard", owner Bob Mahoney said. "It is almost going back to normalcy. When people are living in trailers, eating MRE's or hamburgers, I have people thanking me for being open, for being here".

Four days before Valentine's Day, the establishment was completely booked with reservations to serve a four course meal to 500 people.

Not all of Mary Mahoney's is back yet.

Second generation owner Bob Mahoney and other family members rode out the storm in the second floor of the structure that his mother and father built after Hurricane Camille.

"I'm proud of my Mama" Mahoney said. "We were destroyed in Camille, and she rebuilt this business underneath with a house on top where no hurricane could knock it down".

The two story building with the spray-painted declaration is one of the two brick buildings that shielded from the worst of the storm surge the circa 1737 Colonial French structure that is the core of the famous business.

The result founder Mary Mahoney's determination after Hurricane Camille withstood 28 to 30 feet of tumultuous water during Hurricane Katrina. "Camille had two hour water surge," Bob Mahoney said. "Katrina had a six hour water surge with six more feet of water in the main dining room."

Bob Mahoney watched as the water lashed just inches below the window sill on the second floor. He was attempting to support the window to help it repel the waves that slapped the building when a giant wave crashed through the window and speared him with a 3.5 X 1 inch shard of glass.

His wife used duct tape to close the gaping wound to help slow the bleeding until the storm passed and he could get to the hospital. While Mahoney was at the hospital, his contractor brother-in-law was bitten by a copperhead while trying to retrieve a vehicle battery.

"We thought Camille was the mother of all storms until we found out that storms don't have mothers," Mahoney said.

The business was opened by Bob Mahoney's parents just two years before Hurricane Camille. The restaurant is owned by second generation Mahoney siblings Bob and Mary's daughter Eileen and Eileen's brother Andrew Cvitanovich.

"Much of the artwork was saved," Thompson said, but he famed wine cellar was flooded, destroying over ten thousand dollars of wine.

With two contractors in the family, restaurant employees attacked the rubble in the restaurant complex with gusto, followed by a steady stream of electricians, plumbers, brick masons and carpenters to the get the landmark business back on its feet. "The kitchen was wiped out", Cliff Thompson, the bartender of three years said. "I broke down when I first saw the damage." The resilience of the most famous restaurant in the South Mississippi has buoyed the spirits of many Gulf Coast survivors of Hurricane Katrina with its defiant spray-painted sign first promising, "We will be back," and then declaring, "We are back". "We have flowers blooming in the courtyard", owner Bob Mahoney said. "It is almost going back to normalcy. When people are living in trailers, eating MRE's or hamburgers, I have people thanking me for being open, for being here". Four days before Valentine's Day, the establishment was completely booked with reservations to serve a four course meal to 500 people. Not all of Mary Mahoney's is back yet. Second generation owner Bob Mahoney and other family members rode out the storm in the second floor of the structure that his mother and father built after Hurricane Camille. "I'm proud of my Mama" Mahoney said. "We were destroyed in Camille, and she rebuilt this business underneath with a house on top where no hurricane could knock it down". The two story building with the spray-painted declaration is one of the two brick buildings that shielded from the worst of the storm surge the circa 1737 Colonial French structure that is the core of the famous business. The result founder Mary Mahoney's determination after Hurricane Camille withstood 28 to 30 feet of tumultuous water during Hurricane Katrina. "Camille had two hour water surge," Bob Mahoney said. "Katrina had a six hour water surge with six more feet of water in the main dining room." Bob Mahoney watched as the water lashed just inches below the window sill on the second floor. He was attempting to support the window to help it repel the waves that slapped the building when a giant wave crashed through the window and speared him with a 3.5 X 1 inch shard of glass. His wife used duct tape to close the gaping wound to help slow the bleeding until the storm passed and he could get to the hospital. While Mahoney was at the hospital, his contractor brother-in-law was bitten by a copperhead while trying to retrieve a vehicle battery. "We thought Camille was the mother of all storms until we found out that storms don't have mothers," Mahoney said. The business was opened by Bob Mahoney's parents just two years before Hurricane Camille. The restaurant is owned by second generation Mahoney siblings Bob and Mary's daughter Eileen and Eileen's brother Andrew Cvitanovich. "Much of the artwork was saved," Thompson said, but he famed wine cellar was flooded, destroying over ten thousand dollars of wine.
Mary Mahoney's 110 Rue Magnolia Biloxi, Ms. (228) 374-0163 11am - 10pm Mon-Sat; Closed Sunday
This article was recently published in the March 2006 Issue of Country Roads Magazine. Page 65