Foxwoods Casino - Gambling, Food & Fun

Not being a big gambler, I was interested in the number of stores and restaurants in the Complex. I was impressed by the Coach purses, Mont Blanc pens and Sony stereo equipment you could redeem with your "wampum points".

I've tried several of the restaurants there, and all were excellent. The worst part is actually getting a reservation or waiting in line for a table. Foxwoods seems to attract quite a few overnight guests who plan their trips in advance including their reservations at the amazing steak restaurant.

The nonsmoking area of the casino was terrific. I could actually play table games without sitting with a bunch of chainsmokers, and the dealers were very friendly.

Every hour on the hour, there are Las Vegasesque shows in the main foyer around the plastic sculpture of the Indian.

Quick Tips:

Try to plan to eat at off-peak times if you want to eat at either the Italian or steak restaurants. The lines at the Italian restaurant get long starting at 6pm, and hotel guests have a VIP line. The steak restaurant is usually booked until 10:30pm.

Best Way To Get Around:

Once you get off the exit for Mystic on the Merritt, there is only a one-way road to the casino, so be patient. There is free indoor and outdoor self parking, and you can roam around the complex by foot quite easily.

The food at this restaurant is excellent. We couldn't believe how good everything was. I highly recommend the beefsteak tomato salad, porterhouse, creamed spinach, and lyonnaise potatoes. All were fantastic. We were so full that we had to skip dessert. That was tough considering how good they all sounded.

Most of the patrons appeared to be in their 50s and were wearing suits. The whole restaurant was full, and we had made our reservation three weeks early for a Saturday night at 8pm. While we were waiting to be seated, several couples asked for a table and were told that all reservations were gone.

The decor is elegant, and the waiter was very attentive. You can use wampum points to pay your bill, so we didn't have to pay a cent, which was pretty cool, too!

This restaurant is located in Foxwoods' smoke-free gambling area, and it is the resort's only smoke-free restaurant. The Bistro has a great variety of food on its menu ranging from yummy brick-oven pizzas, freshly-made pastas, and seafood specials. The desserts are huge and delicious, so make sure you save room.

The only problem with this restaurant is that you can not make reservations, and lines get very long. Hotel guests and gambling VIPs get their own line, which makes the wait even longer for casual daytrippers. Try to go early or late to eat or find someone that doesn't mind standing on line for an hour while you go gamble. The food is worth the wait, and the prices are much more reasonable than Cedar's. Plus, you can pay with wampum points here, too.

Not surprisingly, lines at Scoops get pretty long, too. However, this may be because it is the first eatery you see on your way in and the last one you see on your way to the parking garage. It is an old-fashioned ice cream parlor serving classic favorites like cones, sundaes, frostys, shakes, and ice cream sodas. I recommend having dinner at the Bistro early and then stopping by Scoops a few hours later for dessert. I love their hot fudge sundaes with chocolate chip ice cream.

Foxwoods claims to be the biggest and best gaming complex in the world. I am not convinced that it is bigger than the Atlantis in Paradise Island, but it is pretty big. It has a huge assortment of games, and even has a non-smoking area that features Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, Let it Ride, Caribbean Stud, and Slots. Sign up for a Wampum card, and swipe it every time you visit for a chance to win cash prizes.

I didn't realize what a draw this place was for New Englanders. We meet people from Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut when we go, but we don't see many people from NY. The casino is about a ten minute drive from romantic Mystic Seaport, so it's a great place for non-gamblers, too. We walked around the town and bought some framed prints and stopped off in a little shop for hot chocolatte before grabbing a slice of pizza at the famous Mystic Pizza shop.