5 must eats | Traveller Soul

The following Post was written by Visit Mississippi whose mission is to promote this U.S State around the world. I personally asked them to share some of the most popular dishes and comfort food of the area. Just so that you know, it may leave you hungry after reading & seeing these images 🙂

Food for the body is not enough. There must be food for the soul.

– Dorothy Day

It’s not only Delta blues music that draws visitors to Mississippi: It’s the food.

Authentic Southern fare abounds in the Hospitality State.

Feed your senses with the following 5 must eats in Mississippi

You’ll find homegrown specialties like spicy, creamy comeback sauce (The Mayflower, in Jackson), fried dill pickles (The Hollywood Cafe in Robinsonville) and for the adventurous eater, pig ear sandwiches (Big Apple Inn in Jackson).

Read on for five classic foods that you simply can’t miss when you visit Mississippi.

1. Catfish

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Photo credit: Wikia.com

Taylor Grocery in Taylor started as a dry goods store in 1889, and it reopened as a restaurant in the 70s. This place radiates an authentic Mississippi vibe, with its wooden interior, friendly faces, and great music.

It’s a must-stop for any traveler around the Oxford area (just 15 minutes south, down Old Taylor Road). Eat the fresh catfish blackened, grilled, or fried. And don’t forget to write your name on the wall when you’re there!

Jerry’s Catfish House in Florence is not what you’d expect from a country restaurant, at least not from the outside. Housed in a giant white igloo, Jerry’s is like no other place you’ve eaten.

Its catfish is so good that you’ll put the “all you can eat” offer to good use, with sides of slaw and hush puppies.

The Crown in Town in Indianola offers “New Southern” cuisine and boasts the motto “Eat Like A King”. Since opening in 1976, The Crown has perfected its offerings, particularly the Catfish Allison.

A fancy flair on a southern staple, the Catfish Allison is a fillet gratineed with a sauce of parmesan cheese, butter, and green onion. Who said a catfish plate can’t be fine dining?

2. Tamales

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Photo credit: roadfood.com

You may be surprised that tamales are a traditional part of Mississippi fare. According to the Southern Foodways Alliance, tamales likely became part of Delta cuisine in the early 20th century, when Mexican migrant workers came to harvest cotton.

Today, you can travel Mississippi’s Hot Tamale Trail, stopping to try tamales at restaurants throughout the state, or indulge at October’s Delta Hot Tamale Festival in Greenville, the Hot Tamale Capital of the World.

In the Mississippi Delta, Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville has been serving up the same all-beef tamale recipe since 1941, and the restaurant still has an old-time charm. Doe Signa, Jr., grew up working in the restaurant that his father founded, and he has since taken over for him. Try the tamales topped with homemade chili for a meal to write home about.

Tony’s Tamales in Jackson serves three kinds of tamales, ground beef, turkey, or black bean (vegetarian). The handmade tamales are always fresh and well-seasoned. If you’re hungry, order the Chili Tamale Dinner with six tamales covered in chili, cheese, and onions.

At Fat Mama’s Tamales in Natchez, you can accompany your tamales with a famous “Knock-You-Naked Margarita.” You can eat the handmade tamales by themselves, or in a Gringo Casserole covered with chili and cheese. And once you’re back home, you can order vacuum-sealed tamales by the dozen.

3. Fried Chicken

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Photo credit: Wikimedia.org

Two Sisters Kitchen in Jackson made Food & Wine’s list for “Best Fried Chicken in the U.S,” and its signature dish does not disappoint. Find it at the all-you-can-eat soul food buffet, surrounded by fluffy biscuits, grits, and Southern vegetables like collard greens.

Two Sisters is housed in a two-story Victorian home, so after you climb the stairs to find a table and enjoy your lunch, you can relax afterward in a rocking chair on the front porch.

Visitors drive for hours to eat the fried chicken at Peggy’s Restaurant in Philadelphia. Renowned chef Robert St. John has called Peggy’s “one of Mississippi’s greatest treasures”.

Fill your plate at the buffet with comfort food — try the creamed corn and butter beans — and leave your money in the basket by the door when you’re done.

4. BBQ

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Photo credit: The Shed BBQ

The Shed in Ocean Springs was literally started in a shed built by the Orison family on the Gulf Coast. It has grown into a landmark that has been featured on national television, including a reality show on The Food Network.

Visitors from around the world travel there to eat the BBQ ribs and meet the colorful Orison family. Check out the “Junk-Free” marinades and rubs in the Shed Store, which contain only ingredients that you’d find in your kitchen.

Ubon’s BBQ of Yazoo is a family-run restaurant that has received national recognition. Owner Leslie Roark Scott is a BBQ competition pitmaster known as “The Barbeque Princess.”

Ubon’s award-winning BBQ sauce recipe dates back at least five generations. Find it for sale in the Ubon’s store.

Leatha’s Bar-B-Que Inn of Hattiesburg is a quaint, rustic place that all the locals, including Brett Favre, know and love.

The BBQ is some of the best in the state, complete with classic Southern sides.

The Little Dooey in Starkville began in 1985 when Barry and Margaret Ann Wood started selling their homemade BBQ at a local service station.

They opened the location in Starkville soon after, where you can order their distinctive pulled pork sandwich with baked beans and potato salad, as well as their signature sauces and rubs.

Just mentioning BBQ makes your mouth water right?

5. Gulf Coast Seafood

The famous Mary Mahoney’s Old French House has been family owned for more than 50 years. It operates out of what is believed to be the oldest home in Biloxi, built in 1737.

Try the house specialties: the flounder imperial, a whole flounder stuffed with lump crabmeat, and the St. Patrick, a baked shrimp dish with garlic and butter, topped with lump crabmeat.

Shaggy’s has two locations on the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Pass Christian and Biloxi. Its baskets are full of hand-breaded Gulf specialties, such as shrimp, oysters, and catfish, and served with jalapeno hush puppies.

Every dish at the Blow Fly Inn is topped with a quirky signature garnish: a small, plastic fly.

The Blow Fly has been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives for its bayou fare, including smoked sausage and gumbo. Lunch specials include jumbo lump crab cakes and Gulf Coast shrimp & catfish.

Other eats not to miss are the charbroiled oysters at The Half Shell in Biloxi and Gulfport, and the fresh po-boy sandwiches with hand-battered shrimp at B.B.’s Po-Boys and Seafood in Ocean Springs.

Find out why Mississippi is a foodie’s paradise by traveling the state’s culinary trail.

We hope you enjoyed and did drool with these 5 must eats in Mississippi.