S16 and I are flying down to visit Ole Miss in less than a month. Are they any restaurants we must try? We’re big BBQ fans.
We’ll see what a left of center kid from the DC area thinks of a university in the heart of Dixie. He likes the programs on paper; it’s a matter of whether it’s somewhere he can see himself staying for 4 years.
Oxford has some great restaurants, although I often find myself feeling a little disappointed when I go out to eat.
City Grocery put fine dining on the map in Oxford, but it has gotten so fancy that I really can’t stand it. I don’t want my romaine lettuce “grilled.” It’s like flambe of hummingbird tounge in a tasmanian devil reduction. But a lot of people still swear by it.
Boure, across the Square, is owned by the same people but has plainer and better food.
Ajax Diner has simple meat and three plates and is quite popular and fairly cheap.
Old Venice Pizza has been quite good the past few times I’ve eaten there.
Proud Larry’s is a live music venue that also serves food until about 8:30. Lately I’ve enjoyed it.\
All of the above places are on are near the Square.
About a half mile north of the Square is a place called Snack Bar. This is actually a fine dining place owned by the City Grocery group. Look at the menu and see if it suits you. Across the street from Snack Bar is Volta, and also a place open for lunch called Handy Andy. This used to be a convenience store that sold barbeque, but now it’s just a place that sells barbecue.
Oxford has grown quite a bit over the past 30 or 40 years. At one time Oxford had a Burger Chef, Pizza Hut and not much else. There are now probably 150 or more restaurants to choose from.
About the politics. If your son is the type who feels the need to flap about and try to object and make a big scene any time someone says something he finds objectionable, then he probably won’t like Ole Miss. It’s a fairly conservative campus, although there are certainly liberals here and there. But if he is able to simply sit back and be bemused, he’ll likely enjoy it just fine.
“It’s a fairly conservative campus,” - sounds like my kind of campus. Can’t wait to visit, & hopefully apply to Ole Miss for grad school.
Does anyone have recommendations for places to eat or things to do or see in or around Tupelo?
@earlvandorn, thanks for the suggestions. He’s not an in your face type. He might attend a demonstration, but is not likely to try and lecture anyone.
Oxford Grillehouse, down the street from Ajax Diner. Steak and seafood (expensive, but we treated ourselves to one nice meal while in town). D and I shared a Catfish Mary plus a couple of sides. They have a lot more restaurants now than 30 years ago.
If he likes books, go to Square Books. Indie.
My daughter is a student-athlete beginning her third year at Ole Miss this fall. She is a native southerner, but some of her closest friends there are from DC, New York, etc. (also a few internationals) I think your son will find that there are many open-minded kids here, even if their accent makes them sound otherwise. Also, she works at Gus’ World Famous chicken on the square, so if you’re into fried chicken at all, check that place out. Good luck!
Thanks, @jenlovitt. I have a southern accent myself, so I don’t think accents will be a problem. I know he’ll want to have bbq; we’re not sure at this point how long we’ll be in Oxford. He may want to spend some time in the nearest big city (Memphis).
Anthony Bourdain did an episode on Mississippi, in which he visits various parts of the state, including Oxford. You can find links to it online.
There is usually good BBQ around there but can’t recall the name.
Most places around the square were closed today, which wasn’t too surprising. He wouldn’t be likely to be around in July anyway. We’ll hit a couple of places before and after the tour tomorrow.
ABNER’S. Best chicken tenders I’ve ever had, but they have many different options. I think I saw Hugh Freeze while I was in there.
There are a couple of new restaurants just off the Square on the north side of Jackson Ave., that are worth mentioning. The Mesquite Chop House is beautiful, the service great, but it is expensive and the steaks underseasoned for my taste. Also new is Baccus, and this may be my current favorite place. The menu is limited, but they have a really good cajun ribeye for 30 bucks. My wife and I have split one and then gotten a starter and salad and it’s been plenty. Oddly enough their wine list isn’t very long, but maybe they can add to it. So there you have it.