Dining and Drinking

As you might expect, traditional Southern cuisine is well represented in this Dixie capital, but if pork chops and collard greens aren't your thing, you're not out of luck. Italian, Mexican, Greek and Japanese restaurants abound in and around Jackson.

Downtown

The height of dining elegance can be found just around the corner from the Mississippi Governor's Mansion within one of Jackson's most storied institutions. The classic dining room at the Edison Walthall Hotel sets the table for some of the city's most prestigious dinners and receptions, and is home to the local power-lunch crowd. Under a huge corner marquee you'll find the Mayflower Cafe, an authentic and popular greasy spoon—beware the gravy on your lunch or dinner entrée.

Closer to the Capitol, you can rub elbows with a state legislator on one side and a truck driver on the other at the Blue Cafe. An inexpensive menu features sandwiches and salads, and if the weather cooperates, you can abandon your counter stool for a table along the sidewalk. Order off the big blackboard at one of several McAlister's Deli locations. Crowded for lunch and dinner, it offers quick and friendly service, and the sweet tea is legendary. Coffee is king at Cups, a golden find in a downtown as yet undiscovered by the Starbucks and Caribou Coffee powerhouses.

For a bit of rowdy fun with your meal, head over to the Cherokee Inn on State Street. You will find great pub food and flavor, along with a healthy contingent of the local college crowd. A block north of the State Capitol, George Street Grocery is another place for good down-home cooking during the day and youthful revelry at night, including live music. At Hal and Mal's, you can dine on some of the best Mississippi catfish in town.

Several dining and drinking establishments are located around the college campuses and various area attractions on the outskirts of downtown. Que Sera Sera on State Street is popular with Millsaps College students for its margarita menu, voluminous pitchers of beer and sprawling patio. A few blocks away, Keifer's—in the shadow of the sprawling Baptist Medical Center—has good Greek food and standard bar appetizers and entrees, although you will usually find as many drinkers as diners at this upbeat spot. Catch a game on TV at on one of the crowded tables inside, or head out to the equally crowded covered porch.

A visit to Jackson wouldn't be complete without sampling a world-renowned Inez Burger at CS's, just around the corner across from the Millsaps campus. Another local favorite with a similar culinary attitude can be found just down the street at Backyard Burgers' downtown location. For a heart-healthier option, grab a cup of java, a breakfast roll and a copy of the Clarion-Ledger (or The Wall Street Journal) at the Joe Muggs coffee shop at Books-A-Million.

A quieter and classier environment can be found at Marcel's, a local favorite with arguably the best salad dressing in the South. Crechale's has been a campy Jackson favorite since 1956. It's said that if you haven't dined in Crechale's truck-stop-decor elegance, you haven't been in Jackson very long. BRAVO! Italian Restaurant was named restaurant of the year four years running by the Jackson Visitors Bureau. Blending authentic Italian with authentic Southern is a tricky feat, but one that's accomplished here with surprising style in such entrees as the linguine with crawfish.

North

Many of the city's restaurants have followed the population as it has moved north, with the largest concentration centered around Northpark Mall in near-suburban Ridgeland. Northpark itself is home to the popular Morrison's Cafeteria, a pleasant family-style chain that serves up Southern favorites quickly to frantic shoppers. Other chains, including Ruby Tuesday's and Grady's as well as local favorite McAlister's Deli, are situated in and around the mall for quick bites.

Just down the street in a smaller strip mall is one of Jackson's most frequented barbecue joints, Red Hot and Blue, which is a bit antiseptic but serves exceptional pulled-pork sandwiches and rib platters. More worldly palettes will find satisfaction at Little Tokyo.

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