From Tamales to a Farish Street Landmark

From a free package of pig ears, adding a permanent menu staple, to renting an office space to a man who became one of Mississippi's most cherished Civil Rights icons, the Big Apple Inn is a finger-licking morsel of soulful history. Opening in its first brick-and-mortar location on Farish Street in the 1930s, by Mexico City-born Juan "Big John" Mora, there was no way this facility was going to exist without seeing its fair share of the Civil Rights Movement, including housing Medgar Evers' office upstairs for a period during the 1950s.

Medgar Evers and the Big Apple Inn's Role in Civil Rights History

Just as Mora evolved from selling tamales on the corner to a downtown building, Evers' meetings in his tiny upstairs office often spilled downstairs into the restaurant. Evers was the first NAACP field secretary in Mississippi, and by default, the Big Apple Inn was part of Evers' organizing infrastructure in Jackson.

Lawyers and local activists regularly gathered and strategized at the cafe. Freedom Riders would use the restaurant as a gathering spot when they came through Jackson, holding informal meetings and planning sessions. It was a safe space for residents, activists, and visiting organizers to eat, talk, and coordinate during tense periods of protests and arrests.

A Gathering Place on Farish Street

The Farish Street district was a dense corridor of minority‑owned businesses, entertainment venues, and professional offices. The Big Apple Inn was at the center of the social and political crossroads, where residents, leaders, and travelers in the movement mingled in a common effort to strengthen networks united in liberty and justice for all.

Four Generations of Stories and Soul Food

Now, four generations in, the current owner, Geno Lee, often shares the site's civil rights story with visitors, treating the restaurant as both a working café and a living memorial to Farish Street and the movement. Lee is the great‑grandson of the founder and the son of Mary Harrison Lee, who herself was a Freedom Rider and civil rights organizer.

Whether he's serving up pig ear sliders, tamales, or smoked sausages, Lee is ready to give his guests a side of oral history. Similar to the food, one can simplify the tale of the Big Apple. like hamburgers and hot dogs, or serve it up as a delicacy for more mature palates. Either way, it's best served hot, onsite, with love.