If You Like This, Try That: JXN Edition

Don't get us wrong - we all have our favorite Jackson spots, our “we don’t even have to think about it let’s go there” spots.

But sometimes, it's fun to step out of the box and try something a little bit off your radar.

The Mayflower Cafe in Downtown Jackson.

Here’s our list of places that are always worth the visit in City With Soul alongside similar picks for a taste of something different.

Sips and Eats

If you like Drago's Seafood Restaurant, try Mayflower Cafe.

Drago's Seafood Restaurant provides a new twist on seafood standards at its Jackson location and is frequently considered to have "The Single Best Bite of Food in Town" as the home of the original charbroiled oyster.

A Jackson institution, the Mayflower Cafe's legacy continues to be carried on from 1935 through to today in its mouth-watering seafood and steak dishes and Mississippi-centric classics like Comeback sauce.

If you like Broad Street Bakery, try The Bean.

Located at Banner Hall, Broad Street Bakery has been churning out breakfast classics, delectable pastries, and scratch-made bread for almost 25 years.

Although they're more widely known for their Mississippi-roasted coffee, The Bean in Historic Fondren serves up similar daily pastry specials with a weekend brunch menu that's sure to wow locals and visitors alike.

If you like The Pig & Pint, try E & L Barbeque.

A Fondren staple, The Pig and Pint is serving up classics like pulled pork and ribs, along with other fun dishes like loaded Fondren Fries or pork rind nachos. Their classic barbecue dishes include bbq pork, chicken, and brisket sandwiches and plates where you can choose baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, or smoked half chicken and a choice of two sides.

E&L BBQ was started by Eddie and Lula 30 years ago and is still going strong. This restaurant is a no-frills kind of place, serving down-home specialties like pulled pork, ribs and fried chicken. Local customers think E&L offers the best ribs in town, and the wings and fries, dipped sausage and rib tips are all popular items, too.

Elvie's at Belhaven Town Center

Credit: Cody McCain

If you like Walker's Drive-In, try Elvie's.

An Atlanta Food & Wine winner and fine dining staple, Walker's Drive-In provides an upscale experience in a cozy, intimate atmosphere, using only the finest ingredients and aged beef on the market for their dishes.

Newer to the scene is Elvie's, located in a charming, New Orleans-inspired bungalow in Belhaven Town Center. Pop into this all-day cafe and enjoy seasonal fare that highlights local and regional farmers with inventive cocktails and wines (we recommend trying the House Orange Wine at Happy Hour).

If you like The Apothecary at Brent's Drugs, try the Library Lounge.

Voted as a must-see bar by Esquire, Garden & Gun, and Southern Living, The Apothecary serves up the best medicine in the form of crafted cocktails, curated wines, and local brews in a speakeasy space behind Fondren's Brent's Drugs.

At the historic Fairview Inn, the Belhaven-centric Library Lounge has a similar feel with the addition of lamplit walls lined with photos of famous authors and their works. Make sure and order a "Eudora Welty" while you enjoy the company of others or a quiet reading corner.

Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Museum.

Credit: Drew Dempsey

Sites & Shops

If you like the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum, try Farish Street and Smith Robertson Museum.

Few other places in Jackson have as much potential to teach us as the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. This state-of-the-art space features eight distinct galleries guiding visitors from the struggle for freedom through the Jim Crow South and beyond to the present moment.

If you're looking to dive deeper into the city's Civil Rights history, be sure to check out Farish Street Historic District and the Smith Robertson Museum and Cultural Center. Located in the historic first school for African Americans in the capital city, the restored building houses art exhibits, photos, and artifacts exploring local African American history.

If you like the Mississippi Museum of Art, try the Public Art Walking Tour.

The Mississippi Museum of Art hosts everything from permanent and rotating exhibits to educational courses and workshops that get your creative gears turning.

Want art in the outdoors? Jackson has a plethora of public and street art to immerse yourself in (and grab the perfect mural pic for the 'gram). Head over to our guide to view artistic expression from Fondren, Belhaven, and beyond.

Offbeat

If you like Lemuria Books, try Offbeat.

Since 1975, Lemuria Books has featured world-class titles and authors from all over the American South, nation, and the world. A continual favorite amongst Jacksonians and visitors alike, it's a magical setting to find your next favorite tome.

But did you know there's a comic book, record store and toy shop in downtown called Offbeat? For lovers of all things culture and pop culture, it’s worth a visit to Phillip Rollins’ - DJ Young Venom’s - alternative culture spot.

Author

Anne Marie Hanna

A Mississippi native, storytelling has always been an integral part of Anne Marie’s life and her upbringing in the American South. With degrees in Editorial Journalism and Southern Studies from the University of Mississippi, she finds inspiration helping us showcase The City of Soul’s stories as a writer for The Tell Agency. When she's not working, she can be found reading, curating new playlists, and enjoying time with friends and family.