There's no better place to experience “The Hospitality State” in its most welcoming—and delicious—form than around the dinner table. Mississippi's Delta Region Here you will find everything from Creole-inspired delicacies and sophisticated new takes on old favorites. From down-home delicious blue-plate specials to downright elegant fine dining, you’ll find it all on your journey along the backroads of the Mississippi Delta.
Cleveland
For a town its size, Cleveland has a diverse culinary scene fueled by a class of high-quality independent restaurants. From hot tamale stands to gourmet meals, to the classic burger or BBQ joint, there’s plenty of culinary variety in Cleveland. Start your day with a country breakfast spread at the same cafe used as a meeting spot by local activists during the Civil Rights Movement, then fuel up with Delta hot tamales and fried catfish for lunch before happy hour craft cocktails beckon at a rooftop lounge, and dinner prepared by an award-winning chef.
A must-visit is Delta Meat Market, the combination butcher shop, specialty grocery store, and restaurant where Cleveland native Cole Ellis dishes out creative takes on Delta classics (we recommend the Moon Pie bread pudding). The proprietor of the market and a James Beard Award semifinalist, Ellis has been a key player in Cleveland’s revitalization efforts since moving back to his hometown in 2013 and opening the mega-popular boutique grocer and butchery program in the city's historic district. In 2019, Ellis relocated DMM to the new Cotton House Hotel, where he also debuted his newest concept, Bar Fontaine. The upscale, Southern European-inspired rooftop bar serves Italian-inspired small plates, house-made pastas, and bespoke cocktails.
Known back in the day as Lillie’s Café, The Country Platter served lunch and breakfast to Civil Rights luminaries like Martin Luther King, Jr., Ralph Abernathy, and Amzie Moore. homestyle cooking. Today people brag about its big country breakfasts and delicious meat-and-three lunches. Cozy. Authentic. Historical.
As a quintessential Cleveland establishment, Airport Grocery offers a true taste of Southern soul food and drink. Hot tamales, BBQ Ribs and Nachos, Burgers, cold beer and pool tables, full bar…you know the type of joint this is! Live music on occasion, a patio and pet friendly
Gentle Lee Rainey’s father made tamales with leftover corn husks from the fields at Dockery Plantation and sold them to make extra money on the weekends. Now, Gentle has owned and operated Delta Fast Food since 1995. The family recipe makes these tamales a moist, savory treat for lunch or dinner along historic Highway 61.
A favorite lunch place among locals, the downtown eatery, A la Carte Alley, is located just across from the Ellis Theater and about a block away from the Railroad Museum.
Clarksdale
Grab a coffee and breakfast at Yazoo Pass, a French-style bistro, bakery and espresso bar. Don’t miss the experience of a Delta tamale at Larry’s Hot Tamales or try a batch at the local favorite BBQ joint, Abe's. Senator Willie Simmons opened The Senator’s Place restaurant in 2003, satisfying constituents with platters of okra and tomatoes, collards, peach cobbler, and “the world’s best smoked chicken.”
Greenwood
Load up on comfort food at The Crystal Grill, where you may find yourself ordering dessert first—lemon icebox pie, mile-high meringue, and coconut cream pie are just a few of the sweet treats gaining celebrity status on the Food Network. Visit Webster’s Food & Drink, where the locals go to hear live music with great food and plenty of libations to whet your whistle after a trek across the Delta flatlands.
Greenville
Perhaps the best place to get tamales in Mississippi is the Delta, and since 1941, the tamales at Doe's Eat Place have been the stuff of legend. While Doe’s boasts the highest quality steaks in the Delta, this place was built by tamales. Wrapped in parchment paper rather than the traditional corn husk, these aromatic beef tamales are part of the reason why Greenville is officially the Hot Tamale Capital of the World. Every October, the city celebrates all things tamales at the three-day Delta Hot Tamale Festival, which features live music and the annual crowning of Miss Hot Tamale.
Indianola
For Mississippi food products, art, and antiques, a stop at The Crown Restaurant is a must. A Delta tradition since 1976, the Crown has been featured across national media outlets, and while the menu changes from week to week, the Catfish Allison dish, a poached catfish gratinéed with a parmesan and buŠer sauce, has a permanent spot on the menu.
The Blue Biscuit is THE place in the Delta for the best in blues, barbecue, and brews in a 1940s storefront. Located directly across the street from the B.B. King Museum, the eatery offers a smattering of gourmet fare, authentic Southern soul food, award-winning BBQ, and even a "Redneck Fish Fry.”
Rolling Fork
Watch out for Chuck’s Dairy Bar. The unassuming brick building sits right on the side of the highway, but if you blink, you’ll miss it. Order the Chuck Burger topped with chili, coleslaw, pickles, mayo, and mustard and take a chocolate milkshake to go. Fifteen minutes south, you’ll find Onward Store, another Delta landmark, which celebrated its hundredth anniversary in 2013. There’s a restaurant, a grocery store, live music, and plenty of snacks for the road.
To begin planning your Delta dining experience, go to mississippitourguide.com.
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