Serious gourmands and restaurant hounds know that, when it comes to culinary accolades, the gold standard is a listing within the pages of the iconic Michelin Guide. So in November, 2025, when the Guide released its inaugural edition devoted to the American South, it came as no surprise that many of the region’s most celebrated restaurants—fine dining temples like New Orleans’ Emeril’s, Nashville’s The Catbird Seat, and Charleston’s Wild Common—were among its pages. What might have surprised some, though, was that no fewer than four Oxford-area establishments had also received recommendations—the most of any Mississippi city, and not bad for a town of around 25,000. Locals mightn’t have been so surprised, though. These four institutions have kept Oxford’s dining scene punching above its weight for years. Read on to find out how they keep crowds, and critics, coming back.
City Grocery’s Michelin Magic
In season three, episode six of Parts Unknown, infamous chef, author, and television show host Anthony Bourdain visited Oxford, Mississippi. Specifically, he came to City Grocery. Run by James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence, the restaurant is famous for serving Southern classics with a focus on classical French technique, executed with a sleekly modern twist that unapologetically embraces local ingredients and culinary traditions. Chef Currence’s vision has woven an atmosphere of old-fashioned elegance and warmth without pretense. Tuck into a plate of grits with bacon, scallions, cheese and mushrooms, topped with plump, sautéed shrimp, or opt for grilled fish fresh from the briny Gulf waters and served with a more-ish sweet corn and tarragon risotto. 152 Courthouse Square.
Chef John Currence's City Grocery is renowned for delivering Southern classic dishes with a focus on classical French technique, and executed with a sleekly modern twist.
Snackbar: An Elevated Local Hangout
Billed as “Oxford’s neighborhood restaurant and living room,” Snackbar serves traditional French brasserie fare with a distinctly Mississippi flair. This happy marriage results in delicious dishes such as duck croque monsieur, pork jowl BLTs with heirloom tomatoes and pesto, and garden-fresh salads with pickled green beans and tangy citrus dressing. With a kitchen headed by chef Sebastian Markowitz, the restaurant focuses on local ingredients, creating a menu that concentrates the most flavorful preparations that the Deep South has to offer. Snackbar is a local favorite for craft cocktails, and oysters on the half-shell, too. 721 North Lamar.
Snackbar serves traditional French brasserie fare, delivered with distinct, made-in-Mississippi flair.
Diner Dreams Come True at Ajax
Ajax Diner has been dishing up the best in down-home southern comfort food with customary hospitality since 1997. The restaurant has frequently been named as one of the best plate lunches in Mississippi, a towering feat in a state that’s famous for them. The lunch menu here includes chicken and dumplings, pot roast with lashings of gravy, turkey and dressing, grilled BBQ pork chops, and other such delights. Pair your main dish with sides like turnip greens, butterbeans, macaroni and cheese, and various delicious, down-home classic casseroles of the kind that you don’t often taste beyond your grandma’s kitchen. Don’t skip dessert—Ajax’s decadent, creamy banana pudding is famous for good reason. 118 Courthouse Square.
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Ajax Diner serves southern comfort food classics that make this one of the best plate lunch places in Mississippi.
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Ajax
Taylor Grocery: Monument to Mississippi Catfish Magic
Open since 1889 in Taylor, Mississippi (just down the road from Oxford), Taylor Grocery began life as a dry goods store. But it’s been a beloved dining destination since the late 1970s, when Evie and Jerry Wilson started frying catfish. Today, you can be confident of being served some of the finest catfish of your life, fried or grilled, whole or fileted, but definitely piled high and served with tartare sauce, ketchup, and a mountain of hushpuppies. The restaurant also serves steaks, fried shrimp seasoned with house blended spices, fried oysters, and rich, dark gumbo chock-full of shrimp and chicken. Sides include crispy fried okra, French fries smothered in hot, creamy Rotel cheese, hushpuppies and salad. 4 First Street, Taylor.
To explore the full range of dining options in Oxford, visitoxfordms.com/what-to-eat/
