American Inn - Pontotoc

In the heart of Oxford right on the town square, Chef John Currence’s flagship restaurant remains a shining culinary light for the region. Open since 1992, the historic dining room is wrapped in red brick, local art, and well-worn wood. The menu is a revolving door of ideas, but the style sticks to the seasons, sources quality product across the region, and largely celebrates Southern cuisine. Think salmon croquettes or a tower of fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade. Shrimp and grits is a house staple for good reason. Cap off the meal with a perfect slice of cake. Portions are generous

This quirky, colorful diner made of Christmas lights, neon signs, and red vinyl booths has been a constant way of life for this college town since 1997. Down home and heartfelt, the restaurant offers a comforting taste of Southern cooking in its most classic form. Skip any apps or salads and jump straight to the plates featuring the likes of cornmeal-dusted and fried catfish or chicken and dumplings. A vegetable platter is another good way to go: Think butter beans, turnip greens, and black-eyed peas. Chocolate chess pie and blueberry cobbler for dessert conclude this lovely salute to the regi

In a region where fried catfish is practically a religion, Taylor Grocery stands tall as one of the great stewards of this culinary tradition. Since 1977, crowds have lingered on the front porch waiting for a seat in a rudimentary dining room where scratched walls are covered in scribble and old class photos. There’s no reason to look at a menu. You could dabble in gumbo or poke at a salad, but nothing should distract or deter from ordering a righteous mountain of cornmeal-dusted, golden-fried catfish flanked by an avalanche of hushpuppies. Tartare sauce and ketchup on the table complete the p