Delicious Restaurants in Greenwood Mississippi
Are you hungry? You sure won’t be when you leave Greenwood MS. In addition to the Viking Cooking School where you can learn to make a fabulous meal there are some great restaurants in Greenwood Mississippi. Check here for things to do and all the best places to stay in Greenwood MS after you have a delicious meal.
Table of Contents
Best Restaurants in Greenwood Mississippi
The Crystal Grill:
The Crystal Grill has been a Greenwood institution for more than a century and features a large menu with an interesting mix of selections. From the Delta there are tamales and catfish and frog legs, then from the Gulf you have shrimp and oysters. Feeling like a taste of something from a bit farther away? Italian pasta or a steak with a Greek salad are some other options. You should be able to make everyone in your group happy here.
So, yeah, all the food is good, but make no mistake, you are really here for the pie. The “mile high meringue pie” to be exact. Cat Cora said the lemon ice box was one of the best things she had ever eaten. But they also have coconut and chocolate cream pies and a decadent ice cream pie with praline topping.
Seriously, you need to try a slice of pie from the Crystal Grill.
Steven’s Barbecue:
Steven’s Barbecue is a friendly, old-fashioned place. Shabby NOT chic which is exactly how a barbecue restaurant ought to be. The brisket! Y’all. You need to try the brisket. It was so good.
We had heard from some folks at the Alluvian Hotel that the chocolate cake here was superb and the people who told us this were not lying! This might have been the best chocolate cake that I’ve ever had. It had a cake texture rather than a brownie texture, but it was moist like a brownie with the perfect chocolate icing.
If you leave Steven’s after having the brisket and chocolate cake you will leave happy.
Giardina’s Restaurant:
You might be surprised to know that there was an influx of Italians into Greenwood and environs around the turn of the century. This has had an interesting influence on the cuisine of the area. There are many restaurants that were started by Italian families that incorporated the produce and fish and meat of the Delta region into their recipes.
Giardina’s is one of those old Italian restaurants which is now located in the Alluvian Hotel. It is super convenient for those staying there. They made an effort to retain the charm of the original Giardina’s, yet add a feeling of modern elegance in keeping with the character of the hotel. I think that they succeeded.
There is seating in private booths as well as a dining room which opens into the courtyard. We made reservations and requested one of the booths.
The service was impeccable here and we really enjoyed our food. You will find steak, oysters, fish, and pasta dishes on the menu. I had the chicken piccata and I think that my dish might have won the evening.
Lusco’s
If you want a Delta/Italian restaurant in Greenwood MS with a ton of authenticity then Lusco’s is the one to try. Lusco’s is 80 years old and still located at their original site. It is owned and operated by the 4th and 5th generations of the Lusco family.
This place is the real deal with charm and character in spades. It looks like it hasn’t been updated and I mean that in the best of ways.
Lusco’s still has private, numbered walled booths where you eat behind a closed curtain and ring a bell for service. We were told that the private booths were originally created so that the patrons could clandestinely enjoy some moonshine or homemade wine with their meal during the days of prohibition. Today, although Lusco’s does sell beer, you will need to bring your own wine or hard liquor if you want it.
Lusco’s is famous for their sauces many of which have now been bottled and are available for purchase. Their best known dish is the pompano which is prepared whole and sold at market price. The seafood gumbo is delicious.
Turnrow Cafe
Turnrow’s is a destination bookstore and there is a cafe on the upper level which is a great little coffee and lunch spot! It became popular with the stars when they were in Greenwood filming The Help. However, it is also a perfect spot for those of us who are just regular ‘folks.’
Not only does Turnrow Cafe offer coffee, cappucino, and tea, they have a selection of beers including some Mississippi craft beers. They serve great sandwiches on fresh baked bread, a soup of the day, and a couple of salads.
If you visit during the right season and they have gazpacho on the menu…definitely order it!
Fan and Johnny’s
Fan and Johnny’s is one of the somewhat newer restaurants in Greenville and it was created by James Beard Award-nominated chef, Taylor Bowen Ricketts. She brings incredible creativity to local ingredients. This is a memorable, world class restaurant to be located in a such a small town. Fine dining in a casual atmosphere.
The menu changes daily so always check out the specials. Some of the appetizers and plates stay the same from day to day but because of the specials this is a place that you could eat regularly and never get bored! Recently the daily menu included Korean BBQ beef brisket as well as blackened jumbo sea scallops.
Need further convincing? Take a look at the menus that they upload daily on their facebook page. Your mouth will be watering.
Honest Abe’s Donuts
Donuts AND tamales? Yes, please. Perhaps this combination is a “thing” in the Mississippi Delta region? We also discovered a donut and tamale place when we visited the city of Natchez MS. If it is a thing I think that it ought to spread to the rest of the south because it is a good thing!
Honest Abe’s has wonderful donuts made fresh daily. The glazed donuts are a delight, the apple fritters are magical, and when I go back I’m going to try the caramel iced donut because someone nearby was raving about it.
Not only do you need to get donuts from this unassuming little place, but you have got to try the tamales. These are the real deal Delta hot tamales and they are delicious. Who knew that the perfect dessert for a hot tamale lunch was a glazed donut? I do now!
Jeems Diner
Jeem’s Diner is the epitome of an old fashioned diner. Cash only. Nothing fancy. Vintage breakfast. Totally unassuming. Extremely welcoming. Plate lunches. Greasy (in the best possible way) burgers. Friendly service.
If you are in the area and want to have some great food and be taken back to a simpler time…Jeems Diner it is. Everyone raves about the cheese steaks and some claim that the burger here is the best in the Delta!
Veronica’s Custom Bakery
Wonderful bakery, cupcake, and sweets place that also serves breakfast and lunch. Even though it is located in a plain, little strip mall when you walk in you discover a very pleasant atmosphere.
The food at Veronica’s Bakery is great, fresh ingredients prepared on site. This is a great little lunch spot. They have sandwiches that you can get on a variety of breads. There are also wraps, and salads and the homemade salad dressings are delicious.
Drake’s BBQ
Perfect and delicious southern barbecue!! You can get ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, or barbecue chicken at Drake’s BBQ with the classic sides of baked beans, coleslaw, and potato salad.
The rib tips are great and the potato salad…y’all, I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur of potato salad and they have elevated it at Drake’s to something positively addicting.
Hope you enjoy your visit to the Delta. Let me know if you try any of these restaurants in Greenwood MS!
Thanks for stopping by,
Karen