Where to Eat in Vicksburg, Mississippi

During our recent trip to Vicksburg, Mississippi we had a chance to try some of the local restaurants. Here are some places we recommend.

Rusty’s River Front Grill

The fine folks at Visit Vicksburg tried to send us to Rusty’s (see reviews) the Saturday night that we arrived into town but the secret is out that Rusty’s is one of the places to go downtown. There was a line out the door and the wait was something like an hour and a half. We called an audible and decided to go the next night, not realizing that Rusty’s is closed on Sundays. That’s a shame because, among other things, I liked the look of Rusty’s dessert case which seemed like it warranted some investigation.

Rusty’s is, in fact, overlooking the riverfront, not far from the Lower Mississippi River Museum.

10 South

When Rusty’s was busy we headed down the street to 10 South (see reviews) instead. 10 South was just as crowded on a Saturday night but did turn out to be a better place to wait for a table.

The restaurant is on the top of one of the tallest buildings downtown, a bank. It has a great bar with some of the busiest bartenders on a Saturday night. It also had decent live music. But it is the view from its location on the 10th floor that makes 10 South really special. You can see for miles and on a warm late Spring day the nice breeze was welcome. Throw in a sunset and the setting was just about perfect.

The menu is simple but good. I had a pulled pork sandwich (with Coca-Cola BBQ sauce) with a side of mac and cheese. My wife had “The Signature” Barbeque Bacon with Pepper Jack Cheese, Candied Bacon, Potato Sticks, and Coca-Cola Barbecue Sauce. Both were quite tasty. The Coca-Cola BBQ sauce seems appropriate as the restaurant is a block or two from the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum where Coca-Cola was first bottled.

Walnut Hills Restaurant

We had lunch on Mother’s Day (Sunday) at Walnut Hills (see reviews). Walnut Hills is a short walk from the Old Court House. The place was very popular, especially after church got out. There are rocking chairs on the porch where you can wait for your table. That seems appropriate as Walnut Hills features Southern cooking.

The brunch menu was more limited than the usual menu. We had the standard meat and three, meat and three side dishes. Our lunch was fried chicken and I chose corn stuffing, white rice, and grits. If I had to do it again, I would choose something more interesting than white rice, but everything else was good. Lunch came with a Waldorf Salad and biscuits, cornbread, and sweet tea.

The full menu includes house favorites like shrimp and grits and fried or blackened catfish.

Tomato Place

We ended up with no dinner plans for Sunday night but had heard about the Tomato Place (see reviews) over breakfast where we were staying at the Bazsinsky House B&B. You have to have a car to get to the Tomato Place as it is a bit out of town. When we first drove up to this eclectic roadside stand, my wife’s reaction was along the lines of “we are eating here?”.

It is an odd but charming restaurant and farm stand and an arts and crafts shop. But her reaction while eating her Shrimp Po Boy was nothing but smiles. I also enjoyed the chicken sandwich which included some of their homemade hot sauce. Neither of us tried the signature dish, which is the BLT, but fans of that sandwich should be aware of its wonderful reputation.

Next Time

The owner of 10 South is moving his Roca Restaurant & Bar to downtown, bringing a menu with Italian / Southern / Steaks / Gulf Seafood to a neighborhood that clearly has enough demand for another good restaurant.

There is apparently a Hot Tamale Trail in Mississippi. Tamales made it to the Mississippi Delta in the early 20th century with migrant farm laborers from Mexico who came to pick the local cotton crop. My wife is not a big fan of tamales, so checking of the local tamale scene at a place like Solly’s Hot Tamales had to wait for another trip.

Where to Stay in Vicksburg

Booking.com

My thanks to Visit Vicksburg who treated us to the dinner at 10 South and lunch at Walnut Hills Restaurant.