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Where to eat in Oxford, Mississippi
Oxford is a small town that eats like a big one: four MICHELIN-recommended restaurants, two James Beard-winning chefs, shrimp and grits on the Square since 1992 and a catfish house in a country store down the road. It is also home to the Southern Foodways Alliance at Ole Miss.
Oxford, Mississippi at a glance What to eat Fried catfish; Shrimp and grits; Cathead chicken biscuit; Plate lunch; Old-store hamburger. When to go Best: April and October. Also good: March, May, September and November. Top tables This guide lists 4 award-winning restaurants, starting with City Grocery, Snackbar, Ajax Diner and Taylor Grocery. Where locals eat Local favorites off the prestige lists include Taylor Grocery, Ajax Diner, Big Bad Breakfast and Bottletree Bakery. Markets Oxford Community Market. 16 places in Oxford, Mississippi, ready to save to your trip
What is in the 16 4 award-winning9 local favorites2 hot right now1 markets5 walking tour stops10 chef's picks3 sandwich shops4 romantic dinners3 breakfast spots2 new openings8 dish spots
Browse all 16
Food walking tour: Biscuits to shrimp and grits: an Oxford eating day 11.0 hours on foot, 5 stops, in eating order. Add the whole tour to your trip, then give it a day.
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Chef Amazing picks: where to eat in Oxford, Mississippi Shrimp and grits on the Square, oysters at Snackbar, a plate lunch at Ajax, catfish at a country store down the road, and a biscuit at the breakfast place that started a chain.
The well-known five City Grocery The Square
MICHELIN Recommended 2025 Southern $$$
Order: Shrimp and grits
John Currence's restaurant on the Square since 1992; MICHELIN-recommended.
Best for: special dinner · Reserve: book ahead
152 Courthouse Sq., Oxford, MS 38655
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Snackbar North Lamar
MICHELIN Recommended 2025 Southern brasserie $$$
Order: Oysters on the half shell, then a masala pot pie
Vishwesh Bhatt's brasserie since 2009; MICHELIN-recommended.
Best for: dinner · Reserve: book ahead
721 N. Lamar Blvd., Oxford
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Ajax Diner The Square
MICHELIN Recommended 2025 Plate lunch $
Order: Plate lunch with cornbread
On the Square since 1997; MICHELIN-recommended.
Best for: lunch · Reserve: walk-in · Hours: 11 AM-9 PM Monday-Saturday (per Southern Living)
118 Courthouse Square, Oxford
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Taylor Grocery Taylor
MICHELIN Recommended 2025 Catfish $$
Order: Fried catfish
An old store just outside Oxford; MICHELIN-recommended.
Best for: dinner · Reserve: walk-in
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open; we do not have a verified street address.
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Big Bad Breakfast North Lamar
Breakfast $
Order: Cathead chicken biscuit
The Oxford original of John Currence's breakfast chain.
Best for: breakfast · Reserve: walk-in
719 N. Lamar Blvd., Oxford
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
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The discoveries Handy Andy Grocery North Lamar
Barbecue and burgers $
Order: Barbecue with tater tots
Called the best barbecue in town by a local chef.
Best for: lunch · Reserve: walk-in
800 N. Lamar Blvd., Oxford
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
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Phillips Grocery Oxford
Burgers $
Order: Hamburger
Burgers in an old grocery building since 1996, from a 1948 recipe.
Best for: lunch · Reserve: walk-in
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open; we do not have a verified street address.
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Bottletree Bakery Van Buren Avenue
Bakery $
Order: A pastry and coffee
Thirty years of scratch baking in 2025.
Best for: breakfast · Reserve: walk-in
923 Van Buren Ave., Oxford
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Miscellanea Spirit House South Lamar
Cocktails and Southern-fusion plates
Order: A cocktail and small plates
A cocktail bar behind an old clock-shop front, opened September 2025.
Best for: drinks · Reserve: unknown
306 S. Lamar Blvd., Oxford
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LandShark Seafood & Catfish Jackson Avenue West
Catfish and seafood $
Order: Fried catfish
A catfish counter in town, with crawfish in season.
Best for: lunch · Reserve: walk-in
2311 Jackson Ave. W, Oxford
Worth confirming: hours and that it is still open.
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New and buzzing in Oxford, Mississippi Restaurants that opened or relaunched recently, from current opening guides. In no ranked order.
Miscellanea Spirit House New opening reported
South Lamar · Cocktails, Southern-fusion menu
A cocktail bar behind a historic clock-shop facade.
Marshall Steakhouse New opening reported
MTrade Park · Steakhouse
An Oxford location of a Memphis-area steakhouse.
New places change fast. “Provisional” means a guide or directory lists it as new but we have not confirmed the opening date. Check hours and book ahead before you go.
Memorable breakfasts in Oxford, Mississippi Five places chosen for the food, the room, the history or the local character. In no ranked order.
Bottletree Bakery Van Buren Avenue
Order: A pastry and coffee
Scratch baking for 30 years.
Lusa Pastry Café Jackson Avenue West
Order: Pastries, or the Southern breakfast with hash brown casserole
Everything made from scratch.
Orders are suggestions, not guaranteed menu items. Confirm opening hours and morning service before you go.
Sandwich shops in Oxford, Mississippi Five sandwich counters worth the trip: delis, bakeries, market stalls and local styles. In no ranked order.
Phillips Grocery Oxford
Burger Order: Hamburger
An old store's griddled burger.
Handy Andy Grocery North Lamar
Barbecue sandwich and burger Order: Barbecue, with tater tots
The town's barbecue pick.
Picks come from press and guide coverage. We have not confirmed opening hours or current menus for every shop, so check before you go.
Romantic dinners in Oxford, Mississippi Ten tables that come up again and again for date night, anniversaries and quiet candlelit evenings. In no ranked order.
City Grocery The Square
Romantic dinner Snackbar North Lamar
Romantic dinner McEwen's Oxford
Romantic dinner Miscellanea Spirit House South Lamar
Romantic dinner Picks come from romantic-dinner lists on booking and review sites. Confirm dinner service, menus and availability before you book.
Food walking tour
Biscuits to shrimp and grits: an Oxford eating day A cathead biscuit, a bakery stop, a plate lunch on the Square, ice cream, then dinner at City Grocery.
Start 8:30 at Big Bad Breakfast, 719 NTime 11.0 hoursBest days A weekday or an away-game Saturday. Hours for most stops are not in our sources, so confirm them.
North Lamar runs down to the Square, so most of this day is on foot: breakfast up the hill, then the Square for lunch, ice cream and dinner.
1
Big Bad Breakfast breakfast North Lamar
Order: Cathead chicken biscuit.
The Oxford original, opened 2008.
Around 8:30 · 45 min · $
719 N. Lamar Blvd., Oxford
Worth confirming: opening hours.
↓ on foot (approx.): Walk down North Lamar toward the Square.
2
Bottletree Bakery Bakery Van Buren Avenue
Order: Coffee and a pastry.
Scratch baking for 30 years.
Around 10:30 · 30 min · $
923 Van Buren Ave., Oxford
Worth confirming: opening hours.
↓ on foot (approx.): A short walk to the Square.
3
Ajax Diner diner The Square
Order: Plate lunch with cornbread.
MICHELIN-recommended, on the Square since 1997.
Around 12:30 · 60 min · $
118 Courthouse Square, Oxford
Worth confirming: opening hours.
↓ on foot (approx.): On the Square.
4
Oxford Creamery ice cream The Square
Order: A seasonal flavor.
Flavors that change with the season.
Around 15:30 · 20 min · $
309 N. Lamar Blvd., Oxford
Worth confirming: opening hours.
↓ on foot (approx.): Across the Square.
5
City Grocery restaurant The Square
Order: Shrimp and grits.
John Currence's restaurant since 1992, MICHELIN-recommended.
Around 19:00 · 90 min · $$$
152 Courthouse Sq., Oxford, MS 38655
Worth confirming: opening hours.
Pacing: Keep lunch light; dinner is the point.
Plan B: Drive out to Taylor Grocery for catfish instead of City Grocery, or swap in Snackbar for oysters.
Avoid: Home football weekends if you want tables without a wait.
Bring: A booking at City Grocery.
Skip it if: Skip it on a home football Saturday unless you have every booking.
Ends at: City Grocery, 152 Courthouse Sq., Oxford.
Walking times and distances are approximate, and opening hours change: confirm before you go.
Hot right now in Oxford, Mississippi What people are lining up for and posting about this month. Entries expire after about four months unless they are reported again.
Always a line Last confirmed 2025
Taylor Grocery Taylor
The thing: Fried catfish
The line: Diners wait on the porch for a table when it is full
MICHELIN-recommended catfish in an old country store.
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Crazes move fast. “Just spotted” means one report so far, and most entries rest on a single source: confirm hours and expect a wait.
Tell us what is hot in Oxford, Mississippi Plan my days in Oxford, Mississippi Tell us what you like and we will line up the places on this page into a day-by-day plan. Only places from this guide, never anything else.
What to eat in Oxford, Mississippi, and where Each dish comes with the places that do it best. Tap Add to my trip on the ones you want, or find them on the map above.
Fried catfish Cornmeal-crusted catfish, the dish people drive out to Taylor Grocery for and wait on the porch to get
The 3 best places to eat it in Oxford, Mississippi
1 Taylor Grocery
Taylor · $$
Order: Fried catfish plate
Bring your own drinks; waits on the porch are part of it.
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2 Ajax Diner
The Square · $
Order: Catfish entrée
In town, on the Square.
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3 LandShark Seafood & Catfish
Jackson Avenue West · $
Order: Fried catfish
A local catfish counter.
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Shrimp and grits On City Grocery's menu since it opened on the Square in 1992, made with cheese grits and Gulf shrimp
The best place to eat it in Oxford, Mississippi
1 City Grocery
The Square · $$$
Order: Shrimp and grits
On the menu since 1992; Michelin calls it a house staple.
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Cathead chicken biscuit Big Bad Breakfast's fried chicken in a big biscuit, from the Oxford original that opened in 2008
The best place to eat it in Oxford, Mississippi
1 Big Bad Breakfast
North Lamar · $
Order: Cathead chicken biscuit
The Oxford original, opened 2008.
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Plate lunch A meat and vegetables with cornbread at Ajax Diner on the Square, open since 1997
The best place to eat it in Oxford, Mississippi
1 Ajax Diner
The Square · $
Order: A meat, vegetables and cornbread
Michelin calls lunch exceptional value.
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Old-store hamburger Griddled burgers in old grocery buildings: Phillips Grocery and Handy Andy
The 2 best places to eat it in Oxford, Mississippi
1 Phillips Grocery
Oxford · $
Order: Hamburger
A 1948 recipe from the Holly Springs original.
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2 Handy Andy Grocery
North Lamar · $
Order: Burger and tater tots
A grocery grill since the 1970s.
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Oysters on the half shell Snackbar's rotating oysters, served with saltines, in Vishwesh Bhatt's Southern brasserie
The best place to eat it in Oxford, Mississippi
1 Snackbar
North Lamar · $$
Order: Oysters on the half shell, priced each
A rotating selection with saltines and mignonette.
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The most celebrated tables The top 4 restaurants in Oxford, Mississippi, per 2026.
More award winners
City Grocery The Square · Southern · Chef John Currence · $$$
MICHELIN Guide Recommended, American South (first selection, 2025) John Currence: James Beard Best Chef: South, 2009, for City Grocery
The Square's dining room since 1992; shrimp and grits has been on the menu from the start.
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Snackbar North Lamar · Southern brasserie with Indian touches · Chef Vishwesh Bhatt · $$$
MICHELIN Guide Recommended, American South (2025) Vishwesh Bhatt: James Beard Best Chef: South, 2019
Oysters, a masala pot pie and lamb shank vindaloo in a brasserie opened in 2009.
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Ajax Diner The Square · Southern plate lunch · $
MICHELIN Guide Recommended, American South (2025) Mississippi Magazine best plate lunch, best cornbread and best soul food (per Culture Trip)
Plate lunches on the Square since 1997; Michelin's inspectors call lunch exceptional value.
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Taylor Grocery Taylor · Catfish house · $$
MICHELIN Guide Recommended, American South (2025) Called the South's best catfish joint by the Southern Foodways Alliance (per Tasting Table)
An old country store south of Oxford where people wait on the porch for fried catfish.
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When to go and what is in season Oxford, Mississippi food calendar: month by month → What is in season, what to eat and the food festivals each month.
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Peak Apr, Oct Shoulder Mar, May, Sep, Nov Hard —
Why these months April brings the Double Decker Arts Festival to the Square; October is football and fall weather. Home game weekends fill hotels and every table in town, so book ahead or come on an away weekend.
In season Market produce Jan–Dec The Oxford Community Market runs Tuesday afternoons, with a winter market. Boiled crawfish Mar–May Seasonal at LandShark Seafood & Catfish. Food events Double Decker Arts Festival Apr Friday and Saturday, April 24-25, 2026, on the Square; free; food, music and art. Mid-Town Spring Fest May Saturday, May 2, 2026, 10-2, Mid-Town Shopping Center. Southern Foodways Symposium Oct The Oxford-based SFA holds its 2026 fall symposium in Memphis, Oct. 10-11. Closures to plan around Saint Leo: we could not confirm it is still open. Lamar Lounge is listed as permanently closed. Big Bad Breakfast takes no reservations. Taylor Grocery's hours differ between listings; call ahead. From published guides and tourism boards. Months are our mapping of how guides describe the seasons; 2027 event dates are expected, not confirmed. Prices come from single sources of varying age, so treat them as a rough guide. Compare cities by month
Every place we have in Oxford, Mississippi (16) Search or filter, then tap Add to my trip. Places you add go straight into your trip planner.
All 16 Award-winning 4 Local favorites 9 Hot right now 2 Markets 1 Walking tour stops 5 Chef's picks 10 Sandwich shops 3 Romantic dinners 4 Breakfast spots 3 New openings 2 Dish spots 8
All neighborhoods North Lamar (3) Oxford (3) The Square (3) Jackson Avenue West (2) South Lamar (1) Taylor (1) Van Buren Avenue (1)
Ajax Diner Award-winning Local favorites Walking tour stops Dish spots Chef's picks The Square · MICHELIN Guide Recommended, American South (2025) · Southern plate lunch · $
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City Grocery Award-winning Walking tour stops Dish spots Chef's picks Romantic dinners The Square · MICHELIN Guide Recommended, American South (first selection, 2025) · Southern · $$$
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Snackbar Award-winning Dish spots Chef's picks Romantic dinners North Lamar · MICHELIN Guide Recommended, American South (2025) · Southern brasserie with Indian touches · $$$
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Taylor Grocery Award-winning Local favorites Hot right now Dish spots Chef's picks Taylor · MICHELIN Guide Recommended, American South (2025) · Catfish house · $$
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Big Bad Breakfast Local favorites Walking tour stops Hot right now Dish spots Chef's picks Sandwich shops Breakfast spots North Lamar · counter
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Bottletree Bakery Local favorites Walking tour stops Chef's picks Breakfast spots Van Buren Avenue · bakery
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Handy Andy Grocery Local favorites Dish spots Chef's picks Sandwich shops North Lamar · barbecue
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LandShark Seafood & Catfish Local favorites Dish spots Chef's picks Jackson Avenue West · counter
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Oxford Creamery Local favorites Walking tour stops The Square · dairy
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Phillips Grocery Local favorites Dish spots Chef's picks Sandwich shops Oxford · classic
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Volta Taverna Local favorites Oxford · family-run
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Oxford Community Market Markets Farmers market
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Miscellanea Spirit House Chef's picks Romantic dinners New openings South Lamar · Romantic dinner
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McEwen's Romantic dinners Oxford · Romantic dinner
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Lusa Pastry Café Breakfast spots Jackson Avenue West · Pastries, or the Southern breakfast with hash brown casserole
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Marshall Steakhouse New openings New opening
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Show 25 more Secret discoveries
Locally loved places that are not on the big prestige lists.
classic
Taylor Grocery Taylor · $$
Order: Fried catfish
An old country store just outside Oxford; bring your own drinks and expect to wait on the porch.
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classic
Ajax Diner The Square · $
Order: Plate lunch with cornbread; the catfish entrée
Plate lunches on the Square since 1997, and one of Eli Manning's favorite restaurants.
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bakery
Bottletree Bakery Van Buren Avenue · $
Order: A pastry and coffee
An Oxford bakery that turned 30 in 2025, making its breads and pastries from scratch.
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classic
Phillips Grocery Oxford · $
Order: Hamburger
An old grocery building turned burger counter, using the Holly Springs original's 1948 recipe.
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barbecue
Handy Andy Grocery North Lamar · $
Order: Barbecue, a burger and the tater tots
A grocery and barbecue pit serving Oxford since the 1970s.
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counter
LandShark Seafood & Catfish Jackson Avenue West · $
Order: Fried catfish and shrimp
A local catfish counter; boiled crawfish in season.
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family-run
Volta Taverna Oxford
Order: Greek plates on the patio
A small Greek and Mediterranean spot whose patio fills with locals.
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dairy
Oxford Creamery The Square · $
Order: A seasonal flavor such as Banana Puddin
Ice cream on the Square with flavors that change with the season.
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Food markets in Oxford, Mississippi
Plan a food trip to Oxford, Mississippi
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Awards come from the guides named on each listing (2026). Researched November 7, 2026. Restaurants change; confirm hours, reservations and current stars before you go. Some addresses, phone numbers and websites come from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), so call ahead to confirm. Local favorites are editorial picks, not rankings.
Chef Amazing’s lists for Oxford, Mississippi : where locals eat, new openings, romantic dinners, ice cream, cooking classes and more, each place with what to order. Cooking classes in Oxford, Mississippi : who teaches, what you cook, how long and how to book.
Every place in this guide, A to Z (15) 