Wadford’s Grill and Bar
Southaven’s, Wadford’s Grill and Bar restaurant deals exclusively in tradition and class. Located in a chic neighbourhood, it serves fresh steaks and seafood in an atmosphere of unadulterated serenity, often enhanced by the live acoustic music from local musicians. The industrial chic of Wadford’s high ceilings, trendy exposed ductwork and long communal tables lend it an effortlessly stylish ambience. Begin with a menu favourite, the famous crab cakes, crafted using large-lump crabmeat served with Asian slaw and rémoulade sauce. Thirsty revellers should imbibe one of the resident mixologists’ 17 unique martinis blended with fabulous flavours. Wadford’s is the only surviving cigar bar in the whole of Mississippi following the non-smoking initiative, with guests still able to smoke indoors in the sensitively lit, relaxing cigar room.
Wadford’s Grill and Bar, 474 Church Road East, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 510 5861
The Boiling Point
Seafood specialists, The Boiling Point, first opened their doors to Southaven citizens in 2000. This exemplary restaurant and oyster bar offers frequenters a variety of traditional American dishes, spicy Cajun and Creole inspired dishes and hearty Southern cuisine. There are menus for breakfast and both lunch and dinner, all replete with flavoursome Southern fare. Top chef, Lee Mitchell, rustles up delicious evening appetisers such as flash-fried Cajun alligator tail smothered in a tangy rémoulade, as well as robust mains like deep-fried Southern catfish, farm raised at local fishery Pride of the Pond, served with a piquant tartar sauce. The signature Boiling Point oysters are an absolute must-have for seafood aficionados and novices alike; excellent oysters stuffed with fresh lobster meat, crawfish tails and covered in a velvety cheese sauce.
The Boiling Point, 4975 Pepperchase Drive, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 280 7555
Dale’s Restaurant
Established in 1966 by owners Dale and Lillie Graham, Dale’s Restaurant has long been serving hungry locals from its position on the city’s Main Street. Join the restaurant’s large local customer based for a mouthful of generous home cooking and an atmosphere of ultimate friendliness. All-American aptly describes the restaurant’s diverse menu that features tantalizing appetisers like Lillie’s luscious fried green tomatoes, comprised of battered deep-fried fresh tomato slices served with Dale’s tantalising tomato sauce. Highly recommended is the Elysian Southaven burger with onions, green peppers and sautéed mushrooms, known for succulence and flavour. The restaurant’s desserts are also worth sampling: opt for the pecan pie and chocolate chip brownies.
Dale’s Restaurant, 1226 Main Street, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 393 2060
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken Southaven
If simple, no frills fried chicken is your craving, then pop over to Guy’s World Famous Fried Chicken Southaven where there are ‘no fancy words like latte and macchiato…just fried chicken’. Backed by almost 60 years of experience, Gus’s is a long-time local favourite. The exact way in which the chicken is cooked is a closely guarded family secret, but the results are undeniable: tender chicken on the inside and crunchy golden-brown on the outside. The menu is satisfyingly simple, requiring only that choose how many pieces of chicken they would like. Hungrier guests can enhance their meal with a range of flavoursome sides such as seasoned fries or a whole jalapeño.
787 Goodman Road East, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 349 2200
Haru
Contemporary Japanese restaurant, Haru, seduces customers with graceful wooden floors, soaring shoji-style windows and a dynamic open kitchen, all nestled under a ceiling of hanging peach blossoms. Haru aims to bring high quality Japanese dining to suburban Southaven and, as such, its menu offers sumptuous sushi and traditional hibachi-inspired cuisine. Examples of the mouth-watering appetisers include gyoza: pan-seared succulent pork and chicken dumplings smothered in a sweet chilli sauce. Another favourite is the hearty beef tataki served with ponzu, hot sauce, scallion and a scattering of sesame seeds. Haru’s myriad wines, sakes and creative, contemporary cocktails mean that every meal will be graced with an appropriately flavoured beverage.
Haru, 6585 Towne Centre Loop, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 349 5560
Interstate Barbecue
Southaven’s Interstate Barbecue fostered the revered Neely’s barbecue dynasty that, since opening its doors 15 years ago, has grown expansively to encompass establishments owned by other Neely’s in New York. James L. Neely founded this Southaven restaurant, which boasts superlative Southern barbeque and as such, was indicated by USA Today as the best place in America to get a pork barbecue sandwich. The restaurant utilises a specialised barbecue pit where tender meat is gently cooked over hickory wood for around five hours, being liberally covered in Neely’s famous secret sauce. Get the full Interstate Barbecue experience by ordering the sampler platter that includes tender pork and beef ribs, thick sausages, beef brisket, pork shoulder, BBQ spaghetti, beans, slaw and bread.
Interstate Barbecue, 150 West Stateline Road, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 393 5699
The Lost Pizza Company of Southaven
Lovers of all things pizza descend upon The Lost Pizza Company of Southaven. The restaurant describes its dining experience as being akin to ‘getting to go see the bearded lady riding a camel while swallowing a sword at the state fair when you were 10 years old’ – a sensory assault indeed. Enjoy the coldest of beers whilst sampling one of the multiple pizzas available from the restaurant’s extensive menu. All of the crusts and sauces are carefully homemade and the ingredients are fastidiously sourced so that only the very best produce is used. The Lost Pizza Company of Southaven offers guests outdoor seating as well as the option to take-away.
The Lost Pizza Company, 5960 Getwell Ro, Suite 108, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 892 8684
Maria’s Cantina
Delve into the resplendent interior of Maria’s Cantina and enjoy ‘Mexican with a twist’. Established by friends united by the desire to bring something exciting and fresh to Southaven’s dining scene, Maria’s Cantina serves traditional Mexican cuisine that explore alternative flavours and new fusion. The menu offers sumptuous appetisers like the chunky chicken nachos flavoured with punchy lime and tequila or the juicy shrimp and mango ceviche. Why not try the mahi mahi veracruzano: a filet of mahi crowned with an exquisite olive, tomato and caper sauce and served on a bed of black beans, cilantro-lime rice and grilled vegetables. Maria’s Cantina also offers eight types of carefully crafted margarita, to perfectly offset the Mexican spice.
Maria’s Cantina, 6717 Airways Boulevard, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 772 5926
Mesquite Chop House
Southaven’s Mesquite Chop House derives its name from the Mesquite Wood it burns in order to generate the hot flames used for grilling meat. Due to this unique preparatory method, the excellent menu offers flawlessly grilled prime steaks and chops with delicious sides such as the sautéed asparagus and crunchy sweet potato fries. The grandeur of the dark wood bar combined with the low ambient lighting emitted from an opulent chandelier means that the Mesquite Chop House radiates a welcoming Southern ambience conducive to the culinary experience. Enjoy the broiled gulf oysters in the half shell drowning in a lemon-garlic beurre blanc or opt for the speciality New Zealand cut rack of lamb marinated in garlic and rosemary, paired with a blueberry demi-glace and wild mushroom risotto.
Mesquite Chop House, 5960 Getwell Road, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 890 2467
Nagoya
Established in the 1990s, Southaven’s, Nagoya Japanese restaurant brings quality sushi and traditional Japanese dishes like Tempura, Teriyaki and Udon to the mid-South. The price is reasonable and the atmosphere eminently agreeable; families are not only welcomed but encouraged to attend, and learning about the subtle nuances of Japanese food and culture is a must. Try the unusual Yellowtail Neck dish – the neck being the most succulent part of the fish – grilled to perfection to draw out the exotic flavour. The menu is comprehensive, meaning that guests are sure to find something to suit their palate.
Nagoya, 7075 Malco Blvd. #101, Southaven, MS, USA, +1 662 349 8788