Thursday, September 25, 2008
Oxford, Mississippi
Taylor Grocery
P.O. Box 4
Taylor, MS 38673
662-801-9140
www.taylorgrocery.com
Hours: Thur-Sat
5p to 10p
Sun
5p to 9p
If you're hungry, looking for a hole-in-the-(graffitti filled)wall dining experience and are around Oxford, Mississippi you can't do better than Taylors Grocery.
Housed in an old dry goods store that was built in 1889, the structure became a grocery store and restaurant in the late 70's. The new owners were looking for a location for a restaurant that would showcase the local specialty...Catfish. Back then the front half of the building was a grocery story while food was served in the back. Over the years the place became locally famous for the southern delicacy.
In 1998 the current owners turned the entire space into a full scale eatery. They still specialize in Catfish but also offer steaks, chicken, pork, fish and shrimp dinners. Two sides come with all dinners which include the traditional southern favorites such as baked beans, hushpuppies and cole slaw. All you can eat Catfish (Mississippi
Style Blackened) is just $15.95. Steaks are USDA Choice Aged Beef. A 12oz ribeye with two sides is $21.95. A 6oz boneless, butterflied chicken breast can be blackened or grilled for $8.95
As you enter the front door you can immediately smell the food. The large, open room has 17 tables of various sizes covered in red and white checkered vinyl table cloths. The walls are covered with ancient graffiti and memorabilia from days gone by. A bust of a steer wearing a baseball cap looks down on all who enter. Claiming to serve the "South's Best Catfish" Taylor lives by the motto "Eat or we both starve". They only serve lunch on special occasions because they are so far out in the country it's hard to get the folks from Oxford to come by on a regular basis. The staff is friendly and the restaurant has that small town feel. For those who don't have the time to sit down for dinner, Taylor Grocery offers a full Tailgating Menu from their Catering business.
I don't eat a lot of fish so I ordered the ribeye dinner. The steak was flavorful and came with a house special brown rice which was also very tasty. As a second side I ordered a house salad with blue cheese dressing. The salad was very fresh and all the dressings are homemade, The dinner was worth the price but i couldn't help thinking the Catfish might have been a better choice. Considering the atmosphere, the quality of the food and the home grown staff, it is definitely a worthwhile dining experience.
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