Vicksburg, a charming Mississippi River town known for catfish, barbecue and Southern comfort food, presents a challenge for visiting vegetarians. I arrived expecting to piece together meals from appetizers and side dishes. But I discovered it’s entirely possible to eat well in Vicksburg with some compromise and delicious comfort food.
Key Takeaways
- Vicksburg can be challenging for vegetarians, especially in traditional Southern restaurants where meat broths and gravies are common. Still, flexible kitchens, local cafés and creative side dishes make it possible to eat well with a little planning.
- In many Mississippi kitchens, grits may be cooked with chicken stock, bacon fat or meat drippings. Vegetarian travelers should ask how they are prepared.
- Vegan travelers may find the city more challenging than vegetarians do, since dairy, butter and eggs dominate the vegetarian options.
Editor’s note: The writer was hosted.
Although born and bred in New York City, I have always had a fascination with the South. I went through a Flannery O’Connor stage, a William Faulkner infatuation and a grits-eating phase. Actually, I’m still obsessed with grits.
Finding grits cooked without meat in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was, ahem, challenging. But when I did finally get some, on the way to the airport, they were creamy, cheesy and just perfect.
Here’s the scoop on the vegetarian food scene in Vicksburg, Mississippi.
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Downtown Delight
The first place we stopped in, Brick Street Market, is in the historic district downtown.
I was slightly misled by the abundance of vegetarian options here, since that was mostly not the case anywhere else. There was veggie flatbread, a few salads, and my choice, a veggie po’boy. It had fresh mushrooms, spicy peppers, cucumber, chopped olives and lots of lettuce. Also a few too many raw onions for my taste, but the po’boy was well-seasoned, with olive oil, vinegar, black pepper and oregano.
Historic Southern Cuisine
I quickly learned that the phrase “historic Southern cuisine” should give me pause.
Restaurant Anchuca, in a Greek Revival mansion on the National Register of Historic Places, is certainly lovely. But the vegetarian choices were lacking. The six entrees include shrimp and grits, catfish and hunks of meat. Most of the sides had meat gravy on top. There were two ‘off-menu’ vegetarian items: eggplant parm or cheese ravioli. The ravioli was fine, though not really an expression of Southern cuisine.
Dessert is Given Lots of Love in Vicksburg
The slab of chocolate cake at Restaurant Anchuca could probably have been eaten by one person, but we shared it among eight people, and I had several bites of the rich, decadent cake. We also had warm bread pudding and banana pudding. (I knew from previous forays in the South that pie crust here usually contains lard, so I avoided pie.) The beautiful china made us feel very elegant. After dinner, we toured the historic house, which also operates as a B&B, with the new young owner.
Exploring Downtown
Before touring downtown Vicksburg’s collection of museums, we started with biscuits at Bohemia Cafe and Bakery. Although the menu listed meat in every option, they happily made me an egg-and-cheese biscuit. I think a vegan would have a much harder time in Vicksburg.
Lunch Break
We had lunch at Walnut Hills, which unironically touts its plantation cuisine. The house was built in 1880, and became a restaurant 100 years later. Walnut Hills made its name with its fried chicken. Though it has an extensive menu of salads, soups and sides, most contained meat. The vegetarian options were limited to a side salad, white rice with onions, coleslaw and mashed squash. The waitress suggested I try the grits since they “didn’t have a lot of chicken in them.” I passed.
We did have house-made chocolate layer cake, along with caramel cake and carrot cake. All three were quite tasty.
Night Out in Vicksburg
Key City Brewery & Eatery
Key City Brewery & Eatery, Vicksburg’s only brewery, has a huge industrial space, rooftop bar with live music and a patio. They brew several excellent beers, with cute names like Miss Hippie, a West Coast IPA, and Mr. Sippi, a pilsner.
And the food menu had plenty of great-sounding options for vegetarians, meat-eaters and gluten-free diners — a surprise and a delight. We shared several pizzas, including one with squash and oyster mushrooms. We had delicious corn fritters (made with grits — so close!) with hot honey, and fabulous Brussels sprouts with a parsnip, date and cashew purée. We also shared a great salad with little gem lettuce, pickled pears and pumpkin seeds. And Key City also has whiskey flights featuring Mississippi spirits. Another gem!
Drinks with a View
We watched the sunset from 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill, which has views of the river and canal. There are beers on tap, cocktails and a full dinner menu.
On the Highway
The Tomato Place, a shack on the side of the road, was where I finally had my fill of grits. They use stone-ground grits and you can buy a bag to take home. Of course I did! I also had a classic tomato sandwich, though my lunch companions tsk-tsked over my order – no mayo, and whole wheat bread — I stand by my choice. It was delicious. We shared a mess of sides, including macaroni and cheese, a Southern classic and fried green tomatoes.
There was also fried okra but it’s the one veggie I can’t abide. Instead, I tried boiled (pronounced balled) peanuts for the first time. They were surprisingly wet and softer than any peanuts I’ve ever eaten. And served in a plastic bag. Definitely vegetarian and definitely a unique Southern treat.
Despite challenges, I found moments of authentic Southern vegetarian cooking throughout Vicksburg, from creamy grits to fried green tomatoes to homemade desserts.
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