16 Incredible Restaurants in Oxford, MS You Need to Try
Oxford eats like a college town with deep Southern roots. The Courthouse Square is the center of it, with City Grocery serving there since 1992 and Bouré on the Square since 2011, both from chef John Currence’s restaurant group. The Michelin Guide lists City Grocery and Snackbar among its Mississippi picks. Beyond the Square, good kitchens line North and South Lamar Boulevard and Jackson Avenue West, serving shrimp and grits, fried catfish, wood-fired pizza, Greek small plates and Honduran baleadas. On Ole Miss home game days, restaurants and bars fill up.
This guide covers 16 places, from white-tablecloth Southern cooking at City Grocery and wood-fired Italian at Saint Leo to Honduran home cooking, a live-music pizza room and a bakery that has been open since 1995. Ratings and review counts come from each restaurant’s Google listing in October 2026.
City Grocery
City Grocery has been on Oxford’s Courthouse Square since 1992, and it is where chef John Currence built his reputation before opening a handful of other restaurants around town. The dining room has exposed brick, heart pine floors and candlelit tables with white tablecloths. There is a bar upstairs. The Michelin Guide lists it among its Selected restaurants for Mississippi.
Rated 4.4 stars from more than 300 Google reviews, it serves Southern cooking with some polish. Dinner favorites include shrimp and grits with spicy cheese grits and bacon, fried catfish with collard greens, and fried green tomatoes topped with jumbo lump crab and Tabasco hollandaise. Pecan-crusted scallops and brown-stew pork chops are on the fall menu. At lunch, look for the oversized muffaletta, a New Orleans-style sandwich built on round bread with olive salad.
Reservations open 30 days ahead on OpenTable for parties of ten or fewer, and larger groups should call. On football, graduation and Double Decker (the spring arts festival) weekends, tables are released at midnight Central exactly 30 days out, a card is required and no-show fees apply. Lunch is the easier way in. The menu changes with the seasons, so check what is currently offered.
Address: 152 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: citygroceryonline.com
Bouré
Bouré sits at 110 Courthouse Square in the former Leslie’s Drug Store and Downtown Grill building and has been open since 2011. It is another John Currence restaurant, with Creole-leaning “up-scale, down-home” cooking in a big renovated room. Upstairs is a bar with a balcony the restaurant calls the largest on the Square, and it is known for a Pickle Martini.
With 4.5 stars from more than 800 Google reviews, Bouré is one of the busiest restaurants on the Square. Order the wild Gulf shrimp and grits with a crispy grit cake, the pasta jambalaya with crawfish, chicken, shrimp and andouille (a smoked sausage), or the thin-fried catfish with hush puppies. The Bouré “Bomb” fried shrimp po-boy, a New Orleans-style sandwich on crusty French bread, and the crawfish egg rolls are good lighter picks.
Bouré does not take reservations, so it is walk-in only. Expect a wait at dinner and on game weekends, and use the upstairs bar if you want a drink while you wait. The restaurant opens in late morning and runs through dinner, but check hours before you go. Entrees are mid-priced to a little above, and sandwiches and salads keep lunch more affordable.
Address: 110 Courthouse Square, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: citygroceryonline.com/boure
Snackbar
Snackbar is a Southern brasserie at 721 North Lamar Boulevard, north of the Square. John Currence opened it in 2009, and chef Sebastian Markowitz now leads the kitchen, mixing Southern cooking with Italian-American ideas. It has an oyster bar, a cocktail counter and a short list of daily specials. The Michelin Guide includes it among its Selected restaurants for Mississippi.
Snackbar holds 4.5 stars from more than 200 Google reviews, and oysters are the main event, served raw on the half shell or broiled with chimichurri, bacon-bourbon or Creole butter. The kitchen also sends out steak frites, fried Mississippi catfish and the Audubon Tavern Burger. Daily specials set the week: sweet tea-brined fried chicken on Tuesdays, a veal cutlet called cotoletta alla Bolognese on Thursdays, and rigatoni alla vodka on weekends.
Snackbar serves dinner only. Reserve on OpenTable up to 30 days ahead, and note that parties of six or more need a card on file. On football, graduation and Double Decker weekends, reservations open at midnight Central 30 days out with a no-show fee. The bar has a happy hour before dinner service. Plates are among the pricier in Oxford, so plan accordingly.
Address: 721 N Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: citygroceryonline.com/restaurants/snackbar
Saint Leo
Saint Leo is a wood-fired Italian restaurant on East Jackson Avenue, just off the Square. Owner Emily Blount, who spent years in New York restaurants, opened it in 2016 after missing true wood-fired pizza in Mississippi. It was a James Beard Foundation semifinalist for Best New Restaurant in 2017, and the kitchen cooks from scratch with local purveyors.
Saint Leo’s 4.6-star rating comes from more than 400 Google reviews, and the menu is built around pizza, pasta and shared starters. Try the pizza with bacon jam and Calabrian chili honey, the classic meatballs, and farinata, a crisp chickpea crêpe. Rigatoni alla vodka with house-made sausage and spaghetti al limone are reliable pasta orders. Weekend brunch and lunch bring different menus, and the cocktail list is long.
Book through Resy only, which releases tables 30 days ahead at 9 a.m. Central. Some tables are held for walk-ins, so you can still try your luck. Parties are limited to 12. The restaurant is closed on Mondays, serves a bar and pizza menu in the afternoon, and runs brunch on weekends, so check hours before you go. Dinner is moderately priced to pricey.
Address: 922 E Jackson Ave, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: eatsaintleo.com
SoLa
SoLa is chef Erika Lipe’s dinner restaurant at 401 South Lamar Boulevard. The website calls the cooking an “irreverent fusion,” and the menu mixes Southern and Gulf Coast cooking with flavors from Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Mediterranean. The kitchen serves only domestic seafood, with Gulf oysters and fish arriving through the week, and as much local produce as it can source.
Its 4.6-star rating across more than 180 Google reviews makes SoLa a good bet for adventurous eaters. The house specialty is You Pick Piccata, with a choice of catch of the day, chicken tenderloin, jumbo Gulf shrimp or vegetable pasta. Other standouts on the summer menu were the ducky dumplings, crab Rangoon taquitos, grilled oysters, Indochinese fried chicken and a rendang short rib. The menu changes, so treat these as examples.
SoLa serves dinner Wednesday through Sunday, and the menu notes parties of six or fewer. Reserve by phone or through the website, and check social media for hours that shift on certain weekends. Weekly specials have included a Wednesday spaghetti night and a Thursday ramen night. Entrees skew expensive, so this is a place for a special dinner rather than a quick bite.
Address: 401 S Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: solaoxford.com
McEwen’s
McEwen’s Oxford is at 1110 Van Buren Avenue, on the Oxford Square. It opened in June 2011 as the Oxford sibling of the Memphis restaurant that has been on Monroe Avenue since 1997. The Oxford kitchen started from the Memphis signatures of scallops, sea bass and salmon and has added its own dishes since. The decor is bold, the mood relaxed, and there is a full bar.
McEwen’s earns 4.5 stars from more than 200 Google reviews as a dependable choice for a steak or seafood dinner. Visit Oxford’s guide singles out the fried oysters and the Chilean sea bass. Scallops, salmon and duck have long anchored the menu, and the kitchen also cooks for vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free diners. The full bar turns out real cocktails, a comfortable way to start the evening.
Book through OpenTable, especially on game weekends. McEwen’s has also served lunch on some weekdays and a Sunday brunch, but schedules have changed over the years, so confirm days and hours before you go. Dinner prices land in the moderate-to-pricey range, a step above a casual meal.
Address: 1110 Van Buren Ave, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: mcewensoxford.com
Kingswood
Kingswood is the restaurant inside The Oliver Hotel at 425 South Lamar Boulevard, south of the Square. It opened in 2023 with a modern Southern menu built on seasonal ingredients from local suppliers. The dining room has wood floors, patterned walls and large glass doors, and there is an outdoor patio. It also hosts private dinners and events.
Rated 4.5 stars from more than 100 Google reviews, Kingswood changes its menu with the seasons, so dishes vary. Visit Oxford’s guide points to the bread service and the osso buco, a slow-braised shank dish, and diners also single out the duck egg rolls. Photos on the restaurant’s site show lamb, seafood, cornbread and house desserts, plus cocktails to start.
Reserve through Tock or call the restaurant. Kingswood has served dinner nightly, weekend brunch and Friday lunch, but listed hours have varied, so confirm before you go. It is an easy option for hotel guests and for anyone who wants a sit-down dinner away from the Square’s crowds on busy weekends. Expect upscale but approachable pricing.
Address: 425 S Lamar Blvd Suite A, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: kingswoodrestaurant.com
Tarasque Cucina
Tarasque Cucina is a small Italian-leaning restaurant at 1611 Jackson Avenue West, in a converted ranch-style house tucked behind Kiamie’s Wine & Liquor. Chef John Martin Stokes and his wife, Lauren, started it as a takeout and delivery business in 2015. Garden & Gun writer John T. Edge covered it in 2019 and described a modest room where you order at the counter.
Tarasque has 4.7 stars from more than 200 Google reviews, and it is known for simple pastas and rotating small plates built on Mississippi produce. Order spaghetti with sugo (tomato sauce), pappardelle Bolognese, rigatoni with house-made sausage and peppers, or capellini puttanesca. Small plates have included boiled peanuts, a Southern snack here simmered in a dashi and chili broth, and butter bean hummus. Save room for the chocolate cream puffs.
Tarasque is BYOB, with a small per-person charge for glasses, so bring a bottle from the wine shop out front. Dinner has run Wednesday through Sunday, with Monday and Tuesday off, but check the current schedule. You order at the counter and can eat inside or on the patio. Reservations are by phone, and pickup is available online. It is one of the better-value dinners in town.
Address: 1611 Jackson Ave W, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: tarasque.net
Good Day Café
Good Day Café is a small, casual restaurant at 766 North Lamar Boulevard that opened in September 2022. Its owners and executive chef built a compact menu of craft sandwiches and larger plates, with a curated wine list and a short list of beer. The room is cozy and casual.
Good Day Café has 4.5 stars from more than 70 Google reviews, a strong score for a newer, smaller place. Visit Oxford’s guide recommends the steak frites and The Good Burger, and sandwiches fill the lunch menu. The kitchen focuses on fresh ingredients and keeps the menu short, so choosing is easy. Pair a plate with a glass from the wine list.
Reservations are available through Tock, and the café serves lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday, with weekend lunch starting a little earlier. Hours may change, so check before you go. Alcohol is limited to beer and wine. The restaurant’s online ordering link points to a Van Buren Avenue address, so confirm the location on North Lamar before you head out.
Address: 766 N Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: gooddayoxford.com
Volta Taverna
Volta Taverna is a casual Greek restaurant at 710 North Lamar Boulevard, in a converted gas station. Oxford locals Randy Yates and Brooke Krizbai opened it in 2005, and Krizbai later took it over. When the weather cooperates, garage doors open the main dining room to a big outdoor patio, where pets are welcome. Local art covers the walls.
Volta’s 4.6-star rating across more than 700 Google reviews comes with local awards for its salads, vegetarian dishes and margaritas. Start with hummus and pita or crunchy falafel, then try a gyro or a pita melt. The signature starter is Hotty Toddy Balls, named for the Ole Miss cheer: fried balls of garlic mashed potato, mozzarella and bacon served with ranch. Buffalo cauliflower is a newer favorite.
The restaurant has run half-price margaritas on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, so ask about current specials. Prices are moderate, and the menu is friendly to vegetarians and gluten-free diners. The website does not mention reservations, so plan to walk in and expect a wait at peak times. Call 662-236-1871 for to-go orders. Volta also caters tailgate tents in the Grove.
Address: 710 N Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: voltataverna.com
Proud Larry’s
Proud Larry’s opened on April 15, 1993, a short walk from the Square at 211 South Lamar Boulevard, in what had been a fabric and lingerie store. Ole Miss graduates started it with a plan for pizza, cold beer and live music, and it has kept all three. Brick walls carry decades of concert posters, and there is a patio out back.
Proud Larry’s sits at 4.4 stars from more than 400 Google reviews, and on the menu it is a restaurant first and a music room second. Pizza is the namesake, and the kitchen also turns out shrimp and grits, burgers, chicken sandwiches, a Philly cheesesteak and a hot artichoke spinach dip made for sharing. Two items honor regulars: The Ronzo is a pan-seared catfish entree, and The Bruce is a meat-lover’s pizza.
The small stage has hosted acts including John Mayer, Elvis Costello and the Black Keys, so check the calendar before you go. If you want dinner and a show, buy tickets ahead, since most concerts charge a modest cover and a few are free. The crowd mixes students, families and longtime locals, and prices are moderate. Check the website for the show schedule.
Address: 211 S Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: proudlarrys.com
Fergndan’s Wood Fired Pizza Cafe
Fergndan’s Wood Fired Pizza Cafe is a family-run pizza spot at 176 Highway 30, about a mile outside Oxford’s city limits. The Ferguson family named it for the nicknames of their two oldest sons, FergE and Dan. Each 10-inch pizza is made to order in a wood-fired oven and cooks in about five minutes, so food comes out fast.
A 4.7-star rating across more than 300 Google reviews puts it among the best-rated casual places in the Oxford area. Good starting points are The Ferge (pepperoni), the Barnyard with chicken, bacon and ranch, the Wild Bird with barbecue chicken, and the Carbonara. Panuozzos, oven-roasted Italian-style sandwiches on a hoagie roll, and dessert pizzas such as cinnamon and sugar or s’mores are also on the menu.
Gluten-free and cauliflower crusts cost a little extra, and dairy-free cheese is available. The menu says brown bagging is allowed, so you can bring your own beer or wine. Online ordering is available, and the cafe is closed on Sundays. The family also runs a catering truck and a sister bakery, Bremma’s Cakery & Confections. Prices are friendly for families.
Address: 176 MS-30, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: fergndanspizza.com
La Cocinita de Jackie
La Cocinita de Jackie serves Honduran home cooking at 1438 North Lamar Boulevard, in a small restaurant attached to a gas station. Honduran-born sisters Fattima and Jackie Soliz opened it in 2020 after selling food from their home kitchen and cleaning houses around Oxford. Flags of Central American countries decorate the room.
Its 4.7-star rating from more than 110 Google reviews is among the best for a casual spot in Oxford. Start with baleadas, a folded flour tortilla filled with refried beans, cream, cheese and avocado, plus your choice of meat. Other dishes include Tacos Jackie Style, pollo con tajadas (fried chicken over green plantain), chuleta Ceibeña (grilled pork chop) and a seafood platter to share. On weekends, look for a coconut-milk soup with beef or seafood.
The restaurant is listed as open daily, but the website tells customers to call for the day’s hours, so do that before you drive over. When it opened it served an early weekday breakfast crowd and was busiest at lunch around noon, so arriving a little before or after the rush helps. Pickup and catering are available, and daily specials have been posted on Facebook. Prices are low.
Address: 1438 N Lamar Blvd, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: jackieskitchenoxford.com
Oby’s of Oxford
Oby’s of Oxford is a Cajun-leaning sandwich shop at 1931 University Avenue. Oxford natives David Calhoun and Ayers Spencer opened it in 2005 after running restaurants in the Carolinas. It is a sibling of the Starkville original, which Don O’Bannon opened in 1976 after being inspired by a Honolulu deli, and the Oxford owners bought that location in 2020.
Oby’s holds 4.5 stars from more than 1,400 Google reviews, one of the biggest tallies of any restaurant in town. The muffuletta, a New Orleans sandwich of cured meats, cheese and olive salad on round bread, is the signature. Po-boys come with shrimp, oyster, crawfish or alligator, and the shrimp po-boy is a top seller. Fried oyster platters and jambalaya fill out the menu.
Order pickup or delivery online through Toast, which is handy when the dining room is busy. Oby’s publishes a separate tailgating menu for game days, so large groups heading to the Grove can order ahead. Prices are modest. The website does not list hours, so check the Oxford page or call before you go.
Address: 1931 University Ave, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: obys.net
Bottletree Bakery
Bottletree Bakery has been baking at 923 Van Buren Avenue, on the edge of the Square, since January 31, 1995. Owner Cynthia Gerlach, originally from Portland, Oregon, opened it at age 25. The name nods to bottle trees, a Southern folk art tradition meant to bring good luck. The decor comes from her own art collection, and some furniture came from a Yazoo City store that closed.
Bottletree is rated 4.3 stars across more than 200 Google reviews, and it is known for scratch-made pastries that taste the way they did decades ago. Look for croissants, brioche, bagels and fresh bread, plus cakes and cupcakes. Gerlach has said the recipes have stayed the same for 30 years, and she brings in air-roasted coffee from Portland every week.
Bakers start in the small hours, so pastries are at their best in the morning. The bakery has kept limited days in recent years, so check before you go. Sandwiches and lunch were cut during the pandemic, and Gerlach has said she hopes to bring them back. It is a good spot for a quiet coffee and a pastry near the Square.
Address: 923 Van Buren Ave, Oxford, MS 38655
Common Ground Coffee Bar & Bakery
Common Ground Coffee Bar & Bakery is a coffee shop at 81 Ed Perry Boulevard in Oxford Commons. Owner Joseph Beck, a former Green Beret, built it around the idea that coffee can bring a community together. The space is set up for studying, quiet time and catching up with friends, and baked goods are made in house.
Common Ground has 4.4 stars from more than 140 Google reviews, and it is best known for its long list of specialty drinks. Many are named for desserts, including the Cinnamon Bun, Banana Bread, Apple Pie Chai and Samoa. Cold-foam drinks and house energy drinks with local names, such as Hotty Toddy and Land Shark, round out the list. Add one of the house-baked goods alongside your drink.
The website lists hours from early morning to late afternoon every day, but check before you go. You can order ahead for pickup through Toast or get delivery through DoorDash. Dogs get their own treat, a pup cup. The menu expanded in July 2024, so ask what is fresh from the oven that day. It is a good morning stop for a pastry and a drink.
Address: 81 Ed Perry Blvd Ste 101, Oxford, MS 38655
Website: commongroundcoffeebar.org
Final Thoughts
Oxford fills up on Ole Miss football weekends, graduation and the spring Double Decker arts festival, so book as far ahead as each restaurant allows. City Grocery and Snackbar release tables 30 days out, and Saint Leo’s Resy tables open 30 days ahead. Bouré and several casual places take walk-ins only, so allow for a wait at peak times. Some dinner spots close on Mondays and keep short weeks, so check hours before you go. Tarasque is BYOB and Fergndan’s allows brown bagging, so bring a bottle if you like. Lunch is the easiest way to try the Square’s best-known kitchens.
Planning the rest of your trip? See our guide to the best things to do in Oxford, MS.
Main photo, from left: Ray Shrewsberry, Barcello’s fusion and Christy Fontenot / Unsplash
