14 Incredible Restaurants in Tupelo, MS You Need to Try
Tupelo is where Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in a two-room house his father built for $180, and the Elvis story still shapes how the town markets itself, from a driving tour with bronze plaques to a lunch sandwich built on his favorite peanut butter and banana. A railroad junction that grew into a furniture and manufacturing center, Tupelo had 37,923 residents in the 2020 census, and the visitors bureau counts more than 200 restaurants. The best known are independents: downtown spots on Main Street and in the Fairpark District, the old fairgrounds where Elvis played a homecoming concert in 1956, and a long run of cafés and grills on North Gloster Street. Even the fried chicken has a local twist, since the visitors bureau points to King Chicken Fillin’ Station, a former gas station on McCullough Boulevard that now fries chicken.
This guide covers 14 places, from a drive-in where Elvis ate and a barbecue joint in a bait shop to a rooftop dinner in the Fairpark District, with Indian, Levantine, Italian and Greek kitchens, a live music room with a real menu, and downtown coffeehouses and bakeries. Ratings and review counts come from each restaurant’s Google listing in October 2026.
Johnnie’s Drive-In
Johnnie’s Drive-In sits at 908 East Main Street, and it is the only restaurant on the city’s Elvis driving tour. Elvis and his friends ate here in his early years, and the booth where he sat is marked with a plaque and a photo of him in the same seat. Google describes the room as a vintage diner full of Elvis memorabilia.
Rated 4.7 stars from more than 900 Google reviews, Johnnie’s is best known for its dough burger, the house specialty the visitors bureau singles out. The same bureau notes that Elvis himself preferred a cheeseburger and an RC Cola, so a cheeseburger with a cold RC is a fair order too. Google describes the menu as classic American eats, and the bureau calls the place an all-American diner serving lunch and supper.
Bring cash, because Google lists Johnnie’s as a cash-only diner. The visitors bureau lists hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and says it is closed Sunday and Monday, so check hours before you go. If the Elvis booth is free, you can sit in it. It is a casual, quick stop that fits neatly between the other Elvis sites around town.
Address: 908 E Main St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Clay’s House of Pig
Clay’s House of Pig, known around town as C.H.O.P., serves barbecue at 205 South Veterans Memorial Boulevard from a kitchen built in the back room of a bait and tackle shop. Owner Clay Coleman converted that room in spring 2017 to keep the shop going. He died in January 2021, and his crew has kept the smoker running.
Its 4.6-star rating across more than 400 Google reviews rests on smoke, since C.H.O.P. cooks on a hand-built smoker fed with charcoal, hickory and pecan. Start with the St. Louis-cut ribs or the rib tips. Then try the belly buttons, cubes of caramelized smoked pork belly, or The Shelbie, slow-smoked pork on a bun with slaw and a heavy pour of melted queso. Brisket and smoked bologna sandwiches round out the menu.
Order by phone at (662) 840-7980 and keep calling if the line is busy, or just come by. The visitors bureau lists weekday lunch hours, a later close on Fridays and no weekend service, and the menu page gives dining hours of 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., so check hours before you go. Indoor seating is available. Credit cards carry a 3 percent fee, though debit cards do not, so cash or debit saves a little.
Address: 205 S Veterans Memorial Blvd, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: clayshouseofpig.com
Park Heights
Park Heights is Tupelo’s upscale dinner spot, in the Fairpark District at 335 East Main Street. The dining room has reclaimed Tupelo cypress floors and locally made retro lighting, and a rooftop and portico look out over downtown. The kitchen cooks modern Southern and American food, with a menu that changes with the seasons and draws on ingredients from across Mississippi.
With 4.4 stars from more than 200 Google reviews, Park Heights is known for fresh fish. Its website points to grilled oysters, she-crab soup (a creamy crab soup), butter-poached Alaskan halibut and a lobster pot pie, with prime cuts of beef for steak lovers. The visitors bureau also mentions blackened grouper over grits with local okra. The menu rotates, so treat those dishes as a guide and ask what is new.
This is one of the pricier tables in Tupelo, so it suits a special dinner. Reserve through OpenTable or call (662) 842-5665. Dinner starts at 5:30 p.m. The website lists Monday through Saturday, while the visitors bureau shows Tuesday through Saturday, so confirm the day before you go. In good weather, ask about sitting on the rooftop or the portico. Two private dining rooms can also be booked for groups.
Address: 335 E Main St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: parkheightstupelo.com
Vanelli’s Bistro
Vanelli’s Bistro is at 206 West Main Street in historic downtown, and it is the third version of a family restaurant that began in 1975. Demetrios Kapenekas, born in Athens in 1923, opened the first one in Tupelo and chose the name Vanelli’s because he doubted anyone would buy a pizza from a Greek named Kapenekas. His sons joined in 1978, and a tornado destroyed the North Gloster Street location in 2014.
Vanelli’s holds 4.6 stars across more than 700 Google reviews, and it serves Greek and Italian food side by side. The classic Greek salad is the signature, and the menu also covers gyro wraps (Greek meat sandwiches in pita), pasta, and pizza by the pie or by the slice, including pizzas you build yourself. The website advertises an all-you-can-eat buffet made fresh in house, and the visitors bureau mentions daily lunch specials.
Vanelli’s is a casual stop for lunch or dinner. The website lists it open every day except Monday, with shorter hours on Sunday, and it offers online ordering, delivery and catering. It says nothing about reservations, so plan to walk in. The restaurant sits a few doors from Café 212, which makes it easy to combine with a downtown walk along Main Street.
Address: 206 W Main St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: vanellis.com
Neon Pig
Neon Pig, at 1203 North Gloster Street, is a locally owned butcher shop, fresh seafood counter and food bar under one roof. It breaks down whole local animals in house, butchers a whole cow from Homeplace Pastures every week and specializes in cured meats, and its seafood arrives three times a week. The shop also calls its craft beer list one of the best in Mississippi.
Neon Pig has earned 4.5 stars from more than 1,100 Google reviews, mostly on the strength of its burgers. The Famous Smash Burger uses the smash grind, a blend of filet, ribeye, sirloin, New York strip and bacon, and the Belvis adds pork belly and bacon pimento cheese. Also look for the pork belly burnt ends, a shrimp po’boy and The Wolf, where you pick seafood and cuts from the butcher case and the kitchen cooks them.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and the shop is closed Sunday. The website does not mention reservations, so expect to walk in. Weekend specials are posted on Instagram, and special seafood orders can be placed by phone at (662) 269-2533. The burgers and sandwiches keep things casual, while the steaks and seafood platters suit a bigger night.
Address: 1203 N Gloster St f, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: neonpigtupelo.com
Namaste Tupelo
Namaste opened in May 2025 at 3061 Tupelo Commons Drive, in a building that was Crossroads Rib Shack before a full renovation inside and out. The new design includes archways meant to recall the palaces of India. The kitchen cooks traditional recipes in the style of home cooking, and it says it wants to blend Mississippi favorites with Indian flavors.
Rated 4.9 stars from more than 800 Google reviews, Namaste counts butter chicken and chicken tikka masala as its most popular dishes. Add a lamb rogan josh, a Kashmiri curry, or malai kofta, stuffed paneer in a creamy nut and onion gravy. Start with samosas or panipuri, crisp hollow shells filled with potatoes and chickpeas, and order keema naan, stuffed with ground lamb.
You can dine in or order online for takeout. There are many vegetarian and vegan dishes, and the menu also has tandoori (clay oven) kebabs, biryani and several breads. Vindaloo is the dish the menu calls medium spicy, so ask about heat levels if you are unsure. The website does not list hours or a lunch buffet, so check hours before you go.
Address: 3061 Tupelo Commons Dr., Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: namastetupelo.com
Aunt B’s Soul Food
Aunt B’s Soul Food is at 2750 South Green Street, and the Tupelo visitors bureau describes its cooking as a taste from the past. The kitchen serves plate lunch specials, each with one meat, two vegetables and a dessert, and it adds an open grill menu from Friday through Sunday. Catering and delivery are also available.
Its 4.7-star rating across more than 400 Google reviews makes Aunt B’s the soul food stop in this guide. Build a plate from the lunch special, with one meat, two vegetables and a dessert. When the open grill menu is running, look for pulled pork, fish, chicken and ribs. There is also a kids’ menu, which helps if you are eating with a family.
The visitors bureau lists Aunt B’s as open Friday through Sunday only, with different hours each day, and shows it closed Monday through Thursday. Call (662) 269-3923 before you drive over to confirm the day’s plate and the hours. No website is listed for the restaurant, so the phone is the best way to check.
Address: 2750 S Green St, Tupelo, MS 38801
Levant Mediterranean Grill
Levant Mediterranean Grill is at 1010 North Gloster Street and cooks Levantine food over open flame, including kabobs, kaftas (seasoned ground meat), tawook (marinated chicken) and lamb chops. The owner says the recipes and the hospitality were passed down through generations, and the head chef has more than 15 years of open-flame cooking experience.
Levant earns 4.8 stars from more than 200 Google reviews, and its website lists the lamb chops, the shish combo for one, a whole marinated deboned chicken and the chicken shawarma entrée as signature dishes. The site says pickup orders are grilled fresh as you arrive, so pick a pickup time when you order online.
The website lists Levant open every day, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. most days and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, with online ordering for takeout and scheduled pickup. Reservations are not mentioned, so check hours and call if you are bringing a large group.
Address: 1010 N Gloster St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: levant-mediterranean.com
Casa D’Italia
Casa D’Italia is an Italian restaurant at 205 North Gloster Street, just north of Main Street. The menu runs through pastas and baked pastas, plus chicken, veal, fish and shrimp dishes, chef’s specials, appetizers, desserts and coffee, and it adds weekday lunch specials. A kids’ menu is available too.
Casa D’Italia holds 4.6 stars across more than 200 Google reviews, and its website highlights Frutti di Mare, a mix of shrimp, salmon, clams, mussels and calamari over linguine. Other dishes to try are the Cajun seafood pasta, lobster ravioli and chicken rollatini, which is chicken rolled around a filling. The Tour of Italy combo puts chicken parmesan, lasagna and fettuccine Alfredo on one plate, and tiramisu and cannoli cover dessert.
Prices are moderate for a sit-down Italian meal, and the weekday lunch specials cost less than the dinner entrées. The website lists 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. without naming days, so check hours before you go. Order for pickup or delivery through the Slice app, or call (662) 584-2151. Reservations are not mentioned, so call ahead if you are bringing a group.
Address: 205 N Gloster St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: casaditaliams.com
Blue Canoe
Blue Canoe at 2006 North Gloster Street is a bar with a real kitchen, and it has been Tupelo’s home for original live music since 2011. It bills itself as “Tupelo’s Loudest Living Room,” and Google describes the shed-like building as funky. Its site lists past performers including Leon Bridges, Sturgill Simpson, Tyler Childers and Alabama Shakes.
With 4.6 stars from more than 1,200 Google reviews, Blue Canoe pairs the music with a big beer list and clever pub food. Its cheeseburger made Mississippi Magazine’s top ten burgers list, according to the website, and Connie’s Blueberry Doughnut Bread Pudding has won the magazine’s Best Dessert award five times. Order both and dinner and dessert are covered.
Blue Canoe opens in the afternoon, at 3 p.m. most days and 2 p.m. on Saturday, and it is closed Sunday. Shows on the calendar start in the evening, so eat early and stay for the music. The beer wall has dozens of taps. Check the schedule on the website, since reservations are not mentioned.
Address: 2006 N Gloster St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: bluecanoebar.com
Café 212
Café 212 is a locally owned lunch spot at 212 West Main Street, in the middle of downtown. The walls show work by local artists, and the visitors bureau describes the atmosphere as eclectic. Google lists it as a small coffeehouse with espresso drinks and pastries as well as a lunch menu of sandwiches and salads.
Rated 4.8 stars from more than 190 Google reviews, Café 212 is best known for the Blue Suede Grill, its take on Elvis’s favorite peanut butter and banana sandwich, made with honey on grilled wheatberry bread. The menu also lists gourmet sandwiches, homemade soups, salads and desserts, so there is plenty for anyone who prefers something savory.
Plan this one as lunch. The visitors bureau lists weekday hours, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., with no weekend service, so check before you go. The phone is (662) 844-6323. It sits a few doors from Vanelli’s Bistro, so downtown is easy to explore on foot, and the chef at Park Heights says he eats out here himself. The listing does not mention reservations.
Address: 212 W Main St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: cafe212tupelo.com
Crave
Crave is a dessert café and coffee shop at 108 East Main Street in downtown Tupelo, and the visitors bureau counts it among the city’s most photographed spots, thanks to a pink interior. Customers can also sit outside on an alleyway patio under string lights, and the patio is pet-friendly. The shop serves breakfast pastries, and the space can be booked for events and catering.
Crave’s 4.6-star rating across more than 500 Google reviews comes with a signature order, the skillet cookie, which the visitors bureau names as its local tip. A peanut butter skillet is on the menu too. For coffee, try the Shakerag, a whiskey-flavored espresso drink with caramel, named for a historic African-American neighborhood whose rhythm and blues influenced Elvis. Scones, biscuits, muffins and quiche cover breakfast.
The visitors bureau lists 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, late closings on Friday and Saturday nights and a short Sunday evening, and the website’s hours for the day match the weekday listing, though hours can change, so check before you go. Desserts can be ordered online. Come for coffee in the morning or a late dessert on a weekend night.
Address: 108 E Main St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: cravetupelo.com
Strange Brew Coffeehouse
Strange Brew Coffeehouse is an independent café at 220 North Gloster Street that serves Mississippi-roasted coffee, house-made baked goods and desserts. Mississippi Magazine voted it the best coffeehouse in the state, and the visitors bureau credits that vote to 2018. The space works for dates, studying, working or just hanging out.
With 4.5 stars from more than 800 Google reviews, Strange Brew leans into creative drinks. The Cap’n Crunch Latte and the Sea Turtle Frappe are the two the visitors bureau names, and the pastries are house-made and unusual. There are gluten-friendly, sugar-free and vegan options too, which helps if your group has different needs.
It opens early and runs late. The visitors bureau lists hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday, so check hours before you go. That makes it a fit for a morning coffee, an afternoon work session or a late dessert. It is on Gloster Street just north of Main Street.
Address: 220 N Gloster St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: strangebrewcoffeehouse.com
Simply Sweet by Margarete
Simply Sweet by Margarete is a bakery, chocolate shop and lunch spot at 189 South Green Street. Its tagline promises fresh handmade products and old-world, classic recipes. The bakery side includes old-world breads, cakes, pastries and pies, plus gourmet chocolate and chocolate-dipped strawberries, and hot tea and coffee are served too.
Simply Sweet holds 4.8 stars across more than 200 Google reviews, and it also has a short, hearty lunch menu. It lists bratwurst with sauerkraut, schnitzel sandwiches (breaded, fried cutlets), roast beef au jus and soups, with weekly specials to ask about. Leave room for something from the bakery case, or take a loaf of the old-world bread home.
For a custom cake or anything not in the case, call (662) 840-3290, since the bakery takes custom orders by phone. The visitors bureau lists weekday hours, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, with the shop closed on weekends, so check hours before you go. The shop is close to downtown, so it pairs easily with a Main Street stroll or a coffee at Crave.
Address: 189 S Green St, Tupelo, MS 38804
Website: simplysweetbymargaretebakery.com
Final Thoughts
Hours are the main thing to check in Tupelo. Johnnie’s Drive-In is closed Sunday and Monday and takes cash, Clay’s House of Pig is mostly a weekday lunch spot that takes orders by phone, Aunt B’s is listed as open Friday through Sunday, and Café 212 closes at 2 p.m. Park Heights is the one to reserve, through OpenTable. Vanelli’s, Café 212, Crave and Park Heights are all on Main Street, so they are easy to combine in a day downtown. Casa D’Italia and Strange Brew are just north of Main Street on Gloster Street, while Neon Pig, Levant and Blue Canoe are farther up the same road and Namaste is farther north still at Tupelo Commons, so plan to drive between areas.
Planning the rest of your trip? See our guide to the best things to do in Tupelo, MS.
Main photo, from left: Kris Tian, Gennady Zakharin and Bronty Woodard / Unsplash
