Jackson, Mississippi
 

I'm going to be there one night in a couple of months from now, so I've been looking into a hotel and someplace to grab dinner. The downtown looks, well, kind of deserted on Google Street View. Is anyone familiar with it who could give some suggestions?

Native Mississippian here. The Hilton on County Line Rd. in Jackson would be good. They do have security to watch the cars. A little farther north of Jackson is Madison. The Embassy Suites there is also a good option.

If your business is near downtown, the Old Capitol Inn is great and the nearby Fondren area has great restaurants like Walker's. It is the "hip, happening" midtown area.

I agree with MSKKG that the Hilton on County Line Drive is good and only a few minutes drive from downtown. I think they have a Dragos there (great chargrilled oysters) as well as some good restaurants just down the road.

One of my friends is originally from Jackson. She suggested Barrelhouse, Chapley’s for fine dining, Bravo if you’re craving Italian, Walkers, The Manship Babalu tacos or The Mayflower. (I’ve eaten at The Mayflower — get the crab bisque.) Also agreed on Drago’s.

She’s going back to her HS reunion and found a cute 2br cottage on airb&b for $120/night.

Thanks for all the tips.

I'd avoid downtown at night - it is desolate.

The Fondren area is very artsy and fun. Brent's Drugs (www.brentsdrugs.com) - has a great soda fountain/food. It was used in the movie "The Help". Other fun stores as well. The Belhaven neighborhood is very neat if you have time to just drive around - Eudora Welty's house is there. It's right near the Fondren neighborhood. It's just residential but a very old area so there are neat houses to see.

One thing to note - Jackson has a decently high crime rate, even in good areas, which is why many of my friends have left for Madison/Ridgeland. I have relatives still in Jackson in the nicer areas, but they have been daytime robberies (at open air shopping areas like Highland Village), not sure if it's still going on but it has been an issue in the past, as my friends/relatives have noted. This isn't to scare you, but to make you aware.

My visit to Jackson happened a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't able to get a room at the Old Capitol Inn or even the King Edward, which I'd been checking out, even months and months in advance--maybe because it was the weekend of Jackson State's homecoming and the state fair. I brought a sandwich with me the first night, but later the group I was with had lunch and dinner at a few places on Farish Street.

Unfortunately, never got to have any comeback sauce, I don't think, so I'm going to try making it at home, even though that wouldn't be the same as having it in the place where it originated.

I stayed at the Hilton in July. Their breakfast buffet is greatly expanded from the traditional Hilton breakfast. It was a pretty active place.