Johnnie's Drive-In and Bar-B-Q

Johnny's Drive-In and Bar-B-Q

Tupelo, Mississippi

This is the oldest restaurant in Tupelo, and it is located not far from where Elvis lived as a kid. He used to frequent Johnny's often and he always sat in a particular spot. I sat there.

This is indeed a drive-in, and when we took a minute getting out of our car, a car-hop started out. We wanted to eat inside though. I wanted to sit in the afore-mentioned spot.

This place still features burgers cut with grain, the way they did during World War II. If you want them. They had to make meat stretch and last longer. They also still feature a "Slug" burger, so named because it only cost a nickel when it began. It costs about $1.32 today. You can still get a regular cheeseburger.

I had a regular cheeseburger and fries because I guessed that it was what Elvis would have ordered. Penny opted for the Bar-B-Q pork sandwich and honestly she was not impressed. Underwhelmed. But she didn't add sauce. So there's that.

But overall, it is worth a visit just for the charm and historic value. But don't plan on any kind of good eats.

Overall Grade: C-

The Blue Canoe

THE BLUE CANOE
2006 N. Gloster
Tupelo, Mississippi

This is a funky place. A bandstand where every band that plays there can scrawl their name on the back wall. Local artists put up their art featuring bluesmen. A patio.

We visited on a Monday night. Late. It was kind of quiet. We were not famished, so we decided to split an entree. The waitress recommended the duck quesadilla, so we went with it.

The duck quesadilla was indeed wonderful. The fries were great. Like my Mom used to make (the way I judge all french fries). They usually need to bow to my mother Ruth. Her french fries were uncanny.

The Good: The food and service were wonderful. Nice atmosphere. Not expensive at all.

The Bad: Parking. Very limited and tight. A place this nice needs lots of parking.

I have no hesitation in recommending this place to anyone visiting Tupelo. In a state as rural and mysterious as Mississippi (one of my favorite states) there is modern urban charm found here. The Blue Canoe falls into that category.

Grade: A-

Lambert's Cafe

LAMBERT'S CAFE
2305 East Malone
Sikeston, Missouri 63801

We stumbled into this place quite by accident. What a happy accident! We try to eat at local joints while on the road, and this was the only place that wasn't a chain when we just happened to stop in Sikeston, Missouri. (Okay we found out later there are three of them, but this is the main and original one - established in 1942.)

First of all, this place is huge. I cannot imagine how many people can eat here at one time. The kitchen must be a thing to marvel. Just the logistics of washing dishes must be mind-boggling. There were dozens of staff people in the dining area; I cannot fathom what the crew in the kitchen must consist of.

The decor is pretty much "license plate." They have covered the walls with them and have signs begging for more. It's just a silly fun place - evidenced by the restroom sign that is upside down.

The whole big gimmick of the place is that they throw rolls at you. As explained in a brochure, one time the server was way too busy and a customer wanted another roll. The server kept giving him the 'in a second' sign, and he finally just yelled "Just throw the dang thing to me." She did, and then everybody wanted theirs thrown to them. Thus, the "Home of the Throwed Rolls."

Another pleasing gimmick is that the staff walk around offering to keep filling your plate with what they call "Walk-arounds". These are: macaroni and tomatoes, fried okra, black-eyed peas, fried potatoes and onions, and a few others. We weren't starving when we got there so my wife just got the "walk-around plate", a plate of those items that was constantly being replenished. I ordered an entree. I got to have 3 sides with what I chose- Pork chops. I asked for mashed potatoes, cornbread, and candied yams. Plus I was entitled to all of the "walk-around" stuff. Get the picture? You cannot leave this place hungry.

I received two 3/4 inch thick breaded pork chops that were marvelous and this was with my sides and all of the walk-arounds. The candied yams were indeed candied. They were very sweet and wonderful. The corn bread was the real deal; not the yellow crumble-apart Cracker Barrel junk, but the solid, white, good old real-deal cornbread. 

The Good: The food was wonderful. Penny raved about the potatoes and onions. She said they were to die for. I loved the pork chops. It was like eating a steak. And the atmosphere was great. Something was always going on and that kept it interesting. And they actually had a big bowl of butter on the table, and it was butter that could actually be used! Hey you brain dead idiots at Cracker Barrel, it IS possible to serve butter that didn't just come out of a glacier!

The Bad: They close at 9. They may want to re-think that, because this is so much fun, it's the kind of place that is your night out. Not this and then a movie....just this.

The Ugly: Got nothin'. Our server was a great guy, who "accidentally" forgot to put Penny's walk-around plate on our bill. He must have realized that she wasn't that hungry and couldn't bring himself to charge her.

This was a wonderful experience and the eating highlight of our recent trip to the south. Go out of your way if you have too. You won't regret it, nor will you not get your money's worth.

Grade: A