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For a town of only 15,000 (25,000 when school is in session), Oxford is blessed with a wide variety of dining choices. Home to the Southern Foodways Alliance , Oxford has evolved into a "mecca....which draws professional food scholars as well as amateur eaters" according to Food & Wine writer, Pete Wells. City Grocery, The Downtown Grill, 208, and L&M's Salumeria are highly recommended for upscale fine dining. For more casual fare, you can't go wrong with Old Venice or Ajax. For a true Mississippi experience, you must eat at Taylor Grocery or Yocona River Inn.

Splurge
 • L & M's Kitchen and Salumeria, 309 South Lamar Boulevard (on the square), (662) 238-7780. According to Food & Wine writer, Pete Wells, "L&M is co-owned by Dan Latham, a Mississippi native who cured salamis and pancetta for New York City star chef Mario Batali before he decided to nail up his own ham-shaped shingle this February. The menu will be familiar to Batali followers-sausage rag- bucatini alla Amatriciana." Received a rare 3.5 out of four stars by the Memphis Commercial Appeal  . Contemporary atmosphere with meats curing behind glass walls. Entrees $20-30. Reservations a week or more in advance necessary for football weekends.
 • 208, Some of the best food in town. Hip, chic atmosphere. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Carolina Crabcakes, Wasabi Tuna over Stir fry, She-crab Soup, and oysters are great. Reservations a must on Fridays of football weekends. Entrees $20-30.
 • Downtown Grill, 110 Courthouse Square (on the square), (662) 234-2659. Upscale Dining in a traditional atmosphere. Great food. Recommended Appetizer: Fried Green Tomatoes Entree: Catfish Lafitte. Happening bar upstairs frequently hosting live jazz. Entrees $20-30. Reservations usually necessary on football weekends.
 • City Grocery, 152 Courthouse Square (on the square), (662) 281-8880. Upscale dining in the New Orleans tradition. Good wine list. Famous for their "shrimp & grits." Probably the most well-known restaurant in Oxford. Entrees $20-30. Reservations a must of Friday nights of football weekends.
 • Yocona River Inn, 842 Highway 334, (662) 234-2464. Impressive menu includes, among other dishes, Turtle Soup, Roasted Duck Hash, and Bourbon-glazed Pork Tenderloin. Brown Bag (BYOB). Located in an old home 15 minutes from Oxford on Hwy 334, (take the South exit from Hwy 6). Like Taylor Grocery, diners tailgate on the porch while waiting for a table. Don't forget to bring your own wine or liquor. Entrees $12-25. No reservations, and they frequently quit taking names by 7 PM on the Friday of football weekends.
 • Doe's Eat Place, 400 North Lamar Boulevard (Located Inside the Downtown Inn & Suites), (662) 236-9003, Lunch: M-Sa 11AM-2PM, Dinner: Mo-Sa 5PM until. Full service steakhouse featuring steaks, seafood, and tamales - sandwiches and salads served for lunch. Doe's Eat Place is famous for its tamales and huge steaks. The famous original is in Greenville, Miss., but the owner decided to move to Oxford. The Greenville location is still open but run by another family member.
 • Oxford Steak Co., 302 South 11th Street (on the square), (662) 236-6460. Upscale steakhouse. Some love it, some hate it. Entrees $20-30. Reservations may be necessary on football weekends.

Mid-Range
 • Ajax Diner, 118 Courthouse Square (on the square), (662) 232-8880. Soul Food with a little spice in a funky atmosphere. Mattie's Mom's Meatloaf is a local favorite. Fried Oyster Poboy is highly recommended. Excellent chicken and dumplins as well as veggie plates. Was a favorite lunch spot for Eli Manning in his college days. Entrees $8-15. Reservations not accepted.
 • Boure', 309 South Lamar Boulevard, (662) 234-1968. A moderately-priced offshoot of City Grocery, featuring contemporary and traditional items. Try the French Dip. Entrees $10-20.
 • Pearl Street Pasta, 308 South Lamar Boulevard (on the square), (662) 234-7525. Great pasta dishes including a great veal picatta. Can't go wrong with the Filet of Beef. Order the House Dressing. Reservations a must on Fridays of football weekends. Entrees $10-20.
Taylor Grocery  • Taylor Grocery, 4 County Road 338, Taylor MS (8 miles south of Oxford), (662) 236-6363,  . This may well be "the" best catfish place in the world. Rustic atmosphere in a historic former grocery in the arts community of Taylor, MS about 10-15 minutes south of Oxford (take Old Taylor Road south until it ends, you'll think you are lost, but you'll see the place). Menu includes steaks, pork, and chicken, but fried catfish is the top choice of most patrons. Live bluegrass and blues. Brown Bag (bring your own alcohol). No reservations, and they frequently quit taking names by 7 PM on the Friday of football weekends. Be prepared to wait for at least 30 minutes to an hour, but it's well worth it. Locals bring their own drinks and tailgate outside on the front porch or in the parking lot (street). An art gallery is close by, as well as sculptor's and potter's shops, which you can browse while waiting for your table. Also bring a Sharpie marker. It is customary for to sign the guest book as well as the walls. Such notable signatures on the walls of Taylor Grocery include Archie, Eli, and Peyton Manning, Deuce McAllister, Barbara Walters, Jimmy Buffet, Elvis (though no confirmation on authenticity), and a number of literary greats. Featured in Southern Living and many other publications. Open Thursday through Sunday from 5pm until they decide to close. A good essay, as well as photos, can be found  .
 • Proud Larry's, 211 South Lamar Boulevard, Downtown, (662) 236-0050,, M-Sa 11AM-10PM. Hand Tossed Pizza, Grill Food, Pasta Specials, Salads. When you step into Proud Larry's, you know instantly by the look of the building and the aroma of fresh bread that you have really found a unique place to dine. You can't beat their hand tossed pizza (the Mediterranean is exceptionally good), pasta dishes, salads, and burgers. Their spinach and artichoke dip is a must before every meal! By day, "Larry's" is a great place for a hot meal. By night, it becomes a true Oxford hotspot featuring great live music, including local and regional bands - such as North Mississippi All-Stars - as well as occasional surprises such as Elvis Costello.
 • Two Stick Market and Sushi Bar,1007 Harrison Avenue, (662) 236-6639, Tu-Sa 11AM-2PM & 5PM-10PM. Two Stick Market and Sushi Bar is just off the Oxford Square. If you are looking for something different and enjoy live entertainment, then this is the place for you. Two Stick also serves Sashimi and Nagiri. They are open 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. on Tuesday-Saturday.
 • Old Venice Pizza Co., 1112 Van Buren Avenue (on the square), (662) 236-6872. Best Italian in town, and probably the most popular restaurant in Oxford. Pizza, calzones, pasta dishes. Shrimp Angelica is a good choice. Entrees $8-15. Reservations not accepted.

Budget
 • Abners Famous Chicken Tenders, (2 blocks from the square). Great chicken tenders. Wall-to-wall sports memorabilia. Great sweet tea. It has now developed into a small chain with locations throughout Mississippi and the Memphis area. This is the original Abners and was started by former Ole Miss football player, Abner White. Great for a quick lunch.
 • Bottle Tree Bakery A quaint coffee and pastry shop in the morning. A sandwich place in the afternoon. Known throughout town for their wonderful breads, muffins and pastries. Has been featured on the Food Network.
 • B's Hickory Smoked Bar-B-Q, 1455 South Lamar Boulevard (Shell Food Mart), (662) 234-2230, Mo-Su 9AM-10PM. Smoked Tenderloin, Chicken, Cornish Hens, Quail, Ribs, Pork Tenderloin, Beef Brisket, Hot Wings, Sides. Great place to pick up some barbeque for tailgating before football or baseball games, though you'll need to place any large order ahead of time. Although it's inside the Shell station, don't let that fool you. It's some of the finest barbeque around.
 • Dino's Pizza, 1420 Jackson Avenue West, (662) 234-6777, M-Th 11AM-2PM & 4:30PM-10PM, F-Su 11AM-10PM. Here you will find a variety of Greek or Italian dishes and specialty pizza. You can also get excellent gyros and steaks.
 • Handy Andy, 800 North Lamar Boulevard, (662) 234-4621, Mo-F 6:30AM-8:30PM, Sa 7AM-8:30PM. Specializing in great BBQ, sandwiches, ribs, and salads. Don't miss the peach and apple fried pies! One of the most popular spots in town. The crowd comes not for the atmosphere, which is definitely no-frills, but for the great food at cheap prices. Try the steak sandwich, but you can't go wrong with the great barbeque (still hickory smoked when most famous Memphis places have switched to gas smokers) or the hamburgers made they way they were 50 years ago. The banana pudding is some of the best you'll ever eat, and you can't beat the price at 97 cents per serving.
 • McAllister's Deli, 1515 University Avenue, (662) 234-1363. Great soup and sandwich shop. While it has now grown into a corporation with locations in 18 states and growing, Oxford is home to the original McAllister's Deli, still located in an old, converted gas station on University Avenue. Scenes in the movie HEART OF DIXIE were filmed here. Everything on the menu is good. Sweet tea made them famous. Sandwiches and other fare less than $10.
 • Newks Express Cafe, 1309 University Avenue, (662) 513-5303. While it has only been open since early 2005, Newks is already marketing itself as a franchise company and has been named one of the companies to keep an eye on by Franchise Magazine. The atmosphere is very upscale and hip. Exceptional menu including soups, salads, pizza, and toasted sandwiches. Owned by the same family that opened the very first McAllister's Deli.
 • Pizza Den, 499 Heritage Drive, (662) 234-5537, M-F 11AM-11PM, Sa-Su 12PM-11PM. Pizza Den has moved to a new location and has the same menu used by Pizza Bob to make this a favorite eating establishment among generations of Ole Miss students and Oxford residents. The restaurant is operated by Bob's son and the same equipment used at the old location is being implemented at the new location. Menu items include Pizza, Spaghetti, and Sandwiches. The stromboli is a local favorite.
 • The Creek Cafe, 2304 Jackson Avenue, (662) 513-5900, Tu-Sa 11AM-9PM. Great Southern food and hospitality featuring grits and greens, great catfish, the "fried green tomato BLT", homemade desserts and an upstairs balcony overlooking Jackson Avenue and West Oxford.
 • The Rib Cage, 311 South Lamar, (662) 238-2929, Mo-Sa 10AM-11PM, Su 10AM-4PM. A rib joint that features an upstairs restaurant and downstairs bar. This is the perfect place to catch a game on one of their 10 televisions. The food isn't the best, but the very cheap Coors Light draft beer keeps the crowd coming in. The fun is in the basement.
 • Uptown Coffee, 265 North Lamar Boulevard, (662) 513-0905. Located right off the square, Uptown is a perfect place to meet up with friends to have a cup of joe and hang out. High Speed Internet available.