The Old Country Store (18801 Hwy 61, Lorman) is definitely not in Jackson—it’s about an hour and a half away in Lorman, Mississippi.  On a recent Saturday I took a mini-road trip there, via the Natchez Trace (which takes about two hours), because I had heard they have the best fried chicken in the state, and possibly the country.  That’s the kind of claim you have to check out when you live within 3 hours of it, I think.

The Old Country Store is probably the most charming fried chicken place in the state, and charm is delicious in its own way.  The place is more of a flea market than a store, and there certainly is more shelf space than there are items for sale, but it’s a fun place to wander around.

The chicken was amazing.  My excitement about eating it meant that I did not get very good pictures, unfortunately.

I’m generally not willing to declare anything to be the best without a side-by-side taste test, but this was absolutely in the top band of fried chicken I’ve had.  It was not greasy, the breading was crunchy and hearty, a little bit salty but not strongly seasoned, and the meat was impressively juicy.  It was a buffet, but fresh chicken was constantly coming out.  Definitely hover around for a fresh batch if you can.

Not all of the sides stood up to the heat lamps very well, though I liked the mac & cheese and the cornbread.  And the sides that weren’t under heat lamps were quite good—especially the potato salad and the slaw.  I have heard great things about the cobbler, but this was one of the few times in my life when I just could not force another bite in my body.

The Old Country Store’s chicken was worth the drive, and more than worth the $8 for the buffet.  I’m not sure of the hours, but they were open until 5 on Saturday when I went.  Call ahead to make sure: 601-437-3661.

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