The Ole Tavern (416 George St, Jackson) manages to have a good bar atmosphere and a good restaurant atmosphere at the same time.  It has a pub-like feel, with a lot of dark wood and brick, plus high ceilings and big windows.  I appreciate that the place feels like it’s trying without trying too hard.

Despite the photo above, it was bustling when we went for lunch on a Tuesday; only the bar was empty.  My coworker ordered the King George’s Burger from the specials board.  It was huge, and came …

I hesitated to go in when I pulled up at Griffin’s (3224 W. Capitol St., Jackson) because there were no cars around and I wasn’t sure it was open.  But then I smelled something delicious and realized it was definitely open for business.  Several people trickled in and out to pick up their orders while I waited for my burger — it is definitely a call-ahead joint if you are in any hurry.

The menu lists regular burgers and “Whoa Burgers.”  I had never heard of the latter — according to …

Since Burgers & Blues (1060 E. County Line Rd, Ridgeland) has only been open a few days, I was surprised to see a fair number of people there when I went today.  But I was less surprised when I opened the menu and learned that it is an Al Stamps joint — his reputation for burgers totally precedes him (in a good way) in this town.

Atmosphere-wise, B&B is a great counterpoint to Al Stamp’s other restaurant, Cool Al’s. There’s nothing wrong with a divier vibe, but if you want to be …

Tony’s Tamales (228 E. Capitol St, Jackson) is a downtown lunch spot that I don’t go to nearly enough — for a long time I thought it was closed (I’m not sure if it was) and I rarely think to eat tamales for lunch.  But I recently heard that they have good burgers, which reminded me to go.

The burger was surprisingly hefty for $4, and was savory and well seasoned.  It was well done, so not exactly juicy, but was flavorful anyway — a perfectly good example of the thin-patty variety …

I like meat as much as, or more than, the next girl.  In fact, I’ve been known to wrinkle my nose at the suggestion of a meat-free meal or restaurant (much the same way I wrinkle my nose about melons, which is probably the only food that grosses me out).  So when I went to Cool Al’s (4654 McWillie Dr, Jackson), which is famous for its burgers, it took some high praise (and the fact that I wasn’t particularly hungry) to get me to try their veggie burger instead of …

I ended up at Mediterranean Fish & Grill (6550 Old Canton Rd, Ridgeland) when my first choice for lunch in Ridgeland fell through, but I’d been hearing good things about Med Fish (a nickname I just made up) for a while so I was happy to try it.

I wish I had gotten pictures of the inside. It is a large space, mostly a restaurant but also partly a grocery store. Around the edges of the dining area there are shelves of Mediterranean groceries, including dry goods and cheeses and drinks …

I admit that I was biased in favor of F. Jones Corner (303 N. Farish St., Jackson) as soon as  saw their t-shirts, which say “Revitalizing Jackson, One Beer at a Time.”

The building apparently used to be a gas station (JFP). As you can see, there are no windows, which explains the extremely poor food photos below.  Sorry about that!

I’ve gotten the F’n Crab Burger both times I’ve been to F. Jones, and I enjoyed it both times. There is plenty of crab, along with peppers and other seasonings that …