Sugar’s Place (168 W. Griffith St, Jackson) is a friendly place to get your “home cooking” fix if you’re downtown.

The vegetables are my favorite thing I’ve had at Sugar’s, which is especially fortuitous because they happen to offer a 3-vegetable plate for $4.50.

The black-eyed peas were nice and earthy, with a hint of sweetness that may or may not have been caused by leakage from the yams. The yams, on the other hand, were 100% dessert, though they managed to pack in some layers of flavor (from cinnamon, nutmeg, and …

On my first visit, I developed a little crush on Chimneyville Smokehouse (970 High St., Jackson). For one thing, everyone loves a train (right?) and the restaurant is tastefully train-themed, located in an old train depot. It is also pleasantly rustic, open, and light inside.

The food was lovable as well. For $8 even (including tax!) you can get a meat, two sides, bread and a drink. The regular meat options include chopped pork barbecue and ribs, and there are daily specials as well. There are six or so vegetable choices, which also …

Ms. D’s Southern Cuisine (503 S. Gallatin St, Jackson) was high on my list of places to try as soon as I drove past it, completely because of how quaint and tiny the stand-alone brick building is.

Precious, right? Ms. D’s is cute on the inside as well. Only two women (either or both could have been Ms. D) were working, one at the counter and one in the kitchen. They handled the lunch rush really swimmingly and apologized unnecessarily for our brief wait.

The burger was a very good deal …

Big Apple Inn (509 N. Farish St., Jackson) has to be the best lunch deal in town–their sandwiches cost $1.05 each. What year is this, 1950?

Although the sandwiches aren’t exactly large they’re also not mini–two would be plenty for lunch for me. They only come in a few flavors, including smoked sausage, bologna, breakfast sausage, and pig ear. Add an egg for 50 cents. All are topped with a yummy spicy mixture of coleslaw, hot sauce, and possibly mustard.
I’ll get the least appealing out of the way first, but don’t …

It may have a celebrity chef and state-of-the-art, computer-controlled smokers, but don’t be fooled–Lumpkin’s Bar-B-Que (182 Raymond Rd, Jackson) has managed to stay extremely down-to-earth and friendly. It was pretty busy when we went for lunch, but someone (possibly one of the family members who owns/operates the restaurant) recognized my friend and me as new faces and welcomed us.
More importantly, the food is delicious and there is plenty of it. It’s $8 for all you can eat and there are many options–maybe not as many as at Hamil’s, but still more …