Southern vegetarian cuisine in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was an interesting journey, with some compromise and some delicious comfort food. But the Key City surprised me with lots of small-town charm and history.
Key Takeaways:
- Vicksburg can be challenging for vegetarians, especially in traditional Southern restaurants where meat broths and gravies are common. Still, flexible kitchens, local cafés and creative side dishes make it possible to eat well with a little planning.
- In many Mississippi kitchens, grits may be cooked with chicken stock, bacon fat or meat drippings. Vegetarian travelers should ask how they are prepared.
- Vegan travelers may find the city more challenging than vegetarians do, since dairy, butter and eggs dominate the vegetarian options.
Editor’s Note: The writer was hosted.
Although born and bred in New York City, I have always had a fascination with the South. I went through a Flannery O’Connor stage, a William Faulkner infatuation and a grits-eating phase. Actually, I’m still obsessed with grits.
Finding grits cooked without meat in Vicksburg, Mississippi, was, ahem, challenging. But when I did finally get some, on the way to the airport, they were creamy, cheesy and just perfect.
Vicksburg, famous for its role in the Civil War, combines history and small-town treasures for a delightful weekend getaway. You literally have to slow your roll here; the surprisingly hilly streets force you to walk carefully, and absorb your surroundings.
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Downtown Delight
The first place we stopped in, Brick Street Market, was in the historic district downtown. I was slightly misled by the abundance of vegetarian options here, since that was mostly not the case anywhere else. There was veggie flatbread, a few salads and my choice, a veggie po’boy. It had fresh mushrooms, spicy peppers, cucumber, chopped olives and lots of lettuce. Also a few too many raw onions for my taste, but the po’boy was well seasoned, with olive oil, vinegar, black pepper and oregano.
Historic Southern Cuisine
I quickly learned that the phrase “historic Southern cuisine” should give me pause. Restaurant Anchuca, in a Greek revival mansion on the National Register of Historic Places, is certainly lovely. But the vegetarian choices were lacking. The six entrees include shrimp and grits, catfish and hunks of meat. Most of the sides had meat gravy on top. There were two ‘off-menu’ vegetarian items: eggplant parm or cheese ravioli. The ravioli was fine, though not really an expression of Southern cuisine.
SheBuysTravel Tip: There’s always dessert!
Dessert is Given Lots of Love in Vicksburg
The slab of chocolate cake could probably have been eaten by one person, but we shared it among eight people, and I had several bites of the rich, decadent cake. We also had warm bread pudding and banana pudding. (I knew from previous forays in the South that pie crust here usually contains lard, so I avoided pie.) The beautiful china made us feel very elegant. After dinner, we toured the historic house, which also operates as a B&B, with the new young owner.
Exploring Downtown
We started the day with biscuits at Bohemia Cafe and Bakery. Although the menu listed meat in every option, they happily made me an egg-and-cheese biscuit. I think a vegan would have a much harder time in Vicksburg
Transit Museum
The Old Depot Museum offers a history of Vicksburg through transportation. The museum housed waiting rooms for train passengers: one for whites and one for “colored” passengers. No need for integrated waiting rooms now; there is no passenger train service. The working model railroad and antique model cars are must-sees.
The Fall of Dixie Diorama
A diorama of the Siege of Vicksburg gives you an overview of the battlefield you see during a visit to Vicksburg National Military Park. You really get a sense of how the topography played a key role in the battle. The intricate model has more than 2,000 miniature soldiers.
On the Waterfront
Head to the river to see the Vicksburg Riverfront Murals on the floodwalls along Levee Street. The murals depict historic events in Vicksburg, including floods, river traffic and, of course, the 47-day Siege of Vicksburg during the Civil War. You will hear a lot about the battle while you are in Vicksburg.
Lunch Break
We had lunch at Walnut Hills, which unironically touts its plantation cuisine. The house was built in 1880, and became a restaurant 100 years later. Walnut Hills made its name with its fried chicken. Though it has an extensive menu of salads, soups and sides, most contained meat. The vegetarian options were limited to a side salad, white rice with onions, coleslaw and mashed squash. The waitress suggested I try the grits since they “didn’t have a lot of chicken in them.” I passed.
We did have house-made chocolate layer cake, along with caramel cake and carrot cake. All three were quite tasty.
More Museums
Another Must See: Catfish Row Museum
The new Catfish Row Museum tells the history of Vicksburg through food, commerce and music. It has an exhibit, Exploring Foodways in Vicksburg, that discusses how immigrants to the city incorporated local food into their cuisine. There were pockets of Jewish and Asian immigrants, and Jewish settlers built the first synagogue in Mississippi. There is also an exhibit on the merchants of Vicksburg; in the mid-1800s, there were 35 Jewish-owned businesses in the small city.
The museum, housed in a building on the National Register of Historic Places, was originally built as a carriage manufacturing plant before becoming an automobile dealership. Catfish Row runs a summer cooking series where local chefs and James Beard Award winners cook and teach about Southern and Native American food.
Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum
The kitschy Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, housed in what was once the Biedenharn candy store, has an old-fashioned soda fountain. Vicksburg is the first place Coca-Cola was bottled, by the son of the candy store owner. The museum has Coke artifacts, including old advertising slogans touting the health benefits of Coca-Cola. You can buy a Coke float or old-time candy here, none of which have any known health benefits.
The Old Court House Museum
The Old Court House Museum, in a gorgeous 1858 National Historic Landmark, sits high above downtown Vicksburg. The historical exhibits include dolls (whose owners are often identified by the husband’s first name, for example, “Mrs. Peter So-and-So”), furniture, china, tools and Civil War memorabilia.
Jefferson Davis started his political career here. There are extremely troubling descriptions suggesting that his slaves were his “friends” who “loved their master.”
Vicksburg Civil War Museum
The Vicksburg Civil War Museum sees the war through a very different lens. The privately owned museum, the first African American-owned Civil War museum, focuses on the African American experience of formerly enslaved soldiers, freedmen and abolitionists during the Civil War.
Owner Charles Pendleton, a Vicksburg native, greets visitors and quizzes them on Civil War history. This was a humbling experience.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Review Civil War history before going here if you hate failing pop quizzes.
Night Out in Vicksburg
Key City Brewery & Eatery
Key City Brewery & Eatery, Vicksburg’s only brewery, has a huge industrial space, rooftop bar with live music and a patio. They brew several excellent beers, with cute names like Miss Hippie, a West Coast IPA, and Mr. Sippi, a pilsner.
And the food menu had plenty of great-sounding options for vegetarians, meat-eaters and gluten-free diners — a surprise and a delight. We shared several pizzas, including one with squash and oyster mushrooms. We had delicious corn fritters (made with grits — so close!) with hot honey, and fabulous Brussels sprouts with a parsnip, date and cashew purée. We also shared a great salad with little gem lettuce, pickled pears and pumpkin seeds. And Key City also has whiskey flights featuring Mississippi spirits. Another gem!
Drinks with a View
We watched the sunset from 10 South Rooftop Bar & Grill, which has views of the river and canal. There are beers on tap, cocktails and a full dinner menu.
Ghost Tour
The McRaven Tour Home offers guided history tours, special candlelight tours and nighttime haunted tours. We took a ghost tour, which also included a history of the house. McRaven is the oldest building in Vicksburg. Built in 1797, it is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where the Ghosts Really Live
OK, I don’t actually believe in ghosts. But if I did, I think they’d haunt Vicksburg National Military Park. This vast battlefield, key to the Civil War (hence Vicksburg’s nickname, “Key City”), endured a 47-day siege. When the Confederacy surrendered on July 4, 1863, the North gained control of the Mississippi River. There are more than 1,400 monuments and memorials, recreated trenches and the Vicksburg National Cemetery. You can bike the 16 miles around the park, drive to different spots and walk or run miles of trails.
SheBuysTravel Tip: Bring a refillable water bottle and snacks; there is no food or drink available here.
USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum
Within the park, stop at the USS Cairo Gunboat and Museum, where you can explore the ironclad ship and artifacts from the soldiers who lived aboard.
On the Highway
The Tomato Place, a shack on the side of the road, was where I finally had my fill of grits. They use stone-ground grits and you can buy a bag to take home. Of course I did! I also had a classic tomato sandwich, though my lunch companions tsk-tsked over my order – no mayo, and whole wheat bread. I stand by my choice. It was delicious. We shared a mess of sides, including macaroni and cheese, a Southern classic and fried green tomatoes.
There was also fried okra but it’s the one veggie I can’t abide. Instead, I tried boiled (pronounced balled) peanuts for the first time. They were surprisingly wet and softer than any peanuts I’ve ever eaten. And served in a plastic bag. Definitely vegetarian and definitely a unique Southern treat.
Despite challenges, I found moments of authentic Southern vegetarian cooking throughout Vicksburg, from creamy grits to fried green tomatoes to homemade desserts.
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