Unearth The Voyage
There is a restaurant in Mississippi that has been feeding travelers, locals, and food lovers since 1870, and somehow it keeps getting better. The shrimp and grits alone have earned a reputation that stretches well beyond state lines, with people driving hours out of their way just for a single plate.
The exposed brick walls, the crocks of peanut butter, and the Southern hospitality all work together to create something that feels genuinely rare. I made the trip, I cleaned my plate, and I am here to tell you every bit of the hype is justified.
Where to Find This Historic Southern Treasure
Right in the heart of Meridian, Mississippi, at 210 22nd Ave, Meridian, MS 39301, sits one of the most storied restaurants in the entire South. Weidmann’s has been open since 1870, making it the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Mississippi, and that alone is worth a detour.
The building carries its age with confidence. Exposed brick walls, warm lighting, and a layout that feels like it was designed for long, unhurried meals all set the tone before a single dish arrives.
Meridian sits roughly between Birmingham and Jackson along Interstate 20, which makes it a natural stopping point for road trippers. Whether you are heading toward the Gulf Coast or cutting across the Deep South, this address belongs on your route.
The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11 AM to 9 PM, Friday and Saturday from 11 AM to 10 PM, and Sunday from 10 AM to 2 PM. You can reach them at 601-581-5770, and their website at weidmanns1870.com has the full menu ready for browsing before you arrive.
A Legacy That Started Before Your Great-Great-Grandparents Were Born
Opening a restaurant in 1870 means Weidmann’s was already serving plates when Reconstruction was still reshaping the South. That kind of timeline puts the place in rare company, and the restaurant leans into its history in the best possible way.
Historical photographs line the walls, and the decor mixes nostalgia with a polish that keeps things from feeling like a museum. The space manages to feel both lived-in and cared for, which is a balance that takes generations to achieve.
The peanut butter tradition is one of the most talked-about quirks on the menu. Every table receives a crock of peanut butter with crackers, a practice that reportedly dates back to the Great Depression, when the restaurant adapted to feed its community through tough times.
That kind of history gives the meal a context that most restaurants simply cannot offer. Restaurants in states like Oklahoma may carry their own proud culinary traditions, but a 150-plus-year unbroken run in Mississippi is a different kind of achievement entirely.
Every bite at Weidmann’s comes with a story attached, and the story makes the food taste even better.
The Shrimp and Grits That Earned Every Ounce of Praise
The shrimp and grits at Weidmann’s have a way of converting skeptics on the spot. More than one person has sat down insisting they were not a grits fan and then looked up halfway through the bowl with a completely different opinion.
The grits are cooked to a consistency that holds its shape without turning heavy or gluey. The shrimp are generous in portion, seasoned with confidence, and paired with sausage that adds a smoky depth to the whole dish.
People who have eaten shrimp and grits across the Carolinas, Louisiana, and even in Oklahoma restaurants that specialize in Southern cuisine consistently rank this version among the very best they have tried. That cross-regional praise means something real.
The dish is not trying to reinvent anything. It is doing what great Southern cooking does, which is taking familiar ingredients and executing them with enough care and precision that the result feels elevated without being fussy.
The seasoning hits every note without going overboard, and the portion size is the kind that makes you genuinely consider whether dessert is a realistic option. Spoiler: it always is.
Fried Green Tomatoes That Set the Bar for the Whole Meal
The fried green tomatoes arrive as an appetizer, but they have a habit of stealing the show from whatever comes after them. The coating is crisp without being thick, and the tomatoes inside stay firm enough to give you a proper bite without turning mushy.
The sauce served alongside them is the kind of thing that makes you want to ask the kitchen for an extra ramekin. It has a tangy, creamy quality that cuts through the richness of the fry without overpowering the natural tartness of the tomato.
Some versions of this dish around the South lean too heavily on the batter and lose the vegetable underneath. Here, the tomato is the star and the coating exists to support it, not bury it.
First-time visitors often order them as a starter and then spend the rest of the meal wishing they had ordered a second round. The portion is fair, but the flavor makes it feel like it disappears too quickly.
If you are sharing with the table, consider ordering two. The fried green tomatoes at Weidmann’s are consistently described as among the best versions of this classic dish anywhere in Mississippi.
The Famous Black Bottom Pie That Ends Every Meal Right
Black bottom pie is one of those desserts that sounds straightforward until you actually eat a proper version of it, and then you understand why people have been ordering it at Weidmann’s for generations. The chocolate base is dense and rich without crossing into overwhelming territory.
The contrast between the dark chocolate layer and the lighter, silkier topping is what makes the whole thing work. Each forkful delivers both textures at once, and the balance is precise enough that neither element dominates the other.
Tables that order it often go quiet for a moment after the first bite, which is the clearest possible sign that something is working. The slice is generous, and the crust holds up without crumbling into the filling, which is a technical detail that matters more than most people realize.
Dessert can feel like an obligation at some restaurants, a polite finish to a meal that was already complete. At Weidmann’s, the black bottom pie is a destination in its own right.
People have been known to plan their return visit before they have even finished their current slice, and that says everything you need to know about how good it really is.
Crab Cakes That Prove the Kitchen Has Real Range
A restaurant that does shrimp and grits this well might tempt you to ignore everything else on the menu, but the crab cakes make a strong case for expanding your order. They are packed with actual crab meat rather than the filler-heavy versions that disappoint so often elsewhere.
The exterior crust is golden and firm, while the inside stays moist and tender. The seasoning is confident without being aggressive, and the crab flavor comes through clearly on every bite rather than getting buried under spice or breading.
Pairing them with the fried green tomatoes is a combination that multiple visitors have arrived at independently, and it is easy to understand why. The acidity of the tomato cuts the richness of the crab in a way that keeps the palate fresh through the whole dish.
Southern coastal cooking has a long tradition of treating crab with respect, and Weidmann’s honors that tradition with every plate. The crab cakes here are the kind of dish that makes you reconsider your usual ordering habits.
You came in for the shrimp and grits, but you might leave talking about the crab cakes instead, and that is not a bad problem to have at all.
The Atmosphere Inside the Dining Room
The dining room at Weidmann’s hits a balance that is genuinely hard to pull off. The exposed brick and historical photographs give it a sense of weight and permanence, while the white linen tablecloths and well-spaced tables keep it from feeling casual or rushed.
Tables are set far enough apart that conversations stay private, which is a small detail that makes a big difference when you are settling in for a long meal. The temperature inside is comfortable year-round, and the lighting is warm without being so dim that you cannot see your food properly.
The overall feeling is upscale Southern, which means elevated without being stiff. There is no dress code enforced, and the room welcomes everyone from road-trippers in jeans to couples celebrating anniversaries in nicer clothes.
The historical items and photographs on the walls give you something to look at between courses, and they tell the story of Meridian and of the restaurant itself in a way that adds genuine texture to the visit. Diners from states like Oklahoma often comment on how different this kind of deep-rooted Southern atmosphere feels compared to newer restaurants back home.
The place has a lived-in soul that no amount of interior design budget can manufacture from scratch.
Service That Matches the Quality of the Food
Great food can be undermined by indifferent service, and the opposite is also true. At Weidmann’s, the two work together in a way that makes the whole experience feel cohesive rather than transactional.
Servers here know the menu well enough to make real recommendations rather than just reading off descriptions. They walk you through the specials with genuine enthusiasm, and they seem to actually care whether you enjoy what you ordered.
That kind of attentiveness is harder to find than it should be.
The pace of service tends to match the size of the crowd. During quieter weekday lunches, everything moves quickly and efficiently.
On busy Friday and Saturday evenings, there might be a bit more of a wait between courses, but the quality never drops to compensate for the speed.
Hospitality in the Deep South has a reputation that restaurants in places like Oklahoma and beyond often aspire to replicate, and Weidmann’s delivers on that reputation consistently. The welcome you receive when you walk through the door sets the tone for the whole meal, and the warmth does not fade between the appetizer and the dessert.
Good service at this level feels less like a feature and more like a baseline standard.
The Peanut Butter Tradition That Surprises Every First-Timer
Few things at Weidmann’s prompt more conversation than the crock of peanut butter that arrives at your table before you even order. First-time visitors often stare at it for a moment, unsure whether it is meant as a joke or a genuine part of the experience.
It is absolutely the latter.
The tradition reportedly traces back to the Great Depression, when the restaurant found creative ways to keep feeding its community during lean times. What started as a practical adaptation became a beloved signature that has outlasted every economic cycle since.
Spreading peanut butter on a cracker while you look over a menu full of redfish, shrimp, and crab cakes is a distinctly Weidmann’s experience, and it works better than it has any right to. The salty, creamy richness actually primes your palate for the savory dishes to come.
Some visitors find it a quirky novelty and move on quickly. Others end up refilling the crock twice before their entree arrives.
Either way, it is the kind of small, specific tradition that you remember long after the meal ends, and it gives the restaurant a personality that no marketing campaign could ever invent or replicate successfully.
Other Standout Dishes Worth Ordering Beyond the Shrimp and Grits
The shrimp and grits get the headlines, but the menu at Weidmann’s has enough depth that you could visit multiple times and never feel like you were repeating yourself. The redfish dishes are a serious contender for best plate in the house, especially when topped with shrimp and a spicy sauce.
The gumbo earns consistent praise as one of the best versions available anywhere in Mississippi. The chipotle sweet potatoes are a side dish that regularly upstages the main course, with a flavor profile that is unexpected enough to stop you mid-bite.
The muffuletta is a different take on the New Orleans classic, featuring thick slices of ham and corned beef that make it feel more substantial than the standard version. The house-made chips that accompany many dishes are crisp, well-seasoned, and genuinely worth eating rather than just filling space on the plate.
The spicy chicken sandwich has its own devoted following among visitors who arrive expecting to order something more traditionally Southern and then find themselves completely satisfied with their choice. Weidmann’s range across the menu is the kind of thing that makes a restaurant feel like a destination rather than just a stop, which is exactly what this place has been for over 150 years.
Practical Tips for Planning Your Visit
A few logistical details can make the difference between a smooth visit and a frustrating one. Weidmann’s opens at 11 AM Monday through Saturday and at 10 AM on Sundays, with Sunday hours wrapping up at 2 PM.
If a Sunday brunch stop is your plan, arrive early because those hours move quickly.
Friday and Saturday evenings are the busiest times of the week. The kitchen stays open until 10 PM on those nights, which gives you flexibility, but arriving before 7 PM tends to mean shorter waits and a more relaxed pace overall.
The price point sits comfortably in the moderate range, with the double dollar sign on most review platforms suggesting that a full meal with appetizer and dessert will not break the bank. For the quality and portion sizes involved, the value is genuinely strong.
Parking in the immediate area around 22nd Ave is generally manageable, and the restaurant is easy to find if you are already navigating through Meridian. Road trippers coming from Oklahoma or other states further west should note that Meridian sits right along I-20, making it a natural and rewarding place to break a long drive with a meal that actually deserves the stop.
Why This Place Belongs on Every Southern Food Lover’s List
A restaurant that has operated continuously since 1870 has earned the right to be taken seriously, and Weidmann’s backs up its legacy with food that holds up against anything being served in much larger, more celebrated Southern cities. The combination of history, atmosphere, and cooking is genuinely hard to match.
Food lovers who make the trip from states like Oklahoma or the Carolinas consistently leave with the same reaction: they wish they had come sooner and they are already planning when to return. That kind of response does not happen by accident.
The shrimp and grits started this conversation, but the full picture of Weidmann’s is bigger than any single dish. The crab cakes, the black bottom pie, the fried green tomatoes, and even the peanut butter crackers all contribute to an experience that feels complete from the first moment to the last.
Mississippi does not always get the national recognition it deserves as a food destination, and Weidmann’s is one of the clearest examples of what the state has been quietly doing right for generations. Every table filled on any given night is proof that the best restaurants do not need to shout.
They just need to keep cooking, and this one has been doing exactly that since 1870.
