Old Country Store — Lorman

The Old Country Store in Lorman, Mississippi, is one of the most singular dining experiences in the American South: a legendary Sunday lunch buffet served inside a store building that has stood along US Highway 61 since the late nineteenth century. The building's age, roughly 120 years, is only part of what makes it remarkable — the Sunday buffet itself, an all-you-can-eat spread of Southern cooking anchored by fried chicken and fried catfish, has become the stuff of food mythology. Lorman sits on the Natchez Trace corridor between Natchez and Vicksburg, and the Old Country Store draws food travelers making a dedicated detour as well as locals who have been attending the Sunday service for generations. The buffet occupies long steam tables set within the store's original interior, surrounded by historical artifacts, antiques, and the accumulated atmosphere of a century of commerce. Fried chicken arrives hot and crispy in batches; catfish is cooked to order and replenished continuously. Southern vegetable sides — butter beans, collard greens, sweet potato casserole, and corn pudding — fill the remaining positions. Peach cobbler and sweet potato pie close the meal. The restaurant operates exclusively on Sunday for the lunch service, from approximately 11 AM to 2 PM, and the buffet can sell out. Calling ahead to 601-437-3661 before making a long drive to Lorman is strongly advised. The Old Country Store is one of Mississippi's most written-about and photographed food destinations.