The story
Taylor Grocery began as a dry goods store in 1889. For generations it served the tiny Mississippi community of Taylor, just outside Oxford, as a place to buy supplies—and, on Saturdays, get a haircut in the back. In 1977, Jerry and Evie Wilson started cooking and selling catfish a few doors down, then moved into this building. The tradition stuck. Today, the Hewlett family—Lynn, Debbie, and Sarah Margaret—carries it forward, keeping the same charm and quality that made it “That Catfish Place” to travelers, students, and locals. The motto on the website says it all: “Eat or we both starve.”
The menu sticks to what they do best: American Southern cooking, anchored by Mississippi farm-raised catfish. Whole catfish, hand-scored and fried in a light cornmeal breading, is served with two sides and hushpuppies. The catfish fillet plate—four lightly breaded fillets—is what made Taylor famous. For those who prefer no breading, there is grilled or blackened catfish, seared in a cast-iron skillet. But the kitchen also turns out steaks (a bacon-wrapped filet and a hand-cut ribeye), fried or grilled shrimp, oysters, Cajun pork chops, and Sarah Margaret’s chicken and shrimp gumbo. Sides are classic: red beans and rice, Rotel cheese fries, a chef salad with homemade Comeback sauce.
The dining room occupies the original storefront, with a relaxed, no-frills atmosphere that hasn’t changed much in decades. There are no reservations, no alcohol served (though they will sell you a soda), and the place fills up fast Thursday through Sunday evenings. In 2026, Michelin awarded Taylor Grocery its Recommended designation—a nod to the restaurant’s enduring, honest cooking and its role as a true Southern destination. It is a place where the food comes first, the stories are shared, and the catfish keeps people coming back.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
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