Well worth the 30 mile drive from Vicksburg MS on Highway 61. The age old building walls are lined with miscellaneous antiques and treasures that are for sale. The center of the building is filled with tables and chairs for diners to enjoy the delicious southern buffet. Fried chicken is better than any I've ever eaten. And the sides are equally delicious! Â Homemade Mac and cheese, collard greens, candied yams, black eyed peas and so on, and blackberry cobbler for dessert. This one is bookmarked so that we can return for another meal!
Review Source:If you're a student of southern cuisine then this is a place you must visit. Famously known as the place that serves the fried chicken that celebrity chef Alton Brown claimed was the best he'd ever had, this restaurant provides an authentic experience in all that is good and simple about southern cuisine.
Enjoy a wide variety of southern staples from their buffet while being serenaded by the owner who sings soulfully about his cornbread queen!
I don't reckon' Mr. D reads Yelp reviews and I don't blame him. But here it goes.
I am a native Mississippian now living in Portland, OR. My last visit home, I grabbed my Grandma and we took a trip down to Lorman.
It was rainy and cold. It was a Monday and we were the first people there. We got there at about 11:30, and knowing what I know now, it's probably best to get there a little later on -- say 12-2 -- for the lunch rush.
But, there it was: the mound of fried chicken straight out of the fryer. I am a cook in Portland, hopefully at some point to "specialize" in fried chicken, so I was ready to be schooled in the craft.
It was perfect. So tender and juicy. The salt was just right and it was crunchy and pulled away from the bone like it'd never been attached.
The other buffet items are about as classic as a Mississippi buffet can get. Enjoy them in their simplicity, but know that's what real Mississippi dining looks like.
It's an interesting old antique shop. Nothing on the walls are for sale, but there's a comfort to that.
Grab some cobbler and a cup of coffee before you head back out.
Mr. D was kind enough to come chat with me for a few minutes. It really meant a lot. I'm truly humbled by this man. He has so much love for what he does and the people he feeds. His story lives on through that store and with the food he puts out there.
Was thankful to have had the opportunity and will most definitely visit the next time I'm in town.
We drove an extra 2.5 hours out of our way to try this chicken, and it did not disappoint. Â It was moist, crispy and delicious. Â The buffet of sides were equally as good but the chicken was definitely the star of the show. Â Don't be afraid of the outside, or location of this place. Â It is literally in the middle of no where, and is in an old general store (hence the name). Â Knick knacks line the walls and it reminds you of antique stores you would visit with your parents on the weekends. Â All of this added to the excellence of the experience and I can definitely say this is the best friend chicken I have ever had. Â EVER.
Review Source:Fried chicken was delicious, Coke was OK, everything else tasted terrible. Filthiest restaurant I have ever been in. Tables, menus, silverware, and buffet plates were dirty, as was the buffet room and bathrooms; I can only imagine the kitchen. Mr. D seems like a nice man, but this place is a health department nightmare.
Review Source:I will start by saying that I am not a fried chicken on the bones kind of gal but this stuff was good. I enjoyed the buffet choices especially the veggies and my apple cobbler to end my meal. Â However, the highlight was sitting and talking to Mr. D. I could have stayed longer just to listen to his stories. Â I was inspired, moved and in tears of joy.
This is one of those experiences I will probably never be able to recreate so I am glad we took the time to enjoy and not be in a rush!
Alton was right. This establishment is home to the best fried chicken you will ever eat. I don't care who you are or who your mom was. Mr. D beats you. The man produces perfection embodied in fried chicken. It's a work of art. You must go, but I warn you: no other fried chicken will ever taste as good as long as you live.
Review Source:Alton Brown visited this place on his tour of Mississippi a couple of years ago and raved about the fried chicken. Â Later he was on another food network program where the stars were discussing their favorite foods, and he said that Mr. D's fried chicken was the best he ever had. Â So, I had to go. Â I do not eat much fried chicken, because I find most inferior - overcooked, dry, and unappealing breading. Â Mr. D's was perfect, just perfect. Â Even better than my mom's. Â The buffet is affordable and offered a great selection of vegetables and good tea. Â Stop and try it - you will be happy you did.
Review Source:Definately THE BEST CHICKEN IN THE WORLD!!!!! Â Awesome environment with great service. Â We drove an hour out of the way just to try this place, and it did not disappoint. The old exterior made us nearly miss it but man what a cool interior with all the antiques. Mr. Davis checked us out personally, and I believe every worker in the place said hi and asked how we were. This is everything you want out of a restaurant from fresh in season veggies, to fansastic service, not to mention the WORLDS BEST CHICKEN.
Did I mention the chicken is THE BEST!!!!!
If you are on the Natchez Trace near Lorman, MS you need to stop at the Old Country Store. They serve what is in season, so the vegetables are very fresh. Many say the fried chicken is the best in Mississippi, I have never had better and I have been eating in Mississippi for many years - there may be a better friend chicken somewhere but I have yet to discover it. Cornbread is excellent too. Many of the dishes come from the proprietor, Mr. Arthur Davis, mother's recipe. The store has been featured on national TV, and many of the cars in front are from out of state, but the atmosphere is local. The building is over 100 years old and the eclectic collection of items on the store shelves is also worth a look. Prices are reasonable.
Denver Mullican
Four of us visited the Old Country Store today for the lunch buffet after a recommendation from a fellow RV person. We did not know what to expect, and had not read information or reviews before going. We found exactly what we were looking for in Mississippi, local food with local personality in a historic building. I honestly would not give the food five stars, but I would give Arthur five stars. Arthur Davis is the owner and I assume, the cook and well worth the visit. Follow some of the links here at Yelp to find some YouTube videos of Arthur. Anyway, we enjoyed our meal and I would certainly return here again.
Review Source:Mr. D pours his heart and soul into his cooking (and his singing!). Â (He's one of the co-founders of the Wingo's restaurant chain).
There's nothing fancy or pretentious with either the food nor the ambiance. Â It's simply the best home-style southern cooking around, served in a simple, comfortable setting. Â
This place is perfect for groups, especially if you drop by by around lunchtime, because there's no waiting for the food. Â The food is already on the buffet line, and it's plentiful. Â Also, there's a lot of seating space, and tables can easily be moved together, if needed.
Even though the food is served buffet style, this is not bland, old food that you might normally associate with a buffet. Â This is food from the heart.
On a cross the country trip my bf and I stopped in Lorman for fried chicken because 1) it was not far from where some family lives 2) we saw the place on Alton Brown's show feasting on asphalt. The chicken is quite good, crispy, juicy, flavorful and pipping hot. All the other food is just ok, I think you can get similar food pretty much anywhere in the South. The restaurant and the Mr. D are just so full of character.
The fried chicken is sold inside an old store with lots of of shelves and piles of old junk still all around. Mr. D is ecstatic to see every visitor and you don't even need to ask before he just starts handing out his autograph , and about once an hour he breaks into a song. If you want good friend chicken and a bizarre but enjoyable experience why not stop here.
Wonderful trip back in time. This restaurant is set in an 1800's General Store. The Owner Mr. D is amazing and personally greets and visits each table. He advertises his Fried Chicken as the best on earth and I can say if there is a better homeade crispy, crunchy fried chicken, I haven't had it yet. The price of $12.50 included a drink, salad bar and all you can eat buffet bar. Besides the great chicken, the bar included smoked ribs, fried pork chops, stewed chicken with rice, sweet potatoes, greens, purple hull peas, cornbread dressing and more. Everything was fantastic. If you visit please plan on gaining a few pounds. It's that good.
Review Source:My husband's family thought I was crazy, wanting to drive more than 3 hours from their home in Ocean Springs, in torrential rain no less, and with tornado warnings, all for what Alton Brown (of Food Network fame) had said was the best fried chicken he'd ever had. When we arrived, the sun was shining, and I just knew I was in for one of the best culinary treats of my life.
The Old Country Store is a 130 year old building that looks like a breeze could blow it over. Inside, the walls are lined with shelves filled with flea-market kitsch. I bought two cotton angel ornaments where the sharp, tough husk parts of the cotton plant form the wings. They were all handmade by a local woman, Mr. D said.
Mr. D- what an extraordinary man he is. Even if his chicken had been average, I would have made the trip just to meet him. He's the type of person whose age you don't dare guess. You know he's been around the block a few times, but he is so energetic and full of life and positive energy that there's no way he's as old as he must be. He greeted and chatted with all of his customers, encouraging them to eat more, 'cause he'll make more. He also sang us a song about how his "Grandma was a cornbread cookin' queen..." Now, the old spirituals have always inexplicably made this plump white German immigrant choke up- and Mr. D's voice did the same.
The food was served buffet style- fried chicken, chicken smothered in onion gravy, greens, black-eyes peas, green beans, mac & cheese, rice, cornbread, and salad- all for the ridiculous price of $6.95. It was indeed the best fried chicken I have ever had. My husband almost never eats fried chicken because he does not like meat on the bone, but I for the first time I actually saw him gnaw the bones clean. Â We somehow managed to save room for dessert, and no joke- there were actually tears in my husband's eyes as he bit into his peach cobbler a la mode. I had the blackberry and it was also outstanding.
As we checked out, I asked Mr. D if he knew that Alton Brown was coming before he showed up. "No!" he said in his sweet drawl. "And that's the way I want it. I treat everybody the same who comes in here. Whether it's Oprah Winfrey, the Southern Living people, the president, you, or Alton Brown. Everybody's the same."
If you are anywhere near Lorman, Mississippi, you're a fool if you don't stop at the Old Country Store. Mr. D and his staff will renew your faith in humanity and in the healing powers of comfort food.
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