A Starkville Tradition Since 1945
Come hungry when you visit this long-time staple of Starkville’s Main Street. On Game Day, you better come early, because the line will soon be stretching out the door. Locals and visitors alike come for the friendly atmosphere and the mouth-watering Southern meals just like your grandma made.
The Café has been serving meals on Main Street since 1945. Owner John Peeples, who was born and raised in Starkville, has owned the Café since 2010.
“Starkville Café is the only place in town where food and good sweet tea come together to create that social camaraderie. That’s what it is,” said Peeples in an interview with ERA Town & Campus Realty. “If you come in this restaurant, it’s your place,” says Peeples.
Down Home Southern Food
The Café serves breakfast and lunch every day and dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Their home style food has earned this local spot many regulars.
The breakfast menu includes several Southern favorites like hash browns, grits, biscuits and gravy, country ham, pulled pork omelet, and of course, iced tea.
If you’re really hungry, there are platters like “the hungry man” with two jumbo eggs, a pancake, hash browns or grits, and a meat or the “two country egg platter” with two jumbo eggs with biscuit or toast with ham, bacon, sausage, and grist or hash browns.
Or maybe loaded hash browns are your thing – full of cheese, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and ham. Don’t forget try a little bit of their famous duck butter on a waffle or short stack. You won’t regret it.
Lunch time diners have lots to choose from – a long list of sandwiches, plates, and even salads. Whether you’re craving country fried steak, catfish fillets, chicken salad, a shrimp poboy, BBQ, or a juicy burger, you’ll find the perfect lunch food.
For those seeking lighter fare, there are several salads including a chef salad and a BBQ salad.
There is always a daily lunch special with your choice of meat and two sides. Some of the most popular lunch plates are chicken spaghetti, chicken and dumplings, and fried chicken.
Each daily lunch special offers different Southern sides like sweet potato casserole, butter peas, fried okra, purple hull peas, mac and cheese, and turnip greens.
A Step Back in Time
Walking into the Café is like slipping back in time. There are a few bar stools still at the counter and large black and white tiles on the floor. The walls are covered with old photos, Coca-Cola signs, picture quotes, and, of course, lots of Mississippi State memorabilia.
You can’t miss the large 10-seat table at the end of the bar in the main room. It’s called the “liar’s table” where often, you find a group of regulars sitting and telling tales.
If you’re by yourself and want some company, take a seat the “Liar’s Table” and you’ll soon be joined with folks happy to chat with you.
You’ll feel right at home in this Café. The waitresses always have a smile, the service is fast and friendly, and the food is truly Southern style. Like the sign in the window says, it’s where you go for “home cooked food.”
Video interview: By ERA Town & Campus Realty:
