Stepping through Phillips Grocery‘s doors is like going back a good 60 years. Inside, it’s filled with all types of old soda signage and memorabilia, along with a wide array of seating options, including old school desks, aka one-armed bandits.
The menu is on a blackboard above the expediting window but behind the order counter. I’m mentally set to have the third-pound burger with cheese, mustard, onion, and pickles.
Then I make a quick last-minute addition of the patty melt—an order of crinkle-cut fries and a fried apple pie round out the lunch equation.
Phillips Grocery History
Phillips Grocery is located in Holly Springs, Mississippi (there is another in Oxford, too), near some train tracks involved in the Van Dorn Raid of the American Civil War.
The two-story house was built as a saloon in 1892 by a former Confederate soldier. In 1919, it became a grocery store, and in 1948, it started serving burgers under the new ownership of Mr. and Mrs. W.L. Phillips.
Patty Melt
What’s interesting about the patty melt is that it does not only go the bi-cheese route but also comes with the standard grilled onions and peppers, yes, peppers. In addition, both burgers have a nice little meat crust on them (it is not burned, folks) and are wrapped in wax paper.
The patty melt comes halved, which is not my preference or suggestion. They use fresh, never-frozen beef (well, it‘s a SlugBurger). Which one was better? I’d have to tip my hat to the patty melt on this one.
The crinkle cuts were fried just right (not oily), but I’d suggest skipping them and going with the two burgers instead. The apple pie was good, but I might have been better off buying one of the Moon Pies they had at the counter.
Phillips Grocery
2406 S Lamar Boulevard
Oxford, MS
(662) 236-5951
Website – https://www.phillipsgroceryoxford.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/phillipsgrocery
Monday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Tuesday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Wednesday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Thursday 11:00 am – 2:30 pm
Friday 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday CLOSED
Hill Country Blue History in Holly Springs
As a giant fan of R.L. Burnside and Junior Kimbrough (Fat Possum Records), I was ecstatic to run into this sign in the middle of their downtown area on our way out of Holly Springs.
