The Route Less Traveled
I drive a lot between Tennessee and Louisiana. Usually I’ve got kids in the car and/or my dog riding shotgun, and I’m just trying to get somewhere quick like a McDonald’s off the interstate or maybe a Love’s with a bathroom and a dog patch. This trip was different. I made it a point to find something off the beaten path. I still hit Love’s for gas and a potty break for the dog (plus, the McDonald’s there kept my youngest happy), but I needed a real meal. Only having fast food while traveling was making me sick.
Hacking the System
Lunch plates are normal where I grew up in Louisiana. You find them in little roadside restaurants, sure—but some of the best ones come from gas stations. Random, rural, nothing-around-for-miles gas stations. I knew that if I could find a place selling hamburger steak, I’d probably find a good lunch plate spot. That’s the trick: Google doesn’t always understand “lunch plate,” but it knows “hamburger steak.”
So I searched for hamburger steak and got a handful of results, which most of them looked forgettable. But one stood out with a 4.5-star rating and it was just a mile off I-59. The place was called Southern Fryers.
First Impressions
Southern Fryers sits on the east side of Meridian off of MS highway 39. The building looked like it used to be a Wendy’s or something similar, with faded asphalt and worn-out parking lines from years of loyal traffic. It was just before closing time (3:00 PM) and I had made it at 2:15.
Inside, the setup was humble: a few tables, handwritten menu taped to the glass of the hot bar, and no time wasted on design or branding. Just food doing the talking. I’d found the real deal.
Today’s Lineup
Earlier that day, I had checked their Facebook page and found a Reel (see above) from the owner or chef showing off the day’s offerings. Everything looked on point. The hot bar that day featured:
- Chicken and rice
- Smothered fried pork chops
- Alfredo pasta with chicken and sausage
- Plus several other soulful Southern dishes that looked worth every calorie
When the woman behind the counter asked what I’d like, I went with the chicken and rice. Big baked pieces of chicken resting on a bed of rice that had clearly soaked up all those pan drippings. For my sides, I went hard: baked mac & cheese and baked spaghetti. When I saw spaghetti listed as a side, I didn’t hesitate. That’s a carb-loaded trifecta if I’ve ever seen one.
Each plate came with either cornbread or a roll. I went with cornbread. For drinks, there was sweet tea, unsweet tea, lemonade, and a red punch-looking thing. I got half sweet, half unsweet tea to avoid the sugar overload that’s basically guaranteed in a Mississippi sweet tea.
All in: $18 plus tax. Not cheap, but it was Sunday and the portion size felt like it weighed five pounds. Literally.
The Breakdown
I took my meal to go and drove down the street to find a place to eat in peace. I ended up under the old metal awning of a gas station that had since been turned into a title loan place. It was the kind of Mississippi roadside landmark you don’t forget—busted signs, dusty concrete, but just enough shade to survive that brutal 96° heat.
I popped the Styrofoam box open and started with the cornbread. Honestly? Just okay. Basic. I didn’t want to waste time, so I moved on.
Mac & Cheese: Excellent. Sharp cheddar baked golden on top, creamy inside, the kind of mac that makes you forget you’re not at someone’s house.
Baked Spaghetti: Really good. Plenty of meat sauce, solid texture, and easily could’ve held its own as a main course. This wasn’t filler—it was a feature.
Chicken & Rice: Three pieces—two thighs and a leg—resting on a bed of perfectly seasoned rice. The leg was a little overcooked on one side, but not bad. The thighs? Total winners. Juicy, fall-off-the-bone tender, seasoned with a light but flavorful touch. This tasted like it came out of someone’s kitchen, not a chain. And there was so much of it, I didn’t even have to make a separate stop for the dog. I shared with her and still had more than enough.
I had to physically stop myself from finishing all the rice. It was that good. But I knew if I didn’t pace myself, I’d be in a food coma for the rest of the drive.
Final Thoughts
I’ve eaten a lot of meals on the road. Some were forgettable, some functional, but only a handful that feel like they were meant just for me. This was one of those meals.
Southern Fryers isn’t flashy. There’s no website (that I could easily find), no polished branding, no menu with perfect typography. But there’s care in the food, and you can feel that when you eat it. These are the kind of meals that remind me why I started writing about food in the first place. Not just to share where to eat, but to remind people that value and comfort don’t always come from the places with the biggest signs or the best lighting.
Was it cheap? No. Was it worth it? Every bit.
It might not have been Louisiana AF by location, but it was in spirit. Good food, good soul, good people and a sense of home in a place I’d never been before. Sometimes, when you’re chasing a little bit of flavor and comfort, you’ve gotta go Mississippi AF to find it.
Where to find Southern Fryers
1729 MS-39, Meridian, MS 39301
Looking for more food? Check out my other food posts.
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