If you read Friday’s post or follow along on Instagram, then you know I was in one of my favorite places this past weekend, Oxford, Mississippi.  If you’ve been to Oxford or graduated from Ole Miss, then you know that indescribable love that I have for this charming little town.  If you’ve never been, you should definitely add it to your list of southern cities to hit up!  Even if you have no connection to Ole Miss or Oxford, it’s a great place for a weekend escape.

I want to share where all we went this weekend, but in addition, at the bottom of the post I shared a few other places that I’d definitely recommend checking out.

Oxford, MS Weekend Guide

First things first – For anyone that doesn’t know, Oxford is centered around “The Square.”  If you’re just visiting for a weekend, this is where you’ll likely be the entire time.  The square is anchored by the gorgeous, white county courthouse building (pictured above) and is surrounded by restaurants, bars, and adorable shops.

My first recommendation prior to visiting is to make reservations for dinner.  The students weren’t even back in school last weekend, but the square was still packed.  Thankfully we thought ahead.  Friday night we (all 14 of us!) met at City Grocery for a fantastic dinner.  City Grocery is a staple in Oxford.  It was one of those “special occasion” restaurants when I was in college, but now I appreciate it even more.  In my opinion, the shrimp and grits are the main attraction.  But it’s hard to go wrong with anything on the menu there.  In the spring and summer City Grocery has a delightful upstairs balcony where you can grab a cocktail and catch up with friends while overlooking the square.

The next morning we ventured to one of my favorite bakeries, Bottletree Bakery.  You won’t be able to find a more charming place to take in the local scene while sipping on a hot cup of joe or a fancy americano than Bottletree.  For breakfast, take a look in the pastry cabinet and pick out what looks best – you’ll be good with whatever you choose!  My favorites include the blueberry muffin and strawberry humble pie.  If you’re stopping in for lunch or an afternoon pick me up, try a warm chocolate chip cookie with chocolate sauce drizzled on top.  Seriously.  It’s SO good.

After hitting up Bottletree, we had to pop in all of the shops around the square. Must go-tos include Hinton & Hinton, Village Tailor, Cicada, Indigo, Zoe, Neilson’s, and Katherine Beck Gifts.

For lunch we went to one of my favorite places to get southern soul food, Ajax Diner.  I’m a big fan of the “veggie” plate.  I say “veggie” because mine is mostly just carbs, naturally.

If you’re looking for a place to stay in Oxford, the newly renovated, Graduate Hotel, perfectly located on the square, is definitely the best place to stay.  Not only is it centrally located and allows you to walk to anywhere on the square, the decor will blow you away.  Starting with the pink-stained wood floors in the lobby and the retro bar that greets you when you walk through the revolving door, it only gets better as you make your way around the corner to the cutest coffee shop you’ve ever seen, Cabin 82 (for all of my La Colombe lovers, they brew La Colombe coffee there!).

For our last night out on the town, we went to a relatively new restaurant, Oxford Grillhouse.  With our big group we had our own little private dining area!  It was still in the main dining room so we were in the mix, but it was quiet enough so that all of us could mingle and catch up.  I highly recommend getting a steak.  It was one of the best steaks I’ve had in a long time.

Before heading back to the east coast, I had to get in a southern breakfast, and the best place for that is hands down Big Bad Breakfast.  I’m not even going to give you a recommendation here because everything is amazing.  I will say that if you want to branch out a little, try one of their house made gravies – my favorite is the tomato gravy.  It reminds me of something my grandma would have made.  Delicious.

Recommendations

Breakfast: Bottletree Bakery, Big Bad Breakfast, Cabin 82

Lunch: Bottletree, Ajax, Proud Larry’s, Philip’s Grocery 

Dinner: City Grocery, Oxford Grillhouse, Second Line, Proud Larry’s, Ajax, Boure, Snackbar, Taylor Grocery (a gem!)

Grab a Drink: City Grocery upstairs, The Burgundy Room, Rafters (tv’s, go early), Proud Larry’s patio, Frank & Marley’s (bring your dog!), Boure (balcony), Graduate Hotel (lobby or at the Coop).

To Do: Check out the University (it’s beautiful), attend a game (football, basketball, baseball etc.), shop The Square, wander around William Faulkner’s house and gorgeous grounds.

As always, let me know if you have any questions at all!  Thanks so much for stopping by!