A rare non-Downtown post. I work in the I-55/Goodman area near the border of Horn Lake and Southaven, and a friend got the mistaken impression that I eat at Chili’s every day because it’s all that’s available. In fact, I’ve never been to Chili’s. Here are some of the places I eat regularly. Who knows, maybe this will help someone who has to visit the area.
Zaxby’s (Goodman at Interstate) – Chicken. Wings, tenders, salads. I like the boneless wings with Nuclear (X-hot) sauce. I probably go here more than anywhere else. I’m the mayor of Zaxby’s on Foursquare.
Steak ‘n’ Shake (Goodman at Southaven Towne Centre) – Great burgers and shakes. Love this place.
Abbay’s (in the shopping center on the other side of Goodman from Southaven Towne Centre) – Meat and two/three plates. Love this place too. Get the spicy fried broccoli.
Qdoba Mexican Grill (same area as Abbay’s) – Mexican build-your-own-meal place. The Mexican gumbo and the nachos are my favorites.
El Charro (Goodman a few blocks west of 51) – Another good Mexican place, with a more traditional menu.
Mi Pueblo (Goodman at Elmore) – yet another Mexican place. I like the cheese enchiladas covered with beef, onions and peppers. Can’t remember the name.
La Hacienda (Southaven Towne Center) – and yet another Mexican place still.
Leleavadlee Thai Cuisine (Goodman in the shopping center west of Swinnea) – Love this place too. Have yet to settle on a favorite, but the tom yum with shrimp was a recent selection I enjoyed.
Grand Buffet (Interstate Blvd. north of Goodman, next to Target) – They have sushi on the buffet.
Tops Bar-b-q (State Line near I-55) – Excellent burgers. They take a little while because they’re fresh cooked. Worth the wait.
Jim Neely’s Interstate BBQ (State Line between I-55 and Airways) – discovered this place one day when Tops’ lot was full. Good BBQ nachos.
HT Ponder’s (Nail Road near 51) – Good Southern buffet.
Boomer’s (Nail Road near 51) – Little family owned restaurant with burgers that remind me a little of Dyer’s. Greasy and good.
Maria’s Cantina (Airways just south of Goodman) – Another Mexican place, with more of a Tex-Mex menu. Chile relleno is really good. Somewhat pricey for lunch so I don’t go there much.
On the Border (Airways south of Goodman) – And yet another Mexican place. I generally prefer locally owned over chain Mexican, but the cheese enchiladas with skirt steak (I forget the name of that dish) are outstanding.
Italian Rebel (Winchester near Mill Branch) – a seven mile drive from work, but their food is worth it. Family owned. A must stop if you find yourself in Whitehaven.
Fazoli’s (Southaven Towne Centre) – when I want Italian but don’t feel like driving to Italian Rebel
Buffalo Wild Wings (Airways north of Goodman) – I’ve tried several varieties of their wings, but keep going back to the extra hot. Good place to go when March Madness is on.
Red Lobster (Airways south of Goodman) – I had a free gift card, so why not
Arby’s, Wendy’s, KFC, Popeye’s, Taco Bell, McDonald’s, Back Yard Burgers, Quizno’s now and then.
What’s missing in the area: An Indian restaurant. Closest is 10 miles away on American Way, which is just too much of a drive.
There’s a Huey’s at Airways and Malco Blvd., but I don’t see much point going there since I have a Huey’s a block away from home. There’s a Hooters on Goodman which friends tell me is one of the best restaurants in the chain, but I have yet to give it a try. Several chain steakhouses in the area too, but I don’t think I could eat one of their steaks having had Patrick’s steaks at the Majestic Grille Downtown. Kroger has a deli but that’s hardly even worth mentioning in a blog post about food.
That’s the list. Guess I’ll get back to work now. I’ll be at Pint Nite at the Saucer tonight after work. Possibly poker at the Silly Goose too.
