Mayflower Cafe

What a beautiful and iconic cafe in downtown Jackson. The new owners have honored the founders wonderfully by preserving the past and delivering amazing food and drink. The service is outstanding from the moment you walk in the door. Our food was delicious, full of flavors and perfectly prepared. Easy to find parking steps from the front door, we will make this a regular spot for us!

Friendly, attentive staff; delicious food; excellent prices; classic diner appeal. A coworker and I were staying at the Hilton nearby and decided to head here for dinner. I ordered a cup of the gumbo and knew from the aroma when it was set in front of me that this was legitimate gumbo. Delicious and full of seafood. I also had the catfish plate and the fish was perfectly cooked, delicious, and light and flaky. I was in foody heaven. Not sure why they're not rated higher. Being from South Louisiana, I consider myself a gumbo snob - and they nailed it. Everything about the experience, including the manager stopping by to chat, was great.

We hosted our engagement party in the Mayflower’s event space and had the most wonderful evening! The process to reserve the room was simple and straightforward. The staff took such great care of us and our guests🤍 The food and drinks were 10/10 and I cannot recommend the Mayflower enough!!

Dropped in for lunch with my Foodie Girlfriends & had a lovely experience. There were 2 blue plate offerings which we selected -- crawfish tetrazzini & hamburger steak. I had the feta burger. Excellent choices! Fresh tea, homemade rolls, friendliest service at a reasonable price. Definitely 2 thumbs up! Love it!

The Mayflower Cafe was founded in 1935 and is located on 123 W. Capital St. in Jackson. It is one of the oldest restaurants in Mississippi and was created by two Greek immigrants from the island of Patmos, George Kountouris and John Gouras. The restaurant has received statewide acclaim as “a must go to” restaurant in Jackson and was featured in films such as The Help and Ghosts of Mississippi. Beginning as a hamburger joint during the Great Depression, the Mayflower featured a beer garden before Kountouris and Gouras expanded it into a full-service restaurant. The restaurant’s decor is old-school café with tile floors, glass mosaics, and leather booths. The owners chose the name the Mayflower Cafe as a result of a poll taken in the Jackson Clarion Ledger, and locals often comment that the neon sign above the awning is a landmark that welcomes them back every visit.

I hadn’t been to Mayflower Cafe in years - it’s an oldie but a goodie. We ordered the fried crab claws (needed more seasoning), broiled oysters (prefer oysters in the shell), stuffed crabs, scallops, rolls, and bread pudding - every thing was good (even the loaded butter). The restaurant is small and gets very crowded, but that’s part of it. Service was a little slow but it was a Friday night. What really stood out was the kindness of their staff. The sweetest older gentleman working security walked us to and from our car and even opened the door for me. Please support this local gem - it’s a Jackson classic for a reaon.

Y'all...we loved our lunch at the Mayflower! What a joy to see the new incarnation of this Mississippi classic! The catfish was superb... fresh and perfect in every way. The sides were off-the-charts, too. Service was attentive and super friendly. And don't get me started on the peach cobbler... can't be beat! This is definitely our new favorite. Pay them a visit... you'll love it, too!

It’s always a great food and dinning experience at the Mayflower Cafe in downtown Jackson. The atmosphere and dinning experience, especially after their recent renovation, has been exquisite. A big shout out to Hunter and Cody for their direction and leadership. They’ve preserved the historic parts that make the Mayflower special, while also bringing a new twist and sense of life to the restaurant and to downtown Jackson. Our team has had a great private dining experience here. Highly recommend. I also recommend them for lunch, happy hour, dinner, or a group event of any size. Also, check out their cocktail menu—their bartenders are serving up delicious creations.

Wow! The new Mayflower opened for dinner 9 days ago and despite that, service was impeccable and the food was delicious. We brought our aunt and uncle for their 45th wedding anniversary and the experience did not disappoint. We were met in the parking lot by a familiar face. Mr. LG was watching and darted to escort us down the sidewalk to the restaurant. The inside is like stepping back in time. I'm sure this is what it felt like when the Mayflower was shiny and new, many moons ago. They have kept so many of the features that bring back wonderful memories. Zoe was a very attentive and kind server. We started with onion rings and sautéed crab claws. The onion ring batter was flour and a bit of corn meal. Perfectly cooked. Dipping them in the comeback sauce was heaven. The sautéed crab claws were so fresh tasting and seasoned to perfection! Each couple shared a captains platter but we also added an additional order of French fries. The redfish was divine. Our aunt ate all of the oysters as none of us care for oysters. Gasp!! I know, I know. She said they were wonderful. The stuffed crab was very tasty. Mike said the soft shelled crab was delicious but he would rather it not be served sitting in the butter sauce. While it was delicious, he wished he could have enjoyed the crispness. Mike said the shrimp were cooked very nicely. The fries were crispy and seasoned well. The baked potato served in foil just like the old days. We got there during happy hour so we enjoyed old fashioneds and a perfect dirty vodka martini. The only disappointment was dessert, but considering that I make scratch desserts (I made lemon curd prior to leaving for dinner) I'm critical of homemade desserts. The bread pudding kna. Four Roses sauce was ok. Not amazing but not bad. The crème brûlée was made in a custard cup. While it was very tasty and had a perfect carmelized sugar on top, it was served in a dish that was too deep for crème brûlée so you didn't get that wonderful topping with each bite. The custard was also a bit thinner than most brûlée, but delicious none the less. Now for the biggest disappointment of the evening: the coconut pie. $8.00 for Elmer's kindergarten paste with suntan oil in it. No whipped cream. The crust was packy. What a let down after a fabulous meal. No one at the table would eat it. The coffee could have been warmer but we understand that they were busy. The iced tea was delicious. I seldom drink tea, but this tea was so smooth and refreshing. Over all, we loved it. We hope they will work on the dessert situation. Every good meal deserves a top notch dessert to finish it off. It was so good to see the familiar faces of Mr.Terry and Mr. LG. Also, please add a hook in the ladies restroom stalls for handbags. Putting a handbag on the floor is gross. Note that the dessert was partially eaten before I remembered to take photos.

A favorite for most of my 60+years in Jackson... the new ownership saved it from demise, with 'new money' new interior decor & a totally new( needed) kitchen, fine restrooms on this main level... the new Chef, partner (a James Beard nominee) has saved this landmark 1936? downtown diner from extinction... The Greek salad surprised me as it used only spinach instead of mixed greens, then I had to ask for Greek salad dressing. Oysters (3) were $2 each... next time I'll just get the wedge salad which comes with six or seven oysters. Janettes 's chicken sandwich needed salt and pepper or other seasonings as it was quite plain. The vegetable plate was very limited (4) owing to the size of the kitchen, I presume.

Great food, drinks and service. They kept the original booths and vibe. Their comeback dressing is the best in town! I went there with my father regularly when I was a kid and will be returning soon!

I am staying at the Hilton Garden in a block or so away. I planned to go to the Downtown Snack Shop to grab a sandwich for lunch but they were inexplicably closed and the Mayflower was on the next block and looked cute so I decided to give it a try. Now, you have to understand, I am a Jersey diner girl, so it was definitely a less inclusive menu than I am used to but everything sounded good and the prices are reasonable. I think the best word to describe this place is charming. It has been around since the 1930's and had a really nice "old school" feel to it. The servers were super friendly and professional. I had a club sandwich. Until it occurred to me that I could remove the middle piece of bread, I felt like all I tasted was the toast (but that is what a club sandwich is, so I can't really complain about that!) The sandwich was otherwise delicious. The fries were hot and fresh. If I get to come back here for work again, I would definitely go back.

Got the Blue Plate hamburger steak with okra (very fresh) and candied yams. Excellent visit overall.

We are delighted with the prospect of the future as the reincarnation of Mayflower is coming! Chef Hunter Evans bringing the icon Jackson eatery back with touches of the classic Mayflower traditions- and a twist of modern culinary excellence. Much anticipated going forward! Kudos to the team working to create a unique dining experience, in this storied location 123 W.Capital St.

using frozen fish now instead of fresh fish from the gulf as previous owner used. Also, new Chef detouring from original recipe's. I will not return. New owners spent a lot on renovations and then changed the food I would assume to regain their investment. I give it a year before it closes as word will get out.

Mayflower recently reopened under new ownership (the same team at Elvie's), and it is so nice! They renovated and revamped, but stuck with the classics on the original menu. Ignore the old negative reviews and go!

This little cafe is on the corner and has been rated one of the most charming cafes in Mississippi. We already had dinner so we ventured out for dessert. This was within walking distance of the Hilton garden Inn. T the place was pretty full, but I did hear one of the servers comment that it was still a on the slow side. The average age of the customers looked to be overwhelmingly 65+. It's also worth noting that we were the only POC dining there, so that could make you feel a little uncomfortable if you are a POC. Our server was wonderful. She did talk us into getting one of each dessert and that was probably the best decision we made all day. She assured us that all three were delicious and she was 100% correct. We had the icebox lemon pie, the coconut cream pie (this coconut cream pie was literally the best coconut cream pie I have ever had. Seriously, the best) and the bread pudding. Even the thoughI love coconut cream pie and there's was SO good, I had a really hard time picking the best. They were all good and my husband, so and I continued to rotate through the desserts as we ate

Classic jackson. Great blue plates with large selection of different meats and veggies. Everything is so good, you can't go wrong with any option. I love the nostalgia in this place, but I love the fried eggplant and fried onion rings even more.

Wow, what a find! Stumbled across this joint on my way back to the hotel. Ordered stuffed shrimp with fries. Unexpected salad came out first with what appeared to be a home made thousand island dressing. Only complaint, I wish the salad I didn't know I was getting was bigger. It was delicious! The shrimp came out shortly thereafter. Came with a side of homemade tarter, but asked for cocktailsauce. Should have just stuck to the tarter. It was phenomenal! Cocktail sauce nothing special. Fries were very nicely done, though could have been a bit crisper. Did I mention the tarter sauce, crazy good. Finished with a bread pudding. Why? I think I was drunk. They don't sell wine, but have a nice selection of beers. Mr. Heineken forced me to have the bread pudding and I've since come to learn, they've had a long term relationship behind my back. The bread pudding was super tasty, as was the Heineken. Matterinfact, I would come back for the breadpudding alone, it was that good!

Probably the most iconic restaurant in Mississippi. Food quality is every bit as good as it was in 1935. Redfish and gumbo are a specialty. Some people go just for the comeback salad dressing. The Mayflower is the second restaurant to add this item to their menu and one of the most famous.

This newly renovated restaurant is beautiful. The space is crowded, but the ambiance is exactly what you remember if you've been here before. A plus is that you can now make a reservation. A minus is that the air conditioning is overpowering - either freezing cold or actually comfortable. The service was very attentive, but the kitchen had things to improve. We started with sautéed crab claws, which were perfectly cooked, but served in a sauce that was underwhelming. It was actually bland. Strangely it was accompanied by a ketchup based cocktail sauce which would have been good for fried claws, but inappropriate with the sautéed crab. We had to ask for bread. The Greek salad was really good, and substantially larger than in the previous iteration of this restaurant. We both had broiled red snapper, which was good, but nothing special. It was rather bland. It comes with a baked potato (wrapped in aluminum foil, like a cheap steakhouse) or French fries. There was a dinner special that included a crawfish stuffed baked potato, but they wouldn't serve that potato to me unless I ordered the special. That seemed odd to me. Any really good restaurant would happily accommodate my request. My wife said her baked potato was good, and my fries were also good, but likely frozen, not hand cut. When the AC came on it was freezing!! The prices were higher than I expected. The total bill, with 2 small pours of wine, was $146 before the tip. We were not impressed. It was good, but not special. Just good.

It had delicious redfish and bread pudding. Quaint place with friendly staff in an old cafe style building.

FYI mayflower cafe is closing for 8 weeks. Went for lunch today and they ran out of food!!!!

I'm not sure why this place doesn't have a higher rating... I realize that the ambiance isn't what most people are looking for now days, but it has so much character! What they lack in decor, they make up for in food quality and staff personality. Tricia was an excellent waitress with good recommendations. My broiled fish lunch special was SO good!! Jackson, please support these older businesses!!!! I want it to be in business so I can come again when I'm in town! They had a newspaper article that said 66 years of service was printed in 2001, so now it's 86 years!!! How awesome is that?

My food was ok, stuffed shrimp, house salad was good. The house sauce and onion rings were the second best part next to the staff. Security guard was amazing!

This place was outstanding!!! Most certainly one of my favorite restaurants ever! Small, quaint, you'd likely pass it right by unless you already knew it existed, it is a diamond in the rough friends! We heard from some of the valet guys at our hotel about this gem and so we decided to try it out. It is a historic family treasure. I ordered the Red Fish Jane and it was so savory and fresh, it was like magic in my mouth. Explosions of flavor and zesty rich red fish seasoned perfectly paired with the comeback sauce which The Mayflower Cafe is famous for- y'all, I can't say enough about this place. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. The staff is super friendly. You must try it!

Please update your hours. Didn't get a chance to try. Walked in around 8:20 pm to a half full house waiting for their food. Was told by a woman that the kitchen was closed and couldn't order to got either. A little disappointing. Please update your hours on Yelp and Google. After sleeping on it I decided to update my 1star to 3. Since I wasn't able to try the food. My rating is based on service and feeling like I was lied to.

Greek owed. Perfect. Food was perfect. Staff was great. Yes I would go back again.

On our way home from Pensacola we decided to stop here as this place was listed as Mississippi's most iconic restaurant by Thrillst magazine. You can see the history in this place, luckily we were able to find parking in the back we arrived at 11:00am there were only two spots left. By 11:30 all the tables were taken. We decided to try a little bit of everything my wife ordered the red Jane and I ordered the captains platter. To start sweet bread rolls with butter is brought to the table reminds me of Hawaiian bread. Afterwards a salad is brought served with their famous comeback sauce. According to the reviews comeback sauce taste like remoulade with a smoky flavor. I thought it tasted like spicy thousand island, it was good did not blow me away. The red Jane came with the red fish fillet served with oysters, shrimp and served with fried green tomatoes. The fish was very flavorful, nicely spiced, the fried green tomatoes where served chopped instead of whole, prefer it whole but these were tasty. The captains platter was wonderful came with broiled catfish, scallops, soft shell crab, shrimp, and fries. The broiled sauce was absolutely wonderful just dipped my food in that did not bother with the cocktail or tarter sauce. The soft shell crab was my favorite had a nice spicy little kick and the crab and shell was real tender. Would love to come back here one day. My only complaint is the bathroom is located outside the restaurant on the side of the building, kind of annoying, but I imagine with a place this old hard to renovate.

This is a favorite, old time Jackson seafood restaurant. Open for lunch and dinner. I believe you can bring a bottle with your meal but call to confirm. Always fresh seafood, from gumbo, crab cakes and crab stuffed fish of the day. My first meal here was a steak and it was very good. It's a tradition for us and I recommend your putting it on your must try while in Jackson.

They advertised that they are open until 10 and we arrived before 9 pm and they didn't let us in and said their hours vary in summer which they should have updated the website. They said they have turned off the grill and that's why they can't accept us . I don't recommend this place as one can go around 8 and get denied . Website is not updated at all.

An oldie and a goodie!! Consistent good food and atmosphere!! Seafood dishes are fabulous. Ps. They open at 5, not 4 on Saturday

Looked up Diners Drive-ins and Dives locations for the route my family was taking during my move. Passing through we stopped and my wife and I got the seafood platter and a couple slices of lemon ice box pie. I'm not sure if being from Texas has my standards too high, but I don't think anyone would ever knowingly spend $50 for the quality of food we received. Hopefully it was just an off night, but it was not the "fresh fish" that was advertised. The fish fillet was very fishy - like canned sardine strong - and Fish is usually my favorite protein. The 4 fried oysters were the smallest oysters I've ever eaten. The 2 fried shrimp were good size just not seasoned at all. And the stuffed crab had at least 5 pieces of crab shell in the mix, and the smallest amount of crab I've ever seen in one. Main points: 1. all the fried items were under-seasoned & soggy. 2. The portions were very small 3. The price for the quality did not match up 4. Price for quantity did not match up either

It's kind of crazy that I almost passed this place up. I was in town and in need of dinner. I headed a few blocks down from here to another restaurant (which shall remain nameless) and they completely dropped the ball. They only had one person working and she literally said to me "You're going to have to wait here for a bit before I seat you - that couple just left because they didn't want to wait, so you decide." What? How is that the way you greet someone.....so I decided. And left. SO. GLAD. I DID. Just a block away on the way to my hotel? I found Mayflower Cafe. Mayflower Cafe has a long history in Jackson. They've filmed a couple of scenes from movies here - and right before my trip to Jackson I watched The Help - which had a few scenes here. Kinda cool! As soon as I walked in I could tell these were all locals - and as my meal went on and I overheard conversations you could tell they were all regulars. They were nice enough to give me a booth for myself. The place was pretty packed - and they could of easily sat me down at one of the smaller tables....I wasn't complaining though. I ordered a Coke - and it was in a small glass bottle. I've never seen these served at a restaurant. But Coke in a bottle is always better (even if it's tiny). The menu here is very seafood heavy - with a couple of steak options. I actually wasn't expecting that - had I taken the time to read the reviews (duh!) I would of known they are actually known for their fish dishes. I went with the Redfish and French fries. They started me off with a salad- the dressing was awesome! It's homemade and kinda like Thousand Island - which I usually hate. The fish was incredible! I added a squeeze of lemon -and it was perfect! Simple yet amazing - the fish was braised and in its own juices (perfect seasoning) it was hard to explain - but I'd say possibly the best fish I've ever had. The fries were just fries - until they soaked up the juices from the fish. WHOA! They were incredible at that point! And then...dessert...why not. I heard everyone talking about (and at this point read some of the reviews at my booth) about the Ice box lemon pie - not overwhelmingly lemony - delicious whip cream with pie crust dust on top! It has a crunchy pie crust on the bottom and tart lemon custard in the middle...perfect. Then the only bad part of the experience - dessert was gone- I waited....and waited. And waited. And waitress chatted with her regulars - and I waited. And she kept carrying a convo with another table and I waited. It wasn't a crazy amount of time - but a good 15 minutes that I waited after my meal was done. I'm not deducting stars because she came over as soon as she glanced over at me and brought the bill. I get it - she was catching up with her regulars....I hope to one day be one of those regulars! I've literally thought of this fish almost every day since. Mainly because I was so surprised by just how good it was - especially since I wasn't expecting to have seafood here. When I get back to Jackson I'm definitely going to stop back in - and order it again.

Hitting one of my fav restaurants ever!! This historical cafe has been open 84 yrs (you may see it featured in the movies "Mississippi burning " and " the help". Everything I've ever eaten here is delicious. Tonight I had a side Greek salad with house made "comeback sauce" , broiled oysters, and ice box lemon pie.

-This place is a little piece of Jackson history. -3 prices of shrimp and 4 oysters(appetizer) + 7 scallops and grease fries(entree) was $45. I was still hungry afterwards, but left after my wallet took a beating. -They said Anthony Bordain came by a few years ago, so maybe they charge an unwritten fame tax now. -All in all, cool to step back in time, but I would not recommend this establishment.

Meal started great. Marinated crab claws, delicious. House salad, great. Seafood platter, fried. Not that great. The baked potatoes was under cooked. The fried batter was bland. I think this is a local place to be seen at. Not a place for a foodie wanting a good Mississippi meal.

First look like much but food was good. Old time diner format looks like 40s retro. Snapper was delicious and fresh.

I hate to give 5 stars to a place that already has so many good reviews but....dang it....it deserves every one. We began with the Seafood Gumbo. It had a smoky finish which rounded out the entire bowl of soup. We had the char Grilled Lemon Fish....superb doesn't even come close. This was our first encounter with lemon fish. I liken it to halibut but much more moist. The filet was enough for two of us to share and we did not go hungry. It came with a dinner salad with Come Back Sauce.....okay, really now, isn't Come Back Sauce just Thousand Island Dressing with slightly smoky taste? We opted for the vegetable medley over the potato options. The medley was perfectly over cooked in only the way that southern cooks can overlook things.....as if they meant to do it. The rolls were sublime. We had to set them aside otherwise we would have made a meal out of them. We finished the meal with a shared slice of Ice Box Lemon Pie. Okay then, if you've never had it, you should and if you have, you're in the know. Then there is the eating environment. This is a joint that concentrates everything they have on the food. The decor looks like it hasn't changed in 50 years.....but dang it....who cares when the food is this good. We would come back again.

not impressed with my lunch today at all. service was barely sub par. veal was soggy, and not served hot. If i go back here, i will only get seafood from now on! at lunch they were out of half the menu

Genuinely nice staff and delicious options if you love seafood. As a veggie I had the fettuccine Alfredo, salad, and a baked potato and it was all delicious. My friend had crab cakes and a salad with crab chunks and she ate it all. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area!

You clearly aren't from MS or AL if you don't know what comeback sauce is. It's heaven in a bottle. Kinda like a smoker remoulade. They bring it with the salad but slather that baby on everything you can and you won't be disappointed. Heck...I love dunking my captains wafers in it. And they don't stop there. Fresh fish. I go with the lemon fish since I don't see it on menus often. And finish off your meal with some lemon icebox pie and you'll be smiling yourself to sleep.

I thought time travel nigh impossible...but again, I was wrong. Everything about this place is fantastic. From the food, to the service, to the ambiance - everything. It really is like eating in a museum. A museum with fresh broiled oysters and local redfish. Stellar. Are you in Jackson, reading this? Eat here.

We stumbled upon this place on a dark rainy night. It looks like a 1950s diner, waitresses and all. . Kind of funky. We had the redfish recommended by the friendly waitress. Delicious. Give it a try. You won't be sorry.

When I lived outside Jackson, I was always craving the Mayflower. I mean, the atmosphere, the food, the rest rooms, the whole thing. I love this place and I hope it never closes. Redfish Jane with oysters and shrimp on there, bring your own bottle of wine. Get out of here.

Restaurant icon in downtown Jackson, Mississippi serving great seafood since the 1930's. GREAT SERVICE AND GREAT FOOD!!!!

I went to May Flower with a good friend of mine our bill was $100.00 and I left a tip of $5.00 on credit card but what the waitress didn't know was that I also had left $15.00 cash on the table. "Total of $20.00" tip. Tonight 09/13/2019 me and my girl friend and her family were sitting down to eat. I notice this waitress was rude not friendly. So I was sitting there wondering what the heck was wrong with her. What did it for me was when she basically threw the plate down on the table and was making mad faces. I also asked if she was having a bad night. Then I notice she was nicer to other customers. Finally I ask if I had done something to offend her. She said just a little but don't worry about it. So my girl friend had enough got up went up-front to ask how much we owe. I tried to smooth it over with the lady and waitress. I find out the lady was mad over a $5.00 tip and I apologize if it offended her, but she didn't know that we also left $15.00 cash on the table as mentioned earlier. The lady up-front basically said well she relies on your tip she only makes $2.00 an hour! I tried to explain well we really left $20.00. Even if I did leave $5.00 tip no reason to be rude and become bitter. This was an incident between me and her not the other party I brought with me to eat a nice meal. Let's just say I will NEVER return to this location. They have lost any future business with me. I will be going to the Elite there is no sense in this.

Quickly...geat food, great professional, articulate, welcoming server, a terrific place to eat... A party of 3, we were traveling and had been in the car 14 hours by the time we stopped for a 'real dining experience'....Yelp pretty much led us to a very formal, uptight, stuffy and expensive place 2 doors down....not me, not us as travelers. Walked next door to Mayflower and am pleased. COME BACK SAUCE...COME BACK SAUCE...addictive, indescribable, folks at the table next to us warned us about it....HAVEN'T HAD ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE..it alone makes you desire a return. Fresh seafood! Fresh! Portions extremely large, quality taste, presentation low average. I'm from the north so I don't understand bringing your own wine....they have the glasses though. Interior was disgusting with the dust balls hanging from the ceiling, ambience was definitely non-existent. Kitchen door opened and I was shocked at what I'd describe as visible filth. Our server was so awesome.... In Jackson, Mississippi, this seems to be a very old and reliable stand-by family-owned establishment. I'd recommend it but wouldn't search it out.

This place is fabulous. You walk right into history. The staff is extremely friendly. The historical decor on the walls can keep you entertained for your whole meal. I had the shrimp remoulade, crab bisque, half shrimp, and bread pudding. The remoulade sauce and ranch dressing are out of this world. All of the food was a tad salty but so so delicious. I will definitely be back and bring my out-of-town friends to this southern staple.

Worst service. Worst food. Worst experience. Wouldn't come back here again if I was starving to death. Edit: let me start with the tidbit that Parlor Market was our first choice and they said they stopped the kitchen at 2030, so we figured that we couldn't go wrong with the place that was super full next door and had the waitress that would be serving us singing the places praises... That SAME waitress Leann, treated myself and my date like absolute crap. When we asked for recommendations, she couldn't care less about us (also we were the only black people in the place besides the servers)..... and talked to us like we didn't matter. I will never come back to a racist establishment ever. Update: my date tipped 5 dollars on an 80 dollar bill....and the boss came to us saying that we hadn't paid 8 dollars for two beers. We commented on how the food was not to our satisfaction, some old lady told us that they had been here for 80 years and she had never heard any complaints from anyone and that someone got deathly ill although Terry and Leann were both standing, along with the woman that intermittently served us. She also loudly commented on how the tip was so low I guess compared to the bill. We had gotten a cup of crab bisque, a cup of gumbo, a half dozen of their oysters, and a reddish special, with the four beers. For 80 bucks. Felt kind of hefty to me. But our tip was decent for the service we got when you tell a place you haven't enjoyed it they ask what can they do to make your experience different or apologize but they just harped a lot on how long they had been open and how no one had ever complained about the food which clearly isn't true from the reviews. I really wanted to like this place and maybe at lunch I would. But not tonight

Basically, if you wanna waste your evening, money and dining, go to this subpar overpriced diner. -Hands down the worst dining experience I have ever had! -$90: redfish with soggy fries, 2 cups of soup, and 4 beers -service: 30 min for drink order, waitress then...what do ya want...disappears until the end of the meal and i ask for the check. -old lady manager: sweet at beginning, nasty and incompetent beyond the friendly intro smile, threw my credit card back at me and i had to lift the cash register for her to get my card back from her --she tried to shame me for leaving a 5$ tip by announcing it to my date, even though the food and service were terrible -when i asked what was taking so long, the waitress response was, 'you need to relax, everyone waits a long time here!' - i said my dining experience was horrific...she said...in 80 yrs no one has had such a complaint

I have never in my life been treated so badly. Left here in tears. It's just not worth it! So please save your time.

I tried this place when I was in Jackson because it seemed like a Jackson institution. When you walk in, it definitely feels like you've gone back in time. The booths are great to sit in with some friends. The food reviews seem to match the dining experience. I had the broiled redfish with veggies. It was ok. Overall, it seemed like everything on the menu was pretty expensive and I'm from the Bay Area where cost of living is way higher. I get that this place has a lot of seafood on the menu, which is usually a little more, but for the quality of the food, I was a little disappointed. I don't mind paying a premium on my food as long as it lives up to expectations. However, the best part of the dinner was the dessert. Yelpers didn't steer me wrong when they said the Lemon Ice Box pie was amazing. Um, yes please! It was SO good! I've never had Lemon Ice Box, but I know good food when I come across it and the Mayflower's Lemon Ice Box was amazing and definitely something to write home about.

Being a Coast girl, I have been looking for years for a go-to place in the Jackson area for great seafood and I finally found it - The Mayflower!!!! So far I have tried the fried soft shell crab (delicious) and my friend's order of broiled oysters (some of the best I've had). Can't wait to come back and try some of the fresh fish everyone raves about!!!

Really, really long wait and it wasn't even at peak hours. By contrast: no wait at peak hours for Hal & Mal's, Elite, and Parlor Market. By that rubric I know which places win when you are looking for something to eat in Jackson. The food isn't even worth the wait. But I am very impatient, I would rather get Taco Bell now than wait thirty minutes for a table at a fancy steak place.

The Mayflower Cafe in Jackson, Mississippi has been the must go restaurant for over seventy years. The Mayflower originally owned by Greek immigrants and still owned and run by the family is a nice stop for fresh seafood and steak. A good salad and homemade rolls and not to forget the homemade desserts! Go to downtown Jackson for Southern hospitality, service and good food.

Do yourself a favor and run. This place is beyond words. Greek salad that is bad joke. 1olive 1 piece of cheese the size of a dime. Ice berg lettuce with brown edges. Gumbo is okra and shrimp. That's it. Bathroom is something out of Edgar Allen Poe horror story. Place has been there 80 years and mopped once. I will bet $100 the Health Dept has NEVER been in the front door and $500 They have NEVER been in kitchen. Horrible Horrible Horrible.