Wow. Here's a diner past its prime that still has a record of good reviews, but our experience did not support them. Several of our dinner choices were "out of that tonight," and what was left was plain, very little taste, and poorly presented. I had a charbroiled flounder (paid extra for charbroiling) that I could barely eat, it was so mediocre. Linde had a seafood pasta that I tasted, too, and it had no flavor at all, even after she tried to liven things up with Tabasco sauce. The diner isn't much to look at, with decor that has seen better days and could use some maintenance. This establishment has no beer, wine or cocktails--it's B.Y.O.B., although that fact is not revealed on the website, at least where we could have seen it before heading there. Why this place ranks high on the list of Jackson's best restaurants is beyond our understanding, and we'd recommend skipping this one if you visit Jackson. read more

I wasn't sure to give one or two stars so I thought I'd give them the benefit of the doubt and give two. The waitress seemed like she would have rather been elsewhere than work. Guess what..that's probably most of us but in the customer service industry you don't make it so obvious. The manager and/or owner (I think his name was Jerry) seemed nice. I would have preferred him to wait on me. I heard great things about this place from the locals. It seems like since I've been in Jackson that other locals are treated very well and I have only received great service from people who are not from around here. This place was no different because all the locals who stopped in were treated very kindly. I was THE ONLY customer here at the time and it seemed like they didn't want me there and couldn't hey me out of there soon enough. Let's talk about the food. I wasn't too hungry so ordered the crab bisque (hardly any crab and I'm not even sure if it was real crab) and a baked potato (was very dry). The best part was the bread (rolls and cornbread). I also asked the waitress about the dessert when I first sat down and she never got back to me. One last thing I thought was weird is that after she dropped off the check but before I was done eating I was asked if I would be paying with cash or charge. I've never been asked that before but maybe they had their reason. read more

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. read more

I will only stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown when I come to Jackson, despite the fact that there are 4 other Hilton properties closer to my work locations. Why, you may ask? Because it puts me 1 block away from Mayflower Cafe, and this place is awesome! An old-style cafe that gets fresh Gulf seafood delivered every morning, I've never had a broiled filet I didn't love. Grouper, Snapper, Redfish, Speck, Lemonfish...all were fantastic. Don't ask for anything fancy - just order as they prepare it in house. The comeback sauce is phenomenal. And whatever you do, don't skip dessert!! The best homemade coconut cream pie I've ever had. Delicious bread pudding and lemon icebox pie too. read more

I've heard that the Mayflower Cafe has been the setting for many films, including Mississippi Burning and Ghosts of Mississippi. I wasn't the one who picked this place out, but as it turns out, it was the only black spot on my trip to Mississippi. While it is cool that I got to sit in the same diner where many movies were made, my experience here was nothing but shoddy and literally just sucked ass. I thought it was just bad, but I don't know. Just sucks overall, you know? A bunch of friends and I came here after a couple of hours at the Jackson Convention Center for the 2014 Mississippi Blues marathon. Thought the Mayflower Cafe was delightful till everything went straight to hell - pretty much. Most of the issue was the service and the slow as molasses wait we had to endure. About 1/2 hour for our food to arrive and the server was a major ditz too. Couldn't remember half of what we ordered and didn't have a pen or pad to write on. Really? Mayflower Cafe is located in downtown Jackson, MS on Capitol street. What you probably would deem a hole in the wall, if you weren't looking for it. Not really a hidden gem anyway - at least when I was there. We got there around 2pm and there was just 2 tables occupied. It was very strange that the service was that slow, till the server replied that they were short handed that day. Still, it could've been better, but that's just me. Mayflower cafe is basically a diner that looks and feels like it was back in the 1970's and I don't remember any of that era. Still, this experience with the Mayflower stunk and I don't want to ever go back, if I didn't have to. Just plain terrible. I ordered the shrimp po boy @ $10, which is decently priced and came with French fries, but it was basically half the size of a regular sized one. I was like no way. Wow. This made me mad a little, but the taste wasn't as good as I thought it would be. After seeing what I was about it eat, it was very much overpriced now. Everyone was starting to complain when we were all done but the server didn't come out after an alotted time. We had to get the dude from the counter at the front of the restaurant to fetch her. It was an experience that would not and should not be tolerated. It's like she did not know she was doing sometimes. Could've faked it. Mayflower Cafe accepts credit cards, so that was a redeeming quality. The place was more or less clean and the conversation with friends was good, which was good amongst bad service. We could've spent at most 45 minutes here for a quick lunch, but ended up spending 2 freaking hours. Are you freaking kidding me? Ugh. Double ugh really. And I gave a 10% gratuity too. Seriously. Don't come here. Support local. F read more

Well, I'm not from here so either I just don't get it or this place is loved by the locals for something other than the food. I had the 1/2 shrimp and oyster plate, with a baked potato and side salad. Three shrimp and three oysters and the potato only had sour cream. All this for 17.99!. Smallest oysters I have ever had but to be truthful the shrimp were huge and tasty. Beautiful looking place however...has a lot of history and scenes from The Help were shot there, or so I was told. Won't go back but it was nice to see the place once. read more

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!!! read more

I've heard a lot about the Mayflower, it's rich history and it's position in Jackson lore. Unfortunately, I heard it all AFTER I had eaten there. Being from Brooklyn true southern food is something I don't get to experience often. As such, it's something I always look forward to, so the nearest restaurant to my hotel also being something that resembles a diner made this an obvious choice for my first dinner in Jackson. The atmosphere is definitely southern. They may have been going for rustic, but what I got was just run down. Everything looked very 1950s, but not well preserved. The demeanor of the staff was either overworked or just rude. I wasn't sure what to order and the staff wasn't very helpful at guiding me so I settled on a meatloaf which was extremely ordinary. Nothing was bad, but the combination of a rude staff, a run down restaurant and ordinary food just struck me as a waste of time. I was told afterward they were noted for their seafood, but at that point I was already disappointed. Every time I am temped to go back (they draw quite the dinner crowd) I convince myself otherwise. read more

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 read more

No stars for this place. I was in Jackson on business a few months ago and someone highly recommended this place to me. I was gonna let it go, but I'm still mad about it. From the time I walked in, I was shunned. Not met with a friendly hello. Seated at at table and waited 10 minutes. No acknowledgement and no drink. Waited 10 more minutes and an old couple came in and were greeted immediately and seated 2 feet from me and immediately got drinks and menus. I got up and walked out and no one even cared. Never again Mayflower. Horrible! On a side note: the place needs some updating as I fear for the health of people that may eat here. read more

Stopped by randomly on our way through town and really enjoyed the great service good food and low prices this place had to offer. Fresh and delicious seafood and it even introduced me to a new sauce for salads! Would def recommend this pace to someone to eat. This spot was actually used a location in the movie "The Help" read more

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We had the onion rings (with Comeback sauce) as well as shrimp appetizer. (Both were fantastic). We all had the Red Snapper- it is always GREAT!! To finish off the evening we had both coconut and chocolate cream pie - Yum read more

Nice decor, old diner style, but the food was NOT good. I was with a large party of friends, and based on the prices ($15-20 minimum) we figured we were going to get some pretty good food. Nope! What got piles of overly fried seafood, or zero flavor pasta. I got the Seafood pasta plate, made with a white cream sauce. It had no flavor at all. The miniature shrimp swimming in the sauce were tiny and also flavorless. I ordered this meal to escape the inevitable fried food one finds in Jackson, but I was severely disappointed. Further, most of my friends ordered various other types of fish or stuffed shrimp. Every single person in the group complainted (10 folks) and no one was happy with the price-to-flavor ratio. If you're going to charge $22 dollars for a plate of seafood, it should be delicious! Weak restaurant, not a good experience at all. read more

Only 1 block away from our hotel, so we gave it a shot. Everything already written is a great description of the Mayflower. We had the soft-shelled crab, and Redfish orleans, and broiled oyster appetizer. Everything was excellent. The "comeback" is similar to thousand island dressing. The salads were iceberg + a few greens with feta, kalamata olives,tomatoes and a pepperoncini. I didn't care for the bread they served with the salad, but they also served rolls for dinner. I am not much of a bread person anyways. We finished off with the Brownie dessert for the kids and it was much better than the brownie/hot fudge/ice cream dessert that you get at most restaurants. It was busy, but they had plenty of people working so we got in and out quickly and our drinks were refilled several times. You could tell that a lot of people there eat there frequently. They were regulars and all knew each other. read more

This place is great. But if you are going to eat here, order the fresh fish. And don't order it fried. The broiled oysters are also great. You need to order the oysters and whatever fish came in that day. The poor reviews seem to be written by people who don't know what to order here. read more

I came for dinner on a Friday night. I knew it was a historical place which was why I wanted to come here. The interior is very casual, like stepping back a few decades. I had the gumbo and stuffed shrimp with a house salad. I thought the gumbo was great. I thought the shrimp was expensive for what it was: 4 average sized fried shrimp stuffed with crab meat. I think if I go back I will try something else. My boyfriend had the stuffed crab and he really enjoyed it. Service was great, very lovely staff. read more

Three and one-half stars.... I travel often and sometimes look to Yelp for help...tonight was one of those occasions. A few great reviews, a few okay reviews, and one or two so-so reviews. The door guys recommended another place nearby but I was in flip flops and the crowd appeared to be a little more formal so off to the Mayflower for me. Gumbo was the starter and it was good, not great. A bit heavy handed with green peppers but good nonetheless. A double salad was the second course since this place doesn't appear to be an alter to veggies. The salad was very good...slightly chilled (am I the only person that abhors very cold salad?), nothing fancy (very good again) and exactly what I was looking for and expected. Oh, forgot about "the sauce". I would describe the "sauce" as a less tangy version of Stubs mopping sauce. Imagine a thousand island dressing thinned by a touch of vinegar and a good pinch of old bay seasoning. Would I come back specifically for the "sauce"? Probably not but I did enjoy it! And then the redfish Jane. A nice piece of redfish which was lightly breaded and pan fried topped with three broiled oysters and two broiled shrimp (both were lightly breaded too). The fish was fresh so it is hard to screw up good, fresh fish. After the first cup of tartar sauce I replaced the tartar with the "sauce". Broiled oysters dipped in the sauce was fantastic. The conversations were humorous especially when the wait staff tells everyone to pour the sauce on everything. Total bill was $41 with sweet tea. There is beer which I didn't realize until I started drinking tea and I can't switch that quickly. One Yelp reviewer suggested it was a bit overpriced. I understand the comment but I was okay with the fare. Good seafood cafeteria with history, decor, and the "sauce"! read more

We ate there in June 2019. My son and I both had the redfish and gumbo . Excellent food and service I have eaten at seafood restaurants all over the south and this rates up there with all the best !!! read more

Bought into the hype and was so disappointed. I got two seafood dinners, a cup of gumbo, fried calamari, and a coke for $80. Basically just tasted the flavors of butter and salt. This place is a diner but charges fine dining prices. The service is par. Ive had better seafood and gumbo elsewhere. Don't think I'll ever come back here again. read more

Mayflower Cafe - Fried soft shell crab and the snapper. It looks good in the picture but not worth the $50 for both. - Seafood Near Me - Jackson, Mississippi

My boyfriend and I live in Jackson and decided to take our grandparents here while they traveled from across the country. We had heard great things. Unfortunately we had terrible service. It took us 15 minutes just to get drinks. The restaurant was so crowded i almost got food spilled on my multiple times. Our elbows were touching other chairs. My chicken pasta had zero seasoning and chicken tasted like it was from a can. There was thick black dust hanging around the interior of the dining area. Our server couldn't have been less friendly or less helpful. We asked multiple questions about the menu and she gave one word answers. We ordered dessert and she returned to the table to tell us they were out, then proceeds to walk away. Never once giving us other options. We left very disappointed and won't return or recommend it. read more

I have been going to the mayflower since my parents could tote me in a carrier. Below is a review from my father who often takes clients, friends and family to this one-of-a-kind cafe! "I have written about this marvelous restaurant a good bit in my journals as it is truly unique as an establishment. People go completely out of their way to drive downtown to a street that is in great disrepair (expected to be fancy and new next year) to experience not only fabulous fish entrees that are rarely replicated anywhere, but also the fellowship and frivolity is beyond what we see anywhere else. People on Friday nights do not mind waiting out in the cold for 30 or 45 minutes just to experience what is about to transpire and they bring their own favorite bottle of wine to top it off. Table hopping in not only tolerated it is expected. I am getting hungry for some of that comeback sauce right now! There is about one hour to go before it happens." Check out the link below from the ny times! http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/08/dining/revival-for-a-sauce-that-never-left.html read more

One of my favorite restaurants in the world. I've been coming here since I was a little girl, and the food is exactly the same--fresh and delicious. They have the best "comeback" (kind of like spicy thousand island) in the world, and their broiled oysters with their seafood sauce (as nearly as I can tell, it's got butter, spices, and Worcestershire among other things in it) are heaven. They are famous for their redfish (which comes with the seafood sauce also) as well as their onion rings appetizer (crunchy, never greasy). They have plate lunch type specials daily at lunch, and I love the veal cutlets. Their pies, especially the coconut cream (which I don't generally like) and their lemon pie (my fave) are fantastic. It's great for families and groups; it's an old fashioned restaurant with awesome food. I have eaten almost everything on the menu at one time or another, and I've never had anything bad. It's WONDERFUL. They don't take reservations, so come prepared to wait. It's BYOB, so bring a bottle of wine. read more

Food was good but service could be better. We came in and ordered pasta and a fried seafood platter. I specifically ordered fried and my platter had fish that wasn't fried and had bones in it. My soft shell crab had shell in the meat so that wasn't fun. They served our side salad first and never gave us silverware and they served our food and still didn't notice us not having any silverwares and asked if we wanted butter instead ‍ Wait time is kind of long as well. Fries soggy. The pasta was delicious. read more

The Mayflower is a bit of a paradox to me. I've got to give this place three stars even though there were aspects of my visit (namely, the grouper) that rate five stars. First off...the decor: It is not 1950's retro. It IS 1950's. This restaurant hasn't had a make-over since Eisenhower (perhaps Truman) was president. That really doesn't matter, in my opinion because you're probably not going there for atmosphere. I give decor a "one star". Secondly, this place is pricey. Not meaning to get political, but perhaps it is just a sign of the economy 2010's, but if you spend over $30 for a meal for one, you would expect the surroundings to be somewhat "nice". OK...so much for the bad (most of it, anyway). Now for the good: I am from Florida (I've lived there since Johnson was president) and I've eaten some grouper. But I do not recall ever having had it as tasty as what I had at the Mayflower. "FIVE stars" for the grouper! The tartar sauce was to die for, too, and I rarely, if ever, put tartar sauce on fish (I'm sure that they make it). The service is great, too. My waitress (oops, sorry...SERVER) was a delight and she kept mt iced tea glass full - and the tea is superb. The side salad that they serve with dinners is adequate and fresh but totally uninspiring. A little bit of iceberg, a small piece of tomato, a Greek olive, and a pepperoncini. The dressing, as noted by other reviewers (comeback sauce?), is unique but very good. You can definitely taste the Old Bay in it. It is a bit like 1000 island dressing but not chunky at all. I had coconut cream pie for dessert. It was magnificent. But it cost FIVE DOLLARS - and it wasn't that big. Then again, it was plenty; I don't need or want a huge slice of pie (not when I am dining alone). Had it been three bucks, I wouldn't have even mentioned the price (just the quality). Here's another bummer: The French fries stunk. When the waitress (server) brought my grouper dinner, I tried the fries and they were cold and limp. I told her about them and she brought me a fresh order which arrived after I had finished my grouper. The "fresh" fries were hot - but they were still limp and greasy. Maybe this is how they're supposed to taste but they turned me off. Stick with a baked potato unless you like limp French fries. I believe that this is the longest review that I have ever written. This was my first visit to Jackson (don't go looking for anything to eat downtown on Saturday or Sunday). I was glad that I had the chance to try the Mayflower. I would definitely go back for the grouper, the tea, and the service. The prices? Those I could do without (thank God for an expense account!). And they can keep their fries. So, average it out and you get three stars. read more

Best seafood in Jackson , the owner takes very good of his customers and the staff are very nice and well trained

The redfish here is incredible. Flaky, flavorful, slightly spicy and super fresh. Loved it. The comeback? Sauce is really good too. Tastes kinda like remoulade and thousand island. Really good stuff. Sides like potatoes and salad are as generic and bland as it gets, but the fish is why you come. Friendly and sweet southern service. It's a laid back place but it does have pretty high prices. Expect a plate of fish to set you back $25-35 once you factor in tax and a tip. read more

If you are in Jackson, you need to eat here. I had the Redfish Jane w/shrimp, veggies and small house salad. And of course a Coke. Salad was avg., dressing was interesting, veggies were good, shrimp was better and redfish was very good. I am being very picky here but the redfish was a tad heavy on the Worcestershire sauce. read more

I have spent the better part of the last two years working in Jackson, MS. I still dream about Mayflower steaks. The place is pretty interesting, most of the lights on their signage may be out and you may feel like you walked into the RNC (I don't know, maybe you won't), but don't let the bother, shrug it off, you're deep south now. Sure, there have been lipstick stains on my glasses but the staff is always sweet and always lets me order my signature Surf and Turf. It's not not the menu and may cost me differently every time, but it's always worth it. I get the ribeye steak, medium rare, with two broiled scallops. Sides are a 'tatoe, fresh rolls, a house salad with housemade comeback sauce. Blow your mind wonderful. Oh, and it's BYOB, so don't forget to bring that bottle of red (or white) and/or some beers for all the steaks (and two scallops). read more

Stepping into Mayflower is like stepping back in time. Old school diner vibe all the way. Service was impeccable and our waitress had that old-school Southern charm with the drawl to match. Food was good. We had fried oysters and calamari for apps and both were yummy. House salads all around, decent but not remarkable. I had a cup of crab bisque and I'd recommend skipping it; it was fine but not remarkable and needed a dash of hot sauce to bring it to life (although based of the clientele, I'm willing to bet most patrons enjoy a more muted flavor). Also encountered too many small pieces of shells for my liking. I had the stuffed shrimp which was pretty delicious, although in all honesty by the time my entree came out I had stuffed myself with everything I could put some Comeback Sauce on! Tastes like Cane's sauce but better, plus here it's acceptable to put it on everything from seafood to salad to saltine crackers. Overall the food is good but you're not paying for ambiance; it doesn't feel like an expensive restaurant, although everyone at my table who grew up in Jackson had a story of coming here for a special event or date over the years. The lights weren't dimmed when we arrived and in fact it was as bright as a high school cafeteria in the middle of the day. The bathroom involves a trip outside, up some stairs, and through a door which is apparently guarded by security. No thanks, I waited until we got home because even my husband, who is pretty chill, seemed a little irked by the experience. I felt like I had dined at a historical establishment and could cross it off my list of "must see" places to visit in Jackson, but I didn't feel like it was anywhere near a "must eat" establishment. Still waiting to be wowed by a dining experience in Jackson, I have faith that it will happen one day! read more

I really enjoyed my dinner at the Mayflower Cafe. I started off with the gumbo which was superb. Then a nice salad and the delicious broiled redfish. That gumbo was so tasty that i had to have a second bowl! Service at the Mayflower is excellent. Very friendly server. My server had no problem with special orders (lactose intolerant) and made sure my food came out perfectly prepared and dairy free. The Mayflower Cafe is a family run business and has been around since 1935. Its the clear choice for some expertly prepared local seafood cuisine in downtown Jackson. Highly recommend. read more

Great lunch specials and at night, seafood! Downtown Jackson staple. Brown bag available at dinner.

First of all, the hostess is terrible. We had waitresses complaining about the owner in the front of the restaurant. Second of all, the crab bisque is disgusting and the gumbo needs something other than celery and okra. And third of all, me and all my friends came to eat there in casual clothing and all the workers singled us out saying "sorry we don't sell hamburgers and fries" when we walked in. Safe to say we will not be back. PSA - Put a shade or some tint over the front door. The sun shines in too bright and the lady who's been there for 15 years has been asking for it, give it to her. On a good note, our waitress was stellar. She had short blonde hair. Trisha is her name I think. read more

My girlfriend took me here tonight for steak. Looks like I'm keeping her around for a bit cuz this place did not disapoint. Looks can be deceiving, so think twice before you pass by this unassuming diner. Steaks and scallops that pack a punch and for about half the price as a steakhouse. read more

Hey y'all, I'm from Georgia, and eating makes for three highlights of a day, so I think I know a thing or two about good eatin'. I was going to go down to the hotel restaurant since it was my first night in town, but had spotted the restaurant upon arrival. I stumbled upon this site, read some reviews, and there I went. This restaurant is what I call a hole in the wall. It's not where you go for a formal dinner in a tux and gown before a night out on the town. That said...it is clean, staff is genuinely friendly and the food is A#1. The sweet tea is perfect, refilled often and poured to go. I had broiled shrimp and scallops, broiled veggies, a lightly buttered roll, salad, and the "dressing" that went well with everything. I highly recommend and plan to eat there again before I leave town. I have to save room for dessert next time. read more

I was here around 7 pm with a large party for dinner on a Monday night. They were out of three types of fish as well as oysters (We came for the oysters). I was told that this place is very popular with the legislature, and yes, it was a busy time since they were starting a session...but as a place right by the Capitol it seems they should be better prepared for those certain times. Since there were no oysters, I ordered the greek salad. It came in two sizes, the small and large. I assumed the small would be like a lunch portion...but it was the size of the appetizer salads that come with a meal. It was almost $9 for a tiny salad with one olive, one pepper, one square of feta cheese with some crab on top. It was also brought to me at the same time as the rest of the people in our group were brought their appetizer salads. So, I awkwardly picked at mine for twenty minutes until everyone else got their food. I will say that our server was super nice as well as all the other people working. Very nice folks. I know I will probably be back since people I am with like the place, but I would never choose to go back on my own. read more

Yummy. In town on biz and stopped in for blackened scallops, shrimp, a baked potato, salad, and a dinner roll. I fell in love with the "comeback sauce" and their homemade tartar sauce. I ate every drop of my entire meal and am hoping that I am able to make my way back before I head out! So so good! Note: mac n cheese on Fridays only. read more

Quaint, small restaurant in Jackson. Dont be dissuaded by the neon signs and vintage decor, or the handwritten receipts paid up at the counter. The meals may be tad pricy, but worth it if you order right- and you cant go wrong with the fresh boiled fish. The meal comes with salad that, though unremarkable, is the perfect conduit for there thousand-island-esque dressing. The meal also comes with tasty rolls, crispy on the outside yet hot and soft inside. The fish was wonderfully fixed and moist in a nice, tangy juice. Top it off with one of the housemade dessert. Both the lemon ice box pie and bread pudding are great, but the chocolate pie is wonderfully fudgy and chilled, topped with a lovely layer of whipped cream. read more

Mayflower Cafe - Speckle trout with veggies - Seafood Near Me - Jackson, Mississippi

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Definitely a Jackson institution. You forget after you move away . Formica booth table tops, the drawls and big smiles, the BYOB rule, and a bathroom you access from outside and down the street. Fried is probably your best bet here and seafood for sure. Smells divine the moment you open the door. It's a must check out. read more

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Ordered the crab bisque which was delicious but came across lots of crab shells. The crab eggplant appetizer was very small and not worth $14. It also had crab shells in it. Very pricey for what you get, especially in a diner atmosphere. read more

The perfect lunch spot and a classic institution. My favorite day is Friday with the fried chicken and Mac and cheese. It's a lovely restaurant in a lovely historic part of Jackson. read more