This June I am taking 23 high school students on a work trip to Jackson MS. We have one day off to explore the city on our own. What should we see?

Is there an inexpensive, interesting place to take everyone for lunch? In Pittsburgh we went to Original Hot Dogs; in Atlanta, Varsity; in St Louis, Blueberry Hill.

Most of the group has never been south before.
Thanks for your help. People on this board have been a great help in past years.

cityguide.aol.com/jacksonms/bestcheapeats

BBQ hands down. Their BBQ is just as good as Memphis.

Well having gone down to Jackson, Ms for 25 years, there is not a whole lot to see. But one place I enjoyed was: Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry/National Agricultural Aviation Museum is very interesting. Also the Russell C Davis Planetarium?Ronald McNair Space Theater. Then there is also The Mississppi Museum of Art, Museum of Natural Science, Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum. Of course Jackson is the capitol so you can take a tour of that. For places to eat. Red, Hot & Blue specializes in true southern BBQ and has great blues music. Also for seafood a favorite place was Nick's.

No offense to marlene, but they put a Red, Hot and Blue here in NC, and my DH and I had never had that style of BBQ, so we tried it. Ewww.

We were both ill for 48 hours.

When ever we drive by it now, we go "there's Red Hot and Diarrhea!"

I feel that a chain is never a good idea for a regional specialty.

Thanks for ideas.
Any suggestions for places to eat that are not chains?

Well I ate there every time I went down to visit my family to many times to mention and NEVER once got sick. Perhaps it was the COOK at your restaurant???????

Here are some suggestions, most of them are located close to downtown or in NE Jackson (with the exception of Catfish Haven):

Catfish Haven (obvious)
Old Venice (pizza)
Que Sera (Italian)
Nicks (expensive for Jackson)
Hal and Mals (Southern / bar food)
Keifers (Greek - one of my favorites)
George Street Grocery (American)
Bravo! (Italian)

Thank you.
I will research restaurants and activities.

ASsuming that these kids are on somewhat of a budget, I"d recommend the following places in Jackson:

Que Sera Sera, right on State Street north of Millsaps College. Lots of indoor and outdoor dining. Sandwiches, red bean & rice, etc. Good and moderate in price.

Keifer's is on Poplar Street in the Belhaven neighborhood (I used to live down the street from there). It's a place with a Greek emphasis, but you can get a variety of non-Greek wraps, like a veggie wrap, ham & cheese wrap, etc. Good and cheap.

Two Sisters. I can't remember the name of the street, but for lunch they serve a nice all you can eat buffet with real Southern fried chicken, lots of vegetables, a salad bar, wonderful homemade biscuits and cornbread, and for dessert you usually get a choice of banana puddin', bread puddin', or a cobbler. I think prices were around $12 per person the last time I was there.

Definitely don't do Red, Hot & Blue or Corky's BBQ. They're not good examples of BBQ, and as someone else pointed out, they're chains. If you want a nice local BBQ that's dirt cheap (the way BBQ should be, in my opinion. Frou-frou BBQ always makes me suspicious.), try out The Hickory Pit. Can't remember the street name, but it's right off I-55, a little north of the very chi-chi Highland Village boutique shops.

Hal & Mal's would also be a good place for lunch. They serve a mean red beans & rice and the place is filled with photographs of all of the musical acts that have played there while passing through town. It's right on State Street, a few miles south of Millsaps College near the downtown area. It's also locally known as having started the local St. Patrick's Day parade which has earned some national attention as the first place the Sweet Potato Queens were displayed in their full splendor and glory.

Not a lot of sightseeing in Jackson that high school kids would like, but one place that is free is the Old Capital building, now a museum, in downtown on State Street.

I hope this post isn't too late to be of help to you.

I am really getting serious about planning now since we leave June 17.

I am looking at Hal & Mals. Hadn't remembered that the Jackson parade is where the fabulous Sweet Potato Queens got their start.Loved those books.

Agriculture & Forestry museum looks good.We'll probably go in the Capital. The kids pretty much expect me to take them to some "educational" place for awhile.

Is there (non-mall) shopping near either of those places? Is downtown Jackson an okay place to send kids off in groups for an hour or so?
Thanks everyone.

Well my oldest son has lived in the Jackson area for 20 plus years. He says Jackson has gone done hill bad. That is the actual downtown area. If they are in groups it might be ok.