The Blue Front Café was named as one of the top 50 best local restaurants in the country by Only In Your State.
The American-focused travel and discovery outlet attempts to uncover hidden gems in the U.S., namely off-the-beaten-path places like Blue Front.Only In Your State’s list includes one restaurant from each of the 50 states for readers to add to their bucket list of places that define American cuisine and culture.
Located in Bentonia, the Blue Front Café opened in 1948 as a juke joint and has since kept that musical spark alive, offering live music nearly every weekend.
“We have blues players from Florida, Texas, and Louisiana that come through, along with Mississippi blues players,” Blue Front Café’s Gilbert Vowell said on Good Things With Rebecca Turner. “But all those blues players also like a little country, so we do have a little country blues.”
Established by Carey and Mary Holmes, Blue Front Café was passed down through the generations to Bentonia blues legend Jimmy “Duck” Holmes, whose name draws attention to its live music scene.
“With Jimmy being a blues player and a Grammy nominee, we have visitors every week from Japan, Argentina, Germany, and Brazil,” Vowell said. “Any day of the week, you’ll have someone stop by from another country.”
However, Blue Front Café isn’t known solely for its music; it draws a consistent crowd for its homestyle Southern cooking as well – which is a main factor for Only In Your State’s selection of the Blue Front Café in the top 50. Most prominently known for their catfish, they serve soul-warming food in a historic setting.
“It’s the atmosphere in there,” Vowell said. “It’s plain and simple, we’re dog friendly, family friendly and you’ll just have to come and see how we’re welcoming. It’s a magical place.”