Windham's Restaurant in Magee

Over the years while having conversations about great hamburgers with friends almost always someone will bring up the world famous Zip Burger. Ok, maybe it's not world famous but if you know someone from Simpson County, Mississippi, chances are that they've told you about the Zip Burger.

Served only at Windham's Restaurant in Magee, Miss. I think I first heard about this local legend while in college, and then it's popped up in conversations throughout the years. Recently I made time to stop in Magee to try this much talked about meat and bread.



Each Zip Burger is hand pressed by the kitchen staff so no two patties are exactly alike, but they're nice. I would guestimate about half a pound cooked on a classic flat top grill to medium well. Served on a straight no frills large bun with lettuce, tomato, onions and Zip Sauce.

Now I can't be certain what all is in the zip sauce, and I am sure they're not going to tell anyone, but it's good. A taste similar to thousand island dressing with a smooth creamy texture without any of the relish or onion bits.



This is a good burger, a really good burger. I won't go so far as to say it's the best burger I've had, but it'll rank up there close to the top when discussions of where to get a great burger comes up again.

Another local twist is the hand-cut battered home fries. It's basically just what it sounds, some hand cut home fries dipped in a flour and seasoning batter and deep fried. They do give you a large cup of the Zip Sauce for dipping with your fries, and you could probably eat just about anything with enough Zips Sauce on it.

A pet peeve of mine is some restaurants not having the firers turned up hot enough and the fries turning out a bit too soft, I think Windham's was guilty of that on my visit. I really liked the concept of the battered home fries, but they just missed the mark.

Overall, this was a great experience. A true small, mom and pop type of place that was the norm for having lunch anywhere in Mississippi until the mid-80's and the explosion of chain establishments from the gulf coast to the delta.

If you're driving through Magee between Hattiesburg and Jackson, Windam's is worth a stop, and my guess is you'll probably try it again.

Lots of Plaid, good burgers

Today a business associate suggested that we meet for a late lunch at the Plaid Rhino. Despite having heard some good things about this establishment I had not been before and honestly had some reservations. I kept having flashes of a traumatic experience with a Chucky Cheese's a few years ago...But, I reluctantly agreed.

I'll be honest the decor and dining area was much nicer than I thought that it would be. They do have a gaming area with arcade games, but it's pretty well separated from the main dining area. Nothing like a Chucky Cheese experience, that's a big positive!

We started with an order of chips and salsa, nothing special about the chips, but the salsa was good. It was a chunky house made salsa with fresh tomatoes, onions, chilies, cilantro and lime juice.



This place is known for their burgers, so there's no way I was getting anything else. They have a number of specialty burgers, but one thing I like is that they offer a standard hamburger bun, a wheat bun or a sourdough roll.



The Plaid Rhino is one of the few places in town that grinds their own hamburger meat daily. I decided on one of the signature burgers the Savannah Sunset Burger on a the sourdough roll. It's a half pound patty cooked to order (med-well), with lettuce, tomato, pickles, pepper jack cheese and the kicker - a sunny side up fried egg tops everything off. I asked them to hold the tomato and put a couple of slices of bacon on my burger. I had skipped breakfast so it was lunch and breakfast all rolled into one artery clogging goodness.

This burger isn't all for show, it's a really good burger... It's just as messy as it looks and isn't that pretty much how a good burger should be?

It was served with a side of seasoned fries, nothing special, but they were crispy.

Over all I was really impressed with the Plaid Rhino, it may be partly because I didn't have any expectations before arriving.

I think we may have a new contender for the 'Burg's Best Burger.

Pockets Diner - Lucedale

There's something comforting about the familiar sizzle of a flat-top grill. At Pockets Diner in Lucedale that put the old flat-top to good use.

My "real" job takes me all across the state and on Monday I was in Lucedale for business. After my appointments it was getting pretty late so I stopped in at this little road-side eatery. Pretty simple looking from the road, no fancy signs just a cedar and white siding building with a with sign that said - Pockets Diner.

It was about 2:00 PM and and I was the only customer in the place, I was instructed to "sit anywhere" when I walked in. I picked out a table pretty close to the door, you never know when you'll need to make a fast exit in unfamiliar surroundings.


The server was very nice. After scanning the menu, which included breakfast served all day, I settled on a diner favorite. I ordered the chili cheese burger and a side order of hash browns. I asked that some of the chili be served over my order of hash browns.

There wasn't really much deconstructing of this burger, because it was a messy one. The entire meal was cooked on the flat top from the slight browner than I would have liked hash browns to the hand pressed hamburger patty to warming of the bun itself which has soaked up a little of the clarified butter that keeps the flat top sizzling.


The burger was a diner classic - hot, juicy and full of flavor. From the butter soaked into the bun to the fresh beef to the meaty chili. I can't be sure that the chili was house made, it was good chili not great chili.

The has browns were good with the chili as well.

When I got up from the table I was feeling pretty good about my meal and Pockets and was considering putting them on my list of semi-regular stops.

When I got the register things went down hill. The waitress gave me the total and I gave her my debit card to swipe.

When I got the key pad to enter my PIN, I noticed that the total was $2 higher than what I had been told. That was when I was shown a very small sign by the register that can easily be over looked that there is a $2 per transaction sur-charger on using a credit/debit card. I seldom carry any cash so I was pretty much out of luck at this point. I was assertive but not rude when I expressed my disbelief and displeasure on having to pay the fee.

The food is pretty good at Pockets and the people are nice enough but I can't advise anyone to go there unless you have cash.

Sidelines Sports Cafe

Ok, well lets get something straight, this ain't no sports "cafe" it's a "sports bar" in every sense of the word. Big TV's, sports video games, pool tables, a foosball machine, a menu of pub grub and lots of draft beer taps on the wall. To my knowledge it's the only sports bar in Oak Grove. Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, lets get down to business.

I've been to Sidelines Sports Cafe a number of times since it opened about two years ago, and to begin with I wasn't all that impressed, but over the past year they've gotten a handle on the kitchen and are producing a consistent product.

Today I stopped in for their Tuesday lunch special, which is always a ribeye steak sandwich, I would guess it's about a 6 oz, (pre-cooked) ribeye on a six inch po-boy bun, with all the toppings and a side of fries for $7.95. That's not a bad lunch special, it's getting to where you can hardly find a decent lunch in Hattiesburg for under $8.

The ribeye sandwich was good, I asked to be cooked medium and that's what I got, the fries were not hand cut, but they were hot, right out of the fryer and not mushy. The toppings were fresh, and the service was pretty good.

In the past I've had several of their burgers, and I often wonder when debates come up about who has the best burgers in the 'Burg why they don't get more mentions, they grill a good one. They have several signature burgers, but the Black Bean Burger being my burger of choice at Sidelines. It's not a burger made from beans or anything before ya'll think I've gone all vegan-crazy or something, it's half-pound Angus beef burger topped with black beans and pepper-jack cheese. It's a pretty unique taste.

They're located at Cedar Creek Strip Mall right on Oak Grove road right by the intersection of Oak Grove Rd and the Lincoln Rd extension.

All in all Denny, Coach and the rest of the crew at Sidelines have come a long way in the last year, and they're putting out some pretty good pub grub right now.

The End Zone for Lunch

One of my favorite college watering holes has turned into a destination for Southern Comfort Food. The End Zone on located on 4th Street has been open since 1977, and was long know as one of Hattiesburg original sports bars. About two years ago owners Mike and Gail Walker opened a full service grill and expanded by adding a seating area that is more family friendly.

The End Zone offers a daily lunch plate that ranges from red beans and rice to pork chops to country fried steak. They also have one of the most under-rated burgers in town. The gravy cheese fries may be Hattiesburg's best bar food offering.

Today I met a colleague there for lunch and sidled up to their best selling (according to Mike himself) entree - the hamburger steak platter. This is good, down-home Southern Comfort Food. The Platter consists of a half-pound hamburger steak grilled served with gravy, sauteed mushrooms and onions. I oped for their home fries and requested that grave be poured all over them as well. I may die of a clogged artery in the near future but I'm counting on the gravy to help keep things sliding along.

The service was good, the lunch was good and the atmosphere was uniquely - The End Zone.

My guess is that many reading this review only know of the sports bar portion of the End Zone, if you've not tried them for lunch you're really missing out.

You can choose to eat in the Bar or in the Grill, due to the Hattiesburg city ban on smoking in bars and restaurants the End Zone is no longer the smoke filled pool hall and sports bar of my youth, in a way I miss that. But, since I don't smoke and rarely drink, I'm pretty happy to see the grill packed on just about every occasion I've been there recently.