Food was excellent and service was great. We always enjoy eating at City Grocery when in Oxford.

Service was outstanding. Food was good. I came just before opening and the host, who was very kind said they weren't quite ready but will be just a few minutes soon water just outside. They forgot about me but someone who seemed like a busser apologized when I walked in because he saw me waiting outside. That was nice of him but host should have let me know they were ready. Crab cakes were good. Catfish was decent. Tomato and onions were very strong vinegar and much too acidic to blend with the fish. Server was excellent and had a good personality. read more

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The nighttime security guard was extremely disrespectful and unprofessional. He came up to me, told me to stand up, and took the chair I was sitting in from underneath me so he could move it to the corner and sit in it himself. This was a normal chair at a regular table, just like all of the other chairs in the area. When I confronted him about how he handled the situation, he continued to be disrespectful, cussed at me, and repeatedly told me it was "his security chair." Regardless of whether the chair was designated for security, the way he spoke to and treated me was completely unnecessary and unacceptable. I will not be returning after this experience. read more

I'm back with a new photo:) I had to try the pot roast poutine cheese curd fries. They were amazing and very filling and A+ to whoever dreamt up this magic. The service was great as always. read more

City Grocery - Pot roast poutine cheese curd Fries - Southern Near Me - Oxford, Mississippi

The food is delicious and the service is very attentive and friendly but it took a long time for our food to come out. Try the fried green tomatoes! read more

Reviews from the bar: First - the positives: everyone who worked there was fantastic! From the host to the bartender! City Grocery has the same amazing ambiance that it had when we went to college here (it was Syd and Harry's then). The food though has changed - as things do. The Blistered Shishito Pepper hummus was DELICIOUS! I think that might be a summer special? My son had their special which was a fried catfish which was very "ok". My husband had the Duck Breast which he said was amazing and I had the shrimp and grits which were good. Bartender was very sweet and attentive but needs some training on making mixed drinks. We will absolutely be back! (We were so hungry I forgot the pics). read more

This place was packed. Apparently it was move in week. I sat at the bar as it was the only place to eat right away. The bar tender was great at helping with selections and was super attentive. I started with gem salad which was good, but wish it had more flavor. My entree was the fried snapper (their specialty dish) and it was very good. It was a very unique tasting dish, but in a very good way. For desert, I went with the banana pudding. It was not your usual banana pudding, it's topped with coconut, but it was very good as well. This is a great spot in the heart of downtown. read more

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Defnitely the place to see-and-be-seen in Oxford! We had a great meal of shrimp and grits, some kind of hushpuppy appetizer and grilled grouper. It was all delicious and fun to see people of all ages having dinner. Definitely recommend getting a reservation! read more

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Service and cocktails amazing. Location convenient. Salads were good but main dishes were dissapointing. The shrimp and grits were unsavory and non impressive. The chicken dish was so dry three of us didn't eat it. The decor and ambience could make for it if you're not a super foodie. read more

Wonderful restaurant and menu great service and decent ambience... menu changes occasionally, but anything they add is normally outstanding

The best restaurant in Oxford. It's tough to get in here, especially on gameday weekends, but check it out if you can! The best southern food you will ever try! read more

25+ years now of dining at City Grocery; the fact that we return and return should pretty much say it all. Former server, now manager, Jennifer, always sees to it that we have a good table, an exceptional server, and a kitchen that is already informed as to my wife's dietary limitations. Olivia was our server, working a double shift on her birthday (Jennifer shared this with us, not Olivia), and she is a total delight: comfortable, competent, smart, sweet. My wife and I split a City Salad, then both had the seared scallops, mine as they were listed on the menu, with angel hair, farro, spinach, and parmesan, my wife's with a simple butter and lemon sauce, rice, and green beans. The scallops were perfectly cooked and everything was delicious. We enjoyed a very tasty Sotor Williamette Valley Pinot Noir with our lunch. Tab was just over $100 before tip. We love being in that wonderful narrow brick setting with tin ceiling; makes for rather loud dining, but it fits the energy level of the Oxford Square. read more

On the square. Pricey but good. Great wait staff. Lunch menu is a bit short but good options. We had salad, Muffaletta, 2 beers and a piece of pie. $84 with tip. Expensive lunch. read more

City Grocery - Muffaletta - Southern Near Me - Oxford, Mississippi

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Possibly my new favorite Oxford eatery. Every dish was delicious, and cooked to perfection. I LOVE shrimp and grits when it's done well, and this was good, really good. Steak was tender, fish was excellent. Service was really hospitable - from the hosts to the servers to the bartenders to the manager (yep, somehow managed to interact with them all!) Ambiance is lively (a little loud when it's busy, to be fair), cool old building with a ton a character. This is a fairly tough reservation for a reason! Looking forward to returning. read more

City Grocery - Shrimp & Grits - Southern Near Me - Oxford, Mississippi

Excellent experience, food, drinks, and service were on point; we'll definitely go back

Had a solo dinner at the main bar while traveling through Mississippi. Bartenders were very friendly, even if a little unorganized. Had the shrimp and grits, after much deliberation, and it was excellent. A little heat and a ton of flavor. The bar is in a bit of a traffic area by the bathroom and kitchen so not the best but the rest of the restaurant looked very cozy. Would be a great date spot with your special someone. read more

Eat here all the time. Usually excellent, but the last 2 times have been exceptional! Everything was excellent!

Being on the "Square" was a brilliant first start. The ambiance, exquisitely trained staff - beginning with the hostess - the waitress and entire staff all combined to make a good impression from the start. That was BEFORE the food arrived. The cornbread crusted catfish was excellent. Served on a bed of sweet potato purée, charred okra, Steen's gastrique and crispy country ham made for an amazing change from the usual fried catfish presentation. The pan roasted Verlasso salmon was served on a bed of rice pilaf, garlicy green beans, and lemon caper buerre blanc was amazing. Cooked to perfection as well. My only negative, and I had to dig for it, was the ambient noise making it difficult to carry on a conversation in normal voice tones. In my opinion the overall atmosphere and ambience would be better complimented with some noise abatement ceiling panels or something to help mute things a bit. I highly recommend and will return. read more

The restaurant is I tight squeeze between tables and very loud. So if you want to have a meaningful conversation with your fellow dinner partners it won't happen. The food is good and the service as well but nothing over the top. read more

Tasty cozy restaurant on the Oxford square! Limited menu of southern style cooking. Service was great! Definitely would go back to try dinner read more

City Grocery - Fried Brussel Sprouts - Southern Near Me - Oxford, Mississippi

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The food was very tasty. Service was friendly our bartender was easy to talk to. Ambiance was very eclectic. Old building vibe from the mid 1860's read more

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Very good. A bit pricey for the portion. Well executed. Great service. Great atmosphere. It's on the square, I knew would be pricey. I don't mind as much paying a little more if the menu delivers, and it did. I'll definitely be back. I'm a professional chef by trade. Not being critical. Just my overall opinion. Pricey, but worth it. read more

We have been to City Grocery quite a few times during our visits to Ole Miss. Our most recent visit will be our last. Our server was incredibly rude to both our table and then to other customers. We overheard her call another table "cheap" to a fellow server. She seemed very aggravated right from the start and the attitude continued for the entire dinner. It was so much so we decided to skip dessert because we just wanted to leave. Food was just ok. We've had great meals here many times, so not sure why tonight was such a miss. The are other restaurant options on the square which will get our future business. read more

Nicer local restaurant for a lunch on a visit to Ole Miss. Hostess was super sweet and squeezed us in right when they open with no reservation on Valentine's Day. Staff was so friendly and made great recommendations. read more

had the best experience tonight! was treated with so much care from sharpe and georgia. they made the entire night so enjoyable

Went here for lunch on a game day. No wait at our reservation time. Seated promptly. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. Drinks were excellent and prices right. Ordered burgers. Cesar salad and chicken sandwich. All were excellent. Will definitely be back. read more

City Grocery - Chicken sandwich - Southern Near Me - Oxford, Mississippi

This is a cute restaurant on the square. Interior ambiance is lovely. Our waiter was kind, helpful and suggested menu items we enjoyed. The hostess was not very friendly or helpful. The restaurant opens for dinner at 6:00, not aware of this we arrived at 5:50 for our 6:00 reservation. She told us the restaurant wasn't open so I asked if there was a bar, she said yes upstairs. She neglected to share that the bar was closed for a private party. So we didn't start off on a positive note here but we determined to have fun as we had driven from Atlanta to take our college son out for his birthday dinner. There are many amazing restaurants to choose from in Oxford. This will not be one we will go to again. read more

I cannot believe how many years we have been coming to Oxford and have only just made it to City Grocery. We've had season football tickets for close to 30 years and bought a condo five years ago when our kids started coming to school at Ole Miss. For years we have heard rave reviews that, unfortunately, must have set my expectations way too high. The location, on the square, couldn't be any better. And the small establishment is exactly what you would expect in an age old building around the square in a sleepy southern town. The space is intimate and I love the small bar toward the back of the restaurant. We had reservations for two at 7:00pm and arrived promptly where the hostess greeted us warmly and showed us to a four-top table barely inside the door and dangerously close to the hostess stand. I know they are trying to maximize tables in the small space but I was not pleased with the option. When I expressed this to the hostess and indicated we would prefer one of the several other empty two or four top tables she inquired with the manager and made the change for us. Mary Ann, our server, was pleasant and greeted us quickly and warmly. She recommended the night's special sangria so we both ordered one. It was fresh tasting and very good. Warm cornbread muffins were brought to the table with softened butter. I have to say that, even though I'm not a huge cornbread fan, it was pretty good. They were slightly sweet, soft on the inside and just a little crunchy on the edges indicating that someone knew to cook, probably in cast iron, in a pan that was already piping hot when the batter was poured in. Extra kuddos for the butter at room temp. Fine restaurants that put cold, hard butter, or a butter substitute, on the table get an automatic point deduction from me. But I digress. We ordered the pork belly to start. It was perfect, with crispy edges that held all the seasonings. But, it was four tiny bites. I mean absolutely tiny. As in barely enough to see or taste. My daughter ordered the house salad, add grilled chicken. It was nothing special. Literally looked like bagged salad mix with some grilled chicken on top. And it was tiny, like side salad size, on a very small plate. I ordered the pork tenderloin over polenta. It had very good taste, and was very tender. It was plated lovely. But it was tiny and also on a very small plate. I usually don't eat all of the starch served with an entree but the serving size was so small I practically licked the plate. We shared the chocolate dessert, which was our favorite. I'm a small person, I appreciate good food and do not think portion size is a substitute for good food. However, for the food to be slightly better than average, and VERY pricey, AND tiny portions, I can't give this restaurant better than 3 stars. We left, not starving, but not really satisfied either. I would think the average person, to feel satisfied , would need to order one or two appetizers, a salad, an entree and dessert just for themselves. And that would be a stretch, and make the meal cost more than the average food warranted. A slightly larger portion would not cost the restaurant much and should be considered. I've been there and had the experience for myself but don't anticipate going again. On a side note, my family is diverse. My daughter and I are of different race. If you are looking for a dining experience with no diversity, you've found your place. read more

Burger and fries! Yum!!!!! Service pretty good! Waitress was wearing multiple hats so not quite as attentive as could be! But okay!

A lot of people say this place is overrated but I thought it lived up to the hype. Price was honestly pretty reasonable too. Amazing staff. Amazing ambiance. Excited to take out of town friends here. read more

City Grocery is one of those places where you'll find out-of-towners and locals alike. The menu options tend to be a little pricey, but the meals are truly incredible and highlight quintessential Southern cuisine. I tried a handful of different items the few times I have visited and never once been disappointed. The waitstaff are extremely knowledgeable and eager to please. While I have found that the wait can feel a little long at times, the complimentary piping-hot homemade biscuits can tide over even the hangriest of guests. My favorite meal was the short ribs which were expertly cooked and just fall-off-the-bone tender. City Grocery is a must-experience when in Oxford. read more

Overall, this is a nice place. Interesting atmosphere, kind of feels like a converted warehouse or barn from the 1800s. Kind of loud, but you can hear the people at your table. Menu is interesting, and everything is expensive. I started with a Caesar salad which was good, but a little peppery. For my main course I had shrimp and grits, which was good but also had a peppery bite to it. But don't let the small appearance fool you - it's a lot of food. I probably could have stopped halfway through and been satisfied. The only drawback is the price. Good service, and it's very good food at half the price, but at the prices they charge, it's okay. I don't plan to return, but that's solely based on my perceived value. It's worth trying once. read more

We had an incredible dinner. We sat at the bar. The bartender was great and made great drinks. The Stromboli hand pie was a perfect starter. For our entrees we had shrimp and grits and the Cod special. We loved everything. I would love to eat this same meal again. Great meal. read more

I'd say - it was ok. Bar upstairs - fun vibe with ole waiting for our reservation/table. They seated us nearly 30 min after our reservation time. We tried the poutine and lamb special app. Really good. I got the Caesar to start and then the salmon. Salad was good, but salmon and asparagus over cooked and overly salty. Couldn't eat the asparagus- too charred. Husband had the duck- good but again over salted. Not overly impressed. I was disappointed cause I really wanted to love it. read more

So, we booked here 4 weeks in advance based on recommendations from friends. In summary; lovely space, limited food and wine menu, excellent service. Probably would come back. Really pretty and lively space but our table location was in the middle of the restaurant. Not ideal but they are limited on space and I get it. We ordered the shrimp and grits, chicken and dumplings and Lamb meatballs. Our food came out 3 minutes after we ordered (not sure if that was good or bad). The food was was just ok. Chicken and dumplings was over seasoned with way too much garlic. Not how my wife's grandmother would make them. Same for the shrimp and grits (why cover the dish in mushrooms? Didn't make sense). Lamb meatballs were delicious, and so were the fries. $36 for shrimp and grits in Mississippi is a travesty, particularly when they weren't that good. Chocolate cake and bread pudding were average. Awesome waitress. Loved her. read more

I have been wanting to try this place out for quite sometime. I have made it to the bar upstairs but never for dinner. I finally found a night that was slow and was able to get a table. Here's a rundown of what we had Crispy fried chicken livers- I'm not even sure where to begin, these were huge tender, tasty fried goodness on a plate. They were cooked perfectly, nice and tender had a rich and creamy inside. I could have just had these and been ok. BBQ pig tail was not quite what I was expecting but it did not disappoint. It was pork bits formed into a patty, the flavors were still good but I had a different vision of what it was. I had the pig cheeks, which is a favorite of mine and this must of been one big pig! The cheeks were a really good size, so tender, amazing flavors. The risotto was cooked to perfection. My company said the Darrow and the Duck were also amazing. This is a must dine here place if in Oxford MS..... read more

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I would give 3.5 stars if I could, but I can't and am unable to give 4. Growing up in Oxford, City Grocery was the stuff of legends with many talented chefs working here. Maybe they've all left? I brought my partner for a meal and was expecting to be wowed by culinary ingenuity, but instead found ourselves critiquing every dish. The ingredients sort of sat on top of each other, competing for attention and there was too much going on - recommend going back to the basics that made y'all "the best restaurant in town." read more

First time to Oxford! Shopping the town to see if it's a good fit for our family. If this place was anything like the town and people, I'd say it feels like home ! We came in on a FREEZING Friday after Thanksgiving and we're the first ones through the door. Everyone was friendly and the wine list was pretty good. Let me just say-The food was fantastic! I'm not sure what kind of crack they put into the cornbread but my husband said it was the best he has ever had. Just a hint of spice on the finish, oh they were sooo good! I also ordered what could possibly be the best carrot soup I've ever had. It was curried carrot with roasted carrots to garnish and I couldn't believe my mouth. Even husband liked it and he's not a soup guy. He ordered the burger MR and it had a great special sauce on it that made it ! Fries were also good. I got a wedge with blackened shrimp, it was exceptional. Their blue cheese dressing is more vinaigrette with blue cheese crumbles and I ordered extra because I couldn't get enough. I will return anytime I'm in Oxford! read more

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You outdid yourself tonight, CG! Wonderful anniversary dinner. Food, ambiance, wine and welcome were superb. As always, Terry makes it a great experience. Enjoyed the food and the experience! read more

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The fried red snapper was tasteless and dry. My friend's duck was overcooked. Lovely ambiance and terrific service. But the food did not match the hype. read more