Airport Grocery – Cleveland

Highway 61 is a long and straight road that takes you from Memphis to Vicksburg and further. There are a number of cities and great places to eat at along the way and you can’t go wrong with any of them, but there is one very unique place that you should stop at.  When I was a student at Delta State a friend of mine and I would stop by this grocery store to get cheese and crackers.  It was then located just outside Cleveland near the airport and called Airport Grocery.  This business was just an old country store that served drinks and cold cuts, but was popular because Delta State offered a major in aviation and lots of students stopped by on the way to go flying.  Years later the owners decided to open a full restaurant and eventually moved to Highway 61 in the northern part of town. The rest is delta history and the Airport Grocery is now a place known far and wide.

I love history and the Airport Grocery is stuffed full of what makes the mid south what it is.  Small country stores are what built this place and years ago you could find anything you wanted there.  They honor that legacy with a very southern old time store feeling.

A bar serving beer can be found along one side of the business and you will often see old timers shooting pool in the back.  Southern country stores were like that.  Half grocery and half juke house. This place serves some outstanding food though.  Some of the best in the Mississippi Delta.  Just sit down and pick something off the menu.  I’ve never gotten anything bad here.

I decided on the shrimp po-boy sandwich and gravy fries.  Yes I said Gravy Fries.  I got to capitalize those two words now because they are so good.  I had never had them anywhere till I came here.  People from all over come just for the gravy fries.

Cleveland, Mississippi has truly changed in recent years.  Downtown is completely redone.  Delta State University is a growing and respected college.  The Grammy Museum is even located there. But if you ask me why you need to visit Cleveland, the answer would be to eat at Airport Grocery.

Address:

3608 US-61.  Cleveland, MS.  38732

Hours of Operation:

Monday thru Thursday          11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.

Friday and Saturday.               11 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Sunday.                                          5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Make sure to check their facebook page!   Phone Number: (662)-843-4817