tupelo

it's funny that i am writing about tupelo , a new restaurant in inman square, right after i wrote about clink ., because they are such different dining experiences. dining at tupelo is almost exactly the opposite of a dining experience at the liberty: tup

thanks to a killer groupon , derek and i were able to hit up brunch at tupelo , a southern-tinged comfort food joint in inman square. not only had i been dying to check out this gem, but i also had a hankering for chicken and waffles that just wouldn't qu

best southern food i've had! try the fried oysters and pork belly corn dog. the fried chicken and pulled pork are fantastic as well. great service! i have to go back for the pie!

the service was quick, however our server had almost no personality. he was pretty short with us, just came up to the table, looked at us and said “what can i do for ya?” um, ok. the guy pouring the coffee was great though! overall, a wonderful brunch that i would definitely go to again. i think next time i’ll get the chicken and waffles. smile

yes and no. chicken and waffles: the waffle was slightly undercooked like i like it
the spice in the spiced whipped cream meant cinnamon and nutmeg.
the fried chicken was over-fried, not juicy enough.

the biscuits and sausage gravy brunch:
the egg scramble part was not a scramble but rather made into a flat patty.
the biscuits were skillet cooked and wonderful, the first good biscuits i've had in new england.
the sausage gravy was good, the exact same as you can get on your fries at tasty burger.

a bucket of lonestars, please... tupelo is a great place for every occasion. we never fail to impress out-of-towners with a meal here. the atmosphere is warm, quirky, and unpretentious. dine here a few times, and the friendly staff will make you feel like a regular (which you'll probably end up being). the menu changes seasonally, but generally includes many perfected southern fan favorites. among the best i've tried is the massive meatloaf, the pimento cheese, the frito pie, and the turkey meatballs. the rotating specials are also a special treat; although asian style pork belly with peanut slaw may not appear to be congruent with the rest of the restaurant's fare, it was one of the best dishes i've eaten all year. cheap date night is far and away the most satisfying way to navigate tupelo's generous portions. for 25 bucks, two can split fried grits, a gumbo, and a giant, delicious entree. polish it all off with a slice of petsi's pecan pie with some bourbon ice cream while sipping a hound dog- the king would definitely approve.

in the grand scheme of things, i’ll admit my choices were a little mild in comparison to some of the other menu items they offer at tupelo. i’m definitely hoping to get myself back there soon with some more adventurous eaters to try out the gumbo and duck legs. on our way out we decided to take one of their desserts to-go, a slice of maple pecan pie courtesy of petsi pies with a side of bourbon ice cream from toscanini, and yes, they were phenomenal — both separately and as a whole. but don’t even get me started on the pecan pie at za. j’adore.

overall tupelo is a homerun in my book. it’s moderately priced, delicious, and a great dining experience especially if you are a fan of down home traditional southern cooking! they also do a weekend brunch which is something i will be coming back for in the very near future.

we're always on the hunt for some good southern food. we love blue ribbon for its barbecue and really enjoy the more upscale hungry mother for it's french/southern fusion but last week, we decided to try out tupelo because it served more than just southern barbecue and it seemed authentic; plus it got good reviews on by a few bloggers. the atmosphere of tupelo's is friendly. it has a bar up front as you walk in and then a dozen or so tables. we arrived pretty early (around 6pm) because they don't take reservations. judging on the crowd i don't think you'd have a problem finding a seat before 7:00 on a friday. our waiter was very attentive and friendly and excited about the menu (which is always a good sign). we decided to start off with some pimento cheese and saltine crackers, a classic southern dish, which was good but i've had better. for our entrees i had the daub of beef brisket ($19).

not even close. i'm a louisianian. i have tried tupelo twice now, once with a a fellow louisianian, and we both agree that while the beer selection is a great representation of la, the food is not. the search for a taste of home continues.

soothing and souther. first of all, their sweet tea is second only to mine. and maybe paula deen's. they experiment with grits and thangs, and have some really inventive offerings, while remaining true to southern staples like chicken and waffles and po' boys.

a louisiana perspective. having grown up in south louisiana and being a cajun, i thought i'd give this place a try. i must admit that i was a bit wary of a place with supposed louisiana dishes being named after a city in mississippi. one of the first things i noticed after sitting down was a bust of elvis (who was born in tupelo). the walls were decorated with paintings of new orleans style architecture. i didn't feel like i was in louisiana, but aside from being a bit noisy, the place was comfortable and felt a bit like home. i was pleased by the drink selection as they had abita and dixie beers (both breweries are in louisiana and put out quality products), as well as chimay and some other imports. the wine list didn't look bad, either. my date and i didn't have to wait long for service. it was prompt and friendly. the menu, while not extensive, had a number of dishes i'd expect to find on the menu in cajun or creole restaurants (there is a difference and no, cajun does not simply mean "spicy" as people seem to think in some parts of the country). gumbo, red beans & rice, and grits are all mainstays on menus in louisiana. our waiter recommended the fried grits as an appetizer. wait...fried grits? grits aren't fried. he explained that they take grits, cut them into cubes, batter and fry them. not traditional, but we decided to give them a shot (regular grits are easy enough to make on my own). grits have a mild flavor and i found that the batter overshadowed the grits a bit, but they were still good. my date ordered the special of the day (blackened tuna with potato salad and a green salad of some sort). i ordered the gumbo. the portions were large and we both were full well before finishing them. the tuna wasn't what i consider typical of blackened fish, but it was cooked rare and was seasoned well. the potato salad wasn't typical southern potato salad (the kind some people add to gumbo), but was lighter and went well with the fish. the gumbo would have been at home at any restaurant in south louisiana. roux is the heart of any good gumbo, and i could definitely taste it in the bowl i had. the consistency was perfect. it was thickened with enough okra and file' that it wasn't the watery crap i've seen passed off as gumbo in some places. i'd say the gumbo was more creole than cajun, as it contained no seafood and wasn't as spicy as is typical in the cajun parts of louisiana. there also was no duck, squirrel, rabbit, or anything else freshly killed by some relative or another. :-) whatever...it was still good. very good. i added a dash of tabasco and for a minute i forgot i was in boston. my date and i decided to forego dessert as we both had enough food left over for lunch the following day. there was no bread pudding or anything uniquely southern about the desserts, but they sounded good. next time i may forego the appetizer and try one of the pies they had available. overall, it was a very pleasant experience. while not 100% authentic, i'd definitely recommend the place to anyone in the area looking for a taste of louisiana.

chef laymans offers straight-forward food that covers a wide swath of southern cuisine - from texas b-b-q to more refined french-inflected dishes of new orleans and charleston.

last night nick and i went to tupelo over in inman square in cambridge (yes, we ventured across the bridge). nick used to live right around the corner so we have been to tupelo at least a half a dozen times and loved it each time. so, when it came up on groupon last year, we bought three of them. however, since that time nick has moved in and getting to cambridge always seems more difficult. we had one groupon left to use before it expired at the end of february, so last night we went and remembered exactly why we love it so much! disclaimer for tupelo, though: you need to leave your diets at the door. you need to go in ready for a fat kid dinner, but really, you are going to enjoy every moment of it and it will all be worth it! most of the time there is a wait for a table, so we jumped on the two chairs at the bar, right next to elvis. hanging with elvis...who is wearing my ear muffs! tupelo has a great variety of beers, a lot that are authentic to the south, including abita and dixie

tupelo has been on my list of places to try for awhile now. my mom has been there before and has described it as “like hungry mother, but not as good…but still good.” therefore, whenever we’re craving some southern comfort food, we end up down the street