Indianola's Eats & Beats

Beale Street it is not, but B.B.’s hometown boasts lots of lunch options and live music—if you know where to find them

By Sara Coleman

Hot spots for grub and groove are popping up around Indianola in preparation for the new B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center, scheduled to open in September. In addition to the new places, old favorites are also rolling out the red carpet to welcome customers.

For an authentic juke joint experience, a stop at Club Ebony, founded in 1945, is essential. Famous for its association with iconic bluesmen B.B. King and Howlin’ Wolf, over the years the club’s stage has featured Count Basie, Ray Charles, James Brown, Ike Turner, Little Milton, Willie Clayton and Bobby Bland, in addition to countless others. Owned by Mary Shepard, Club Ebony is a favorite haunt of B.B. King, who returns annually in June to his hometown of Indianola to perform a Homecoming concert. “B.B. and I have been friends for a long, long time,” says Shepard. “He’s been playing here for 32 years now.”

Though best known for its connections with the legendary sounds of classic blues, the cooking at Club Ebony, including catfish dinners and hamburgers, is popular. Local bluesman, David Lee Durham, accompanied by the True Blues Band plays here most every Sunday evening starting at 6 p.m.

Born and reared in Indianola, Durham is a regular performer throughout the Delta. A blues artist who has been featured in many magazines, such as Blues Revue, Durham has taken his old school guitar style and original sound international, performing at both the Lucerne Blues Festival in Switzerland and the Roots and Blues Festival in Italy. In 2004, Durham and his band were recognized as blues musicians of the year during the Mississippi Delta Regional Blues Challenge, a competition held each year at historic Club Ebony by the Blues Society of Indianola.

Durham often performs at 308 Blues Club, which provides a great atmosphere for soaking in the best of the Delta sound. Host to performances by well-known artists Bill Abel, The Bailey Brothers, Daddy Rich and The Back 40 Band, among others, the darkness of the club, with its scattered tables and chairs, allows visitors to sit catatonic as gritty rhythms burst forth from the stage. A full-service bar, christened the club’s “Well of Perfection,” serves up cocktails, beer and other beverages.

Lost Dog Pizza just opened this past fall offering gourmet pizzas, including The Lucille, named for B.B. King’s famous guitar, a delectable mix of grilled chicken, bacon, roasted garlic and fresh tomatoes topped with a ranch dressing drizzle and cheese. Another menu item is the G. Scroggins mufaletta sandwich, named for Mr. George Scroggins of Baird, Mississippi, who donated many of the items displayed in the restaurant. “He gave us half of the things in the restaurant,” explains Preston Lott, Lost Dog Pizza co-founder. “We have a lot of items from Baird, including the old train depot door. We named the sandwich in his honor as a thank you.”

Lott and his business partner Brooks Roberts used original artifacts from around Sunflower County to decorate the place in a rustic Delta style. Using cypress and tin collected from a barn in Inverness, a barber’s chair from a shop in Moorhead, old light fixtures from various sites and antique surf boards, the pair have transformed their restaurant into a “cannot-miss” destination. “The barber’s chair has a special connection. Brooks’ dad had his first haircut sitting in that chair,” Lott says, laughing.

Just next door is Pea-Soup’s Lott-A-Freeze, an Indianola establishment owned by Lott’s parents that locals have frequented for nearly 40 years. The restaurant was founded by Lott’s grandfather in 1968. “My grandfather’s nickname in high school was ‘Pea Soup,’ so that is what he named his restaurant when it opened. It started out as a drive-in, but now customers can eat-in or carry-out,” Lott explains. Specialties of the house include hamburgers, oysters and catfish. Pea-Soup’s is also well-known for its fried shrimp, which was voted best in the Delta by Delta Magazine readers in 2005.

The Crown Restaurant has served up Southern fare with a twist since 1976. Restaurant owners Evelyn and Tony Roughton and their daughter Jennifer Schaumburg have expanded the tasty offerings over the years to include a full lunch menu, including homemade bread and gourmet catfish—a popular favorite served any way except fried!

Delicious desserts are also a Crown staple with selections such as Praline Pie, Fudge Pie, Old English Trifle, Plantation Pie and Lemon Pie. “One of our most popular desserts is Pavlova, a meringue shell filled with whipped cream, apricots and nuts,” notes Schaumburg. It’s difficult to leave the restaurant without trying at least one divine slice.

Rebuilt in 2007 after a tornado damaged the original building, Gin Mill Galleries, owned and established by Tom Bingham, features artists from around the Delta and their wares, including painting and pottery. Find music recordings of local artists, locally-made food products and books.
Gin Mill also offers a restaurant and bar that serves up unique items such as Fried Bologna Sandwiches and the Cool Moon dessert—a classic Moon Pie topped with ice cream. The restaurant’s tin walls and wooden beams are decorated with Delta artwork and blues memorabilia such as guitars, old signs and neon lights. Menu staples include hot tamales, pulled pork barbecue, a variety of sandwiches and slabs of ribs. Thursdays and Sundays, custom-cut steaks and salmon are available hot-off-the-grill. Live bands are regularly scheduled for weekend performances and karaoke begins at 9 p.m. every Saturday.

The eats and beats of Indianola, reflecting the good taste and great music of the Delta, are sure to please. DM