This Mississippi Restaurant Has Been Making The Same Black Bottom Pie Since 1870, And Five Generations Of Meridian Families Still Order It
My stomach was growling somewhere on a Mississippi highway when a brick storefront downtown pulled me in out of pure curiosity. Inside, a little crock of peanut butter landed on the table before I even opened the menu, and the walls were covered top to bottom in old photographs.
Turns out this place has been feeding families since 1870, which makes it older than almost every restaurant in the state. The slice of black bottom pie at the end sealed it, and I have been telling people about it ever since.
A Brick Storefront On 22nd Avenue
Downtown Meridian has a row of old brick buildings that look like they were built to outlast everybody, and Weidmann’s sits right in the middle of them at 210 22nd Ave. The address puts you in Lauderdale County, about a 95-mile drive east of Jackson and roughly two hours north of the Gulf Coast.
Officially it is listed as a Southern restaurant, which undersells things a bit. What you get is a full-service dining room serving brunch, lunch, and dinner, with a menu that leans hard on Gulf seafood, steaks, and plate-lunch comfort cooking.
The building itself counts as a contributing property in the Meridian Downtown Historic District, so the setting is part of the appeal rather than a backdrop. Brick walls, an original lunch counter, and a balcony level give the interior more character than most restaurants ever manage to collect.
Parking downtown is generally street-side and free in stretches, which helps if you are unloading a car full of relatives. The front entrance sits level with the sidewalk, making arrival simple for strollers and walkers alike.
Felix Weidmann’s 1870 Beginning
Back in 1870, a Swiss immigrant named Felix Weidmann opened a small eating house in a Mississippi railroad town that was still rebuilding itself. Meridian was booming as a rail hub then, and hungry travelers needed somewhere reliable to sit down.
That start date gives the restaurant a real claim: it is recognized as the oldest restaurant in Mississippi. More than 150 years of continuous service is not a marketing line here, it is documented history tied to the downtown district.
Generations of Meridian families have marked birthdays, graduations, and ordinary Tuesday lunches in these rooms. Ask around town and you will find people whose grandparents ate here, which is the kind of continuity that gets harder to find every year.
The place has been remodeled within the last decade or so, and visitors often note the ambiance came out warm rather than sterile. The updates kept the bones intact while making the dining rooms comfortable for modern crowds.
A Swiss name on a Southern menu still feels like a fun bit of Mississippi trivia worth passing along at the table.
The World Famous Black Bottom Pie
Order dessert first if you have to, because the black bottom pie is the reason plenty of people pull off Interstate 20. The recipe traces back to the 1940s and has barely changed since.
Construction goes like this: a gingersnap crust on the bottom, a dark chocolate layer above it, then a smooth custard, finished with whipped cream and a scatter of chocolate shavings. Each layer tastes distinct, which is the trick that keeps it from turning into just another chocolate pie.
Guests who have tried it often describe the texture as silky, and it tends to show up in conversation alongside the restaurant’s other famous slice. The gingersnap base adds a faint spice that cuts the richness better than a plain crumb crust would.
Portions run generous throughout the menu, and dessert is no exception, so one slice can easily handle two forks. Families frequently split a piece or two around the table rather than ordering solo servings.
If you are sharing with kids, the chocolate layer does most of the convincing. Grandparents tend to appreciate that the recipe has not been modernized.
Peanut Butter Crocks And Crackers
Nobody warns you about the peanut butter. You sit down, and a small stoneware crock arrives with a stack of crackers, no explanation unless you ask for one.
The tradition started during World War II when butter was rationed. A guest suggested peanut butter as a stand-in, the idea stuck, and the crocks never left the tables.
Local artisans now handcraft the stoneware, so even the container has a story attached.
First-timers are frequently caught off guard by it, then spend the next ten minutes spreading it on crackers while waiting for their food. Warm rolls typically follow, which means nobody at the table stays hungry for long.
For families with restless kids, the crock is an unexpected gift. It buys you time before the entrees show up, and it costs nothing extra.
Worth knowing: the peanut butter is rich enough to coat your palate, so go easy if you want room for the main course. Anyone with a peanut allergy should mention it to the server right away so the crock stays off the table.
Shrimp And Grits Yaya, Redfish, And Crab Cakes
Seafood carries a good chunk of this menu, and the Shrimp and Grits Yaya gets talked about more than almost anything else on it. Diners report a heavy hand with the shrimp, plus sausage worked into the dish, and several have called it the best version they have eaten.
Redfish is another regular order, sometimes topped with shrimp and a spicy sauce. Crab cakes come up constantly too, occasionally paired with a fried green tomato underneath, which is a very Mississippi way to plate them.
The kitchen also turns out Chicken St. Francis, a breast topped with pepper jack, andouille, crawfish, mushrooms, and onions in a cream sauce. Gumbo with a dark roux appears as a starter, built with chicken, sausage, and seafood.
Sides deserve attention on their own. Chipotle sweet potatoes, creole cabbage, and hoppin’ john all get singled out by guests, and more than one person has left wanting the cabbage recipe.
Portions run large enough that leftovers are common, which softens the per-person cost for a family meal.
Fried Green Tomatoes And The 1870 Sauce
Fried green tomatoes show up on more tables here than anything else in the appetizer section. Cornmeal crust, tart tomato underneath, and a sauce spooned over the top, sometimes with shrimp added for good measure.
House sauces get their own following. The 1870 sauce is named for the founding year and gets ordered by name, while a comeback sauce rides along with the tomatoes.
Muffalettas make an appearance too, though the version served here breaks from tradition with thick slices of ham and corned beef. Guests have described it as different but satisfying, served alongside fresh seasoned chips or fries.
At lunch there is a simpler side of the menu as well, including sandwiches like a BLT for anyone not looking to commit to a full Southern spread. Picky eaters in the family usually find something recognizable.
Sweet tea gets praised often enough that it is worth ordering instead of soda. For a table splitting appetizers, the tomatoes and a crab cake can stretch further than two separate entrees, which keeps the bill reasonable.
Walls Covered In Meridian History
Look up from your plate and you will find hundreds of framed photographs staring back. The collection covers celebrities who passed through, longtime staff, and ordinary Meridian families, layered across the walls over decades.
An original lunch counter still stands inside, a survivor from the era when downtown workers grabbed a quick plate and went back to the office. Different rooms have different personalities, so wandering between them before you sit down is half the fun.
Visitors regularly mention that the historical pieces and old photos make the meal feel like an event rather than just dinner. For kids, the walls double as a scavenger hunt while food is being prepared.
Balcony seating upstairs comes up often in conversation among guests who want a view over the dining room. Live music also happens here on occasion, adding to the atmosphere on certain evenings.
The brick walls and warm lighting keep noise levels friendly rather than overwhelming. Grandparents can hold a conversation, which is not something every busy restaurant can promise on a Saturday night.
The Treasure Chest For Well-Behaved Kids
Bribery works, and this restaurant figured that out a long time ago. Children who mind their manners through the meal get a shot at the treasure chest, a box of candy kept on hand for exactly that purpose.
Parents of young kids know how much difference a small reward makes at the end of a sit-down dinner. Announce the treasure chest early, and suddenly the wait between courses gets a lot smoother.
Combined with the peanut butter crock arriving at the start, the timing works out well for families. Something to nibble at the beginning, something to look forward to at the end.
Multi-generational tables tend to do well here overall. The menu has enough plain-cooked options for a six-year-old and enough Southern classics for a grandmother who knows what good hoppin’ john should taste like.
Highchairs and booster seating are standard at a full-service restaurant of this size, though calling ahead about a large party is smart. Reservations are available but usually not required, which gives you flexibility on a spontaneous Saturday.
Who Fits Best At These Tables
Road trippers make up a real slice of the crowd. People driving between Nashville and Louisiana, or heading toward Gulf Shores, pull off the interstate specifically because this is the oldest restaurant in the state.
Locals treat it as a standby for celebrations and unhurried weeknight dinners alike. It handles both without changing character, which is a harder balance than it sounds.
Families with grandparents in tow do particularly well here. The dining rooms are spacious, the service is attentive, and the history gives older relatives plenty to talk about between courses.
Solo diners have options too, with counter and bar seating downstairs when the upstairs area fills. A quick lunch alone works as easily as a party of eight.
Anyone hoping for a quiet, quick bite should aim for the stretch between lunch and dinner, when the dining rooms thin out considerably. Guests who visit during those off hours sometimes report having much of the place to themselves.
Dress is casual to nice-casual. Nobody is turning away a family in shorts after a day of driving.
Hours, Brunch, And The Best Time To Arrive
Planning matters more than usual here because of one detail: Sunday runs on a different schedule entirely.
Monday through Thursday, doors open at 11 am and close at 9 pm. Friday and Saturday extend to 10 pm, giving you a later dinner window if you are driving in from out of town.
Sunday is brunch only, 10 am to 2 pm, and that is the full day. Show up at 3 pm on a Sunday and you will be looking at a locked door, which catches visitors off guard more often than it should.
Lunch service typically runs Monday through Friday from 11 am until 4 pm, with the dinner menu taking over afterward. That mid-afternoon stretch is the quietest window if you want a relaxed table.
Reservations can be made but are generally not required. For a large family group on a Friday or Saturday evening, booking ahead is still the safer play.
Arriving right at 11 am on a weekday is a solid strategy with young children in tow.
Getting There And What To Do Nearby
Meridian sits at the crossing of Interstate 20 and Interstate 59, which makes it one of the easiest towns in Mississippi to reach by car. From Jackson, figure roughly an hour and a half east.
Hattiesburg is about two hours south, and Tupelo runs closer to three hours north.
Once downtown, the restaurant is in the middle of the historic district, so you can park once and walk. Sidewalks are flat and wide through this stretch, workable for strollers and wheelchairs.
Meridian’s downtown holds several other attractions within walking or short driving distance, including museums and a restored historic theater. Making a half-day trip out of it turns lunch into a proper Saturday outing.
Summer in east Mississippi means heat and humidity, so an air-conditioned dining room and a nearby indoor attraction pair nicely. Fall and winter visits let you linger downtown longer.
Pricing sits in the mid-range for a full-service Southern restaurant, and the generous portions can stretch across two meals if you take a box home.
Why The Pie Is Worth The Drive
More than 150 years of continuous service says something that no amount of decor can fake. Weidmann’s has fed Meridian through rationing, road changes, and generations of family milestones, and it still opens its doors six days a week plus Sunday brunch.
The black bottom pie is the headline, and it earns the attention with a gingersnap crust and layers that have not needed updating since the 1940s. But the peanut butter crock, the photo-covered walls, and the treasure chest for kids are what turn a meal into a memory.
Not every plate lands perfectly for every guest, as with any restaurant this size and this old. Most diners come away pleased with both the cooking and the service, and plenty say they would stop again on their next trip through.
For a Mississippi family looking for a Saturday outing that works for a first grader and a great-grandmother at the same table, the combination is hard to beat. Save room for the pie, and consider ordering two slices to pass around.