This Tennessee Buffet Brings Back The Old Days With Hearty Meals And Timeless Favorites

Hot water cornbread gets cooked fresh on a griddle right there on the buffet line. The recipe came from the founder’s own mother, and that detail alone made me hungry.

The buffet serves lunch and dinner every day, plus a breakfast buffet on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Lunch and dinner typically bring 14 to 15 vegetables and 7 to 8 meats.

Then come the homemade cobblers in apple, blackberry, and peach

I like how the meal doesn’t end at the table. Thousands of antiques fill the dining room, and an 1880s soda fountain waits nearby.

It’s one of only three known to exist, which feels a little wild for a dessert stop.

This Tennessee spot has been feeding families for more than six decades. I can’t imagine a better excuse for a road trip detour.

And which would you grab first, the cornbread or the cobbler?

A Sixty-Year Habit of Feeding Folks Right

Sixty years is a long time to keep a buffet line full. Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store celebrated that milestone in May 2025, and it still serves three meals a day.

The story began in 1965 with Brooks Shaw and his family. Back then, it was an antique museum with a modest lunch counter.

Folks kept showing up hungry, so the lunch counter grew. In 1978, the whole operation moved to its current home in Casey Jones Village.

Today, the business stays family-owned and operated into its third generation. Brooks Shaw, the founder’s grandson, became President in December 2024.

I love that the name above the door still belongs to the same family. That kind of staying power doesn’t happen by accident in the restaurant world.

The menu leans hard into Southern comfort food made the old-fashioned way. It feels like a direct line back to Sunday dinners from decades past.

National attention has followed too. USA Today 10Best ranked it the number four best buffet in America for four years running.

Not bad for a place that started as a museum with a sandwich counter. Somebody clearly knew what they were doing in 1965.

Fried Chicken That Never Saw A Freezer

Hand-battered and never frozen. Those four words describe the fried chicken and catfish on this buffet, and they explain a lot.

Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store keeps its meat lineup busy. Expect around 7 to 8 meats at a time, depending on the day.

House-smoked meats share the spotlight with the fried favorites. Pulled pork and ribs usually make an appearance, giving smoke fans something to cheer about.

Catfish is a big deal in this part of Tennessee. Having it fresh and hand-battered on a buffet feels like a small Southern miracle.

Here’s my practical tip for your first trip. Take a small piece of several meats before committing to a second plate.

That way you can taste the chicken, the catfish, and the smoked stuff without tapping out early. Strategy matters when the choices pile up this fast.

The lineup rotates, and a daily buffet menu is posted online by the restaurant. Checking it before you go helps if you’re chasing a certain favorite.

Either way, you won’t leave hunting for protein. The real challenge is saving room for everything still waiting down the line.

Your Vegetable Plate Is About To Get Crowded

Fourteen or fifteen vegetables. That’s the typical count on the buffet, and it turns a simple side dish into a full-blown decision.

Turnip greens and collard greens both show up, so leafy green fans get options. White beans bring that slow-cooked, stick-to-your-ribs comfort Southern kitchens do so well.

Sweet potatoes add a little sweetness to the savory lineup. Then there’s macaroni and cheese, which somehow counts as a vegetable in Tennessee and nobody argues.

I appreciate how much space the vegetables get here. Plenty of buffets treat sides as filler, but this one gives them real attention.

The variety also helps if someone in your group skips meat. A plate built only from these sides can still feel like a complete meal.

Don’t skip the salad bar either. It’s extensive, and homemade soups sit nearby for anyone wanting something warm and light first.

My advice is simple and slightly greedy. Grab a spoonful of anything unfamiliar, because a buffet is the safest place to try something new.

Worst case, you’ve used up one tiny corner of your plate. Best case, you’ve found a new favorite side for life.

Watch The Cornbread Happen Right In Front Of You

Some recipes get passed down on index cards. This one landed on a griddle in the middle of a buffet line.

The hot water cornbread at Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store comes from a recipe belonging to founder Brooks Shaw’s mother. It gets cooked fresh on the griddle right on the line.

That setup means you can see where your bread comes from. No mystery basket, no guessing how long it has been sitting around.

Hot water cornbread is a classic Southern staple. It’s simple, made from cornmeal and hot water, and it pairs beautifully with greens and beans.

I believe this little detail says a lot about the whole place. A family recipe still feeding strangers decades later is the definition of comfort food.

Try tearing a piece over your white beans or greens. That’s how plenty of Southern families have eaten it for generations.

Fresh off the griddle also means timing works in your favor. A fresh batch could be just a few steps away when you reach the line.

Honestly, it might be the smartest reason to linger near that griddle a few extra seconds.

Save Room, Because Three Cobblers Are Waiting

Apple, blackberry, and peach. Choosing just one cobbler here feels a little like picking a favorite child.

Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store makes its cobblers homemade, and they anchor the dessert end of the buffet. Peach cobbler pops up again and again when people talk about this spot.

Banana pudding is another dessert closely tied to the restaurant. It fits right in with the old-school Southern spread.

Here’s a practical move for dessert lovers. Grab a smaller dessert bowl and take a spoonful of each cobbler.

You get the full lineup without needing a nap in the parking lot. Sharing with your table works well too.

I can’t think of a better way to finish a Tennessee buffet meal. Warm fruit, a buttery crust, and zero pressure to behave.

Cobbler also sets you up nicely for the next stop. The ice cream parlor sits right inside the building.

Some folks might call cobbler followed by ice cream excessive. I’d call it a well-planned afternoon, and I suspect plenty of road trippers would agree with me.

Just pace yourself on that second helping of fried chicken first.

Thousands Of Antiques Keep You Company At Dinner

Most restaurants hang a few framed photos and call it decor. This dining room took things much further.

Thousands of collected antiques fill the space at Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store. The look recreates a turn-of-the-century general country store.

That makes sense given the history. The business started in 1965 as an antique museum, so collecting old treasures is part of its DNA.

You’ll want to look up and around between bites. There’s a lot to take in, and kids may treat it like a scavenger hunt.

I like how the setting matches the food so naturally. Old-fashioned recipes taste even better surrounded by pieces of the past.

It also gives conversation a boost. Pointing out an odd old object is a great way to keep a family table chatting.

The setup works simply. You pay for the buffet and drink up front, and servers bring drinks and clear plates.

That leaves you free to wander the line and enjoy the view. Just try not to bump into anything older than your grandparents while carrying a full plate of catfish.

An 1880s Soda Fountain Serves Up The Sweet Stuff

Only three of these antique soda fountains are known to exist. One of them sits inside Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe.

The parlor is an authentically recreated 1890s-style shop. It’s named in honor of founder Brooks Shaw’s wife, which adds a sweet family touch.

The 1880s soda fountain is the crown jewel here. Even if you skip dessert, it’s worth a look.

Blue Bell ice cream fills the scoops, and handspun milkshakes are on the menu. Old-fashioned candy and homemade fudge round out the temptations.

The candy selection is especially fun for kids and nostalgic grown-ups. Many sweets are self-serve by the pound, so everyone can build their own mix.

USA Today once named this shop one of the top fifty ice cream parlors in the nation. That’s quite the honor for a counter inside a country store.

My tip is to treat this as its own stop. You can visit for a cone even without eating at the buffet.

A milkshake for the drive also sounds like a solid plan. Nobody needs to know it’s your second dessert.

Short On Time? The Dixie Cafe Has Your Back

Not every trip allows for a long buffet lunch. The Dixie Cafe exists for exactly those days.

It sits next to Miss Anne’s Ice Cream Shoppe inside Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store. The cafe serves plate lunches featuring the same Southern fare found on the buffet.

The menu goes a step further too. Burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, and fried green tomatoes all appear on the list.

Breakfast is served Monday through Thursday. That’s handy for early travelers who want something hearty before hitting the highway.

The best part might be the newly renovated drive-thru. You can grab Southern comfort food without even unbuckling your seatbelt.

I think that’s a clever option for picky eaters too. A kid who wants a hot dog can be just as happy as Grandpa with his plate lunch.

Fried green tomatoes deserve a special mention. They’re a true Southern classic, and having them in a drive-thru feels almost too convenient.

So whether you have two hours or twenty minutes, this place has a way to feed you. Fast food just got a lot more country.

Climb Aboard A Famous Steam Engine After Lunch

A 130-ton steam locomotive makes a pretty great after-lunch activity. Engine 382 waits just outside at Casey Jones Village.

Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store anchors the village, one of Tennessee’s most popular travel attractions. You’ll find it all at 56 Casey Jones Ln A, Jackson, TN 38305.

The Historic Casey Jones Home and Railroad Museum honors the legendary railroader. The museum building resembles a train station Casey Jones would have known.

Visitors can climb aboard Engine 382 and ring the bell. Kids will probably want to ring it more than once.

Miss Juanita’s Gift Shop covers about 3,000 square feet. Jams, jellies, apparel, and Tennessee-made products fill the shelves.

The Providence House, an 1837 mansion, serves as an event venue and a Civil War Trails stop. History buffs get plenty to explore beyond the plate.

Tesla charging stations sit in the parking lot too. That makes this an easy break between Memphis and Nashville.

The buffet runs from early morning into evening most days, with shorter Sunday hours. Plan an extra hour for the village, because one quick meal tends to turn into a whole afternoon here.