The Mississippi Delis People Drive In From Louisiana And Alabama For

Some delis become so popular that people don’t hesitate to cross state lines just to visit them. These Mississippi spots draw regulars from Louisiana and Alabama who make the drive specifically for the food.

Bread gets sourced fresh, never an afterthought compared to what actually fills each sandwich. Layers pile high with meat and toppings, avoiding the skimping some competitors rely on to cut costs.

Regulars order the same sandwich consistently, trusting the size and quality to stay the same every visit. Nothing about the size feels exaggerated for marketing purposes once the sandwich actually arrives.

Every order gets prepared with the same care regardless of how busy the shop gets. These delis proved that sometimes a simple sandwich is worth crossing a border for.

1. United Deli & Grocery

A sandwich named Mississippi’s Best came out of a gas station. Not a bistro, not a chef-driven kitchen. A gas station on Tuscaloosa Road in Columbus.

The John’s Special is the reason people take the detour. Roast beef, turkey, ham, and cheeses stacked onto a French roll until it barely holds together.

It is the sort of sandwich that requires a strategy and a stack of napkins.

Beyond the cold case, the kitchen runs a rotating hot plate lineup that leans hard into Southern cooking. Fried chicken, catfish, macaroni and cheese, and cobbler show up depending on the day.

Gyros and burgers round out the board, which makes ordering harder than it should be. Families run the place, and the pace behind the counter reflects that.

Nobody is rushing you out. The setup surprises first-timers. Fuel pumps outside, snack aisles inside, and then a deli counter putting out food that competes with sit-down restaurants across the state.

Lunch hours get busy, so calling ahead saves time if the schedule is tight. Portions run large enough that half the sandwich often becomes dinner.

For drivers coming up from Alabama on Highway 82, the stop lands conveniently. Gas, food, and a sandwich story to tell later, all in one parking lot.

Find it located at 212 Tuscaloosa Rd, Columbus, MS 39702.

2. Frisco Deli

Back in 1984, this operation lived inside mall food courts. By 1993, it had settled into a permanent home in Pearl, and the loyal crowd followed without much complaint.

Sandwiches here get labeled giant, and the kitchen means it literally. Bread piled high enough that two hands are non-negotiable.

Ribs are the sleeper hit. Award-winning rib plates share menu space with deli classics, which is an odd combination on paper and a great one in practice.

Catfish gets prepared using an original recipe the family has held onto for years. Chicken tenders arrive with a honey mustard made from local honey, and the exact recipe stays behind the counter.

Family ownership shows in small ways. The same faces work the line, the regulars get greeted by name, and nothing on the menu feels engineered by a corporate test kitchen.

Pearl sits right beside Jackson, so the location works well for anyone passing through on I-20. Louisiana drivers heading east find it an easy pull-off.

Lunch fills up quickly during the workweek, especially around noon. Arriving a little early or a little late makes the whole visit smoother.

The dining room stays casual and unpretentious. Nobody dresses up, and the focus stays squarely on the plate in front of you.

Visit it at 1227 Phillips Ln, Pearl, MS 39208.

3. The Broadway Deli

Dessert cases can ruin a person’s willpower, and the one on South Front Street in McComb is especially dangerous. Cheesecakes, layer cakes, pies, and cookies line up behind glass like a lineup of very sweet suspects.

Randy’s Cake and Lemon Icebox Pie get requested most often. Both disappear fast on busy afternoons.

Lunch specials rotate daily and lean Southern, which means a plate of comfort food is usually waiting. Sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, and paninis cover everyone else at the table.

McComb sits close enough to the Louisiana line that the drive up I-55 barely counts as a trip. That geography explains a lot of the out-of-state license plates.

Takeout moves quickly here, and the catering side handles office lunches and gatherings around Pike County. Ordering ahead helps during the noon rush.

The atmosphere works well for a quick meal between errands. Downtown parking is close, and the whole visit fits into a lunch break.

Homemade is not marketing language in this case. Desserts are made in-house, and the variety changes based on what the kitchen has going.

Anyone with a sweet tooth should budget extra time for staring at the case and changing their mind three times.

Head to 117 S Front St, McComb, MS 39648.

4. Broma’s Eatery – McComb

Mall food has a reputation, and this place quietly ignores it. Since 2003, the Edgewood Mall location has been turning out American-deli plates that have nothing in common with a food court.

Signature sandwiches anchor the menu. Loaded potatoes show up as the sneaky favorite, packed heavy enough to count as a full meal.

Fresh ingredients drive the kitchen, and the sandwich build reflects that. Nothing sits around waiting.

Homemade desserts close out the visit for most people. The rotation changes, which gives repeat visitors a reason to check the counter every time.

Lunch and dinner both run here, which sets it apart from delis that shut down by mid-afternoon. Evening orders are a real option.

The setting stays compact and comfortable, with seating that fills up during peak hours. Turnover moves fast, so a short wait rarely stretches long.

McComb residents treat it as a default lunch spot, and shoppers wander over between stores. That mix keeps the room lively without feeling chaotic.

For travelers on I-55 between Jackson and Baton Rouge, the exit lines up neatly. Parking is plentiful thanks to the mall lot.

Portion sizes lean substantial, so splitting a sandwich and a potato works well for two people who cannot decide.

Find it at 125 Edgewood Dr, McComb, MS 39648.

5. Broma’s Deli – Brookhaven

Every chain has a first location, and this one opened in November 2002 just off Interstate 55 near Brookway Boulevard. Brookhaven got the original, and the town has held onto that bragging right ever since.

Melts headline the sandwich board. The Turkey Melt and Chicken Melt get ordered on repeat, both built for people who believe cheese should be a structural element.

Then there are the spuds. The Mac Daddy Spud and the Cheesy Mama Spud sound like nicknames from a high school yearbook and eat like a full dinner.

Soups and chili fill out the cold-weather side of the menu. Both pair naturally with half a sandwich.

Speed matters here because the highway crowd stops in between legs of a longer drive. Orders move quickly without the food feeling rushed.

Fresh ingredients stay the priority, and the kitchen builds everything to order rather than pulling from a warming tray.

Location makes the difference for out-of-state visitors. The exit sits close to the interstate, so the detour costs almost no time.

Brookhaven itself is worth a short walk afterward, with a historic downtown a few minutes away.

Anyone deciding between the two Broma’s locations should know this one carries the origin story.

The address is 1203 Hampton Dr, Brookhaven, MS 39601.

6. Hank’s #1 BBQ

Smoke has a way of advertising itself, and Highway 45 north of Columbus carries the message a good distance. Meats get selected carefully and cooked fresh every single day.

Brisket and ribs pull the biggest crowds. The brisket comes with a thinner, vinegar-based sauce that breaks from the thick, sweet stuff most people expect in the South.

Pulled pork and smoked turkey hold their own on the menu. The turkey especially surprises folks who order it as an afterthought.

Sides deserve their own paragraph. Baked potato salad is the standout, and the baked beans keep pace right behind it.

Sweet tea comes cold and correct, poured in the volume the weather demands.

Catering and bulk orders are available, which explains why the smoker runs so hard around holidays and football weekends.

Alabama drivers coming west on Highway 82 hit Columbus easily, and the barbecue makes a strong argument for stretching the trip a few more miles north.

The setup stays no-nonsense. Order, get your tray, find a seat, and let the meat do the talking.

Timing matters with barbecue. Showing up early in the day means the widest selection before popular cuts sell out.

Visit it at 5809 Hwy 45 N, Columbus, MS 39705.

7. Dorsey Food Mart

Since 1981, this family-owned grocery on Highway 178 has done a little of everything for its corner of Itawamba County. Gas, groceries, a meat counter, and a deli that quietly outshines the rest.

Mornings start with biscuits. Breakfast moves fast for folks heading to work, and the counter keeps up.

By midday, the plate lunches take over. Fried chicken, baked beans, and homemade potato salad rotate through with the reliability of a church calendar.

Sandwiches stay available all day for anyone not in the mood for a full plate. Hot and cold options sit side by side.

The meat department is the underrated part of the operation. Blackwell Angus Beef and freshly cut steaks make it a legitimate destination for home cooks.

Four decades in one location builds a certain rhythm. Regulars know the schedule, and newcomers figure it out quickly.

Rural stores like this used to be everywhere in north Mississippi. Most have closed, which makes this one feel more valuable every year.

Fulton sits near the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, so boaters and travelers stop through often.

One-stop shopping is not a slogan here; it is just how the place works. Fuel up, grab dinner, and leave with steaks for tomorrow.

Head to 3130 MS-178, Fulton, MS 38843.

8. Bozo’s Seafood Market

E.J. Delcambre, better known as Bozo, opened this Pascagoula market in 1956.

Nearly seventy years and three generations later, the shrimp po’boy still drives cars across state lines.

Frills are absent by design. Coolers of ice, a lunch counter, communal tables, and seafood cooked to order.

Blue crabs, catfish, snapper, trout, and shrimp fill the market side. Customers pick what they want fried or steamed, and the kitchen handles the rest.

The po’boys are the legend. Shrimp is the classic order, and the bread-to-seafood ratio has been refined over decades.

Sitting elbow to elbow with strangers is part of the experience. Shipyard workers, fishermen, and road-trippers from Louisiana all end up at the same table.

Bozo’s Too sits nearby and offers a roomier setup, with a broader seafood menu and an outdoor patio that occasionally hosts live music.

Pascagoula’s shipbuilding history runs through the place. Lunch rushes align with shift changes, so timing around them helps.

Fresh catch availability shifts with the season and the Gulf. Asking what came in that morning is the smartest move a first-timer can make.

Coastal Mississippi has plenty of seafood spots. This one has outlasted almost all of them.

Find it located at 2012 Ingalls Ave, Pascagoula, MS 39567.

9. Sammy’s Gourmet Deli & Gyro

College towns run on late-night food and cheap protein, and Oxford figured out early that East Jackson Avenue had both covered. Gyros and Philly cheesesteaks share the same menu, and neither suffers.

The Philly steak and cheese gets ordered constantly. Falafel sandwiches keep the vegetarian crowd from feeling stranded.

Boar’s Head meat and cheese show up throughout the deli side, which raises the floor on every sandwich built there.

Seasoned fries are the addition nobody skips. Ordering without them is technically possible and rarely happens.

Position helps enormously. The campus sits close, the Square is a short walk, and foot traffic never really stops during the school year.

Game weekends turn Oxford into a different city entirely. Lines stretch, parking vanishes, and the kitchen works overtime.

The vibe is casual to the core. Paper wrappers, quick service, and no expectation that anyone lingers.

Alumni driving in from Alabama or Louisiana for football often build a stop here into the routine, right between the drive and the tailgate.

Portions land in the satisfying range without going overboard. A sandwich and fries handle most appetites.

Comfort food with Mediterranean leanings is not what most people picture in north Mississippi, which is exactly why it works.

Visit it at 407 E Jackson Ave, Oxford, MS 38655.

10. Steve’s

Twenty-plus years on South Congress Street is no small feat in a downtown that has changed considerably. This deli has outlasted trends by making almost everything from scratch.

Breads are baked in-house, which changes the entire sandwich equation. The Capitol Club is the order most people default to.

Mediterranean wraps give the menu range, and daily plate lunches rotate through chicken spaghetti, lasagna, and other stick-to-your-ribs options.

Desserts come out of the same kitchen. Homemade means homemade here, not delivered in a box.

Breakfast joined the lineup in May 2025, and it arrived with ambition. Lox and cream cheese croissants, breakfast burritos, and breakfast casseroles now open the day.

Downtown workers, capitol staff, and lawyers fill the room at lunch. The mix makes for interesting people-watching between bites.

Parking downtown takes a minute, so factoring in a short walk is smart.

For anyone visiting the Capitol or the museums nearby, the location is close to everything worth seeing in the district.

Scratch cooking in a fast lunch setting is rarer than it should be, and this place keeps proving it can be done.

This place is located at 125 S Congress St, Jackson, MS 39201.